Ear defenders with built-in radio

[RogerS]

In the latest issue of British Woodworking, Nick Gibbs reviewed a pair of ATC Electronic Ear Defenders that have a built-in radio. Thing is I've looked on the Axminster site and drawn a blank.

Has anyone else had better luck or any other recommendations?

Thanks

Roger

 

[Chems]

Dakota do? :evil:

http://www.rutlands.co.uk/cgi-bin/psProdDet.cgi/DK1284

 

[goldeneyedmonkey]

There's some 3M ones here, but there's plenty to choose from here @ Google Product Search.

Hope that helps. Cheers _Dan.

 

[RogerS]

Thanks for the suggestions guys. Nick reviewed a pair that only cost £24.10...that's more my budget!

 

[davin]

I paid a bargain 20 euros for a pair which look exactly like these,

http://www.abbeypro.co.uk/hearing-prote ... 25247.aspx

I bought them in Finland, but they are made in Sweden
Obviously they wont be as good as Bilsom/peltor 3m, but then they are a lot cheaper.
Also depends on how good normal radio reception is in your workshop.
Work fine, LBC, radio 5 liveradio 4,I can have political debate with myself all day long (and I always win!)

 

[RogerS]

All has been made clear. Axminster pulled these items from their catalogue as apparently they had problems with them.

 

[Oryxdesign]

Apparently it's a health and safety issue, you can't hear a warning shouted at you when you are listening to the radio.

 

[bugbear]

In the latest issue of British Woodworking, Nick Gibbs reviewed a pair of ATC Electronic Ear Defenders that have a built-in radio. Thing is I've looked on the Axminster site and drawn a blank.

Has anyone else had better luck or any other recommendations?

Thanks

Roger

IMHO, if you're doing something with enough power involved that you need ear defenders, you also need your full concentration, and (ergo) don't need a radio.

BugBear

 

[RogerS]

In the latest issue of British Woodworking, Nick Gibbs reviewed a pair of ATC Electronic Ear Defenders that have a built-in radio. Thing is I've looked on the Axminster site and drawn a blank.

Has anyone else had better luck or any other recommendations?

Thanks

Roger

IMHO, if you're doing something with enough power involved that you need ear defenders, you also need your full concentration, and (ergo) don't need a radio.

BugBear

Don't really agree with you there , BB. I use my ear-defenders even when using my very small bandsaw or Fein. And in those instances I'd just have music on in the background of the workshop because those sort of jobs take a very short time.

However, thicknessing several hundred metres of unsorted redwood has to be about the most mind-numbingly boring activity on the planet. Anything to reduce the tedium.

 

[Digit]

My recommendation is NEVER!
You won't hear warnings, you won't hear changes in cutting noise that might signal a problem etc etc etc.

Roy.

 

[RogerS]

My recommendation is NEVER!
You won't hear warnings, you won't hear changes in cutting noise that might signal a problem etc etc etc.

Roy.

I work by myself and so no warnings, There's nothing going to happen on my wee beastie of a planer/thicknesser that is going to warrant getting my knickers in a twist. If the wood stops feeding through...then I hit the off button. Can't see any danger to me.

 

[Digit]

I walked into a local engineering shop 'tother day Rog and stood at the entrance, by training I never approach a man on a machine, I wait for him to come to me. My family have been taught the same for when I'm running a machine.
Anything that can cause a distraction must be a safety hazard.

Roy.

 

[Doug B]

I use my I-pod earphones then put the ear defenders on over the top.

I also have a "walkman" style digital radio with similar earphones for when the crickets on.

 

[chris_d]

I'm with Roger on this one - I use radio ear-muffs while mowing and strimming the grass to reduce the boredom.

Don't buy the Husqvarna muffs as the head-band on my pair have already snapped although gaffer tape was sufficient to repair it.

 

[tomatwark]

I walked into a local engineering shop 'tother day Rog and stood at the entrance, by training I never approach a man on a machine, I wait for him to come to me. My family have been taught the same for when I'm running a machine.
Anything that can cause a distraction must be a safety hazard.

Roy.

I agreed with you on this Roy, I was taught in the same way " never approach a man on a machine ".

I have the radio on in the workshop but if I am running a machine and can't hear it tough.

But I would never wear ear defenders with a radio in, I think it is one more think to distract you and as others have said it can block out the pitch of the machine, which can can tell you something is about to happen and give you that couple of seconds to switch off or get out of the way. Again when I did training it was drilled into us to listen to the machine and stop if it does not sound right.

But at the end of the day it is personal preference.

Tom

 

[Digit]

Again when I did training it was drilled into us to listen to the machine and stop if it does not sound right.

Ditto.

Roy.

 

[RogerS]

I really don't see the problem with thicknessing vis a vis safety and ear defenders...but as has been said...each to their own.

Any road, might turn out to be academic. I bought a set identical to the Dakota ones from Rutlands at half the price! But the sound quality is dire. Frequency range around 1kHz to 4kHz with a peak at 2kHz. Excruciating.

 

[Steve Blackdog]

I have a pair of these. I don't use them in the shop and agree that you need to have your full brain in gear when operating anything that can hurt you.

I use them as Axminster suggested - for mowing the lawn. If I have an hour's cutting to do on a ride on, it is tedious beyond compare, and in those circumstances music whilst you work (either radio or iPod) it is no worse than driving a car with the radio on.

That said I'd not use them operating a chain saw in a million years.

In summary, I might have music on in the car, but never whilst riding my motorbike. Same applies to anything else where I need all of my mind on the job.

All the best
Steve

 

[Digit]

As I reported on another thread a young lad died on the main road near my house last week. 16 yrs of age, apparently he was using earphones to listen to music and texting as well when he stepped in front of a car.

Roy.