Electronic Hearing Protection - a nice surprise.

[.308 Norma]

Even a cranky old skeptic like myself can be pleasantly surprised once in a while. My wife and I took the Idaho “Enhanced” CCW License Class yesterday. We have both had our Idaho “Standard” CCW Licenses for a long time, but for reasons I’ve stated in other posts, we decided to take the class in order to get our Idaho Enhanced CCW Licenses once our Idaho Standard CCW Licenses expired – which they did earlier this month.

Anyway, our daughter and her fiancé, Jon offered to lend us their electronic earmuffs for the class, and we accepted. But I’d never used electronic earmuffs, and I am a skeptic. So when we headed for class yesterday morning, I took our regular old earmuffs and a few pairs of foam earplugs along – just in case. I wasn’t at all sure those new-fangled electronic gadgets would work.

Dang! I was surprised! My wife and I were not part of the first group of students on the firing line, but we donned the electronic muffs before the shooting started, and turned them up (just like our daughter taught us) until we could hear each other talk. Then when the shooting started, I don’t think it was a darned bit louder than it would have been if we would have been wearing our old muffs. My wife and I were standing there, carrying on a conversation, no more than 10ft behind 5 or 6 people shooting 9mms, .38 Specials and .45 ACPs.

Even when I was on the firing line myself, shooting my 9mm, it wasn’t very loud, and I could hear every word the Instructors were saying, even when they were talking to other students further on down the line. But what was also amazing to me was the fact that Jon had told us before-hand that those electronic muffs weren’t really the best you could buy. They were “Caldwell” brand, and Jon said he only paid about $50.00 a pair for them.

 

[gudaki]

Now you've got me thinking about putting the batteries in mine. I've used them for years but never with the batteries installed. Yes I know kind of defeats the purpose of having electronic hearing protection.

 

[Havok7416]

Just make sure you pull the batteries or rotate them reguarly. I have 2 pair of cheaper ones that have corroded batteries. Luckily they still work as passive muffs.

 

[SharpDog]

I use a bluetooth set that runs $160 but offers 30 dB protection. The advantage is that I use it for my phone as well so if a shooting occurs I'll likely have them in place ...



https://www.earplugstore.com/sportear-ghost-stryke-essential-bluetooths.html

https://www.opticsplanet.com/axil-g...h-bluetooth-electronic-30-db-22-db-black.html

https://www.anarchyoutdoors.com/axi...erZrD1yoRlwh-37-FW7YGM9-XO6INSFgaAom3EALw_wcB

 

[FL-NC]

The value of electronic hearing protection can't be overstated.

 

[Sergei Mosin]

I have a set of Caldwells bought some years ago. Worth every penny and then some.

 

[hps1]

Just make sure you pull the batteries or rotate them reguarly. I have 2 pair of cheaper ones that have corroded batteries. Luckily they still work as passive muffs.

I've switched to rechargeable batteries in all my flashlights/hunting/shooting gear for that very reason. Dead rechargeable batteries don't leak.

Regards,
hps

 

[ATLDave]

Yep, been using them for years. They're really very simple - it's a muff with a microphone on the outside, a tiny speaker on the inside, and an automatic switch that kills the power to the mic/speaker anytime it's loud.

Best thing about them is that if you're shooting at an indoor range or are shooting something really loud outside, you can double plug (plugs and muffs) and then turn the volume all the way up. When there's no shooting, you can hear as though you have no earpro on, but you're double-pluged for when the big booms start.

 

[Good Ol' Boy]

Yup they're great.

I've got a couple sets of the inexpensive Caldwell's and they've been nothing but awesome.

I even took a pair to work when noise cancelling ear pro got brought up. The guys at work were amazed.

 

[beag_nut]

Dead rechargeable batteries don't leak.

Regards,
hps

Oh, yes they do!

 

[George P]

I like my Peltors; another excellent brand is Walker's Game Ear - not cheap, but what's your hearing worth?

 

[hps1]

Oh, yes they do!

I've had several flashlights, etc. that were ruined by leaking regular batteries.

Switched to Ni-MH rechargeable batteries, both AA and AAA sizes at least 5 years ago and have not had one leak yet.

Would appreciate if you would share your experiences to the contrary.

ETA:
Just did a search on leaking NiMH batteries and found this article:
Perhaps my charger is reason I've never had a leakage problem. I always slow charge and charger shuts down ea. individual battery as it reaches full charge???

How to prevent NiMH batteries from leaking?
Ask Question

Asked 10 months ago
Active 10 months ago
I have a low-power device (2mA max), wherein my NiMH batteries tend to leak. Following the advice of How do I prevent batteries from leaking?, I now have Low Self-Discharge batteries; however, they still leak when in this device. Why can this be?

• I suspected this might be due to overdischarging before being put in the charger; however, the battery that leaked today measured 1.16V when taken out, so this is not why.
  
  
• I have other ideas of why this can be (e.g. I have to hit the device to get the battery to pop out; maybe the reason is purely mechanical?); however, I don't want to lose a battery for every idea that turns out to be wrong.
  

What are other reasons NiMH batteries can leak in such a scenario? I would like some opinions, so I can assess which of those are likely, and test the most likely ones first.

p.s., I have all sorts of battery test equipment; so if some idea of yours would require something, you can assume I have it.


asked Sep 12 '18 at 18:08


2 Answers


NiCd and NiMH cells have a vent. If the cell is place in a position where the internal electrolyte level is above the vent, it may leak even when not charging or discharged (charging is actually more likely to result in a leak, as it generates gas in the cell). If you can, reposition the device so the positive terminals of both cells are up, which will tend to keep the electrolyte away from the vent (which is at the positive end).

If, like most devices, the cells are in opposite directions in the device, you may need to switch to rechargeable alkalines, which have less gas production (and, as a bonus, higher capacity on a charge) -- or replace the device with one that has a built-in rechargeable battery, which ought to be positioned to prevent leakage.


NiMH cells should not leak unless abused. The following can damage them, causing leakage.

• Soldering, which overheats the polymer seal.
• Operation at very high or low temperatures, which causes expansion of the electrolyte and melts the seal or makes it less flexible and more brittle.
• Operation in harsh environments, such as water, which causes damage through electrolysis or corrosion.
• Overcharging. Both charging current and voltage must be limited.
• Complete discharge, which can cause dendrite growth and cell swelling.
• Excessive discharge current, which causes internal heating.
• Placing cells in series and discharging too much, which causes weaker cells to reverse-charge.
• Excessive mechanical stress, such as a very tight-fitting battery box.

A likely suspect is charging rate. From this manufacturer's specifications:

• Slow charge at 0.1C (1/10 cell current rating) for 16 hours to a maximum of 1.46 V at 23 °C.
• Trickle charge at 0.03C to 0.05C indefinitely if this is a modern NiMH cell which self-catalyzes H2 / O2 recombination.

N.B. Battery position is irrelevant, since almost all the electrolyte is absorbed in the separator -- there should be none sloshing around.
https://lifehacks.stackexchange.com/questions/19186/how-to-prevent-nimh-batteries-from-leaking

Regards,
hps

 

[beag_nut]

Now retired, I used to make furniture and sell wholesale to high-end furniture stores. I have gone through at least four rechargeable drills and drivers, all with removeable batteries. Each combo was replaced by a newer model, and all because the batteries refused to take a charge (after several hundred cycles). Couple months ago took the bad batteries, ALL OF WHICH HAD LEAKED, to recycling center. Don't know if a slow charger would have helped, but all those units came with a fast charger, without exception, with no option of slow charging. Apparently one would need to get an aftermarket generic charger with the slow charge option, for use on generic batteries, to even test for leakage under that option. And several of the generic chargers I've seen don't have that option.

 

[GBExpat]

It has probably been ~15 years since I got my first pair of Peltor Tactical 6-S Mickey Ears. I was de-lighted to find that they gave me Superman Hearing ... so long as I wasn't walking thru, like, leaves.

Shortly thereafter, when I saw them on a(nother) good sale I got a second set. (Y'know, "Two is One and One is None" )

I keep the first pair in my bedside table for the night when (hopefully NEVER) my alarm system is triggered by a bipedal(s) intruder who may force me to apply some carefully-focused and LOUD violence to sort the situation.

The batteries compartment on the Peltor is a PITA to access, so I do not use my NiMH cells and, instead, just periodically change-out the set with fresh since they last much longer. The backup set of Peltors I keep with no batteries installed.

How accessible is the batteries compartment in the Caldwells?

 

[ATLDave]

My Peltors and Caldwells have almost precisely the same battery storage/access configuration - behind a door on the outside of one of the unit's cans. I don't know where else they could put them.

 

[GBExpat]

My Peltors and Caldwells have almost precisely the same battery storage/access configuration - behind a door on the outside of one of the unit's cans.

Huh. They must have changed the Peltor design after I bought mine ... or, perhaps, your Peltor model is different.

With mine one of the ear-pad assemblies must be (carefully) popped off with an inserted screwdriver tip to get to the batteries compartment.

 

[ATLDave]

Jeez, that sounds dreadfully annoying.

Here's the Peltor model I am using: https://www.amazon.com/Peltor-Range...5&s=gateway&sprefix=peltor+ele,aps,125&sr=8-5

I do prefer these over the (admittedly cheaper) Caldwells for comfort reasons. The padding cover on the Peltors is softer, while the Caldwells have a slick vinyl-like material that gets stiffer as it ages. The Caldwells are acceptable (pretty much Caldwell's general approach - and I own a fair number of "good enough" Caldwell items!), but the Peltors are definitely more comfortable to wear over the course of a 5-hour USPSA match.

 

[Texas10mm]

I like my Peltors; another excellent brand is Walker's Game Ear - not cheap, but what's your hearing worth?

According to the VA nothing. However the tinnitus is worth 10%.

 

[Zaydok Allen]

I have a cheap pair of Walkers that work pretty good. They do get warm, and I get sweaty ears.

I also find them mildly annoying with safety/sun glasses or indoor glasses.

However, the utility is undeniable. And yes, being able to double up comes in very handy. My 5" 460 Magnum is unbelievable loud. Even though there is no prohibition against shooting it at my local indoor range, I'd never think about doing it. The worst is when someone comes in with an AR.

I double up in both situations.

 

[alfsauve]

I have two over-the-head electronic ear muffs, and a pair of Walker XL around the neck ear plugs. Love them. Most quality batteries of recent manufacture won't leak, at least not for 7 to 10 years. That's become the norm for shelf life.

Here's a problem with the electronic stuff. We had reportedly a competitor stop in the middle of a stage because he heard some one in the gallery say "stop". The competitor didn't know if it was idle conversation or the RO, so he stopped. We caution everyone now to keep conversation to a minimum during each string of fire. I also turn mine off when I'm on the line to keep distractions to a minimum.

 

[Walkalong]

I have two pairs of the Howard Leight Impact Sports electronic ear muffs, the Impact Sport, and the Impact Sport Bolt. The Bolt is worth the extra cash if you have it IMHO.

I recently wore the Bolts from 8:00 AM until 3:00 PM plus and they worked as described, and were very comfortable. I upgraded for this type of event and I was very, very, happy with them.

You can find them a little bit cheaper than the Amazon link.

Here's the Peltor model I am using: https://www.amazon.com/Peltor-Range...5&s=gateway&sprefix=peltor+ele,aps,125&sr=8-5

I do prefer these over the (admittedly cheaper) Caldwells for comfort reasons. The padding cover on the Peltors is softer, while the Caldwells have a slick vinyl-like material that gets stiffer as it ages. The Caldwells are acceptable (pretty much Caldwell's general approach - and I own a fair number of "good enough" Caldwell items!), but the Peltors are definitely more comfortable to wear over the course of a 5-hour USPSA match.

I have no doubt those Peltors are a lot better than the Caldwells, and are in the same basic price range as the Impact Sport Bolt. I have some cheap Caldwells that are very poor. Maybe they make better ones, I don't remember.

 

[bassjam]

I avoided electronic muffs for years, mostly because I tried a pair back in 2001 that a buddy had and hated them. I found them disorienting since I didn’t know where sound was coming from, voices were equally as loud in both ears, and there was a delay – I’d see people’s lips moving and then would hear their voice a split second later. I have no idea what brand they were but in hindsight they were probably cheaper but I’m sure the technology has improved quite a bit since then too.

I broke down and picked up a decent pair a month ago, Walkers XCEL I think. I finally had a chance to shoot with them Saturday and I must say I’m very impressed. While I was in the side yard my wife stepped out the door to say something to me, and without her even raising her voice I immediately heard her from 40 yards away and knew exactly where she was standing. If it wasn’t for the sound suppression when shooting I might have believed they were defective because ambient sounds were so natural sounding and the stereo effect worked so well.

 

[GBExpat]

Jeez, that sounds dreadfully annoying. ...

Oh yeah!

Here is what a current version of my model looks like:

https://www.amazon.com/3M-Tactical-...tor+tactical&qid=1564414292&s=gateway&sr=8-23

BTW, I have found that after an hour, or so, I must remove my Peltors for a few minutes to avoid the growing squashed-melon discomfort.

 

[ATLDave]

I have two pairs of the Howard Leight Impact Sports electronic ear muffs, the Impact Sport, and the Impact Sport Bolt. The Bolt is worth the extra cash if you have it IMHO.

Yep, I've got those, too! I would rank them Peltors (grade A), the Howard Leights (grade B+), and Caldwells (grade C). ETA: The Howards do pack up slightly smaller than the Peltors. Both are more compact when folded up than the Caldwells.

When you run a weekly indoor USPSA match for 4+ years, getting the earpro right is a priority!

 

[Demi-human]

I always make sure the kids have on electric muffs. That way I know they can hear me. I need to just buy five pair. The Caldwells are perfectly acceptable for a few hours at the range, but do get hot and pinch my ears against my glasses. But they are a good price. Very worth it.