[CQ-Contest] Bluetooth Headsets for Contesting

[Jim Idelson]

 . . . NOT!

On a whim while passing through Boston Logan Airport, I purchased a Plantronics 
Bluetooth Headset - the Pulsar 590A. My thinking was that this headphone 
solution could be a nice multi-purpose solution for air travel, listening to 
music while on a treadmill, talking on the cell phone, and in the radio room at 
home. This device includes a headset with Bluetooth capability and some 
accessories. If you are connecting to a Bluetooth-compatible computer or phone, 
you just "pair" ithe two devices and off you go. If you want to use the headset 
with a non-Bluetooth audio device, you plug the accessory audio-to-Bluetooth 
adapter into the audio device and pair that with the headset.

It worked fairly well on the plane. It was compatible with my computer and my 
Treo 650 cell phone/music player. The audio quality was 'ok', battery life was 
good, but it was a step down from my wired Bose headset in terms of noise. 
Noise cancellation is really valuable for travel and in the gym. In spite of 
some minor drawbacks, I was prepared to keep it.

But, the big problem showed up the first time I tried it out in the radio room. 
I plugged it in and listened to the receiver - tuned around the bands and it 
sounded just fine. Next, I decided to transmit . . . when I did, I immediately 
learned that this device would never work in the shack. When I hit the keyer 
paddle, the rig transmitted, but I didn't hear the monitor tone in the 
headphones for quite some time. The headset system was introducing a 
substantial delay in the audio. I estimate the delay was on the order of 300ms 
or more. This was not going to work. I never even tried to figure out how to 
get mic audio from the headset into the radio.

I returned the headset the next day.

The ideal Bluetooth headset to meet my needs would have at least the following 
characteristics:
-  Headphones that block noise - preferably with active noise cancelling 
technology
-  Audio in both directions, including ability to get mic audio back to the 
radio
-  Zero audio delay in both directions
-  Long battery life for the headset and the audio-to-Bluetooth adapter
-  Decent audio characteristics for the headphones and the mic audio
-  Comfortable fit

Anybody found one yet?

Jim Idelson K1IR
email    k1ir at designet.com
web    http://www.k1ir.com