When I got back on the air three years ago, I purchased some Radio Shack headphones. They got good reviews on eHam, where relatively inexpensive, and accessible (there’s a Radio Shack only a couple miles from my house).
Fortunately, they turned out to be pretty good headphones. They were designed for use at racetracks (to monitor pit-driver communications) and did a great job of keeping out ambient noise. About the only thing I didn’t like is that they fit quite tightly, and therefore, could become uncomfortable after a time.
Unfortunately, they have one design flaw. They have a short, coiled cord connecting the phone plug to the headphone, and after three years of twisting and turning, the jacket has broken, and I’m afraid it won’t be long before the wires break. And, everythings molded together, so I can’t easily repair the thing.
That got me thinking about buying another set of headphones. When I bought the Radio Shack headphones, I’d considered the TR-2000 headset from Warren Gregoire Associates, but I didn’t want to wait for a mail order to arrive. Now, that i had the time, I decided to give them a try.
For $38 ($30 + $8 shipping), you get not only a set of headphones, but a boom mike as well. It’s a kit that you have to finish assembling, but that’s not a big deal. I decided not to install the boom mike, and it took me about 20 minutes to get it all together.
I like them. They’re more comfortable than the Radio Shack headphones, although they’re not quite as quiet. That’s the tradeoff. The audio quality seems to be equal to or better than the Radio Shack phones, although I’m not that discerning when it comes to audio quality.
One caution: for $30, you don’t get connectors. This wasn’t a problem for me, as I had the 1/4-in. phone plug, and I wasn’t going to install the microphone, but if you don’t have a ready source for connectors, you might want to purchase them as well. It’s an extra $8.
Also, you can get the phones pre-assembled. The cost for a pre-assembled headset is $59 plus shipping.
James Keough says
I glad to hear some have had good luck with WGA. Such is not my case. Purchased the headset with mic and PTT foot switch. Headset and mic were a kit. During assembly, I had some minor questions. First I called my “Elmer” who is an Electronics Engineer and he wasn’t sure what to tell me so I called WGA. Nice that he answers the phone immediately. BTW, before ordering I called and he assured me everything would work properly. “Warren” seemed pleasant enough, but was interruptive and, like other reviewers, talked down to me. He just insisted I follow the directions and I’d be O.K. So that’s what I did and the PTT footswitch did not work properly. It cut out the headset, but when released did not engage the headset again. Additionally, it sent my output signal into the red led’s until I powered down the radio. I called again and he told me I didn’t know how to read schematics. I told him I’ve been reading them for 50 years and have an Extra ticket. His reply was, “Everyone has an Extra ticket and I needed to figure it out on my own”. Rather than debate with him, I’m just sending the unit back with a loss of shipping both ways. I DO NOT recommend this company for any products!
James says
Gee, whiz, Dan … I cannot think of any product in ham radio which was a bigger disappointment. Given the state of inexpensive computer gaming headsets these days, there are hundreds of products which knock the socks off the WGA TR-2000. Poor quality components, awful audio reproduction, home-brew construction techniques, old school design … just awful. Sorry, OM, I cannot endorse back your play this time! Of course, this is just MY take. Your mileage may vary! Be safe, OM. K8JHR
Dan KB6NU says
Hmmmm. Well, I did write this 15 years ago.
I think I’d agree with you now that computer gaming headsets are a better value. Heck, I even have a pair here myself. Thanks for the reply!