Welcome to the Atlantic Signal Frequently Asked Questions Link

Over the years we’ve continually added to our FAQ as a result of questions from both SWAT and Military Operators. This should not be viewed as the ‘end-all’ question and answer list. If you have a question or feel you need some clarification regarding a product description or photo on our site – ask away. Click on the ‘Contact Us’ link on our site to locate the division and/or individual most relevant to your specific inquiry.

Question #1: I noticed your company offers a headset for the PRR (Personal Role Radio). Will your PRR comms solution negatively impact the duty cycle of the two AA batteries we use in our PRR radios?

Answer: Great question. The answer is no because we developed an inline housing ourselves that provides the power necessary to operate our headset at maximum efficiency on the PRR while having no impact whatsoever on the two AA batteries used to operate the radio. As you’re undoubtedly aware – the PRR is a unique radio in the overall realm of military comms. Its
power supply and consumption of disposable AA batteries does not lend itself to being used with any form of standard bone conduction headset. Additionally, as sidetone is also a feature of the PRR, a typical waterproof/noise canceling boom microphone is not compatible. As noted on our site - under the PRR headset section – we developed a custom microphone for use with the PRR also. Other features include - the client can choose from three different styles of upper MH Series frames and our custom baffle-style microphone is also compatible with all of our custom breathing apparatus adapter kits – permitting clear and concise voice transmission while employing both our PRR headset and a gas mask. Furthermore, as with all of our MH Series Boen Conduction headsets, an operator can add and subtract electronic or inert forms of hearing protection without having an impact whatosover on his ability to TX and RX with the MH Series headset.

Question #2: My team originally purchased New Eagle Special Operations headsets from your company back in 1998. I read on your site that your company used to be New Eagle but I don’t find the Special Operations headset on your site anymore. I found a similar looking headset on Tactical Command Industries website called the SPEC-OPS II TACTICAL HEADSET. Their site states…”The SPEC-OPS Tactical Headset has been widely used by law enforcement and military for many years, so we updated the headset with the SOBCII.” What gives?

Answer: Thanks for the question – this isn’t the first time this one has come up. Let’s cut through the bullshit and get to the truth. The product called the ‘SPEC-OPS II TACTICAL HEADSET’ on Tactical Command’s website is by no means an ‘improved’ version of our original New Eagle Special Operations tactical headset. And while they also state they’ve “updated” the headset with the ‘SOBCII’ – the facts are as follows: The headset is not manufactured by Tactical Command but rather by a company in Korea who attempted to ‘knock-off’ the original New Eagle Special Operations headset back in early 2000 and who continue to refer to it by the name they gave it when manufactured - the ‘BCT Communication Headset’. The Korean company specializes in bone conduction headsets for call centers, computers and cell phones. Their attempt at knocking off, a now antiquated and discontinued, New Eagle headset design/model was and continues to be considered no more than a typical ill-fated venture by a foreign company in attempting to confuse the marketplace. It’s a shame someone would build an inferior copy of a product that in its time was a state of the art communication’s headset for SWAT and military operators. We believe operators would be better served if Tactical Command not only removed the confusing name and claims about this second rate product from their website – but also remove the headset from their product mix.

Question #3: I have one of your headsets built for the Kenwood TK290. My team is switching radios to the Motorola XTS3000. Do we have to buy new headsets?

Answer: You do not have to buy new headsets. We can perform what we term a ‘radio-interface modification’ to your existing headsets – a service we have been providing since 1989. In essence, we will remove your push-to-talk assembly, the original circuit board and radio connector. We will then install a new circuit board specific to your new radio model, re-attaching the headset cable wires and wire and solder on the new XTS3000 coiled cable and connector assembly. The new XTS connector and cable, as well as the board and labor, is also backed by a one year warranty.

Question #4: What type of warranty do your offer on your products?

Answer: All of our MH Series headsets, push-to-talks, options and accessories, as well as the Peltor and Sordin communication and hearing protection headsets we offer, carry a one year parts and labor warranty – commencing the day your order ships from our facility. The warranty does not cover abuse or utilization of the headsets and associated components for applications other than that which they were designed for.

Question #5: Do you have a repair facility or does an outside source provide your repairs?

Answer: Our Chief Engineer, who possesses nearly two decades worth of working in the design, manufacturing and repair of our products, oversees each and every repair in our facility in Kansas. He also manages and trains all technical staff.

Question #6: Where are your headsets manufactured?

Answer: We manufacture our products in Canada and the United States. All of our design and prototyping work is done in Kansas and Missouri.

Question #7: We are in the process of field testing your MH Series headsets. We noticed the option of positioning the MH180V’s microphone on the left or right side of the face. What about the MH180H?

Answer: The MH180V was designed in such a manner that the adjustable head strap can be repositioned on the headset’s stainless steel frame, allowing the microphone to be positioned on the left or right side of the wearer’s face. While most operators are right handed shooters and headset boom microphones are generally built on the left side, a left side microphone boom can be a hassle for a left handed shooter. The standard build of the MH180H features the microphone asembled on the left side but it can be ordered and custom manufactured with the boom mic positioned on the right hand side at no additonal charge.

Question #8: You offer ‘Inline Quick Disconnects’. Under what circumstances should I consider this option?

Answer: Generally, inline quick disconnects were designed for implementation on the headset cable (the cable that runs from your headset to your push-to-talk assembly). For example, we have many clients who prefer to position their lower PTT assemblies and associated cables/connector on their LBE or MOLLE vest – leaving them there at all times. Most protective vests have channels or attachment areas, as part of their design, which allow cables to be covered or attached to the vest – positioning them out of an operators way (many clients use cable ties to affix and secure their cables to their vest). By purchasing an optional inline quick disconnect, an operator can affix the lower headset assembly to the protective vest – leaving it there permanently. This allows the upper headset assembly to be stored away in a gear bag. When gearing up for use, the PTT and associated cable and connector are already positioned out of the way on the vest – allowing the operator to simply remove the upper headset from his gear bag, don it and connect it to the lower PTT/cable/connector assembly already mounted to his vest. We offer inlines in both water-resistant (“WR) and waterproof (“WP”) versions.

Question #9: Can I use your MH Series headsets with gas masks?

Answer: Yes. Following 9-11, the majority of law enforcement operators ceased using the military issued M17 mask – implementing more sophisticated models of protective masks. It was at this point we began purchasing samples of each of the new masks and subsequently designed gas mask adapter kits – specifically for each new mask. These systems were designed utilizing high-impact ABS, polyurethane and/or stainless steel components. When a gas mask kit is purchased, a team or individual operator is provided a set of ‘fitting instructions’ and components for their particular make of mask. The kits are designed in such a manner that once an operator mounts them to the mask, the kit can be left there permanently. A typical kit takes 5-10 minutes to initially mount to the mask. Once properly mounted , it is left there permanently. Then all an operator has to do is don the mask, position the headset on the head and plug the headset microphone into the coupler assembly portion of the kit previously mounted to the mask. This process takes only a couple of seconds. Once the microphone and coupler assembly have been mated, an operator can then communicate (TX) in normal voice through the mask’s voice-mitter. Custom gas mask kits have also been developed for the majority of military masks used throughout the world (i.e.: SF10, FM12, M40, CT12, FM53). If by chance we do not have a kit for your specific style of mask, we ask that you send a sample of the mask for review by our design team.

Question #10: There seems to be several styles or models of bone conduction headsets on the market. What makes yours any different?

Answer: We are different in many ways:

a) One of our owners was directly involved in the design and marketing of the first tactical bone conduction headset in the world

b) Unlike most of the tactical headsets available in the United States, we design and manufacture our MH Series headsets exclusively for tactical law enforcement and military applications.

c) We provide in-house customer service and technical support.

d) We’ve designed and developed a tactical headset line that allows you to decide which push-to-talk, options and accessories you want rather than offering an ‘off-the-shelf – take-it-or-leave-it’ style headset(s)

e) See the link on the website titled: Buyer Beware for further information

Question #11: Our department recently switched over to a Motorola XTS5000 portable radio system that features encryption. We purchased a bone conduction headset from one of your competitors that we thought was your New Eagle Special Operations model and have since learned was not. The headsets never worked properly in encryption mode. We’ve sent them back several times for repair but the problem has never been resolved. Do bone conduction headsets work on encrypted, digital radio systems?

Answer: This is not the first time this matter has been brought to our attention. The answer is a resounding yes – bone conduction headsets work with encrypted, digital portables – no differently than they do on non-encrypted, analog portables. Anyone telling you the opposite is lying to cover up the fact they don’t know what to do to make your headsets work properly. This is yet another example of a headset distributor with little or no technical expertise or staff, unable to address one of the new law enforcement communication systems. When issues like this arise, we have a seasoned staff capable of addressing concerns and problems. When we can’t resolve a radio compatibility issue in-house, we’ll fly our Chief Engineer or a technical staff member to a department, facility or military installation to address it personally.

Question #12: Your company used to offer an omni-directional microphone as standard and a waterproof-noise canceling microphone as an option for an additional price. It appears all of your MH Series headsets have the waterproof microphone. Am I paying more for your MH Series headsets now that the waterproof mic is standard?

Answer: When we were offering the New Eagle Special Operations and Enforcer model headsets, the WP/NC mic was a $60 option while the less costly omni-directional microphone was standard. Now that we have complete control of the design and manufacture of the headsets, we felt it was advantageous for our clients to have the best microphone available. Rather than choosing to charge our customers extra for the WP/NC microphone, we decided to discontinue the omni-directional microphone and offer the WP/NC as standard at no additional charge. In other words…no…you are not paying extra for the WP/NC microphone.

Question #13: My unit needs dual comm. headsets that allow us to interface to a PRC148 and XTS5000. Do you build such a headset?

Answer: Absolutely. One of the services we offer our clients is customization and it is quite common for us to build dual comm. set-ups. You have a couple of options. We can build a headset that features two push-to-talk assemblies and radio connectors (i.e. a PRC and XTS5000). These lower assemblies are made portable by providing an inline quick disconnect on the headset cable – enabling the operator to use one headset that can be coupled, independently, to the radio model the operator is using at a specific time.

The alternative is a true dual comm. system. This allows you to have one headset interfaced to two of the same or two different portables at the same time. The dual comm. push-to-talk assemblies we offer (“X” Dual, “K” Dual & “AA/URBAN”) feature two PTT switches with individual radio interface cables exiting the bottom of the PTT housing – in this example – one to the PRC148 and one to the XTS5000. This allows an operator to receive and transmit on two different frequencies at the same time.

Question #14: I noticed you offer a remote radio volume control. Why would I want or need such an option?

Answer: Years ago the majority of tactical operators positioned their radio somewhere on the front of their body either on a belt mounted holder or in a pocket or pouch on a LBE vest. The trend is now such that most operators position their portable radios on their back. Our remote radio volume control gives the operator the ability to adjust his portable radio’s volume upward or downward from his PTT assembly. Our remote features a partial shroud to avoid accidental activation yet remains easily accessible with a gloved hand.