A few more notes on Eartech.
Some folks have had issues with batteries discharging when not using the headsets. Fair observation but many potential root causes.
1. Forget to turn off one or both headsets. Easy to do since the usual situation is to take them off, put them down, and then go about adjusting dock lines. The master has an on off switch and the slave has a push button. The LED indicators are blue behind a frosty silicon button. Really easy to forget. Hey Eartech - make the LED bright red!
2. Faulty batteries. It can happen. More on that later.
3. Not keeping the batteries fully charged. We put the batteries in the charger after each use. Usually. Right after we turn off both headsets. Usually.
Customer service
I’ve seen a few complaints about support/service. Maybe folks call and yell or send emails in all caps. Dunno - I learned a long time ago to sell my suppliers. Besides most companies that have been in business a while don’t go out of their way to alienate their customers (yes, it can happen, but not by design. Usually.). We had battery issues after our warranty expired. I emailed and got a response a couple days later. We had a phone call. Support guy gave me a process to check the batteries. One had failed. Out of warranty. They sent us a new pair of batteries for the shipping cost (actual, not “as seen on tv”). They were prepared to replace a faulty headset - out of warranty no less.
Other than the need to fashion lanyards out of some nylon “hammock line” I couldn’t be more satisfied. The voice quality is excellent. No shouting. The admiral has hearing aids (sadly) and uses these headsets with no problem. Perhaps the dual earcup version would be less likely to slip off, but a) the cost; and, b) potential loss of ambient sounds like a dock hand asking for information.
So we now have four batteries. I keep one set in the units with the battery compartment unlatched and one pair in the charger. We use the headsets when docking, adjusting lines, launching the dinghy, when fishing (one person in the cockpit, the other driving - hey, it’s a pilothouse), etc. Battery life is excellent.
I’m clearly a raving fan and no, I’m not affiliated with Eartech. Two last things - they are comfortable to wear and easy to put on and take off (lanyard excepted).