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IntelliAudio: left side, right side radio calls

IntelliAudio PSEngineering

Ok, so you’re flying along monitoring one radio frequency while in touch with another. How do you do that without missing your call-sign? One answer is what PS Engineering calls ‘IntelliAudio’ which places Com 1 at the 10 o’clock position in your headset, and Com 2 at 2 o’clock.

Here’s how how Mark Scheuer, boss of the American audio panel company describes it:

“Think of a time when you were in a crowded room with multiple conversations going. You are having a conversation with a good friend when all of the sudden you hear your boss’ voice somewhere near you.

“Imagine your boss mentions your name! Although your friend is still speaking to you, your brain is listening to your boss. And unfortunately, he wasn’t talking about giving you a raise.

“IntelliAudio in the cockpit works in the same way. It allows you to listen to two coms at the same time but pay attention to the one that is important at any one particular time.

“For example, you have com 1 on ATC while on Com 2 you have ATIS. Most of the ATC calls are for other aircraft, so listening to weather is a necessity especially if you are flying IFR in IMC and landing at an uncontrolled airfield.

“But the second ATC calls out your reg number, you immediately change your attention from weather to that radio call. It’s the IntelliAudio that places Com 1 and Com 2 in physical locations within your stereo headset that lets you take advantage of the power of your brain.”

IntelliAudio was developed by the United States Air Force for use in fighter jets as well as battlefield operations. PS Engineering licenses the technology from the USAF and adapted it for use in its flagship audio panel, the PMA8000BTi, which has both FAA and EASA approvals. List price for the PMA8000BTi is $2,095.

PS Engineering PMA8000BTi

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1 comment

  • Russ Ware says:

    Amazing, aviation had just caught up with what I’ve been used to for decades. In TV we have always had separate feeds to both ears in our headphones. I remember when I started flying ten years ago being surprised that aircraft comms didn’t allow you to have different things in each ear. I thought then that radio on one side & intercom on the other would be good…
    The brains ability to listen to 2 separate things is very well documented. Often Referred to as the cocktail party effect.

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