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Headset music volume dimmer

tjernigan

Jul 14, 2017
2
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Jul 14, 2017
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image.jpg IMG_0593.PNG I am currently working on an adapter to play music through a General Aviation headset jack. The idea is to plug the adapter into a spare headset jack to play music through it. The problem I'm having is setting it up where when someone is talking on the radio to have the music dim or mute. I've seen someone do this using a transistor and resistor before so I am trying to replicate his method. I have only used transistors in this fashion for a couple projects and I'm not super familiar with them. I'm assuming I would need to use an NPN transistor connected to a resistor on a separate line from the normal line that the current would be flowing through like in the diagram above but I'm not 100% sure. Any help would be appreciated. Also I included information on the aviation headset jacks I'll be using.
 

Audioguru

Sep 24, 2016
3,656
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Sep 24, 2016
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Signals into headsets are AC, not DC. A transistor works with DC, not AC so it will cause severe distortion.

Stereo is not + and -. Both channels must be mixed together with resistors then the resistor outputs connected together make mono.
 

tjernigan

Jul 14, 2017
2
Joined
Jul 14, 2017
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Audioguru,
Aviation headsets come as both Stereo and Mono and aircraft can use both. Most headsets are mono anyway including all of mine (there's not much point in a stereo headset in aviation). I'm a pilot not an electrician but wouldn't it be possible to use diodes then in conjunction with the transistor somehow to make it work as a switch in AC? Or am I wrong about that? Thanks for the help

Or could I potentially use a TRIAC?
 

Alec_t

Jul 7, 2015
3,587
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Jul 7, 2015
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3,587
It would probably be easier circuit-wise to switch the music off entirely rather than reduce the volume.
 
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