fishman
Veteran Member
A recent thread on noisy tractors prompted this post.
To those of us on TBN who enjoy the shooting sports or other activities with intermittent, loud noises, I recommend trying one of the many electronic ear muffs out there. I especially like the ones that "compress" loud sounds instead of "suppressing" them. The difference (don't ask me how it works, somebody else will surely know, though) is that the ones that compress the sound don't shut off all noises when a loud noise (greater than about 83 db) is encountered. Therefore, if your walking through the woods and step on a stick, you can still hear other sounds just fine when that loud noise is suppressed. It's amazing how many noises exceed the minimum. Noises that activate the unit also include clapping, racking the slide on your shotgun, coughing, you get the picture. The volume of normal conversation can actually be increased as well, which is an advantage if you're hunting with a buddy and need to keep talk to a minimum.
I've tried the Peltor (suppress only), the Pro Ears (compress) and the Remington 2000 (compress). Of the three, I would not recommend the Peltor for hunting applications, although the unit is of good quality and works well at the range. The Pro Ears is pricey ($165) and works nicely, but for $100 at Wal-mart, the Remington 2000 is the buy. It has identical specs to the Pro Ears, and I actually find that it is more comfortable and lighter.
I haven't actually tried them while using the tractor, as a combo helmet/face shield/muff that I have works great. I doubt that they would operate satisfactorily, but after the holidays, I'll provide a report.
Does anybody have any experience with other models? Those that fit in the ear canal look like they would be "the berries" but are way pricey.
To those of us on TBN who enjoy the shooting sports or other activities with intermittent, loud noises, I recommend trying one of the many electronic ear muffs out there. I especially like the ones that "compress" loud sounds instead of "suppressing" them. The difference (don't ask me how it works, somebody else will surely know, though) is that the ones that compress the sound don't shut off all noises when a loud noise (greater than about 83 db) is encountered. Therefore, if your walking through the woods and step on a stick, you can still hear other sounds just fine when that loud noise is suppressed. It's amazing how many noises exceed the minimum. Noises that activate the unit also include clapping, racking the slide on your shotgun, coughing, you get the picture. The volume of normal conversation can actually be increased as well, which is an advantage if you're hunting with a buddy and need to keep talk to a minimum.
I've tried the Peltor (suppress only), the Pro Ears (compress) and the Remington 2000 (compress). Of the three, I would not recommend the Peltor for hunting applications, although the unit is of good quality and works well at the range. The Pro Ears is pricey ($165) and works nicely, but for $100 at Wal-mart, the Remington 2000 is the buy. It has identical specs to the Pro Ears, and I actually find that it is more comfortable and lighter.
I haven't actually tried them while using the tractor, as a combo helmet/face shield/muff that I have works great. I doubt that they would operate satisfactorily, but after the holidays, I'll provide a report.
Does anybody have any experience with other models? Those that fit in the ear canal look like they would be "the berries" but are way pricey.