Narrative:

It was suggested that I relate an event that happened in case this causes a more serious outcome. So there I was. 9500 ft getting flight following from center and being pushed along with a 50 KT tailwind. 'Center; aircraft X; I'm receiving a lot of interference on this frequency; I need to cancel flight following.' actually; I had to say it about three times as it was very busy. I set the other radio to the center frequency and listened to that. No change. Still chatter from everywhere. I switch to transmit on that. I change the standy frequencys. I shut off one radio. Still I hear voices. Finally; I turn off the intercom (radios are still on). I can bypass the intercom; but I really should need to plug into the bypass jacks...what is going on? I turn off both radios. The whole panel is dark. There's only one thing left to try... I turn off my ipod that's plugged into the headset silence. Plug back in. Somehow the combination of ipod; wire; and lightspeed 20-3G was acting as a radio (a very crisp; loud radio) picking up multiple frequencys at once. I wish I had written down all the airport names so I could see how many I was hearing; but it was quite the cacophony. I called lightspeed and the guy there had never had that reported before. Removing the ipod fixed the problem. ATC was very busy so I never got back to getting flight following. I used the ipod on the trip home and heard no extraneous communications. The lightspeed 20-3G has a standard micro plug for cell phone or music. The ipod was an ipod 'mini.'callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated the lightspeed 20-3G has the 'active noise reduction' system (anr) with its own built-in power source in the headset. A specialized wire connects from the headset to a box that also holds batteries. This box also has a standard micro plug and wire provided by lightspeed; for cell phone or music. This is not a firewire type cable. There is a selectable switch; on/off; that will automatic filter out any incoming phone or music sound when aviation frequency signal(south) are being received or transmitted. The cable wires for connections; at least those running from the box to either the phone or music; appear to have minimal cable shielding or none at all. Reporter was using an apple ipod mini MP3 player. This is not a radio so he was quite surprised to hear multiple frequencies at the same time even after he turned off both aircraft radios. The only difference noted regarding the frequency chatter is when using the ipod only; the normal headset filtering seemed to be inhibited and all the frequencies including the ipod music were talking at the same time. Reporter also notes he was at higher altitude and this may have allowed him to pick-up more frequencies.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A BEECHCRAFT BE23 PILOT REPORTS OF PICKING UP MULTIPLE FREQUENCIES AT THE SAME TIME WHEN USING HIS LIGHTSPEED 20-3G HEADSET AND WIRE IN CONJUNCTION WITH HIS IPOD MINI.

Narrative: IT WAS SUGGESTED THAT I RELATE AN EVENT THAT HAPPENED IN CASE THIS CAUSES A MORE SERIOUS OUTCOME. SO THERE I WAS. 9500 FT GETTING FLT FOLLOWING FROM CTR AND BEING PUSHED ALONG WITH A 50 KT TAILWIND. 'CTR; ACFT X; I'M RECEIVING A LOT OF INTERFERENCE ON THIS FREQ; I NEED TO CANCEL FLT FOLLOWING.' ACTUALLY; I HAD TO SAY IT ABOUT THREE TIMES AS IT WAS VERY BUSY. I SET THE OTHER RADIO TO THE CTR FREQ AND LISTENED TO THAT. NO CHANGE. STILL CHATTER FROM EVERYWHERE. I SWITCH TO XMIT ON THAT. I CHANGE THE STANDY FREQS. I SHUT OFF ONE RADIO. STILL I HEAR VOICES. FINALLY; I TURN OFF THE INTERCOM (RADIOS ARE STILL ON). I CAN BYPASS THE INTERCOM; BUT I REALLY SHOULD NEED TO PLUG INTO THE BYPASS JACKS...WHAT IS GOING ON? I TURN OFF BOTH RADIOS. THE WHOLE PANEL IS DARK. THERE'S ONLY ONE THING LEFT TO TRY... I TURN OFF MY IPOD THAT'S PLUGGED INTO THE HEADSET SILENCE. PLUG BACK IN. SOMEHOW THE COMBINATION OF IPOD; WIRE; AND LIGHTSPEED 20-3G WAS ACTING AS A RADIO (A VERY CRISP; LOUD RADIO) PICKING UP MULTIPLE FREQS AT ONCE. I WISH I HAD WRITTEN DOWN ALL THE ARPT NAMES SO I COULD SEE HOW MANY I WAS HEARING; BUT IT WAS QUITE THE CACOPHONY. I CALLED LIGHTSPEED AND THE GUY THERE HAD NEVER HAD THAT REPORTED BEFORE. REMOVING THE IPOD FIXED THE PROBLEM. ATC WAS VERY BUSY SO I NEVER GOT BACK TO GETTING FLT FOLLOWING. I USED THE IPOD ON THE TRIP HOME AND HEARD NO EXTRANEOUS COMMUNICATIONS. THE LIGHTSPEED 20-3G HAS A STANDARD MICRO PLUG FOR CELL PHONE OR MUSIC. THE IPOD WAS AN IPOD 'MINI.'CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: REPORTER STATED THE LIGHTSPEED 20-3G HAS THE 'ACTIVE NOISE REDUCTION' SYSTEM (ANR) WITH ITS OWN BUILT-IN POWER SOURCE IN THE HEADSET. A SPECIALIZED WIRE CONNECTS FROM THE HEADSET TO A BOX THAT ALSO HOLDS BATTERIES. THIS BOX ALSO HAS A STANDARD MICRO PLUG AND WIRE PROVIDED BY LIGHTSPEED; FOR CELL PHONE OR MUSIC. THIS IS NOT A FIREWIRE TYPE CABLE. THERE IS A SELECTABLE SWITCH; ON/OFF; THAT WILL AUTO FILTER OUT ANY INCOMING PHONE OR MUSIC SOUND WHEN AVIATION FREQUENCY SIGNAL(S) ARE BEING RECEIVED OR TRANSMITTED. THE CABLE WIRES FOR CONNECTIONS; AT LEAST THOSE RUNNING FROM THE BOX TO EITHER THE PHONE OR MUSIC; APPEAR TO HAVE MINIMAL CABLE SHIELDING OR NONE AT ALL. RPTR WAS USING AN APPLE IPOD MINI MP3 PLAYER. THIS IS NOT A RADIO SO HE WAS QUITE SURPRISED TO HEAR MULTIPLE FREQUENCIES AT THE SAME TIME EVEN AFTER HE TURNED OFF BOTH ACFT RADIOS. THE ONLY DIFFERENCE NOTED REGARDING THE FREQUENCY CHATTER IS WHEN USING THE IPOD ONLY; THE NORMAL HEADSET FILTERING SEEMED TO BE INHIBITED AND ALL THE FREQUENCIES INCLUDING THE IPOD MUSIC WERE TALKING AT THE SAME TIME. REPORTER ALSO NOTES HE WAS AT HIGHER ALTITUDE AND THIS MAY HAVE ALLOWED HIM TO PICK-UP MORE FREQUENCIES.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.