Air Traffic Control Headsets
What an air traffic control headset plugs into
An air traffic control headset needs one more part before it works: an adapter built for the PJ-7 jack, the standard connector on an ATC position. The JPL BL-22+P handles that wired. The Poly CA22CD-SC and the SHG S D200 handle it over DECT instead, and both are built and sold specifically for air traffic controllers.
Once the adapter's settled, what's left is the headset itself: an ATC headset like the EncorePro HW520 or the SHG S 520 NC.
Plantronics EncorePro HW510 Mono QD Headset (Noise-Canceling or Voice Tube)
Plantronics EncorePro HW520 Binaural QD Headset (Noise-Canceling or Voice Tube)
Plantronics EncorePro HW540 3-in-1 Noise-Canceling Headset (QD or Phone-Specific)
SHG S 131-PL In-Ear Headset with Non-Noise Canceling Mic
SHG S 620 NC PL Triple XL Ear Cushion Headset with Passive Noise Canceling Mic
JPL Scout 3100 DECT Push-to-Talk PTT Wireless Amplifier
SHG S D200 DECT Cordless PTT (Push-To-Talk) Headset Adapter
SHG S D145-PTT/AMP Push-to-Talk Amplifier
Plantronics EncorePro HW720 Binaural Noise-Canceling Headset (QD or Phone-Specific)
JPL BL-22+P Dual-Prong PJ-7 to QD Headset Adapter
SHG S 500-PL Headset with Passive Noise Canceling Mic
SHG S 520 NC PL Triple XL Ear Cushion Headset with Passive Noise Canceling Mic
JPL Scout 300 Push-to-Talk PTT Amplifier
SHG S D144-Amp Cable
No products match “” in Air Traffic Control Headsets.
Matching the adapter to a PJ-7 position
PJ-7 is the standard connector on an air traffic control position, and it's what the JPL BL-22+P, the Poly CA22CD-SC and the SHG S D200 are all built to connect to. Wired keeps the JPL BL-22+P simple: nothing to charge, nothing to pair. DECT wireless costs a charging routine but lets a controller step away from the position with the headset still live, which is what the Poly CA22CD-SC and the SHG S D200 are built for.
| Adapter | Connection | Headset end | Built for |
|---|---|---|---|
| JPL BL-22+P | Wired PJ-7 | Quick disconnect | A fixed position |
| Poly CA22CD-SC | DECT wireless | Quick disconnect | A controller who leaves the position, in stock |
| SHG S D200 | DECT wireless | Quick disconnect | DECT security level C, for public safety and ATC |
The SHG S D200 is rated to DECT security level C, the spec public safety and ATC buyers are told to check for.
Choosing an air traffic control headset once the adapter's picked
Once the position's adapter is settled, an air traffic controller headset comes down to how many ears it covers and how it handles a loud room. The EncorePro HW520 and HW720 are the Poly options in this PJ-7 chain; the SHG S 520 NC and S 620 NC add passive noise cancelling instead of powered ANC, which means nothing to charge on the headset side either.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Air traffic control headphones, air traffic controller headphones and an air traffic headset are the same product described three ways, and headset is the accurate term. Headphones alone can't transmit; a live position needs a microphone, which is what turns headphones into a headset.
Any Plantronics or Poly headset with a quick-disconnect cable works with a PJ-7 position once it's paired with a PJ-7 adapter; the adapter carries the PJ-7 connector, not the headset. The EncorePro HW520 and HW720 are the current Poly options for this chain, and the Plantronics name still turns up in search because Poly's headsets carried it before the rebrand.