Sennheiser HMEC 46-1 User Manual

Instructions for use

HMEC 46-1

Safety instructions

• Please read this instruction manual carefully and com­pletely before using the headset.

• Make this instruction manual easily accessible to all
users at all times.

• Always include this instruction manual when passing
the headset on to third parties.

• During flight operation, do not use the headset for
telephone calls.

• With the NoiseGard™ active noise compensation
switched on, typical aircraft sounds (for example,
those from engines, propellers, warning alarms, etc.)
may sound different to you. Before operating any air­craft, make sure that, with NoiseGard™ switched on,
you can hear and recognize these sounds. Set the
volume to safe levels that do not interfere with your
ability to hear informational sounds and warning
alarms.

• The headset is capable of producing sound pres­sure levels exceeding 85 dB(A). In many countries
85 dB(A) is the maximum legally permissible level for
continuous noise exposure during the working day.
Exposure to sounds of higher volume levels or for
longer durations can permanently damage your
hearing!

• Never repair or attempt to repair a defective headset
yourself. Contact your Sennheiser agent or the
Sennheiser Service Department.

1

• Only replace those parts of the headset whose
replacement is described in this instruction manual.
All other parts of the headset must be replaced by
your Sennheiser agent.

• Protect the headset from humidity. Use only a slightly
damp cloth to clean the headset. For information on
how to clean the headset, contact your Sennheiser
agent.

Intended use of the headset

Intended use includes:

• having read this instruction manual especially the
chapter “Safety instructions”.

• using the headset in aircraft cockpits and within the
operating conditions as described in this instruction
manual.

Improper use

Improper use means using the headset other than as
described in this instruction manual, or under operating
conditions which differ from those described herein.

2

The HMEC 46-1 headset

The HMEC 46-1 headset with NoiseGard™ active noise com­pensation features dynamic, open headphones. The noise­compensating condenser microphone ensures excellent
speech transmission even in noisy environments. Designed
for use in aircraft cockpits.

Features

• NoiseGard™ active noise compensation reduces
ambient noise by at least 15 dB – consequently the
radio volume can be decreased

• Extremely lightweight

• Extremely comfortable to wear due to the patented
two-piece automatic headband and soft ear pads

• Peak level protection safeguards you from volume
peaks above 110 dB

• “Flip-away” headphone allows single-sided listening

• Flexible microphone boom, can be worn on either left
or right-hand side

• Noise-compensating condenser microphone ensures
excellent speech transmission

• Single-sided cable, easy to replace

• With NoiseGard™ switched off, the headset can be
used as a conventional headset

• Power supply for NoiseGard™ from aircraft DC power
supply system (on suitably equipped aircraft) or bat­teries/rechargeable batteries

• “Auto shut-off” extends battery life

• ETSO (C57a/C58a)/TSO (C139) approval

3

Delivery includes

•HMEC 46-1 headset

•Cable clip

• Wind and pop screen

•Instruction manual

•Carry bag

•EASA Form 1

Operation

Turning the microphone boom

The microphone boom can be rotated. This allows the
headset to be worn with the microphone boom posi­tioned on either the left or right-hand side of the head.

4

Putting on the headset

When putting on the headset, the patented two-piece
headband adjusts automatically.

Positioning the microphone

Bend the flexible microphone boom so that the micro­phone is placed at the corner of the mouth. Maintain a dis­tance of approx. 2 cm between microphone and mouth.

5

Flipping away one earcup

CAUTION!

The headset features a “flip-away” earcup for single-sided
listening.

Adjusting the volume directly on the audio system

Connect the headset to the corresponding sockets of your
audio system. Adjust the volume directly on the audio
system.

Hearing damage due to high volumes!

This headset is capable of producing high
sound pressure levels. Higher volumes or
longer durations can damage your hearing!

Set the volume to a medium level. Make sure
that you can hear critical environmental
sounds and warning alarms.

6

Adjusting the microphone sensitivity

The microphone sensitivity has been factory pre-set to
80 mV/Pa as per RTCA DO-214. You can change the
microphone sensitivity by turning a small screwdriver in
the direction of the arrow.

+

–

7

The operating controls of the HMEC 46-1

































Operating control I

 Volume controls
 LED
 NoiseGard™ ON/OFF

switch

 Mono/stereo switch
 BOOM switch L/R
 3.5 mm jack socket
 Battery compartment
 2.5 mm jack socket

Cable with
operating
control I

-B-CP x x x

-B-K x x x

-B-KP x x x

-BV-CP x x x x x

-BV-K xxxxxxxx

-BV-KP xxxxxxxx

-V-CP x x x x

-V-KP xxxxx

-V-KX xxxxx

-V-RP xxxxx

8



Operating element

Operating control II



 LED
 NoiseGard™ ON/OFF



switch

Cable with
operating
control II

-CP x x

-KP x x

-NP x x



Operating element

9

Using the headset

CAUTION!

Switching NoiseGard™ on/off

The NoiseGard™ ON/OFF switch  allows you to switch
the NoiseGard™ active noise compensation on or off. With
NoiseGard™ switched off, the headset can be used as
a conventional headset.

왘 Set the NoiseGard™ ON/OFF switch  to the desired

position:

ON: NoiseGard™ is switched on.

The LED  lights up, indicating the battery
charge status (see page 12) or power supply via
the aircraft DC power supply system.

OFF: NoiseGard™ is switched off.

The LED  is off.

Adjusting the volume

The two slide volume controls  allow you to adjust the
volume for the left and right channel separately.

Hearing damage due to high volumes!

This headset is capable of producing high
sound pressure levels. Higher volumes or
longer durations can damage your hearing!

Set the volume to a medium level. Make sure
that you can hear critical environmental
sounds and warning alarms.

왘 Use the two volume controls  to adjust the desired

volume.

10

Switching between mono and stereo mode

The mono/stereo switch  allows you to switch between
mono (

) and stereo () mode, depending on the

audio system.

왘 Set the mono/stereo switch  to the desired posi-

tion: mono (

) or stereo ().

Changing the left and right stereo channel

The position “R” or “L” of the BOOM switch  corre­sponds to the position of the microphone on the left or
right side of the mouth. When the microphone boom is
rotated to permit left or right side microphone orienta­tion, the BOOM switch allows you to correctly assign the
audio channels (L/R) to the appropriate headphone sides.
This enables the correct orientation of the volume con­trols and any stereo audio signals. To move the BOOM
switch, use a pointed tool.

Powering NoiseGard™ via two (rechargeable) batteries

왘 Insert two 1.5 V AA alkaline batteries (IEC LR 6) or two

1.2 V AA rechargeable batteries (IEC LR 6). Observe
correct polarity when inserting the batteries.

11

The operating time with batteries/rechargeable batteries
is approx. 100 hours.

With NoiseGard™ switched on (see page 10), the LED 
provides information on the remaining battery/recharge­able battery capacity.

LED  lights up yellow: The battery capacity is suffi-

cient.

LED  lights up red: The batteries are flat. Replace

the batteries.

Activating the “auto shut-off” function

The battery-saving “auto shut-off” function automati­cally switches the NoiseGard™ electronics off when the
headset is disconnected from the audio system or when
the aircraft avionics are switched off. The headset is
delivered ex-works with the “auto shut-off” function
deactivated. You can activate “auto shut-off” as follows:

왘 Set the switch to the position ASO.

12

Connecting a mobile telephone

CAUTION!

(cable -BV-K / -BV-KP only)

The 2.5 mm 3-pole jack socket  allows you to connect
a mobile telephone. For this purpose, the NoiseGard™
active noise compensation must be switched on and the
microphone connector must be connected to the aircraft
radio/audio. A suitable adapter for your mobile telephone
with 2.5 mm jac k socket is available from your Sennheiser
agent.

Danger of accident due to reduced attention!

Making telephone calls or operating the
mobile telephone limits your attention and
may cause accidents.

During flight operation, do not use the
headset for telephone calls!

왘 Connect the audio cable to the 2.5 mm 3-pole jack

socket  on the operating control I and to the corre­sponding jack socket on your mobile telephone.

You can adjust the volume of the mobile telephone via
the headset’s operating control. However, the functions
of the mobile telephone cannot be controlled via the
headset’s operating control.

왘 Operate your mobile telephone as usual and observe

the manufacturer’s instructions.

The latest information on cell phone compatibility is
available at www.sennheiser.com in the “Aviation Head­sets” category.

13

Connecting an additional audio player

CAUTION!

CAUTION!

(cable -BV-K / -BV-KP only)

The 3.5 mm jack socket  allows you to connect and
listen to an audio player (not supplied) through the
headset. For this purpose, the NoiseGard™ active noise
compensation must be switched on.

Danger of accident due to reduced attention!

Listening to music or operating an audio
device limits your attention and may cause
accidents.

During flight operation, do not use the
headset for listening to additional audio
sources!

Hearing damage due to high volumes!

This headset is capable of producing high
sound pressure levels. Higher volumes or
longer durations can damage your hearing!

Set the volume to a medium level. Make sure
that you can hear critical environmental
sounds and warning alarms.

왘 Connect the audio cable to the 3.5 mm jack socket 

on the operating control I and to the corresponding
jack socket on your audio player.

14

Care and maintenance

CAUTION!

Cleaning the headset

Use a soft, slightly damp cloth to clean the headset from
time to time. If the headset is very dirty, use a cloth
dampened with mild, soapy water.

Danger of short-circuit due to the ingress of
water!

Water entering the housing of the headset
can cause a short-circuit and damage the
electronics.

Use only a slightly damp cloth to clean the
headset. Do not use any solvents or cleansing
agents.

Replacing the ear pads

For reasons of hygiene, the ear pads should be replaced
from time to time. Grasp the edge of the foam ear pad
behind the ear cup as shown and peel it up and away from
the ear cup. Slide the new ear pad onto the earcup. Repeat
for the other ear cup.

15

Accessories and spare parts

By changing the cables, you can simply retrofit different
operating controls
HMEC 46-1” on page 8 and 9)
variants” on page 17).

• Cable -CP Cat. No. 500852

• Cable -V-CP Cat. No. 500846

• Cable -B-CP Cat. No. 500837

• Cable -BV-CP Cat. No. 500838

• Cable -KP Cat. No. 500842

• Cable -V-KP Cat. No. 500848

• Cable -B-K Cat. No. 502183

• Cable -BV-K Cat. No. 500839

• Cable -NP Cat. No. 500855

• Cable -V-RP Cat. No. 500853

• Cable -BV-KP Cat. No. 504030

• Cable -B-KP Cat. No. 504047

• Cable -V-KX Cat. No. 502437

• Audio cable, length 0.6 m,
2 x 3.5 mm stereo jack plug Cat. No. 520316

• Cable for mobile telephone, length 0.6 m,
2 x 2.5 mm jack plug (3 to 4-pin) Cat. No. 538200

• Cable for mobile telephone, length 0.6 m,
2 x 2.5 mm jack plug (3 to 3-pin) Cat. No. 520317

• MZQ 2002 cable clip Cat. No. 044740

• HZC 08 cable clip Cat. No. 525787

• Ear pads (1 pair) Cat. No. 515295

• Ear pads (100 pairs) Cat. No. 515296

• Wind and pop screen Cat. No. 515297

• Wind and pop screen (any quantity) Cat. No. 514127

• Headband padding (1 pair) Cat. No. 515629

16

(see “The operating controls of the

or connectors

(see “Product

Product variants

Model Cat. No./

HMEC 46-1
HMEC 46-1-CP

HMEC 46-1-B-CP

HMEC 46-1-BV-CP

HMEC 46-1-V-KP

HMEC 46-1-B-K

HMEC 46-1-BV-K

Cable -BV-KP

Cable -B-KP

Cable -V-KX

Part Number
500854 / 046-35
500472

046-35-999-3211
500478

046-35-999-2291
500479

046-35-999-2281
500476

046-35-999-3161
502180

046-35-999-1191
500477

046-35-999-1171
504030

999-2171
504047

999-2191
502437

999-4161



xx x x

xx xxx

xx xxx

xxxxx

xxx xx

xxx xx

xxxxxx

xxxxxx

x xxx x x

 Single-sided round cable,

length 1.85 m

 XLR-5 connector
 XLR-3 connector
 ¼“ (6.3 mm) jack plug

(headphones)

 PJ-068 equivalent

(microphone)

 8-pin Neutricon connector

 6-pin Redel connector
 Aircraft powered
 Battery powered
 Operating control I (see page 8)
 Operating control II (see page 9)

17

Specifications

Headphones

Transducer principle dynamic, open
Ear coupling supra-aural

Frequency response 20–14,000 Hz
Impedance

mono/stereo 600 Ω/1,200 Ω
Characteristic SPL 93 dB SPL at 1 kHz, 1 mW

95 dB SPL at 1 kHz,

1 V, mono
Active attenuation ≥ 15 dB (300–700 Hz)

THD < 1% at 1 kHz, 90 dB SPL
Contact pressure approx. 3 N

Microphone incl. preamplifier

Type BKE 46
Transducer principle pre-polarized condenser

microphone,

noise-compensating
Frequency response 100–6,000 Hz

Output voltage adjustable from 17–100 mV/Pa,

80 mV/Pa –2 dB

= 800 mV –2 dB at 114 dB SPL
Terminating impedance 150–2,200 Ω

Supply voltage 8–16 V DC

(

factory pre-set

)

18

General data

Temperature range operation: –15°C to +55°C

storage: –55°C to +70°C
Weight without cable approx. 150 g

Power supply for 2x 1.5 V AA alkaline battery
NoiseGard (IEC LR 6)

or

2x 1.2 V AA rechargeable

battery (IEC LR 6)

or

12–35 V DC via the aircraft

DC power supply system

(on suitably equipped aircraft),

max. 35 mA

19

Connector assignment

Solder side

1
2
3

Audio Hi
Audio Lo / DC–

Microphone Hi
4
5

1

2

3

4

5

Microphone Lo

Power supply NoiseGard

TM

(DC+)



Solder side

1 Audio Hi
2 Audio Lo
3 not assigned
4 Microphone Lo
5 Microphone Hi
6 not assigned
7 DC–
8 Power supply NoiseGard

TM

(DC+)



Solder side

1 Power supply NoiseGard

TM

(DC+)
2 Audio Lo / DC–
3 Audio Hi left
4 Audio Hi right
5 Microphone Hi
6 Microphone Lo

1

3

2

6

4

5

Cable -B-CP, -BV-CP, -CP, -V-CP

Cable -NP

Cable -V-RP

20

Cable -B-K, -BV-K, -KP, -V-KP, -V-KX

1/4" (6.3 mm) jack plug PJ-068 equivalent

12 3

12 3

Cable -B-K

1 Audio Hi 1 not assigned
2 not assigned 2 Microphone Hi
3Audio Lo 3Microphone Lo

Cable -BV-K

1 Audio Hi left 1 not assigned
2 Audio Hi right 2 Microphone Hi
3Audio Lo 3Microphone Lo

Cable -KP/Cable -B-KP

1 Audio Hi left 1 NoiseGard™ (DC+)
2 not assigned 2 Microphone Hi
3 Audio Lo / DC– 3 Microphone Lo / DC–

Cable -V-KP/Cable -BV-KP

1 Audio Hi left 1 NoiseGard™ (DC+)
2 Audio Hi right 2 Microphone Hi
3 Audio Lo / DC– 3 Microphone Lo / DC–

Cable -V-KX

1 Audio Hi left 1 not assigned 1 NoiseGard™ (DC+)
2 Audio Hi right 2 Microphone Hi 2 DC–
3 Audio Lo 3 Microphone Lo/DC– 3 not assigned

21

Manufacturer Declarations

Warranty

Sennheiser electronic GmbH & Co. KG gives a warranty of
5 years on this product.

For the current warranty conditions, please visit our web
site at www.sennheiser.com or contact your Sennheiser
partner.

CE Declaration of Conformity

This equipment is in compliance with the essen­tial requirements and other relevant provisions of
Directive 89/336/EC. The declaration is available
at www.sennheiser.com.

Before putting the device into operation, please observe
the respective country-specific regulations!

22

Sennheiser electronic GmbH & Co. KG

30900 Wedemark, Germany

www.sennheiser.com

Printed in Germany Publ. 08/10 515805/A01