I became aware of the Peltor Sport Tactical 500 Electronic Hearing Protector at the pre-SHOT Industry Day at the range. I was asked to try them out, comparing them to another set I’d had on that day. If you’ve not been, Industry Day can get very loud. With the prominent wind gusts, it was cold out and the ambient noise level without industry revelers was high too.
These things are like other amplified ear pro in the sense that hearing-safe sounds – the human voice – are amplified, handy for old-timers like me. Unsafe sound levels are suppressed. The manufacturer alleges some aspects of the “SMART technologies,” like “clear voice tracking.” All I can say is that I was able to hear –and understand – folks speaking around me.
The suppression time varies through some alchemy according to the “energy of the report and echoes in the location.” A sudden loud noise with no echoing reverberation is clipped while the thundering racket on an indoor range, say, would be muffled for a longer period.
The top band of the muff has vents to allow that troublesome button atop some billed caps to protrude . . . instead of being pressed into the shooter’s melon. The TAC 500 features blue-tooth technology. It’s untried by me so far as I don’t answer calls at the range – full time and attention being given to machinery being operated – and I don’t listen to music from a ‘smart’ phone while working at the range.
The muffs feature a 26 dB Noise Reduction Rating, auto shut-off feature, a “voice guidance feature” (“Power on” – kinda spooky), recessed microphones to reduce noise from wind/fans, and low profile cups for use with shouldered firearms.
I’d been back from SHOT for a couple of months when I was notified of a package at the local depot. I found the TAC 500 unit awaiting me. I used them on the next range trip during which I fired under a covered firing line as well as having used them for a half-day excursion to the retirees’ range. At that event, there was always a line of shooters. The TAC 500 gave transparent functioning; I could clearly hear and understand everyone who spoke – though some couldn’t hear me as I spoke in a normal tone – and my ears didn’t ring from repeated exposure to gunfire. And that’s what this unit is designed for.
From the “I have famous friends” department, I was notified yesterday of a new video about a man I’m happy to know. The video is Up Close: with Sheriff Jim Wilson and it’s an interview of the Sheriff by the Outdoor Wire’s own Richard Mann. It’s available on Amazon Prime Instant Video.
Richard describes it like this: “For those unfamiliar with this production, while at Gunsite Academy in early March I had the opportunity to sit down with Jim Wilson while four cameras recorded him playing music and telling stories in a way that only he can. I’ve been involved in a lot of cool projects in this industry, but none like this. It was an honor to produce this video for an icon of the gun writing world and a good friend.”
“Jim Wilson has some stories and songs a lot more folks need to hear. Now, it has been saved for generations to enjoy.”
If you’d like, you can check it out at the links below:
Amazon Prime link: http://a.co/d/4z3baS0
YouTube Trailer link: https://youtu.be/Xg47D38SlAQ
Facebook link: https://www.facebook.com/EmptyCasesBLOG/videos/2360923357473813/?t=0
- - Rich Grassi