Welcome to Century Avionics Lightspeed Sierra troubleshooting site, please see below for help. If the below instructions do not resolve your headset trouble, please drop us an e-mail at [email protected] or [email protected].
The Sierra headset requires two AA batteries. Use alkaline batteries for best performance, although lithium batteries may provide improved battery life in colder temperatures. We do not recommend using rechargeable batteries or mixing battery types and brands. A set of batteries provide an average of 40 hours of power. However, Bluetooth usage will impact battery life.
If you lose power at any time, Sierra will continue to perform as a passive headset. When batteries begin to run low, the power LED flashes red, and the headset will continue to operate. Install new batteries as soon as possible at any indication of low batteries. We recommend you add checking your headset batteries on your preflight checklist.
Sierra’s Stereo/Mono DIP switch is probably set to Stereo while your audio panel is transmitting a mono signal. To fix this, change Sierra’s Stereo Mono DIP switch to Mono. This setting does not affect music or audio from auxiliary devices; you can hear stereo sound on auxiliary devices even when the Stereo/Mono DIP switch is set to Mono.
You can think of microphone gain as a volume control for your microphone. Soft voices might benefit from an increase in gain in order to improve audibility and, in some cases, to break squelch; louder voices may need little to no gain increase. Equipping each headset with its own gain adjustment helps balance loud and soft voices in a multi-headset environment.
To adjust mic gain, remove the foam windscreen on your microphone and then remove the small cap next to the Lightspeed logo on our microphone to reveal the adjustment dial. Turning the adjustment dial clockwise will increase gain and turning it counterclockwise will decrease gain. A little adjustment goes a long way, so move the dial in small increments (think one-hour increments on a clock face) and test it in your aircraft. When you are satisfied with the adjustment, replace the cap and foam windscreen.
- Turn on the headset and verify the green LED is flashing. Make sure Sierra’s Bluetooth mode is turned off. Blue or red flashes from the Bluetooth LED should not be present.
- Press and hold the Sierra Bluetooth button for about five to ten seconds or until the Bluetooth LED continually flashes red and blue. This indicates the Sierra pairing mode setting and lasts about two minutes. If this step takes longer and the Bluetooth LED is no longer alternating red and blue, start over from step one.
- With Sierra in pairing mode, follow the menu prompts on your Bluetooth device directing it to look for Bluetooth devices.
- Select Lightspeed-V### (numbers may vary) on your Bluetooth device from the list of found devices.
- If asked to enter a password or PIN, enter 0000. Your device should now be paired and ready for continued use with Sierra. When you turn on the Sierra Bluetooth mode it will connect to the most recently paired device.
Note: The microphone will not transmit unless plugged into an intercom.
Your headset may not be in pairing mode. Some phones prompt for a pass code without checking for pairing mode. When the phone cannot pair with the headset, it rejects the passcode. To enter pairing mode, you must start with Bluetooth mode turned fully OFF.
To reduce RF interference during phone calls, keep cell phones at least 12 inches from the Sierra controller and headset when making calls.
To gain peak performance from the ANR feature designed into your Lightspeed headset, it is necessary to have a solid seal around your ears. Without a tight seal, air can seep in and cause the ANR to compensate for uneven internal cup pressure, often resulting in a warbling noise. If you are experiencing this issue, please contact customer service so that we may assist you in identifying and correcting the problem.
The Sierra serial number (a small, white, bar-code sticker with numbers) can be found on the headset underneath the head pad. The head pad, located on the inner radius of the headband, must be removed to reveal the serial number. Simply pinch the cushioned middle part of the head pad, pull straight down, the cushion will invert, and you will see the sticker on the headband.
Powering off your headset does not automatically send Bluetooth disconnect command to the BT module in the headset and as a result, Bluetooth loses its connection retention ability. To improve your Bluetooth auto-reconnect experience, turn off the Bluetooth on your headset (press Bluetooth button and hold until blinks red three times) then power off your headset. After turning on the headset, press and hold the Bluetooth button until you hear a high tone and the Bluetooth indicator LED flashes three BLUE pulses after which you should see your mobile device change from “Not Connected” to “Connected” (in your mobile device Bluetooth menu). If reconnecting still does not occur, manually reconnect via the mobile device Bluetooth menu.