Headset

A headset used by the United States Colonial Marine Corps.

A headset was a combination of a headphone with a microphone. Headsets were made with either a single-earpiece (mono) or a double-earpiece (dual-mono or stereo). Headsets provided the equivalent functionality of a telephone handset, but with hands-free operation.

Description

Headsets were used by the crew of the USCSS Nostromo in 2122, aboard Sevastopol Station in 2137 (with an integrated flashlight) and by the United States Colonial Marine Corps in 2179. Additionally, the M10 Pattern Ballistic Helmet and Head Mounted Sights used by the USCM both featured integrated headsets.

Unlike traditional hand-held radios, the headset allowed for hands-free communication, which was immensely helpful in combat situations as soldiers needed to focus their energy on the battle at hand. Outside of combat its primary use was for communication and illumination within tight or dark spaces, lending the user mobility and convenience while doing whatever needed to be done where they were working. Similar to how the M10 Pattern Ballistic Helmet and Head Mounted Sights used by the USCM had integrated headsets, the IRC Mk.50 Compression suit and suits similar to its design had integrated headsets for communication in the vacuum of space or otherwise.

Most headsets required at least 2 batteries, usually 9 volts to operate.

Behind the scenes

Although different variants were used in both films, the headsets used in Alien and Aliens were both modified Racal Amplivox Minilites; the same headset was used in various other films, including Star Wars (1977), The Spy Who Loved Me (1977), Superman (1978), Moonraker (1979), Superman II (1980) and Demolition Man (1993).

Appearances

• Alien
• Aliens
• Stasis Interrupted
• Aliens: Field Report
• Alien: Isolation
• Aliens: Dark Descent

Gallery

Lambert wearing a headset as seen in the film Alien.

Lt Gorman wearing a headset as seen in the film Aliens.

Private First Class Jenette Vasquez wearing a headset as seen in the film Aliens.

Amanda Ripley wearing a headset with the add-on of a flashlight as seen in Alien: Isolation.

Administrator Maeko Hayes wearing a headset as seen in Aliens: Dark Descent.

Other

An ad for the Aplivox Minilite variant used in Alien published in Flight International on January 20, 1972.

An ad for the Aplivox Minilite variant used in Alien published in Flight International on August 24, 1972.

A controller for Australia's Department of Transport wearing a Minilite, which was standard issue from the 1970s to the early 1990s.

External links

• Headset (audio) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
• The Harry Harris Aliens Collection & Archive: Gorman