At Plantronics' 50th anniversary event, Buzz Aldrin discusses his moon landing and the role that Plantronics played.
Transcript for Buzz Aldrin at Plantronics' 50th Anniversary Launch
Buzz Aldrin: Interesting things...during the simulator, the checklist simulator before our flight, the checklist said leave the communication switch to the ground in “PTT”—Push To Talk. There was another position on the switch—“VOX”—Voice Operated Transmission. Well, the checklist... evidently somebody thought that if we wanted to talk to each other, we could over a hot mic, but we didn’t want it going back to the ground. I thought that was dead wrong. So unbeknownst to Neil, I threw the switch to VOX. So we’re coming down power descent, we’re talking back and forth to each other—everybody was hearing. And they thought that was the neatest thing. So sometimes you have to alter regulations...
Now if you read my book, you will find out that I made a little mistake somewhere in another situation and that was...it was survival. There was a good reason for it. But the guys at MIT didn’t understand it.
But I’ve got to tell you that Charlie Duke was the capsule communicator and the communication was so clear from Neil – remember he said, “That’s one small step for...man?” Somehow you guys didn’t transmit that “a man” and he has been catching hell for that ever since. But Charlie Duke, he kind of stumbled. There were only four people that knew what we were going to call ourselves when we landed—Tranquility Base—we just decided that. We wanted to make sure that whoever heard us say that, because Neil said, “Houston, Tranquility Base here, the Eagle has landed.” And Charlie Duke said, “Roger, Tranquiiil-ety.” We thought he understood it, but he screwed it up...but he was loud and clear over the Plantronics!