Jack.O'keeffe@f26.n129.z1.fidonet.org (Jack O'keeffe) (04/05/91)
Index Number: 14634
[This is from the Silent Talk Conference]
Hi Wayne,
You wrote Vixen about direct audio input (DAI) so I hafta get my
two cents in. The ol' Telex aids I had were no longer adequate
(I insist the transistors were wearing out - couldn't be me :-)
So, since you last saw me, the VA issued a new Oticon power BTE
with DAI. What a wonderful difference! It's not wireless like
the Telex (there is a wire across the back of my head from the
dead side). But this gives it a connection for a DAI boot.
I have a nice little directional microphone, and wires to connect
most any other sound source to the DAI jack. Ret likes it because
we can now communicate when I'm driving the car. I still need to
see face to understand everything - but this is a BIG help.
I recognize that what works for me won't help everyone, but I'm
enthusiastic about DAI and my new Oticon. I think that the old
Telex had a better T-coil though, so I'm hanging on to it.
I hope you received the information I sent on the ANSI A117
standard, and I hope you will send comments to them. I get the
feeling that the majority of the ANSI committee thinks "access"
means nothing more than getting people in wheelchairs in and out
of buildings. They are now attempting to get the A117 standard
and BCMC scoping accepted in lieu of the ATBCB guidelines.
If that happens, we lose most of what we hoped for under ADA.
The Congress Giveth - the regulation writers take away!
... Xpress Yourself!
--
Uucp: ..!{decvax,oliveb}!bunker!hcap!hnews!129!26!Jack.O'keeffe
Internet: Jack.O'keeffe@f26.n129.z1.fidonet.orgVixen@f11.n203.z1.fidonet.org (Vixen) (04/11/91)
Index Number: 14743
[This is from the Silent Talk Conference]
Hi Wayne,
Well, my hearing aids do have T-switches and my Telex does have an
input for external jacks so that I can plug myself into CD players
and tape machines and televisions and all of that. Is this what you
had in mind as a possible way for Bonnie to wire me into a sound
board?
Bonnie wanted to find away to take my hearing aids and Telex off
and just hook me into some kind of earphones. She heas'nt tried it
yet, but I am afraid if she does that, that all I will hear is a
bigger jumble of noise than I already hear even with my aids on!
Bonnie is an excellent Audio Engineer with very very impressive
credits in her background, but I am not sure she understand about
hearing loss. It seems like she is approaching this from a "making
it louder will make her hear" point of view.
I will let you know what happens!
Keepin' the faith!
. Vixen
--
Uucp: ..!{decvax,oliveb}!bunker!hcap!hnews!203!11!Vixen
Internet: Vixen@f11.n203.z1.fidonet.orgJack.O'keeffe@f26.n129.z1.fidonet.org (Jack O'keeffe) (04/11/91)
Index Number: 14749
[This is from the Silent Talk Conference]
V> It seems like she is approaching it from a "making it louder
V> will make her hear" point of view.
It's good to have a friend who cares, Vixen. But that "making it
louder" approach doesn't work for me. And it just might endanger
residual hearing. So be cautious.
I have low frequency residual hearing in my "good" ear (the best
one I have :-) Anaided sounds are weak unintelligible mumbles to me.
With linear amplification, they become LOUD unintelligible mumbles.
That doesn't help at all. I'd rather hear the weak ones.
So I usually use assistive listening devices in conjunction with my
hearing aids, not as a substitute for them. My hearing aids have a
non-linear amplifier with an envelope roughly complimenting my
audiogram - as well as this can be done with the archaic analog
technology that the hearing aid industry is unwilling to discard.
The trick with ALDs is to capture the sound you're interested in
as close to the source as possible, and conduct it to your ear as
cleanly as possible, avoiding pollution from ambient noise.
Since Bonnie is an Audio Engineer, you might want to give her a
copy of your audiogram, and let her see what she can do with an
equalizer to "tailor" amplification for you. Better yet, if she
has access to a digital signal processor she could really tune up
sound for you. But be careful not to hurt yourself - or your
residual hearing. And remember that everyones hearing loss is
different. What works for me may or may not work for you.
... Jack.
--
Uucp: ..!{decvax,oliveb}!bunker!hcap!hnews!129!26!Jack.O'keeffe
Internet: Jack.O'keeffe@f26.n129.z1.fidonet.orgrudy@mtqua.att.com (Rudy Vener) (04/14/91)
Index Number: 14861 In article <18602@bunker.isc-br.com> Vixen@f11.n203.z1.fidonet.org writes: >Index Number: 14743 > >Bonnie wanted to find away to take my hearing aids and Telex off >and just hook me into some kind of earphones. She heas'nt tried it >yet, but I am afraid if she does that, that all I will hear is a >bigger jumble of noise than I already hear even with my aids on! >Bonnie is an excellent Audio Engineer with very very impressive >credits in her background, but I am not sure she understand about >hearing loss. It seems like she is approaching this from a "making >it louder will make her hear" point of view. Hi Vixen, Show Bonnie your audiogram and tell her that THIS is the frequency response she will need to compensate. That should give her the general idea. BTW. I just applied to Seeing Eye and Guiding Eyes. (I like to do comparison shopping). Rudy Vener AT&T BTL uucp: att!mtqua!rudy
Vixen@f11.n203.z1.fidonet.org (Vixen) (04/15/91)
Index Number: 14870
[This is from the Silent Talk Conference]
Hi Jack,
I think I know what you mean reagrding your explaination of "making
louder don't make you hear." I think that what you describe is much
the same with me.
If I take off my hearing aids and ALD, I still "hear" loud sounds
and noise and even a loud human voice in my better ear, but, I
don't understand what I am hearing. It is all just so much
"noise!" While I have been in and out of the music business for
much of my life and around electronic thingies, I don't really know
that much about them, but I would have thought that the best
approach, as I believe Wayne also suggested, might be to somehow
lock my Telex onto something coming through the sound console? This
because not only do I have a volume loss in my hearing, but an
"intelligibility" problem with what I do hear. In fact, you may
recall, that my loss began as a problem with speech discrimination
and just kept going.
Jack, here is an interesting thing. In response to your comment
that I should be careful with my residual hearing (being cautious
of exposure to loud sounds Et Cetera). I told my ear surgeon that I
still go to loyd concerts and I am often backstage or very close to
the sound source (amplifiers, speakers and all of that) and
expressed a concern that I might damage or hasten the departure of
my residual hearing. He told me that in my case, it probably really
was'nt a big deal and that due to the nature of my hearing loss,
there is a natural "muffling" going on and that it probably
would'nt matter one way or the other and I should just enjoy
myself.
I would be very suspicious, but my ear doc is a very good doc and
highly respected by both hearing people and the local deaf
community and a number of agencies for the deaf and hearing
impaired. The word being that I couldnt be in much better hands.
Any thougghts?
Of course, I would imagine that there would be more possibility of
more damage being done to me having "loud sound" plugged directly
into my ear than sitting near loud speakers at a rock concert? Oh
well, I am getting totally confused.
Anyway, I thought maybe Bonnie could wire me into the drummer and I
could use that to keep time? Sort of a human metronome!
Keepin' the faith!
. Vixen
..."It is'nt over until they all come home!"
--
Uucp: ..!{decvax,oliveb}!bunker!hcap!hnews!203!11!Vixen
Internet: Vixen@f11.n203.z1.fidonet.orgrudy@mtqua.att.com (Rudy Vener) (04/19/91)
Index Number: 15024 In article <18730@bunker.isc-br.com> Vixen@f11.n203.z1.fidonet.org writes: >Index Number: 14870 > >Anyway, I thought maybe Bonnie could wire me into the drummer and I >could use that to keep time? Sort of a human metronome! > Vixen, Have you tried switching both your aids to the T position and putting on a set of Radio Shack foam padded hi fidelity headphones? This works great for me. I adjust the volume in both the aids and the stereo until everything is nicely balanced. I remember seeing an advertisement in the latest DAK catalog for a wireless headphone system. you can plug the 'jack' end into whatever sound source you have abailable and the headphones communicate with the jack via infra-red pickup. Should be worth a try. The range is limited. I think they said something like 20 feet, but that might be enough for your needs. Rudy Vener AT&T BTL uucp: att!mtqua!rudy
Vixen@f11.n203.z1.fidonet.org (Vixen) (04/26/91)
Index Number: 15242
[This is from the Silent Talk Conference]
Hi Rudy,
No, I have'nt tried using regular of Hi-Fi type headphones. I just
use my aids and my FM remote system.
My Telex plugs directly into televisions, tape recorders, CD
players and all of that and they do have "T" switches, so I do
pretty well once I am plugged direct.
I guess jamming with other live musicians without being able to
hear is just a tougher ballgame! Although, as you have probably
seen, I have begun to get a lot of good ideas and suggestions.
I like the idea of wireless headphones! That is pretty neat! I will
have to look into that!
How have you been?
Keepin' the faith!
. Vixen
--
Uucp: ..!{decvax,oliveb}!bunker!hcap!hnews!203!11!Vixen
Internet: Vixen@f11.n203.z1.fidonet.org