dmimi@uncecs.edu (Mimi Clifford) (09/04/90)
Index Number: 10046 I feel like I'm a broken record, but--- I've used Telex, Audex, Phonic Ear, Radio Shack, and Comtek FM Assistive Listening Devices and Systems. My experience with Telex and Audex was uniformly unsatisfactory. The receiveres were noisy and often non-functioning. Radio Shack seems OK only for people with quite mild losses--I don't get enough amplification with their equipment and have about a 60-70 % loss. Phonic Ear made one unit that I liked quite well, but I understand they have discontinued it and are making cheapter equipment. Their earlier units I did not find satisfactory--they failed easily and were noisy. Haven't used them recently. I have a Comdtek personal FM system and have used their larger units in theaters and meetings. I've never had it fail (except for battery failure) and find it noise-free and clear. I do value the lack of distortion in the unit, because I find that, for me, 'hi-fi' helps me hear better, making it possible to pick out the speech from other sounds more adequately. BTW, Comtek is spelled correctly in the second paragraph--I typoed in the last one. Another aspect of using an ALD is the quality and type of microphone used with it. Most makers have more than one available, but usually supply an omni-directional mike--that is, one that gets sound equally from all directions. I find a partially directional mike is much better for me. I also use a very directional mike (Comtek again) in some situations (cocktail parties, for example) and like it very much. The only problem with it, is that it is on a wand--it has to be pointed DIRECTLY at the desired sound source--and is very expensive. The bottom line, is that you need to try out any equipment to see if it works well for YOU in the situation(s) for which you need it.
Ann.Stalnaker@p0.f14.n385.z1.fidonet.org (Ann Stalnaker) (09/21/90)
Index Number: 10554
[This is from the Silent Talk Conference]
I have a question about trying out hearing aids - don't the dealers
give you a trial basis to experiment with the aids for a few weeks
before purchase? Or even if you don't purchase them?
While I've never been able to wear an aid, I did try them out when
I was a child and again after I reached adulthood with no results
other than amplifying the sounds (some extremely nerve wracking
since I didn't need the amplification in the low frequency) and
they were used for a period of several weeks at no charge.
--
Uucp: ..!{decvax,oliveb}!bunker!hcap!hnews!385!14.0!Ann.Stalnaker
Internet: Ann.Stalnaker@p0.f14.n385.z1.fidonet.orgJack.O'keeffe@f26.n129.z1.fidonet.org (Jack O'keeffe) (09/25/90)
Index Number: 10615
[This is from the Silent Talk Conference]
Hi there Anniewich, and welcome back from the "BIG D". We missed
you. Even BB's surprise appearance on the echo couldn't make up
for you being away :-) Don't they have any PCs in Dallas?
AS> I have a question about trying out hearing aids - don't the
AS> dealers give you a trial basis to experiment with the aids for
AS> a few weeks before purchase? Or even if you don't purchase
AS> them?
Annie, about fifteen years ago, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
proposed a Trade Regulation Rule that would require a trial period
on all hearing aid purchases. After TEN YEARS studying, surveying,
holding hearings, gathering testimony amounting to an unbelieveable
60,000 pages of documents, the FTC decided NOT to adopt the rule.
I believe it has the hearing aid dealers that "convinced" the FTC
the rule was not necessary..
(That's the way our Federal bureaucracy operates.)
In the wake of this non-action by FTC, some states adopted consumer
protection rules requiring that hearing aid purchasers have a right
of return. Pennsylvania was NOT one of those states. I don't know
whether Oklahoma adopted a guaranteed return rule or not.
We continue to hear horror stories of people, especially old people,
who have been victimized by sleazoid dealers. To protect against
this, insist that you be given a free trial period. If the hearing
aid dealer doesn't want to guarantee this - in writing - find another
dealer who will. And be sure you can find him again in case it is
necessary to return the aids. Beware of the ones selling door-to-door
or out of motel rooms.
AS> While I've never been able to wear an aid, I did try them out
AS> when I was a child and again after I reached adulthood with no
AS> results other than amplifying the sounds (some extremely nerve
AS> wracking since I didn't need the amplification in the low
AS> frequency) and they were used for a period of several weeks at
AS> no charge.
You might want to try again, Annie. The available aids are still
terribly primitive, the last bastion of analog audio technology,
but they are a bit better than they were several years ago. Sadly
the emphasis remains where it always has been, on cosmetics and
concealment, not on better hearing.
... Caveat Emptor!
--
Uucp: ..!{decvax,oliveb}!bunker!hcap!hnews!129!26!Jack.O'keeffe
Internet: Jack.O'keeffe@f26.n129.z1.fidonet.orgFrank.Hicinbothem@f501.n202.z1.fidonet.org (Frank Hicinbothem) (09/25/90)
Index Number: 10619 [This is from the Silent Talk Conference] > I have a question about trying out hearing aids - don't the > dealers > give you a trial basis to experiment with the aids for a few > weeks before purchase? Or even if you don't purchase them? The dispenser I deal with will let you try out just about anything she has available. If you want something special, or a model/brand she doesn't carry, she charges you a "rental fee" of $50 or so. (That is not legal in all states, so ask around.) A lot depends on the manufacturers-- some will allow the dealer to borrow aids, others want cash up front. -- Uucp: ..!{decvax,oliveb}!bunker!hcap!hnews!202!501!Frank.Hicinbothem Internet: Frank.Hicinbothem@f501.n202.z1.fidonet.org
Frank.Hicinbothem@f501.n202.z1.fidonet.org (Frank Hicinbothem) (10/02/90)
Index Number: 10781 [This is from the Silent Talk Conference] > Hi there, Frank! I wondered what had happened to you and am > glad you didn't up and die on us! Nah, I've been here. I just haven't had a whole lot of time to BBS lately. I read all the messages here faithfully, of course! > As you know, I can't wear any of the aids on the market. My message was more along the lines of a general response for any interested parties. I am aware that an aid wouldn't help you much. (I believe the phrase "deaf as a post" would apply... <grin>) > Anyway, if I were around, I'd certainly remind you to remove > yours before diving into anything whether it be water I ALMOST always remember. It's pretty hard to stop and take out the electric ear after you've gone one step past the end of the diving board. Funny, Wile E. Coyote could always stop on the way down! I have a solution, though: you call up the hearing aid dealer and complain that the %^&* thing got all sweaty and stopped working. Again. My dispenser loves me. <innocent look> Actually, this new one I've got, the Telex 363C, is a real nice aid but it can't take any kind of moisture at all. It's been back for repair twice now-- once for a "real" sweat problem, once for a water balloon fight that got out of hand. > or....(snicker) I don't even want to know what you mean by that. I'm SURE I'm reading some implied meaning in there, which, of course, you did not intend... perhaps the recent salacious messages in this echo have put thoughts in my mind that don't belong there? > How about putting the pict of you on your scanner for a GIF > file? You mean the picture in the SHHH mag? Probably won't be a good candidiate for scanning. First, magazine pictures don't scan well, because they're printed as halftones; second, it was a bright sunny day when they were taking the picture, so the clarity will be poor. (I haven't actually seen it yet; my copy is late this month.) -- Uucp: ..!{decvax,oliveb}!bunker!hcap!hnews!202!501!Frank.Hicinbothem Internet: Frank.Hicinbothem@f501.n202.z1.fidonet.org
George.Forster@f104.n268.z1.fidonet.org (George Forster) (10/02/90)
Index Number: 10782
[This is from the Silent Talk Conference]
Frank: I thought it funny when you mentioned going off the board with your
aid on, it could happen.
Anyway, couple years ago i was swimming and my aid fell off the dock.
Looked for it but couldn't locate. We were staying at a cabin in the Pa.
Mountains on Lake Wallenpaupack. Well there were a couple guys scuba diving
and I told em if they could find it they would get a reward. Well they never
found it that week. It was really the last week of summer. So the next year
we go back to the cabin and up near the cabin is a picnic table. My wife
finds the aid burried in the mud under the table. It is a real mess, the
guys musta found it and brought it up to the table and left it there.
Now here comes the good part. You wanna know how much a hearing aid really
costs? Now this aid was shot, I cleaned up the case and took it to my dealer
and said it wasn't working well. He sent it back to the service agency (I
think it's Starkey Labs) (I wear 2 Maico power aids), and they fix the
hearing aid. It cost 60 bucks to get it fixed. You know they had to replace
the whole works, so i think the price of aids is a real rip off.
/geo.
--
Uucp: ..!{decvax,oliveb}!bunker!hcap!hnews!268!104!George.Forster
Internet: George.Forster@f104.n268.z1.fidonet.org