OT: Hearing Aid Advice
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Hi Guys & Gals,
I'm finally overcoming my procrastination (and ego) and am going to be getting some hearing aids. Finally the many explosions that my ears were exposed to, during my military career, from large AA guns (90 & 120 MM), experimental large ground to ground and ground to air guided missiles, to grenades, mortars and small arms fire, has caught up with me. My ears have deteriorated to where I have difficulty with hearing high frequencies, and therefore understanding many conversations, especially those at a distance. Over the years, I've been very frustrated with all the problems and difficulties that my wife has had, with her high end devices. I realize that improvements are being made almost yearly, and new models are addressing customers' complaints, and also one must be willing to compromise. From my limited research and discussions with audiologists, there are basically two general types, In the ear and behind the ear. From a technical (and personal) standpoint I tend to favor the behind the ear versions, as I allude to the other type like putting a cork in the ear to plug up any outside sounds, and then inject totally artificially amplified sounds. I realize that this is a requirement for some types of hearing loss, however, at this time, mine is not very severe and gives me a choice of types. A very high percent of ham radio operating is listening to and trying to pull out, deep into the noise level, weak signals in the VHF/UHF and microwave bands. This I try to accomplish, somewhat successfully (WAS, VUCC & 95+ DXCC on 2M CW), using narrow IF and audio filters. I've always used headphones with large comfortable and effective earmuffs on them. The muffs aid greatly to my concentration in trying to decipher CW signals, that are many dB below the noise. Therein is my need for some advice and suggestions based on experience. I would expect that in this case that in "the ear" devices might be appropriate as the muffed earphones could not be satisfactorily used, with "behind the ear" types. Maybe the best approach, in this case, would be to remove the hearing aids and attempt to duplicate the hearing aids' response with the RX EQ adjustments in the K3, and maybe also with an additional response adjustment with an external MFJ 616 Speech Enhancer ? One disadvantage with the "behind the ear" types, is that they tend to interfere with the wearing of sun and reading glasses, also they are more likely to fall off when engaged in certain recreational activities, that I'm still quite involved in, such as downhill skiing and dirt bike and ATV riding when wearing a helmet. Since wearing of a helmet has built in audio attenuation, the safest approach is probably not to wear the "aids" during those activities. There some neat options that now exist, especially for behind the ear units. These are such things as wireless remote controls that are Bluetooth and TV adaptable, and an option for rechargeable batteries. You drop the aids into a magnetic coupled charging fixture/box every night. You now have a permanent place to store and dry them, where you know where to find them the next day ! At this time I don't think I can afford ones with all the bells and whistles and would like to stay in the 2k to 3k dollar range/pr, including the remote unit. So please sound off with your recommendations and thoughts. Thanks es 73, Chuck, W7CS ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[hidden email] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html |
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The most important thing is the audiologist. Find a knowledgeable
one who is wiling to listen and work with you to meet your individual needs. Find one who is not tied to a single manufacturer. David K0LUM At 1:27 AM -0700 5/1/12, Chuck Smallhouse wrote: >Hi Guys & Gals, > >I'm finally overcoming my procrastination (and ego) and am going to >be getting some hearing aids. > <snip> > >So please sound off with your recommendations and thoughts. > >Thanks es 73, > >Chuck, W7CS > > > > > Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[hidden email] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html |
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David Christ wrote:
>The most important thing is the audiologist. Find a knowledgeable one >who is wiling to listen and work with you to meet your individual >needs. Find one who is not tied to a single manufacturer. Most important: find an audiologist who is a techie like yourself, and can actually understand what "decibels" and "DSP" mean. From experience, this can save considerable embarrassment :-) -- 73 from Ian GM3SEK http://www.ifwtech.co.uk/g3sek ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[hidden email] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html |
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In reply to this post by W7CS
Check out the VA, they have the good stuff and you are eligible if you are
veteran. Jim K0XU Sent from my Xoom tablet On May 1, 2012 3:27 AM, "Chuck Smallhouse" <[hidden email]> wrote: > Hi Guys & Gals, > > I'm finally overcoming my procrastination (and ego) and am going to > be getting some hearing aids. Finally the many explosions that my > ears were exposed to, during my military career, from large AA guns > (90 & 120 MM), experimental large ground to ground and ground to air > guided missiles, to grenades, mortars and small arms fire, has caught > up with me. My ears have deteriorated to where I have difficulty > with hearing high frequencies, and therefore understanding many > conversations, especially those at a distance. > > Over the years, I've been very frustrated with all the problems and > difficulties that my wife has had, with her high end devices. I > realize that improvements are being made almost yearly, and new > models are addressing customers' complaints, and also one must be > willing to compromise. > > From my limited research and discussions with audiologists, there > are basically two general types, In the ear and behind the > ear. From a technical (and personal) standpoint I tend to favor the > behind the ear versions, as I allude to the other type like putting a > cork in the ear to plug up any outside sounds, and then inject > totally artificially amplified sounds. I realize that this is a > requirement for some types of hearing loss, however, at this time, > mine is not very severe and gives me a choice of types. > > A very high percent of ham radio operating is listening to and trying > to pull out, deep into the noise level, weak signals in the VHF/UHF > and microwave bands. This I try to accomplish, somewhat successfully > (WAS, VUCC & 95+ DXCC on 2M CW), using narrow IF and audio > filters. I've always used headphones with large comfortable and > effective earmuffs on them. The muffs aid greatly to my > concentration in trying to decipher CW signals, that are many dB > below the noise. > > Therein is my need for some advice and suggestions based on > experience. I would expect that in this case that in "the ear" > devices might be appropriate as the muffed earphones could not be > satisfactorily used, with "behind the ear" types. > Maybe the best approach, in this case, would be to remove the hearing > aids and attempt to duplicate the hearing aids' response with the RX > EQ adjustments in the K3, and maybe also with an additional response > adjustment with an external MFJ 616 Speech Enhancer ? > > One disadvantage with the "behind the ear" types, is that they tend > to interfere with the wearing of sun and reading glasses, also they > are more likely to fall off when engaged in certain recreational > activities, that I'm still quite involved in, such as downhill skiing > and dirt bike and ATV riding when wearing a helmet. Since wearing of > a helmet has built in audio attenuation, the safest approach is > probably not to wear the "aids" during those activities. > > There some neat options that now exist, especially for behind the ear > units. These are such things as wireless remote controls that are > Bluetooth and TV adaptable, and an option for rechargeable > batteries. You drop the aids into a magnetic coupled charging > fixture/box every night. You now have a permanent place to store and > dry them, where you know where to find them the next day ! > > At this time I don't think I can afford ones with all the bells and > whistles and would like to stay in the 2k to 3k dollar range/pr, > including the remote unit. > > So please sound off with your recommendations and thoughts. > > Thanks es 73, > > Chuck, W7CS > > > > > > > > ______________________________________________________________ > Elecraft mailing list > Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft > Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm > Post: mailto:[hidden email] > > This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net > Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html > Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[hidden email] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html |
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In reply to this post by W7CS
I will reply to you off the list, Chuck. I've got some 40 years of
hearing aid experience, however no need to clutter up everyone's inboxes with a conversation. However, for K3 owners: Jim, K9YC, pointed out to me that I can get close to 30 dB of equalization from the RX equalizer simply by starting the lower freqs, which is where I hear, at -16 dB, and then setting the overall audio level to HI and running the AF gain higher. This theoretically gives me 32 dB of differential equalization. I've done it, it's nowhere near enough for me, but it sure does does help. He also suggested my TX equalization settings and in the few SSB contests I engage in, I never fail to get at least one unsolicited, "Really great audio" comment. 73, Fred K6DGW - Northern California Contest Club - CU in the 2012 Cal QSO Party 6-7 Oct 2012 - www.cqp.org On 5/1/2012 1:27 AM, Chuck Smallhouse wrote: > I'm finally overcoming my procrastination (and ego) and am going to > be getting some hearing aids. ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[hidden email] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html |
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In reply to this post by W7CS
Hi Chuck,
I have had hearing aids for about 12 years or more. I started with Phonak analogs (BTE) which were great for hearing music (the audiologist fitted a program which further emphasised the high frequencies), then had some Phonak digital (BTE) which were also good, but I did not like them for concerts as much as the old analogs. I have just been fitted with ReSound Alera 7 BTE aids, and the difference is like night and day. I purchased the optional microphone that my much better half can wear or clip to her clothing and I also purchased the TV streamer. Both of these devices use the 2.4 GHz band - a bit like Bluetooth, but is not Bluetooth. The TV streamer can be used with any audio output - including Elecraft radios! The bud which goes in the ear is much smaller than the full in the ear molds that the Phonaks require. The advantage is that for me the build up of wax in the ear is greatly lessened. With the Phonaks, but 3 pm in a working day, the irritation in the ear was just about intolerable, and I would remove the aids and clean the wax from them and from out of my ear. Don't ask me how I did this - you would not want to know. The Alera 7s are so small that people often just do not notice them. The only downside, so far, is that use of the wireless devices chews through the aid batteries fairly quickly. Also I have to ask the XYL to ensure that her necklace can not bang against the microphone, as the noise in the ear approaches the threshold of pain. Another plus is that there is no acoustic feedback howl if I put on earphones while wearing the aids. All the best 73 Kevin VK3DAP / ZL2DAP ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[hidden email] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html |
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In reply to this post by k6dgw
On 5/1/2012 8:44 AM, Fred Jensen wrote:
> Jim, K9YC, pointed out to me that I can get > close to 30 dB of equalization from the RX equalizer simply by starting > the lower freqs, which is where I hear, at -16 dB, and then setting the > overall audio level to HI and running the AF gain higher. This > theoretically gives me 32 dB of differential equalization. I've done > it, it's nowhere near enough for me, but it sure does does help. An additional clarification about why and how this works. Hearing loss tends to vary with frequency from person to person, depending on their noise exposure and various physical conditions that can cause hearing loss. In general, hearing loss tends to be greatest at the higher frequencies. The best hearing aids use very sophisticated DSP to compensate for the frequency response of he loss, and use directional mics. Etymotic Research is one of the major mfrs of the DSP and the mics, and their engineers are members of the Chicago section of the Audio Engineering Society. I know some of them fairly well on a professional basis. The frequencies that carry nearly all of the intelligibility of human speech are between 400 Hz and 5 kHz, and the range between about 700 Hz and 3 kHz is the most critical. From an intelligibility point of view, everything below 400 Hz is noise. Since hearing loss is greatest at higher audio frequencies, we can set the RXEQ in the K3 for maximum suppression of the four lowest bands and maximum boost of the three highest bands. This provides about 32dB of compensation for "typical" hearing loss. Fred has pretty severe hearing loss, so it's not enough for him, but as he notes, it helps. For many it may be enough. I have moderate hearing loss, and when my wife and I are listening to NPR or watching movies on Netflix, I turn up the highs and turn down the lows to improve or understanding of speech. 73, Jim K9YC ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[hidden email] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html |
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In reply to this post by W7CS
Hello all,
Thanks for sharing the Hearing Aid thread on the list. It is one of my favorite topics where my techie interest crosses being married to a teacher of the hearing handicapped. It is great when your spouse knows about decibels and is licensed too. I was browsing for DSP, eq and related topics many months ago and dug this out of the archives to share with you. It is a presentation about "Using Audio Equalizers to Improve SSB Communications". It won't replace a modern DSP hearing aid but may be of value to some folks. FT-817 owner watching the KX3 arena. 73 Jim WA8ZHN http://search.yahoo.com/r/_ylt=A0oG7iUxmKJPlAYAQ9lXNyoA;_ylu=X3oDMTE1ZTJ2OGozBHNlYwNzcgRwb3MDMQRjb2xvA2FjMgR2dGlkA1NNRTA4MF8yNDk-/SIG=12il75lqo/EXP=1336084657/**http%3a//www.na0tc.org/Equalization_Presentation,_Nov_6_2010.pdf ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[hidden email] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html |
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