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" <[email protected]> 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:[email protected] > > 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:[email protected] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
