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Deaf pilots

Having microphone shut off completely illuminates feedback when headset is worn over the hearing aids – dead quiet. Telecoil provides excellent high-fidelity sound. The crowning grace is having ANR block out any background noise.

I totally get why having the microphone shut off (mine go off automatically when the headsets are on) is necessary -- feedback prevention.

OTOH, that defeats the purpose of the hearing aid, doesn't it? In my case, I don't see that solving the problem described in the original post.

When I was flying with Warren, I did remove the hearing aids altogether to see if that made much difference; it didn't.

But perhaps you're just referring to the Bluetooth function to hear phone calls and music etc (I use a ComPilot device with Phonak aids), which currently isn't an issue (I don't need to hear the phone or music when flying).

But it would be cool if the com radio provided a Bluetooth option, then it could pump directly to the hearing aids rather than the headsets.
 
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Do you have an airman medical? I'd say the best Noise canceling headset with good hear-aid (ear amplifiers tuned for voice only). I'm not a doctor but assume an audiologist ENT doctor has been consulted. All the best.

Not anymore (Meniere's). I let it expire under the loophole.

I've been under a neurotologists care and Meniere's expert for quite awhile. He was instrumental in helping me get the original special issuance.
 
I totally get why having the microphone shut off (mine go off automatically when the headsets are on) is necessary -- feedback prevention.

OTOH, that defeats the purpose of the hearing aid, doesn't it? In my case, I don't see that solving the problem described in the original post.

The secret is using telecoil. Telecoil is an induction pickup in the hearing aid. Shut off hearing aid microphone and use telecoil option with headset. If you hear electrical noise (engine ignition system) turn volume down for telecoil - it will work fantastic.

So, with hearing aid microphone "off" the hearing aids actually work like ear plugs to block noise. Couple that with Active Noise Reduction in the headset and now you have no feedback and dead quiet. The telecoil will produce voice at normal hearing level and with extreme clarity. You'll think you are flying behind a turbine its so quiet.
 
Is telcoil Bluetooth? It sounds like what I was hoping to accomplish, get the hearing aids Bluetooth receiver to pull in the audio.

I have an appointment in a couple of weeks; I'll see what the technician can do. I may have to just go to Costco and get your brand.

One question, where is the source that telecoil is pulling in? Is the headphones? Would this work with Zulu II?
 
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Behind the ear hearing aids with Telecoil

Is telcoil Bluetooth? It sounds like what I was hoping to accomplish, get the hearing aids Bluetooth receiver to pull in the audio.

I have an appointment in a couple of weeks; I'll see what the technician can do. I may have to just go to Costco and get your brand.

One question, where is the source that telecoil is pulling in? Is the headphones? Would this work with Zulu II?

I went to Costco and purchased their Behind the Ear Hearing Aids; with TeleCoils... I had the technician program an option for using only the Telecoil and microphone turned off. I flew my RV6 yesterday and the clarity is PERFECT. Using Lightspeed Zulu.2 headset.
This program is activated by pressing any volume button down for a few seconds. After flying i just press the button down and it activates the hearing aids for normal operation. Costco price $1,499.00 for two hearing aids. Can't beat that price anywhere else; Period...
 
Question

Hello - A friend of mine that just got hearing aids saw your thread. Hoping someone might respond. Thank you.

"here is a link to the VANS post that drew my attention.

I also have the Philips Hearlink 9010 hearing aid (Costco) and wanted to know more about the way it was configured for the poster, who liked how they worked while being worn under Lightspeed ANR headsets.

I have the T-COIL program, but wanted to understand the ‘turn off the mic’ configuration. I presume that’s different than turning down the ‘volume’ setting via the Bluetooth application, which when I tried, simply made it ‘duller’ and less helpful for my high-frequency hearing loss.

It sounds like I need to go into Costco and ask them to ‘turn off the mic’ – just hoping for confirmation that’s what’s needed from the VANS poster that had success with that configuration.



Thanks for helping to ask them".
 
Yes, you need to go to Costco and have the technician permanently turn "on" the telecoil, permanently "mute" the microphone, and (I think) turn down the volume so ignition noise is not heard. I had the technician label my P4 program "Airplane". Works fantastic...
 
hearing aids

Small problem, great discomfort. Hopefully one of you has a workable solution:
Since my hearing isn' t perfect, I wear hearing aids on both ears. They're remotely controllable. In my plane I use ANR headsets. When putting these on my hearing aids start yelling: something with impedance and the small space between them and the headset.
Now, if I turn off the aids I don' t feel comfortable with the radio-sound of s, z and t, and if I keep them on I have to live with the yelling.
The supplier doesn't have an answer - yet.
Knowing the average age of us RV12-flyers, I guess there might be someone out there who has had the same thing and found a solution?
 
Small problem, great discomfort. Hopefully one of you has a workable solution:
Since my hearing isn' t perfect, I wear hearing aids on both ears. They're remotely controllable. In my plane I use ANR headsets. When putting these on my hearing aids start yelling: something with impedance and the small space between them and the headset.
Now, if I turn off the aids I don' t feel comfortable with the radio-sound of s, z and t, and if I keep them on I have to live with the yelling.
The supplier doesn't have an answer - yet.
Knowing the average age of us RV12-flyers, I guess there might be someone out there who has had the same thing and found a solution?

I wear two Phonak in-ear hearing aids with a Bose A20 ANR headset and have never had any problems. Perhaps, your aids just do not like your headset? You might borrow different headsets to see if you can find one compatible with your hearing aids. Good luck.
 
My hearing aids (9.0T) purchased from Costco pick up ignition noise when using the telecoil feature. The noise is not real loud, but is annoying. It goes away when one ignition is shut off. It doesn't matter which one. I will try relocating the ground location of the ignition switches.
I also bought a hearing aid accessory called "TV Connector" which is a blue tooth transmitter. I have not tried it in the airplane yet, but it works great with TV audio. The hearing aid microphones are automatically shut off to eliminate feedback and background noise when using either of the above features.
 
Joe

Costco gave me a special program for my Philips HearLink w/ Telecoil. The program mute’s internal mic, turns on Telecoil, and sets volume slider to minimum. It’s the volume slider that caused EMF ignition breakthrough for me. I discovered by turning the volume slider all the way down it fixed the ignition noise. I then went back to Costco audio technician and had the volume set permanently to minimum. Works a charm.

Also had problem in Prius Hybrid car. I could hear all the electronics (inverter) running. Solution above fixed this problem as well.

The beauty of the Telecoil is no (zero) feedback when placing headset off ear with hearing aid. I have LightSpeed Zulu 3 with ANR and sound is extremely high fidelity and with mic shut off and ANR running its super quiet.
 
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Since my last post I have switched to Phonak Marvels behind the ear. Absolutely brilliant. They work quite well in normal mode (Auto Sense) with no feedback but really shine with Telecoil. Initially I was getting some electrical noise with Telecoil - not severe and I’m sure I would have got used to it - but then I found a slide control with ‘surrounding’ one end and ‘streaming source’ at the other. Still not exactly sure what it does but moving it to the ‘surrounding’ end completely eliminates the noise.
The audiologist wasn’t sure at first why I was insisting on Telecoil - not all the Phonaks have it - saying it was old technology. She thought Bluetooth should work but was very supportive and interested in the outcome when I explained why it wouldn’t in my plane.
Radio and intercom is crisper now than it has been in years!

Jack
 
Deaf pilots assn meeting

I went down to Corona CA a few years back, and went to the Deaf Pilots Assn Meeting. Yes you can fly if your deaf. You can even fly into towered airports, with coordination.

It was a very enlightening meeting.

Bill
 
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