Telecoils in hearing aids along with the needed coil in the output instrument, being a telephone or looped room or an attachment to the TV to enable one to use a neckloop or a silhouette, is something that has been a very important part of my life.
Having worn hearing aids for some 51 years, while all the time having the telecoil on my various types of aids, has been a real ongoing education for me.
May I share some of my experiences?
First of all, when I first got into the use of a hearing aid, body type, I really did not use the telecoil much. Hearing the radio and the TV was possible with just turning up the volume. Now those were the days when I had a high tone loss and the low tones were normal.
While I was dating my girl friend at that time who has been my wife now for 51 years, I learned to talk on the phone with her. Before that time I was very reluctant to use the phone for the reason that I could not hear well over the standard phone of that day and time.
Then came the amplified phone. That was indeed a gift from heaven. As my hearing loss progressed and my use of hearing aid types changed from body aid to glasses on both ears, I still had the telecoil installed. This was when I really started to use the telecoil switch. Now I use BTEs and use the telecoil all the time.
There have been many improvements in the telecoils installed in hearing aids. The new digital aids coils are adjustable by computer. My son uses them and they work great for him. I am currently using RIONNET aids (how I wound up with these is another story) from Japan. They are analog and they are unusual in that they have a potentiometer for the telecoil. It can be made to be stronger or weaker in relation to the volume of the volume control as well as to be balanced in power with the other aid. If the potentiometer is turned all the way counter clockwise, it turns the microphone off completely enabling one to hear only the telecoil. I use mine with the volume of the microphone on as well as the telecoil at the same time. I wish that I could have a choice of using it both ways as the conditions warrant. Alas, there always seem to be a tradeoff.
Now, for what I consider the most important part of the use of the telecoil. That is simply the quality of the output to the telecoil. While all phones are now made with the telecoil, there seems to be no standard of strength. I have used many different phones, some good and some terrible and some outstanding.
I am currently using an older type Bell Telephone that was refurbished. It has the heavy coil of the early days when the phone company made us pay extra each month for the telecoil part.
I also have a cordless phone from Audex which is even better. In fact, it is the best that I have used so far. I own about 4 of them at the present time in my various buildings and rooms. This phone can be used up against the hearing aid or it can be used with a neckloop. When the neckloop is used, the standard speaker is silenced so that the conversation is private. Also, with the use of a neckloop, I am able to hear with both ears. What a blessing.
Consequently, I have a neckloop on all of my day. As an aside, they also have developed a cellular phone adapter to fit certain models of cell phones that also works great.
In a presentation, Mr. Bailey of Audex explained that most phones use a coil that is strong enough to only be effective for a space around the coil of approximately the size of a baseball. This means that your telecoil in your aid has to be REAL close to the output coil of the phone.
Their coil has been made strong enough to be effective with a radius of a basketball. So one can use their headset in front of the forehead and be heard by both aids. Also, it gives a real good power to use with a neckloop.
I can only say that it works.
I also use my telecoil to watch TV. I have a controller from Radio Shack that is hard wired to my TV. I can use headphones, (did this for some time), and also plug my neckloop into the unit. Works great. Now my long-suffering wife can have the volume of the TV at the level she wants and I get my needed volume as well.
I have observed that distance from the speaker to my hearing aids makes all the difference in whether I can understand the words or not. The same volume to my ears from 12 feet away or right up against my ear is just not the same in clarity. Those who use the Pocket Talker will confirm what I am saying. By using the neckloop and the telecoil, it makes the sound the same as if I had a speaker right up against my ear.
I think it should be a crime for a hearing aid to be made without a GOOD telecoil. Also, phones and ALDs should have a GOOD output coil. Unfortunately, it costs a little more to get good quality and thus, profits come first for many manufacturers.
When dealing with the purchase of a hearing aid, one should definitely use a good quality output device with which to judge the quality of the telecoil. A good audiologist should have such to demonstrate. And they should be willing to learn of some manufacturers of phones, etc., to recommend. If they are not willing to make the effort to be able to learn about such, then they are certainly not the ones with whom to deal.
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