Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!yale!bunker!wtm
From: dmimi@uncecs.edu (Mimi Clifford)
Newsgroups: misc.handicap
Subject: Re: Use FM ALD, not helmet
Message-ID: <13786@bunker.UUCP>
Date: 4 Sep 90 02:14:41 GMT
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Reply-To: dmimi@uncecs.edu (Mimi Clifford)
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Fidonet: Silent Talk Conference

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.