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From: Jack.O'keeffe@f89.n129.z1.fidonet.org (Jack O'keeffe)
Newsgroups: misc.handicap
Subject: Re: Hearing Aid Repairs
Message-ID: <14992@bunker.UUCP>
Date: 17 Oct 90 04:28:26 GMT
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[This is from the Silent Talk Conference]

 WR> Well that's what I was told.  Used parts are used to rebuild
 WR> unless new parts are specified.  I'm with you as I found it
 WR> hard to believe.  But, at the price what could one expect?
 WR> My guess is there may be a limited number of parts

Hearing aids are incredibly primitive devices, Wayne.  Have you
ever disected one?  (I've made do-it-yourself repairs to mine on
a couple of occasions - much to the horror of audiologists - and
as you know mine are somewhat more complex than most).

The typical aid has only three working parts, a microphone, an
amplifier, and a receiver.  These can be had for, say, $20 each
or possibly less.  A telecoil, if you're fortunate enough to have
one, would add another $15.  So $60 is probably a fair price to
replace any one part.  I question whether used parts are ever
recycled, except possibly in modular aids.  It wouldn't be worth
the effort.

I hear that one of the major optical companies is considering
a hearing aid operation with on-site assembly, like they are doing
with eyeglasses in the shopping malls.  One hour delivery.

The real tragedy is the dispensers' resistance to true digital
signal processing aids.  The one attempt at this (Nicolet's
Phoenix) appears to be defunct.  All because dealers would need
to make a modest investment in new fitting equipment.  This after
the findings that digital signal processing can enhance the clarity
of the speech signal and discrimination in many difficult situations.

The manufacturers marketing efforts are targeted solely at the
dealers, not the end users of their products.  The hearing aid
industry is the last surviving enclave of obsolete analog audio
technology, in a universe that has long since recognized the
advantages digital signal processing.

... Caveat Emptor!

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