Wireless/bluetooth options

[NaomiH]

Hello all,

 

I've had my implant for just over one year and it has been an amazing experience. I became deaf through meningitis and decided to have a cochlear implant some 30 years later! So it has been a really positive journey so far. I was wondering if anyone out there has had any experience with the wireless access loop with the telecoil. I believe that you have to put the loop around your neck and the loop is connected to a device such as the iphone or ipod. Does it work?? Is it worth getting?

 

Also, another random question here. Does Maestro have bluetooth? It just crossed my mind as I am looking for ways of hearing the TV better. Is there a way that I can install something so that I can hear the TV better? Is this where the FM system comes in?

 

Look forward to receiving your recommendations!

 

All the best,

Naomi

[Adam]

Naomi,

 

This will answer some of your questions. you can get more information if you check out Medels website as they have a whole section devoted to assistive listening devices.

http://www.medel.com/us/using-ald-examples-of-alds/

 

I use direct connect cables that  Medel provides. I have used them to listen to my ipod as well as music or videos on my laptop computer.

I also have an FM system which I used this morning at a seminar I was at. the speaker just wore the transmitter around his neck and the sound was sent to the recievers that awere plugged into my processors. it made it much easier to hear for me.

you can pick up some static based on what electronic equipment is nearby. I liked the fm system and plan on using it more.

 

the processors have a telecoil built into them. I use this as well at work with the landline phone. you can use your remote to activate the telecoil. this makes it much easier for me to hear. especially if there are people in the background. as I can activate telecoil only which tunrs off the processor mic. all I hear is what is coming through the phone. of course i cant hear myself talk either if I turn off the processor mic.

 

most of your questions can be answered in more detail than I can give on the website. I hope this helps

 

Cheers

 

[suzcohen]

My 10-year old bilateral Med El CI user has always used the direct connect cables provided to plug into his IPod and laptop computers (sometimes with a splitter cable and two direct connect cables, but usually just one as the two cables seem cumbersome and start getting caught on things); however, we were always concerned with allowing him to plug into a computer that was plugged into a wall.  I recently heard a lecture by Med El on assistive devices and it opened up my eyes to many other possibilities and we just purchased a neck loop for him to try.

 

Currently the Med El CIs do not have blue tooth compatibility, so we bought the Bluetooth Amplified Neckloop-CLS-QUATTRO by Clear Sounds and a CLEAR SOUNDS CS-QLINK Stereo TV Transmitter/Bluetooth Dongle that was recommended by another Med El CI user.  It works great with cell phones, IPods and t.v.s.  You plug the dongle into the t.v. where it emits a blue tooth signal; then the CI user switches to "T-coil" mode and puts on the bluetooth neck loop and picks up the bluetooth signal through both CIs.  My son raved about this set-up--likes the bilateral listening condition too.  Usually, I find him turning off his CIs and just reading the captions, but not with this set-up!  He thought it very funny that he could leave the room to go to the bathroom and still hear his show. He can also plug the dongle into a computer or his iPod, wearing the neckloop and move around the house listening to his music.  With the t.v.s, one caution: on one of our t.v.s, plugging in the dongle mutes the sound for everyone else in the room, but on the other t.v., the rest of the family can still hear it....haven't figured that all out yet as this is brand new to us.

 

Another cool thing about this particular neck loop is that is has a headphone port at the base of the device....you can plug your Med El direct connect cable into that and plug your IPod in that way too.  Just learned from a sound engineer at a Cirque du Soleil performance that you can also plug the direct connect cable/neckloop combo into the devices they hand out for hearing impaired people at theaters (the ones that usually have head phones attached that CI users can't use).

 

This particular neck loop is kind of pricey as it also has a microphone so you can use it on the phone.  There are cheaper versions without the microphone you speak into and without blue tooth compatibility.  The cheapest alternative is probably using two of the direct connect cables with a Y-splitter cable.

 

Hope that helps!  Suzanne (mom to Max)