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Battery life


Adam

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Ok all you lucky Sonnet recipients, I am curious as to how much battery life you get out of your processors. 3 days, 4 days? Does using DAI affect the amount of life?

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Medel were nice enough to provide me with a significant amount of batteries while I wait for the rechargable ones, so I haven't kept extensive records and being new to the game I have nothing to compare it with, but I'm getting about 2 - 2.5 days out of each pair of batteries. I've been keeping the processor on from when I head to work (about 8am) until I go to bed (about 11pm). Working in an office, I'm not subjected to a lot of noise most of the day, but there is normally a couple of hours (lunch outside, kids, radio in car, tv in the evening) where there will be more noisy activity.

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Lenny, do you use any DAI cables to listen to music or talk on the phone?

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Hi Adam. No I haven't used the DAI cable for that at all. Guess I'm still relying on my good ear fo those sorts of things.

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Sounds good. When I first got my opus 2, I would get almost 5 days off of 3 batteries.

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  • 4 weeks later...

Adam . . . just an update, I've been tracking my Sonnet usage and found I am getting 3 - 3.5 days usage out of each set of batteries. I've been using the DAI cable about 45 mins on weekdays, and not on weekends, but it doesn't seem to make a big difference. 

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Lenny,

Which batteries are you using. Power One or Zeni Power?

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I have used both and they both work well.

Mary Beth

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Hi Mary Beth,

There appears to be a significant difference in battery performance and even sound quality among the two battery types while using the SONNET. That is why I asked Lenny which type he is using. There are other issues every new SONNET user should know.

I have been using the SONNET for a month and plan on posting a detailed review shortly.

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Hadron...my batteries are RAYOVAC Implant Pro+ (size 675). Hope that helps, I have not used anything else.

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Hadron,

I would love to read your review of the Sonnet. Did you notice a difference in sound quality between battery brands with the Opus 2 or Rondo?

Mary Beth

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I used the Zeni Power batteries and the DaCapo rechargeable battery with my OPUS 2 and did not notice a difference in power or sound clarity.

Hope to start working on SONNET review tonight.

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That's good to know. I do not notice a difference in sound quality between the DiCapo batteries, Power One and Zeni Power in Opus 2 and Rondo. Look forward to reading your review of the Sonnet.

Are you in the U.S. where some features are not yet active or elsewhere with active Sonnet features?

Mary Beth

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  • 2 months later...

Hey,

I want to buy my first battery pack because I got only 12 batteries in my set (power one implant plus p675). Hadron, I read your review and it seems that zinc-Air batteries last longer. So do you think I should get zinc-air batteries instead of silver-oxide[* Edit]? I read this article: http://www.medel.com/blog/batteries-use-cochlear-implant/ and they are saying too that zinc-air batteries can last longer, but it's hard for me to say anything basing on my own experience since I'm still on my first two batteries (since monday 12 October)... :P

In my shop I found these batteries advertised as most powerful, but there are also cheaper versions.

rayovac_675_implant_pro.jpg

* edit: sorry, power one are also zinc-air batteries. And in Sonnet manual they write I should only use zinc-air batteries, OK, so problem solved.

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Hello zpawels,

Rayovac is also very good company - there is no real difference taking into account technological aspect.

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Hi zpawelz,

I have not used the Rayovac batteries. Other members have used them and are happy with them.

If you are getting 60 or more hours of battery life on a consistent basis it is a good sign.

Call your MED-EL customer service rep tell them your confusion on batteries. Ask if you they can send you one package of Power One and one package of Zinc Air batteries so you can compare them to Rayovac. Ask if you have to pay for them. Usually they will send for free.

See which works best for you. Good luck.

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Also, if you are in the USA check with your MedEl rep to see if your insurance will cover batteries. I was surprised that mine did.

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Zpawelz,

Apologize. I just noticed you are using Power One. Try the Rayovac if you can. I do have better performance with Zinc Air. Mary Beth's suggestion is great. MED-EL does not advocate or sell Rayovac. I am not sure why.

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I have tried 2 different types of batteries for my sonnets and did not notice a change in sound quality or battery life.

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Zpawelz,

Apologize. I just noticed you are using Power One. Try the Rayovac if you can. I do have better performance with Zinc Air. Mary Beth's suggestion is great. MED-EL does not advocate or sell Rayovac. I am not sure why.

If I do not mistake much Power One is Varta's production line, famous German battery company of all types. ;)

I have access to both companies due to what my reseller has at the moment - I don't remind difference. Possibly, I could be more accurate if I run a diary however...:)

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Thank you for your advices. My first Power One batteries lasted for, approximately, somewhere between 30-40 hours (more like ~40 I think)*, so I will check Rayovac and see how much more I can get...

 

* since Monday till Wednesday, used daily for about 10-12, maybe 14 hours.  

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Zpawelz,

Once you start using the battery it keeps running. It does not matter if you have your CI on or not.

The rechargeable battery such as DaCapo does stop running when you take the CI off.

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I use the Power One implant plus zinc air batteries and the life usage of my 2 batteries with the Opus 2 depends on how much I wear it and that often averages from 14 to 15 hours as I am retired and stay up late watching TV.  I get around 3 days on those.  I will have to say that the stronger your volume is turned up the less time you get on the battery life as well because I found this out as I was going through the mapping of the CI and begin to notice they were not lasting up to 5 days.  I got numerous packages ( was 60 batteries in 1 box and I believe they gave me 8 to 10 boxes) with my kit and live in USA so I know mine are covered by MedicareHumana.

 

I have the latest Opus2 CI and have not received the rechargeable battery yet but will be getting one that was also part of my kit.  I do slide the battery compartment down to turn the CI off when it is in the drying station while not being worn so I know the battery life is not being used during that process.  Not sure why Zpawelz doesn't turn off if doing that.

 

The only thing that disappoints me is the Rondo takes 3 batteries and the Opus2 takes 2 and if I want to flip back and forth with them before any battery life is used up e.g. in the Rondo I waste the usuage of that 3rd battery...but all is good...happy as a lark with my CI and still learning with it as I have been turned on since June 12th.

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Hi Regina,

Glad to see you are enjoying your OPUS 2. As I mentioned previously. Once you take the tab off the battery, in a minute the battery turns on and stays on till it dies. Turning off your CI does not extend battery life. It is best to wait a minute once your tear off the tab before inserting them and closing the CI. Allows air to fill the holes.

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