Hearing aids?

Bill Monroe · 12-10-2007, 05:48 AM

Gonna take the plunge...

Interested in opinions from those hunters who have them...I've heard (ok, can't hear, so I've read) there are some good new ones on the market that block out gunfire, resist bad weather and mask tinnitus?

Or is that too much in one unit?

Also, which ear specialist to visit who understands hunter (and jet sled owner) needs?

Thanks for the help...

Two Ducks · 12-10-2007, 07:05 AM

I have some high end ones. I wore them for about six months and like most folks I talked to about their own tell me that is about the same time they wear them. The trouble is when you are in a room with people talking and other noise ie music , tv or other noise they all blend together. Where they are great is out hunting by yourself. Here they are fantasatic. Turn those babies up and you can hear a gnat land on a leaf 100 yards away. PM me if you want and I'll give you my phone number.

Little Fish · 12-10-2007, 08:04 AM

Are you guys talking about hearing aids in the the traditional sense or those that you see in Cabela's used for hunting. I too am interested in hearing what folks have to say as I often think would be an advantage to have improved hearing while hunting the timber for elk/deer.

Bill Monroe · 12-10-2007, 08:07 AM

I had a Game Ear for a few years and liked it very much, but this is more permanent.

CombinationLicense · 12-10-2007, 08:11 AM

Huh?

Sorry Bill, I just couldn't resist

"CL"

Dave Smith · 12-10-2007, 08:49 AM

Bill I have Rextons- the kind that fit behind the ear. Costco has good prices- their specialists kind of come and go, but they all seem to really know what they're doing. I think if $$ was no object, I would try to find an independant specialist, but you can't beat Costco's prices. the behind the ear units are nice because it leaves your canal open and you don't have to listen to yourself breathe. they are not very water resistant, but mine do block out gun fire sounds. I don't even think they advertise that, it might be a safety feature on all of them?? Like has been said, when I'm sitting in a treestand, I can adjust the setting to bionic hearing and it's nice. I can wear a full ski-mask style face mask with them on, but NOT a hood- the hood creates all kinds of feedback. Good luck! Dave

scottishsetter · 12-10-2007, 01:57 PM

Bill do a search within the last two months there was a thread on gunfire-blocking 'aids'. M.Maxi.. has a line for 10% off on 'em. His new line of work...?

Joe Schwab · 12-10-2007, 02:34 PM

Bill ,I have the top of the line digital, in the ear aids. They have up to three settings. When I'm working out in the outback I use the "superman" setting. You can hear a conversation 100 yards away and vehicle traveling over the next drainage. Not good for anywhere there is background noise.

Low settings are used on the shooting range, with protection of course and on the telephone. Medium settings cover all the rest.

I had severe tinnitus and when I'm wearing them on normal setting I have none. The audiologist said some can be programmed with "white noise" that cancels out the ringing in your ears but said some people don't need that.

Bill Monroe · 12-10-2007, 02:35 PM

Sounds good, Joe...who's your audiologist?

iampapajack · 12-10-2007, 05:19 PM

Bill, (and Dave also) I too can't hear for beans and also suffer from Tinnitus. The Tinnitus was caused by shotgun noise, but that's another story. I tried the IC (inner canal) type of aid and like Dave got tired of hearing myself eat, potato chips were the worst. Paid 5K for those. I golf with an ENT Dr. that has an audio. guy in his office. Anyway I ended up with a pair of PHONAK's behind the ear for about 4K. Here's the nice things about PHONAK's. They have directiona mikes that can be turned on or off with different programs. What that means is that if you are at a party, or around talk from several directions you can turn off the rear mikes and just hear whats happening in front of you. If your in a place like church, or a tree stand, you can crank them up. And Dave I wear headgear and a hoodie and a hooded coat with no feedback. The nicest thing is that all of the programs and power levels can be adjusted by a little remote control devise that's a little smaller than the remote that opens your car door. They even make a remote built into a wristwatch. I find my self adjusting my devices to match ant hearing situation. The remote is about $400 extra. I'm in The Dalles but if you want to PM me I'll tell you more. BTW good luck with the Tinnitus, I haven't found any aid that masks the noises my head makes....Jack

007SPRIG · 12-10-2007, 05:25 PM

Costco all the way.

Dave Smith · 12-10-2007, 05:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by iampapajack

Bill, (and Dave also) I too can't hear for beans and also suffer from Tinnitus. The Tinnitus was caused by shotgun noise, but that's another story. I tried the IC (inner canal) type of aid and like Dave got tired of hearing myself eat, potato chips were the worst. Paid 5K for those. I golf with an ENT Dr. that has an audio. guy in his office. Anyway I ended up with a pair of PHONAK's behind the ear for about 4K. Here's the nice things about PHONAK's. They have directiona mikes that can be turned on or off with different programs. What that means is that if you are at a party, or around talk from several directions you can turn off the rear mikes and just hear whats happening in front of you. If your in a place like church, or a tree stand, you can crank them up. And Dave I wear headgear and a hoodie and a hooded coat with no feedback. The nicest thing is that all of the programs and power levels can be adjusted by a little remote control devise that's a little smaller than the remote that opens your car door. They even make a remote built into a wristwatch. I find my self adjusting my devices to match ant hearing situation. The remote is about $400 extra. I'm in The Dalles but if you want to PM me I'll tell you more. BTW good luck with the Tinnitus, I haven't found any aid that masks the noises my head makes....Jack

YUP, those sound exactly like mine. The only time I have feedback is when I have them set on the "superman" setting. Paid about 3K for mine at Costco- they were running 4 to 4.7 K elsewhere.

Pelagic Captain · 12-10-2007, 08:31 PM

I have the in the ear canal type..finally gave up ..my loss is due to industrial noise ..my hearing aids were a retirement gift ( big deal) ...do any of you know if costco will provide devices under state industrial ...sounds like they may have something that will help ..I have the ringing also and sure would like to find something that would work ...and like most of you I hunt, fish with a sled and am religous about hearing protection ..unfortunately for me hearing conservation programs in industry came a little late...I would like to fins something that will also suppress loud noise...thanks to all that have written on this ...it helps

Joe Schwab · 12-11-2007, 07:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bill Monroe

Sounds good, Joe...who's your audiologist?

Joe Cason in St. Helens. He worked with me for months to get the right settings. Feedback can be a problem in the in canal devices but fine tuning got rid of it. Once I have them in for a while I forget they are there and have even gone to sleep with them in. I used the outside ones briefly and was not happy with them.

Like he said, tinnitus affects different people different ways. All I know is I don't have it when wearing the devices.

Hazelnut · 12-12-2007, 11:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pelagic Captain

I have the in the ear canal type..finally gave up ..my loss is due to industrial noise ..my hearing aids were a retirement gift ( big deal) ...do any of you know if costco will provide devices under state industrial ...sounds like they may have something that will help ..I have the ringing also and sure would like to find something that would work ...and like most of you I hunt, fish with a sled and am religous about hearing protection ..unfortunately for me hearing conservation programs in industry came a little late...I would like to fins something that will also suppress loud noise...thanks to all that have written on this ...it helps

The "noise cancelation" device that you, me and some others might like are headphone style muffs. They have built in tech. to offset the noise, but I'm not sure about full reduction or the ones that get you to 85dbls. Check the Safety supply stores and great northern catalogs (I think). I too have lowered hearing and tinnitis (at barely middle age), more this year due do to high speed blowers for agriculture :frown:.
The Game ears have always intrigued me, but I heard that they weren't very waterproof. Any thoughts on waterproofing etc.. I have a tendency to take things swimming

. Thanks for the tips guys I know I'll need them in the future.

Bill Monroe · 03-14-2008, 05:10 AM

Anyone know (or is there an Ifisher) of an audiologist close to Oregon City who hunts and would understand that aspect of aids?

Joe, still thinking between in and out...also have the name of your guy. Thanks very much.

Lucky Guy · 03-14-2008, 07:03 AM

The ones Maverick sells are Electronic Shooters Protection (www.ESPAmerica.com). Sportsman's has some too.

Hellibut · 03-14-2008, 07:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bill Monroe

Gonna take the plunge...

Interested in opinions from those hunters who have them...I've heard (ok, can't hear, so I've read) there are some good new ones on the market that block out gunfire, resist bad weather and mask tinnitus?

Just about any hearing aid you get these days can be tuned. As my audiologist explained to me the frequencies where your hearing is okay the hearing aid essentially does nothing, the frequency where the hearing loss occurrs is where it comes on. I'm no expert on this but there are different types of hearing loss. My hearing loss is from nerve damage. My in the ear hearing aids help tremendously but there are still some things I will never hear. I have an extremely tough time with audible alarms on my boat. I suppose they could tune a hearing aid to block many different types of sound including gunfire. I was lucky enough to get mine through the VA. My dad however had a different experience and I would caution you that many places will sell you the highest price hearing aid they possibly can with little regard for your actual need. Hopefully you can get a good referral.

Fishing With Larry · 03-14-2008, 08:04 AM

This is an exciting thread for me to read.

I too have hearing loss but mostly in only one ear. I believe that it is from 20 years of being the designated caller in a specific blind where birds always came in from the left and that is where I set up my friends for the shooting. I learned entirely too late the protection required to avoid irreversable damage.

I have learned to compensate for it in public places but crowded rooms and family gatherings with lots of kids almost send me to a panic attack. My hearing specialist has advised not to use a single hearing aide since he believe that amplifying the sound would increase the rate of damage.

My delimma results from the way I hunt. My eyesight is incredible and I pick out nearly 90% of the animals while hunting in our group. I am incredibly steathy for a big guy and love the part of hunting where I get close. I believe that God just evened the playing field by allowing me to lose my hearing. From a hearing standpoint, locating a bugling bull or reacting to a twig snap, my partners always have the advantage and I always have the possibility to mess up the hunt. I would love to find something that gave me a comfortable, even normal hearing while in these situations. I tried the game ear and was completely disappointed with how it fit, how long a battery lasted, and the constant feedback.

Any help to go along with your recommendations to Bill would be appreciated. I would love if you share your insights with me. If you need to contact me outside of this thread so that we can stay on track, please do.

Thanks,

Old Soldier · 03-14-2008, 04:13 PM

I have been wearing the phonax automatic ones for the past several years. They have three settings. I use them on automatic while walking and on setting 3 stereo when sitting. I can hear water and deer steps for a long ways on 3. The automatic setting shuts down from what i understand about them at high noise levels.
Only problem is I can down hear my wife say no you do not need that new (fill in the blank). By the way I lost one last year while coyote hunting because when I pulled to mask off I did not notice the aid went with it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bill Monroe

Gonna take the plunge...

Interested in opinions from those hunters who have them...I've heard (ok, can't hear, so I've read) there are some good new ones on the market that block out gunfire, resist bad weather and mask tinnitus?

Or is that too much in one unit?

Also, which ear specialist to visit who understands hunter (and jet sled owner) needs?

Thanks for the help...

King Kong · 03-14-2008, 04:19 PM

Bill. PM sent. I am going to see if my cousin can add to this post as he has been in the hearing aid business for several years. Avid hunter and outdoorsman.

Small Fry · 03-14-2008, 08:46 PM

Great information. I've been putting hearing aid off for years. I don't like things in my ears so I will be looking at the behind the ear type. I wear glass's will the aid interfere?

Joe Schwab · 03-14-2008, 09:33 PM

I just got the newest digitals on the market. They are undetectable once they are in. You cannot feel a thing. The tiny unit rests on the top of your ear and a fine wire runs into the ear with a very small speaker on the end. I have unbelievable tinnitus when I'm not wearing them. With them in there is none. It's almost eerie because I have had the ringing for so long and now it's gone.

And the best part is no feedback or whistling under any conditions.

Nuf · 03-19-2008, 08:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Small Fry

Great information. I've been putting hearing aid off for years. I don't like things in my ears so I will be looking at the behind the ear type. I wear glass's will the aid interfere?

I mostly get annoyed with the hair growing in my ears

Seriously though, this thread is very near and dear to me as my better half is always telling me I need hearing help.

Bill Monroe · 03-20-2008, 04:22 AM

Thanks to all (and Kevin).

I can't afford the top lines like Capt. Hook's, but will try some from a local center a few minutes from the house.

Will let you know...PM with questions.

Duckwheat · 03-20-2008, 06:51 PM

Do they work for nuerosensory hearing loss? My ENT did not seem to think it would help that much.

How much are the Costco Hearing aids worth?

I am still in denial. I remember my dad's frustration with them. I just have it so far in one ear.

DW

MtNative · 03-21-2008, 08:47 PM

I have severe hearing loss in both ears. 80 % in the left, 65% in the right due to gun fire, ear infection, rivet guns in aircraft maintenance which sounds like an Uzi going off and rapid decompression of numerous aircraft during testing in which I bled from my ears. My hearing specialist recommended out of the canal hearing aids because of what you all are saying about "head in a bucket syndrome". Hearing yourself breath, chew etc. My hearing aids are Oticon. Fully digital and fully programable paid for in full by the state both in batteries and maintenance, and replacement for life. If your hearing was even remotely caused in the work place, file with your states Labor and Industry dept. I almost stepped on a big rattle snake last year. 14 rattles this guy boasted! I didn't hear a thing. After he died I brought his rattles to my hearing aid clinic. I rattled them for the tech and asked if he could hear it. He did. I told him I could not and I needed to. He plugged my hearing aids into his computer and made a few adjustments and I could hear it loud and clear. My Oticons have up to 10 volume / frequency settings with the touch of a little button including mute. They also have a built in feature called a "sound loop". Many big speaking venues broadcast on a radio frequency so hearing impaired people can listen in with hand held receivers. This hearing aid will pick up the radio broadcast and amplify it. Sorry to be so wordy but if it helps...

Bill Monroe · 03-22-2008, 05:35 AM

Saw Capt. Hook at the FMS show yesterday and compared notes...turns out we have the same kind of units from different audiologists, each near our respective homes. Getting mine Wednesday...I fully expect an adjustment period. My outfit will give me two months, during which I can return, upgrade, etc.

Not an oticon, though. Mine is service related, but the VA is pretty strapped taking care of all the current returning problems, so I'm paying.

Will let everyone know. Thanks for the help.