Running Bear's February 2022 Coffee Shop


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Must be this group is have come to or are coming of age......with the discussion of Hearing Aids.

I have been wearing hearing aids since 1970. I can tell I know more about them then most people including the the people who make them or sell them. I have seen the advancement over the years. In the beginning hearing aids did more harm than good as people forget what the actual principle and concept of how hearing aids actually work.

Most people have the misconception of the fact the hearing aids correct the person's hearing for example like glasses. NOT! No and NO! Hearing aid......the word "aid" should be your first clue. It does just that "aids" you in your current hearing situation.

In the 70's and even now the technology that we have it still does the primary function of aiding you to hear more or better by amplification although I do not like those terms.

Here is what is happening: No matter what your hearing status is for your ears, if you have a 10% loss or greater impairment, Hearing aids do NOT correct your hearing. Hearing aids are actually "microphones" having said that it means it amplifies the sound to a higher decibel so you can hear the sounds at a louder decibel. The end result is over time it causes and does more damage. Meaning more hearing loss. This varies from person to person activities and how they apply the use of their hearing aids.

I was born with my hearing impairment. I started with only 24% hearing in both ears. Over the years that has decreased to 17% in both ears. I am a master of facial reading, lip reading and ASL. I have many many stories on that but lets stick with the current subject.

The advancement on the hearing aids have come a long ways. In 1993 the advancement from mono to digital was a huge impact for creating proper adjustments then in 2000 the advancement of smaller telecoils then on to Bluetooth technology.

I get new hearing aids every 2 to 3 years and have for the last 50 years. You may wonder why do I get new ones every 2 to 3 years. Well that's when the warranties expire depending on the manufacture. You do not want to go past that and pay costly repairs etc. I speak from experience. I started wearing the BOX type when I was 4 then later when I was wearing the BTEs (behind the ear) when I was 6. At one time I tried the all in the ear mold styles and that crapped out within a year. They were extremely uncomfortable. Now I still wear BTEs. I have used 15 different manufactures over the years. The last 3 sets I have had are Phonak. I recently got my new ones for this year Phonak Naida P UP series for severe hearing impairment. It offers multiple programing and multiple Bluetooth channels, tele coil and micro processor diagnostics on the fly. I use my phone app by Phonak as well. Great technology. I can say this..... make sure if you are in the market of getting hearing aids go to an established Audiologist for full testing. I go every year like people go for eye exams. As I have to monitor my progress or rather losses. If you are still working and have insurance be sure to do this now before you go on Medicare as they do not cover much for hearing aids just cheap brands etc. I have saved and set aside for when I retire to take care this as well. My current company insurance covered the bulk of my new ones. The greater your loss/deficit in hearing the more you pay. Remember this. My hearing aids cost regularly 7k each but with insurance I was out of pocket for 950 each. Not bad considering the alternative.

Top 3 hearing aids that I have had great success with over the years are Siemens, Rexton and Phonak. If ya'll have questions I can try to answer them. Most of you may just have low percentage losses from age or some may have used machinery or around heavy noise in your careers may incurred the loss that way.

Well that was my 2 cents....
 
James - Well written essay regarding the hearing aids. I have always been concerned about the amplification factor making things worse in the long run. I needed them long before I actually got mine eight years ago. I tested out at a 40% loss in both ears. It was 42% a year ago so I haven't done too badly; within the margin of error either way. My issue was too much loud music, headphones, front row concert seats and high quality stereo speakers during the 60's - 80's. I am with you on buying the best, although my $4200/pair pales in comparison to yours. I'm on my third set now. I consider them the best purchase of my life after my wife!;) I have read and heard that those cheapo ones advertised on TV are really worthless, but I never tried them.
 
Alcomotive said:
If you are still working and have insurance be sure to do this now before you go on Medicare as they do not cover much for hearing aids just cheap brands etc. I have saved and set aside for when I retire to take care this as well. My current company insurance covered the bulk of my new ones. The greater your loss/deficit in hearing the more you pay. Remember this. My hearing aids cost regularly 7k each but with insurance I was out of pocket for 950 each. Not bad considering the alternative.

Top 3 hearing aids that I have had great success with over the years are Siemens, Rexton and Phonak. If ya'll have questions I can try to answer them. Most of you may just have low percentage losses from age or some may have used machinery or around heavy noise in your careers may incurred the loss that way.

Well that was my 2 cents....
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For those that need them, but don't have the insurance or NIH or whatever to cover some/most of the cost, COSTCO has audiologists and this set cost me $1400. Nowhere near the bells and whistles ;) James gets.

Most of my hearing loss came from being a stupid Rock N Roll listener, as well as a wedding photographer. Big speakers and loud volumes at wedding receptions drive people from the dance floor, not attract them.

I keep a sound meter app on my phone and checked it vs a professional sound meter a buddy of mine has (sound tech in the stagehand union, he gets to monitor that stuff for worksite safety).

At one reception, I checked and was getting 100db at the back of the dance floor. I went up to show the DJ (I had my cameras behind his table) and asked if he was wearing earplugs. (We were shouting behind his speakers where it was 104db).

Nope. Didn't care. Party = LOUDER

Protect your hearing. I take earplugs to concerts if I actually go to them.
 
I acquired my hearing loss on active duty in the Corps over a 23 year period. Duties with an artillery battery, mortar operator, small arms fire and all sorts of radio comm. I.E. voice, Morse Code, teletype took its toll.
Significant loss of hearing in the higher ranges where most of women's voices are compiled. Lower frequencies of men's voices clip parts of words making some conversations difficult.
The VA provided me with Phonak hearing aids. I don't wear them around the house because there's nobody else here. I don't wear them on the motorcycle because the noise may damage them. I'll forget to plug em in a lot of times when going to church or other meetings. Don't think of it till I see a woman moving her mouth but I don't hear her. I just smile, nod and shake her hand as though I heard her.
When my daughter stops by on occasion, she turns the radio down and rolls her eyes. Oh, sorry, didn't hear ya come in. The grand kids have already flooded by me which I don't notice. Was out at the church loading logs into my truck to haul to the land fill. Church custodian snuck up on me in his service cart, smirking. No hearing aids today, huh?
Sometimes the silence is welcome. Other times I have trouble making out what women are sayin on TV despite volume being close to 100.
Tinnitus is so loud at times, I'm surprised that others near me can't hear it.
 
3 hours and 3 minutes ago, I clocked out, turned off the lights, and locked the doors, got in my car, and drove home.
Tomorrow, I go to drop off boxes of tools, fill out paperwork, and start figuring out where everything is, so I don’t look like a total moron come Monday morning.
 
bnsf971 said:
3 hours and 3 minutes ago, I clocked out, turned off the lights, and locked the doors, got in my car, and drove home.
Tomorrow, I go to drop off boxes of tools, fill out paperwork, and start figuring out where everything is, so I don’t look like a total moron come Monday morning.
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I'm sure the message that a long standing employee of the former owner, ratbag though he might have been, has decided that the ones now in the employer role are much worse. No doubt it will penetrate to the core of their beings and bring about sweeping changes in attitude.
 
tootnkumin said:
I'm sure the message that a long standing employee of the former owner, ratbag though he might have been, has decided that the ones now in the employer role are much worse. No doubt it will penetrate to the core of their beings and bring about sweeping changes in attitude.
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A lot more has gone on than I've posted here.
With my departure, over a third of the staff has left.
Bills have gone unpaid to most vendors and suppliers, even the one that's arguably the most recognizable RV (caravan) in the world. They've cut off the store from further purchases. My company credit card was declined when I tried to gas up a motor home for delivery early this week. I got a pretty thorough dressing-down for allowing that to happen, even though I had zero control over when, or if, the credit card bill was paid.
The entire service department has been ordered to report to work next Saturday, and work until they make up the number of billable hours the department has fallen short of its monthly goal.
I guess the beatings will continue until morale improves.

I hope this is the last update I have on that place, though my spy network will surely keep me informed of any noteworthy events.
 
Good evening. The discussion on "hearing aids" is very informative.

I do not use a hearing aid, I'm really not sure what my level of hearing loss is. One thing for certain, I do not hear certain voice tones, and other sounds. Like Ken in VA, I was exposed to noise in the Army, including rotary engine aircraft,railroad locomotives and rolling stock, and weapons systems. I was also exposed to the sounds of old school fire trucks, including high decibel radio speakers, and Federal Sirens. My main source was the railroad. including Hump Yards, Intermodal Terminals with very low flying aircraft passing over every thirty seconds, and the noise of diesel locomotives.
Some meaningful hearing protection was not available to us because it muffled radio speaker noise and conversation. Hearing testswere mandatory as part of our annual physical. However, the vendor they used was more interested in selling hearing aids, and each year the "bad" ear was the opposite of the previous year. Then they went to on site testing, at Oak Island, using a portable booth, that they parked close to the Master Retarder...what a joke, couldn't hear the test tones, for the sound of the retarder. The Railroad was more concerned with lawsuits over hearing loss, than the actual effect on their employees.
One of these weeks, I will make an appointment at Costco and see what they have to say. Thanks for the informative discussion.

Terry: Congratulations. Good luck with your new job.

Ken (IL): Congratulations, Good Luck with your new job.

In the last 24 hours, our temperature has ranged from 62° after midnight to 30° now. We experienced 0.6" of rain, and high winds, but no power interuptions. Tomorrow, a quick warm up to the mid 40s is forecast, followed by another sudden drop accompanied by snow showers and high wind, followed by another warm up on Monday.
tootnkumin said:
No doubt it will penetrate to the core of their beings and bring about sweeping changes in attitude.
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Ray: You are so perceptive.

Philadelphia B&O Station 24th & Chestnut.jpg

Philadelphia's B&O Station located at 24th and Chestnut. Last used as a passenger station in April 1958. The existing CSX main still follows the old B&O ROW, and there is a hiking / biking path that parallels the CSX main. I used to explore the site at track level, and there is still evidence of the larger terminal. The station building was demolished back in the late 1960s / early 70s.

Last Day E. of Baltimore 04_26_1958 - Philadelphia.jpg

04/26/1958 Last Run of B&O's Royal Blue Westward for Baltimore and Washington. South Street Bridge in the background.
 
Anyway, back to trains.
I was perusing our favorite auction site last weekend, and found an A/B pair of Intermountain FTs for a very good price. I promptly bought them now, and they were shipped Monday. Monday, they arrived at the Post Office near the seller, with acceptance pending.
They're still there, still pending acceptance.
Hopefully Sherril's heart trouble gets sorted out in a positive way soon.
 
Really close to the final version of windows and doors. The doors operating with glass inserted into the door. The hinge wire could be hocked to a servo if one wanted too. I call this my dollar Depot because it is from a styrene for sale that I bought at Lowe's. Got the inspiration from @santafewillie and the recent model Railroader article.
 

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Boris said:
One of these weeks, I will make an appointment at Costco and see what they have to say. Thanks for the informative discussion.
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Be warned that most Costco hearing centers are booked out pretty far in advance. I'd swing by on your next trip and see how far the wait is. Set your apt for when you think you want to shell out the $$$. You'll usually pay, then come back in a couple of weeks to get the devices.

They do take some getting used to. The new brand's dome sits in the ears slightly off of where the old ones were. Like playing guitar, I need to get the "calluses" built up to not notice. That will only take a few days.
 
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