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Face to face conversation
The portable amplifiers can be of great help in amplifying speech particularly for face to face conversations, social gatherings or meetings. However, another device is available that can help in this way, the radio aid.
The radio aid
These are normally used in schools and provide a link between teachers and deaf children, but are perfect for face to face conversation. They consist of a transmitter with a microphone (worn by the speaker) and a receiver (worn by the listener).
The transmitter uses radio waves to send its signal to the receiver so there are no wires between the two. It is a ‘wire-less’ connection.
The receiver is connected to the hearing aids in two ways, either by input leads that connect direct to the hearing aid or via a neck loop with the hearing aids set to ‘T’. The receiver can also be used with headphones for people who do not wear hearing aids.
Radio aids are battery powered (often rechargeable) and have the advantage of being useable over a distance of many metres.
There is no need for the transmitter and receiver to be in line of sight for the system to work.
Hearing aids
If you find you are turning the TV up or asking people to repeat what they say you are right to consider getting a hearing aid. There are 8 million people in Britain who are hard of hearing and over 2 million have hearing aids, so you are not alone.
Loops systems
A loop system is designed to assist a person with a hearing aid to hear more clearly in a room by switching their hearing aid to the T position. This arranges for the sound they hear to come from electromagnetic waves from the loop rather than sound waves direct to the aid microphone.
The loop is a kind of radio aerial, which transmits the signal to anyone situated within it. All NHS hearing aids and many private aids have a T position, which allows the user to receive the signal.
More informations about loop systems is available under a seperate section.