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Phonak TV Connector

Hearing Loss | Last Active: Sep 3, 2020 | Replies (5)

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@tonyinmi

LOL. I give it my best regarding technology. Family issues warranted a late reply to @asklar02492. I like the response @johnbishop provided. It's hard to tell which is generating the interference but I am leaning at a Bluetooth issue. Your neighbor is getting video to the TV via the phone so that is a Bluetooth signal. Your TV device streams Bluetooth to your hearing aids. Theoretically, they should not interfere with each other because of the "pairing" of the devices. The range on Bluetooth is 33 feet max but it decreases based on the apartment construction (how much metal is in the walls). What I would do is to try to determine the exact cause. Maybe initiate a phone call while each of you try different things. If the interference is coming from your TV streamer, then get your hearing aid manufacturer involved. Rather than put foil in your house, the manufacturer could shield their products better (foil inside their product). This is a good opportunity to advocate for better designs. You cannot be the only person complaining about this. They may already have a fix. They ship what's on the shelf and that product may not be updated to the latest hardware revision. I have Resound aids and they have a customer support number that I can call instead of going through the audiologist. Maybe Phonak has something similar. Most of all, if you know the Phonak streamer is the cause, do not give up until they get it resolved. You'll hopefully improve the product for others.
Tony in Michigan

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Replies to "LOL. I give it my best regarding technology. Family issues warranted a late reply to @asklar02492...."

Thank you very much Tony for the additional information. I really appreciate your help in understanding what the issue might be so I can make an informed guess about what to try. That's a great idea to try to figure out what's going on over a phone call. We could start with my neighbor's TV on and then see what happens when I turn the TV on with my streamer on it. And then try moving the streamer to the computer (where I Zoom quite often) and see if that has any different effect.

Hm - the idea I might have to give up my streamer even for a short period while it's being checked out by the manufacturer raises some anxiety. That device has improved my life immensely by giving me a clear connection on Zoom and allowing me to give up the headphones. But you're right that Phonak should be informed if it's causing problems. And my neighbor deserves to be able to use her devices without interference.

Thanks again. Usually my experience with technology problems is pretty lonely and frustrating. It's great to have the support!
Ann