Understanding Hearing Loops and Telecoils
You've probably heard about hearing loops and telecoils, but may have wondered just what they are and how they work.
Most Hearing Aids (HA's), especially Behind-The-Ear (BTE) aids and all new Cochlear Implants (CI's), come with telecoils, known as t-coils.
Telecoils have been around on BTE's since the late 1940s.
Telecoils are also available on some In-The-Ear (ITE) hearing aids.
However, normally, Completely-In-Canal (CIC) aids do not have them.
(My CI has one and I didn't even realize it until my audiologist asked me if I wanted it activated for use on one of my four programs, in place of a program which I didn't use.
) If you're not using your telecoil, you may be missing out on a lot, especially in a noisy environment.
Ask your healthcare provider about it.
(I was lucky that my audiologist asked me if I wanted it, but not all providers do.
So, don't hesitate to ask.
) Originally, telecoils were used to pick up the magnetic field (known as an induction field) produced by the powerful magnets of early telephone speakers.
Now days, most telephones have built-in extra electronics to produce an induction field and are thus Hearing Aid Compatible (HAC).
If the phone is HAC then, to use it, you just have to have a device, such as a HA or CI, that can pick up the signal.
Since the early days of the telecoil, the technology has evolved and now, they can be used to pick up magnetic signals from many more sources, such as hearing loops.
A hearing loop system consists of a thin wire placed around the perimeter of a listening area, a special amplifier and a microphone(s).
Speech signals are amplified and circulated through the loop wire.
The resulting magnetic field or induction field is detected and amplified by the telecoil in the HA, CI, or a loop receiver.
Hearing loop systems are also known as induction loop systems.
The telecoil consists of a tiny copper coil installed in a HA, CI, or other pickup device.
An induction field is created whenever an electric current travels through the coil.
It is this induction field from the coil that picks up the signal from the hearing loop system.
(Although many newer HA's have telecoils installed in them, older HA's without them can usually be retrofitted with a telecoil for about $250.
) Because of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), many public accommodations such as movie theaters, churches, auditoriums, and sports stadiums now provide Assistive Listening Systems (ALS's), which may include headsets or receivers loaned to patrons to help them hear.
Many of the ALS's currently used, beam an infrared (IR) or Frequency Modulated (FM) signal to special headsets or neck loops that must be borrowed.
Although hearing loop systems are initially more expensive to install, typically $10 to $25 per seat, advocates argue that the cost per user is lower over the long run.
At this time, the ALS's installed in many public places are IR or FM systems.
However, more and more hearing loop systems are being installed.
Hearing loop systems installed in the large facilities are basically the same as the ones you can use in your home to listen to your television or stereo.
The main difference is the size of the loop system and the longer wire placed around the perimeter of the facility.
People with telecoils in their hearing device can pick up the magnetic signal and can then hear a lot better than they could hear an acoustic signal, because background noise is not picked up by the telecoil.
So, in many instances when listening in an extremely noisy area, the person using a telecoil will actually hear "better" than a normal hearing person.
Telecoils can be used to hear the television, telephones (both regular and cell), in meetings, in noisy restaurants, or in a noisy car.
All that's needed besides the telecoil is a hearing loop system.
Portable loop systems are a great addition to permanently installed systems and they can be taken with you.
Telecoil and loop systems can provide the extra help that you need to hear in many otherwise nearly impossible situations.
The latest news is that the MTA New York City Transit is installing induction loops at all 24-hour subway station booths.
More than 350 stations in Queens, Brooklyn, The Bronx, and Manhattan already have the new technology, which filters out background noise for customers who wear HA's and/or CI's with telecoils.
The technology will be installed in the remaining 24-hour booths by mid-2012.
Most Hearing Aids (HA's), especially Behind-The-Ear (BTE) aids and all new Cochlear Implants (CI's), come with telecoils, known as t-coils.
Telecoils have been around on BTE's since the late 1940s.
Telecoils are also available on some In-The-Ear (ITE) hearing aids.
However, normally, Completely-In-Canal (CIC) aids do not have them.
(My CI has one and I didn't even realize it until my audiologist asked me if I wanted it activated for use on one of my four programs, in place of a program which I didn't use.
) If you're not using your telecoil, you may be missing out on a lot, especially in a noisy environment.
Ask your healthcare provider about it.
(I was lucky that my audiologist asked me if I wanted it, but not all providers do.
So, don't hesitate to ask.
) Originally, telecoils were used to pick up the magnetic field (known as an induction field) produced by the powerful magnets of early telephone speakers.
Now days, most telephones have built-in extra electronics to produce an induction field and are thus Hearing Aid Compatible (HAC).
If the phone is HAC then, to use it, you just have to have a device, such as a HA or CI, that can pick up the signal.
Since the early days of the telecoil, the technology has evolved and now, they can be used to pick up magnetic signals from many more sources, such as hearing loops.
A hearing loop system consists of a thin wire placed around the perimeter of a listening area, a special amplifier and a microphone(s).
Speech signals are amplified and circulated through the loop wire.
The resulting magnetic field or induction field is detected and amplified by the telecoil in the HA, CI, or a loop receiver.
Hearing loop systems are also known as induction loop systems.
The telecoil consists of a tiny copper coil installed in a HA, CI, or other pickup device.
An induction field is created whenever an electric current travels through the coil.
It is this induction field from the coil that picks up the signal from the hearing loop system.
(Although many newer HA's have telecoils installed in them, older HA's without them can usually be retrofitted with a telecoil for about $250.
) Because of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), many public accommodations such as movie theaters, churches, auditoriums, and sports stadiums now provide Assistive Listening Systems (ALS's), which may include headsets or receivers loaned to patrons to help them hear.
Many of the ALS's currently used, beam an infrared (IR) or Frequency Modulated (FM) signal to special headsets or neck loops that must be borrowed.
Although hearing loop systems are initially more expensive to install, typically $10 to $25 per seat, advocates argue that the cost per user is lower over the long run.
At this time, the ALS's installed in many public places are IR or FM systems.
However, more and more hearing loop systems are being installed.
Hearing loop systems installed in the large facilities are basically the same as the ones you can use in your home to listen to your television or stereo.
The main difference is the size of the loop system and the longer wire placed around the perimeter of the facility.
People with telecoils in their hearing device can pick up the magnetic signal and can then hear a lot better than they could hear an acoustic signal, because background noise is not picked up by the telecoil.
So, in many instances when listening in an extremely noisy area, the person using a telecoil will actually hear "better" than a normal hearing person.
Telecoils can be used to hear the television, telephones (both regular and cell), in meetings, in noisy restaurants, or in a noisy car.
All that's needed besides the telecoil is a hearing loop system.
Portable loop systems are a great addition to permanently installed systems and they can be taken with you.
Telecoil and loop systems can provide the extra help that you need to hear in many otherwise nearly impossible situations.
The latest news is that the MTA New York City Transit is installing induction loops at all 24-hour subway station booths.
More than 350 stations in Queens, Brooklyn, The Bronx, and Manhattan already have the new technology, which filters out background noise for customers who wear HA's and/or CI's with telecoils.
The technology will be installed in the remaining 24-hour booths by mid-2012.