ComPilot II vs ComPilot Air II - What are your experiences?

A couple of months into using the ComPilot II now… performs extremely well with excellent battery life.

The performance difference between models is huge, especially given the continual connect/disconnects that I experienced with the ComPilot Air II. I highly recommend the ComPilot II over the Air II. In fact, if only the Air II where available, I’d prefer to do without!

Hello everybody, I have just gotten the phonak crossII with the V70 and the compilot II back in July. I love the HA’s and the compilot II. Only problem I have with the compilot II is that it intermittenly cuts out and changes programs on its own. And also everything my iphone does I can hear it through my compilot II. Does this happen to anyone with the compilot II?

I have found with every Compilot Air there has been that range limitation. I know they say 12 inches, but your estimate of 7 is more accurate and the movement always causes issues. I recommend the Compilot II to everybody unless they are just adamant about the neck loop thing, and then I worn them.

What kind of price are they talking for these two units?

Have you mention your problem to the instructor?

There is a solution but it is a bit pricey. What isn’t with aids? It is the Roger Pen17. She would wear it clip on and it would broadcast directly to your hearing aids. It looks just like a pen but is a remote microphone.

Hi,
I just had a customer reference this thread. I wrote a detailed response that may be of help. I sell (on secondary/used/international markets) and have experience with most Phonak products. That includes ComPilot, ComPilot II, ComPilot Air II, ICube, ICUBE II, ICOM etc. - Basically all other Phonak and some Unitron.
device(s). Here is the thread I reference with the customer’s question first (names and company removed to avoid promotional use here - write me direct with questions):

Xxxxxx, Thanks for your reply
The only differences i can find between the compilot II and air II remotes is the air’s smaller size and lack of lanyard but i found no differences in functionality. Is this correct? I also found a fair amount of forum postings ( http://www.hearingaidforums.com/showthread.php?18092-ComPilot-II-vs-ComPilot-Air-II-What-are-your-experiences/page216 ) that complain about the relatively poor connectivity of the Air due to it’s internal antenna (vs lanyard antenna). Is this something you’ve experienced? Is the lanyard able to be completely disconnected for use as a standalone volume and program remote? Also, are the other streamer components (cell, tv, etc.) compatible between the compilot and the compilot air? Do you have the pilot one II, compilot II and air II in your inventory for purchase? thanks, xxx

Compilot II Air System vs. Neck Loop Based Systems
Hi,
Sounds like you are a bit technical so I’ll give you the scoop. The neck loop devices: ComPilot/ComPilot II/ICube/ICOM/ICUBE II - and basically any other Phonak, Unitron or similar device(s) work on the principal of an air-core transformer. We’ll call it “T1”, a typical designation for the “first transformer” in a device. The neck loop is a 1/2 primary of T1. The ComPilot or such device induces a relatively high current in the neck loop that in turn creates a magnetic field, truly a transformer. Although most transformers use an iron core, there are also “Air Core” transformers that are less efficient but exactly what is need in this application - hearing aids. Inside the aid(s) is the secondary of our transformer. Often in older aids this was also the telecoil. Any external magnetic field in proximity of the hearing aid induces a current in the secondary of our transformer, T1 inside the aid. The secondary is physically very small, but has many turns in order to pick up sufficient signal to be amplified by the HA, just like audio from the HA’s mics is amplified and reproduced in the ear as acoustic sound. The ComPilot Air II uses a completely different system. (Also other aids like Resound Linx –sharing the same problems.) The Air II and the aids use an RF (Radio Frequency) transmitter/receiver in the 2.4 GHz band. This is the same band as microwave ovens, routers, Bluetooth device etc. (Check the FCC ID Plates). See: Bluetooth - Wikipedia2 The 2.4 GHz band is basically an open band and the basic usage rules are that the device must not cause, but must tolerate any interference from other devices this “share” band! The real issue at hand: Hearing aid battery consumption and life. In these systems, hearing aid battery capacity and life is the major concern. Reliable RF links simply require more current and capacity (amp-hours & max current draw) than the hearing aid batteries (low current Zinc-Air) can provide. The ComPilot Air II and “V” aids utilize an ultra-low power 2.4 GHz proprietary RF communication system between them. This is the source of the problems you read about. Any local device(s) in that same shared band will often clobber the ComPilot Air II & V Series aids system! Note the range spec on the Air II is a few inches and most Bluetooth devices spec a range between 10 meters to 100 meters – 32 to 320 feet! These types of devices use Frequency Modulation (FM) and a “squelch” system so the user only senses a loss of signal or dropout when it gets clobbered by grandma’s microwave of that F16 30 miles out using high-power radar. So, as Forrest Gump would say “And that’s all I have to say about that” (unless you have questions and I’m happy to answer). – Xxxxxxxd /Xxxxxxxx.org

Since this thread is about experiences… I’m trying to use my ComPilot II with the MC1 mic after setting it aside for a while. I hear calls well however all callers consistently complain that my voice and surrounding noise is way too loud - painfully loud. I tried turning the phone down and speaking in almost a whisper but it’s still too much. Unplugging the MC1 mic makes it much worse. Anybody else with this issue? What have you done to make it better?

I just did a trial with the air. The clip was mostly useless for me. Most of the time I wear cotton crewneck shirts (and thin scoopneck teesn the summer). Cannot clip on that–stretches and distorts collar.

I think I made a mistake trading in my Compilot II for a Compilot Air II. I had the Air II paired with my cell phone at the audiologist and I thought it was working but now it won’t turn off the call and it won’t pair with my TV Link or with my Bluetooth desk phone. I had no trouble pairing the Compilot II with any of those.

Does anybody know what it means when the green light on the Air II goes on and off slowly?

Charging is solid red. Full charge is solid green. After I take if off the charger the green light goes on and off.

Defective, maybe?

The intermittent green light means it’s working normally. To put the device in paring mode, switch it on while holding down the plus button until the light flashes blue. If you keep holding the button for 10 seconds, all existing parings will be cleared. You can then try re-pairing with your phones and TVLink.

@heavydude said:

I got it working with the TV Link and my cell phone. I haven’t gotten the Bluetooth desk phone resolved yet but I already don’t like the Compilot Air II because the audio quality was terrible while I was watching TV tonight. And whenever I got up to move around the sound kept cutting out, which never happened with the Compilot II.

Tried again today - failed.

I’ll be returning the Air and getting my ComPilot II back.

I bought the Compilot Air II at the same time as my HA’s - Phonak Audeo V90-312’s. I bought the unit for HA programmability. But what can it do that I cannot do directly with my HA’s, other than increase/lower the volume and mute them completely? Not impressed with this but that is not the point of this thread - I do not experience cut-offs, only when I place the CP Air II too far away from the HA’s, ie; on the arm of my armchair for example.

I share the experiences that the unit is too big and the clip is useless. I wear a shirt and tie and sometimes the shirt doesn’t have a pocket - the unit is NOT Office credible I’m afraid. Coupled with that is the constant blue flashing light, telling everyone around you that you are wearing HA’s.

My Audiologist has programmed my HA’s with 3 programmes and I can toggle between them by single presses of the button on either of my HA’s. She’s trying to see if she can program the mute function by a long-single-press of the button as her Target software (4.3.1) doesn’t seem to have this capability now as it once did. Assuming she can sort that, the ComPilot Air II will be going back as it serves no purpose for me. But certainly not because of the Cut-Offs others experience.

@rozel said:

She’s trying to see if she can program the mute function by a long-single-press of the button as her Target software (4.3.1) doesn’t seem to have this capability now as it once did.

I have Target 4.3.1 and a long press only reduces mic gain on either side (or both) and can be set between -3db to -30db. Does not act the same as mute in programs (which completely mutes the aids).

Shame that but thanks for the info

roz