Battery life

Alta 2 or 2 Pro users, I’m curious as to how long your batteries are lasting on average? My battery mileage has gone way down since I’ve changed from the Altas to the Alta 2s. There has been no change in my audiogram; the my most recent one is below. I’ve now tried 3 different brands of batteries, and their mileage really, REALLY varies, from 3 to 8 days currently, whereas with the Altas, I was consistently getting 8-10 days, using the streamer several times a week for music only. Oddly, it’s my left HA battery that has been dying first almost every time since I got them in May.

I’ve been keeping close tabs on my battery use. In the last month, I haven’t used the streamer at all other than to occasionally increase or decrease the volume by a notch, but this doesn’t happen on a daily basis. I use the rear-direction microphones for maybe an hour a week, but usually less. I haven’t streamed music at all. I wear them for anywhere from 12-14 hours a day, which is no different than my wear time with the Altas was. Does anyone have any thoughts as to why the batteries are dying so quickly? It seems strange.

I’m wondering if the aids themselves are faulty? I’m having a plethora of issues with them. They intermittently, and very randomly, shut off at times. Sometimes just one shuts off, usually the left. The volume also intermittently changes significantly (I.e., going from my set point to the loudest volume, which is up five notches from my usual place of comfort) without me touching either the aids or the streamer. Plus the button on the aids only seems to work intermittently to change the programs. So, I’m speculating that the short battery life is related to faulty aids, rather than the batteries or my hearing loss. My next audi appointment isn’t until mid-November. In the interim these issues are proving quite challenging, although they do provide a good laugh here or there.

Kerry

@greghahn said:

I met with my Costco HIS last week and he repeated the 5 minute thing and told me, “They always used to say 1 minute, but I was just at a seminar where they talked about this and now they’re saying 5 minutes.”

Might be legit, but probably only helps a small amount.

As per Google/Youtube, reports indicate this adds from 2 to 3 days to batt. life. If this would let you go, for instance, 9 days vs. 7 days between changes that means you would be changing batt. about 12 times less per year. This is not about saving a few coins, this is about convenience.

@linkbelt said:

As per Google/Youtube, reports indicate this adds from 2 to 3 days to batt. life. If this would let you go, for instance, 9 days vs. 7 days between changes that means you would be changing batt. about 12 times less per year. This is not about saving a few coins, this is about convenience, ( saving time fooling with batt). (If this was about saving coins, that would amount to about $60/yr.)

If you are paying $60 for 24 Batteries you are shopping at the wrong place.
Changing batteries on the same day per week is what many people prefer eg.always on a weekend.
and finally I don’t think it works!

@Psocoptera said:

If you are paying $60 for 24 Batteries you are shopping at the wrong place.
Changing batteries on the same day per week is what many people prefer eg.always on a weekend.
and finally I don’t think it works!

I don’t believe it works either and I tried it a few months ago. If it made any difference at all I didn’t notice it. As far as changing batteries on the weekend I telework so am switching my battery changing schedule to Thursdays. When I change them on the weekend it always seems like they die when we’re out somewhere. I’d rather they die when I’m at home.

@MikeinOhio said:

[M]y bet is the performance between different brands will be nearly identical.

Mine, too.

I have used the Costco batteries and Duracell. Actually get an extra day from the Duracell.

@AbramBaileyAuD said:

Check out our survey of 500 hearing aid users: Hearing Aid Batteries – How Long Do They Really Last?

This is interesting! 82 hours for a 312 cell in an RIC aid – good to know.

IMO if a 13 is available in whatever you like I would opt for the 13 everytime. The aid size is negligible and sometimes you get a bonus of more rocker switch control.

Definitely! But the KS7 is only available with the 312 battery

@KayakerNC said:

The ZeniPower 312 Hearing Aid Batteries 1.4 V, 60 pack, available from Amazon are the best batteries I found

I compared Duracell, Ray-O-Vac, and a couple of other brands to the ZeniPower 312 cells and the only difference I can find is the ZeniPower cells cost less.

I got over a week in my old aids, but my new OPNs eat them up in 4. I try to stagger them so both don’t go dead the same time. Then I got rechargeables, and that’s not working at all.

If you use 2 hearing aids, get two different brands, put on R and one in L and see which wears out first and how many days they last. Then switch them to the opposite ears and retest. If there is a difference you’ll find it that way.

Bob

When I was wearing the Naida UP aids with the 675 they lasted so long I thought they were solar powered or something. Would flat forget when they were changed last.

The size 13 batteries don’t last that long in the Audeo aids but it has be around a 7-10 days, maybe a little longer.

The cost of batteries is so low I can not imagine hearing aids wearers worrying about it. Also the very small difference in cost between different sources I can not imagine why forum members don’t buy their batteries right here at Hearing Tracker. The price is good, maybe not quite as good as other places but what is the deal about 5-10 cents a month difference in battery costs to support our forum.

Just saying.

Canada and the US are supposed to have a NAFTA free trade agreement, but it is anything but free trade especially for small items. Perhaps Trump’s new USMCA agreement if it ever gets ratified will be better. However, I suspect that even with items which are supposed to be duty free it is not going to work. You buy a $10 item, pay $10 to ship it, and then you pay the customs and duty broker at UPS another $25 to tell you it is “duty free”. Total bill is $45 for a $10 item. Short story is that for Canadians, buying small value items from the US that have to be shipped is not even close to being practical.

Makes since, didn’t figure in foreign customs.
They are free shipping here in the states.
My bad, sorry.

Yep, we don’t win much on price here in Canada. I notice that CPAP supplies are cheaper in Canada. Most of the suppliers will not ship out of Canada though. This must be some kind of a limitation imposed by the CPAP manufacturers. Some prescription drugs and insulin are cheaper in Canada too. But that is about the limit of it. Most everything else we pay a premium on.