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Phonak Partner Mic will not turn OFF

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I have Phonak aids from Costco. I purchased the Partner Mic option and I use it when my wife and I go out. Recently it developed a problem: The on/off switch with will NOT turn off the unit. I can’t get the bluetooth connection to stop and the unit sends warnings to my aids when I’m out of range … I

Is that common ?

And how can I repair it ?

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I don’t know if it’s common or not but it happened to me. It was not repairable per an audi I went to. My “story” is that it was related to using a usb-c charger that was higher voltage than the original charger, but I have no proof. If they’re out of warranty (did you use a Costco credit card to purchase? it used to include a 2 year extended warranty) I think the solution is to buy another one from EBay (less than $100)

I only used the charger that came with the Mic. I bought it with my Visa card - 1 year and 5 months ago - but it’s not a Costco card. The Costco warranty was 1 year. I purchased a used Mic on eBay - but it will not pair with my aids. The serial number starts with 2007 - and it may not work with 2023 Bluetooth. My newer one that pairs but will not shut off has a serial number that starts with 2215 …

I think that I’m out of $300 ….

On Nov 3, 2023, at 11:07 AM, MDB via Hearing Aid Forum - Active Hearing Loss Community <no-reply@forum.hearingtracker.com> wrote:

If the one from EBay doesn’t work you should be able to return it. My one from EBay SN starts with 2042.
I think these devices should be considered as a consumable and not expected to last long. Thanks for the info on charging. Very useful device when they work.

I noticed the same with my Roger V2 stick, but ONLY if I leave it in the cradle, still connected to the TV (and the cradle plugged into a wall socket). I could take an elevator down from the 6th floor of a hotel and walk out to my car and it would DINGLE-DONGLE till I was well and truly out of range. The on/off switch on the V2 stick is OFF when it’s sitting in the cradle BTW.

I don’t seem to have that issue if I use the stick in “table” or “pointer” mode, in which case it isn’t sitting in the cradle. Maybe a completely different issue.

You can pickup a replacement Phonak PartnerMic on eBay for about $80 and they work fine. Might be cheaper than the hassle of trying to get the one you have repaired.

In reply to @Solonphotos

To see why the Partner mic will not shut off take a look at the on/off button. There is only a slider separating on and off. After a year or so of use (probably right after the warranty expires) the button may no longer stay off, but the off is so close to the on that it remains touching it. So when you put it on the charger it keeps discharging while it’s charging. It no longer works when it’s off the charger but stays on while it’s on the charger, so you keep hearing your aids beeping even tho’ you shut the mic off. Cost to “repair” was $300. Turns out they can’t repair it, so they sent a new mic and this one has a bump between the on and off. Yet they told my audi that this was the first time they heard of this problem. Obviously, they had fixed the problem on the new mics so they did know it was a manufacturing flaw. Yet they are asking a nice profit on their mistake by charging $300 for a “repair.”

I just had this problem for the first time. Bizarrely it turned itself on while stored in my backpack (which was sitting on the ground, undisturbed). The power switch wouldn’t turn it off. After finding this thread I tried cycling the switch several times, and eventually after doing this fairly forcefully in the off direction the problem resolved. But I have little confidence that it will not recur. It’s out of warranty now (6 years old) so I guess I’m on my own if it’s toast.

There is topic in this forum about fixing on-off slider in RogerOn. I think there is similar principle.

In reply to @greg.smith

As mentioned there are posts on here about fixing the switch. For me the best approach is to consider 6 years good use and purchase another one used from EBay for less than $100 (or a Roger On for $200-$300)

Unfortunately I used it only lightly (and carefully) during that time. I’m reluctant to buy a used one of unknown provenance if they just up and die due to faulty parts. And in my experience, Rogers with recievers go for at least twice the amount you cite (especially taking duty into account as few are for sale within Canada where I live). I might consider a new Roger (which will be partly covered by public funding here), but such a high cost for a flimsy device that seems less cutting edge all the time will be a hard sell.

@greg.smith said:

I might consider a new Roger (which will be partly covered by public funding here), but such a high cost for a flimsy device that seems less cutting edge all the time will be a hard sell.

This is the “Phonak way” of doing business, it’s just plain junk for top dollar, it’s this reason they want to keep milking cows, keep the cash flowing instead of embracing new technology ( with )

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