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Any way to extend the range of my Phonak PartnerMic?

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My spouse wears a PartnerMic connected to my KS9s (Phonak Marvels) but they drop out when one of us is in the kitchen and the other in the living room. So near yet so far away. The dropout occurs just at the point where I/she would be standing in the kitchen. Short of the prohibitive expense of Roger devices, is there any creative way to extend the range between them just a bit more? It seems as if all I/we would need is just a couple more feet to avoid dropout.
Maybe some sort of repeater located between these two points?

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Unfortunately, I am not getting 25 meters. I actually have two PartnerMics but neither one gives me that much range.

In reply to @Baltazard

I don’t have any specific knowledge but my guess is that 25 meters / 82 feet would be best case, lab conditions, and line of sight (no walls, etc.). It should be taken with a large grain of salt and plenty of skepticism (or it could have been a manufacturer typo and was really 25 feet).

The distance between the far ends of our kitchen and our living room are nowhere near 82 feet, and the door between them is always open, which is why I am hoping to learn of a solution.

I can assure you, 25 meters ain’t happening. I have the Phonak PartnerMic, and use it extensively. It is extremely line-of-sight sensitive. My wife wears it when we walk the dog together, and if she gets in front of me (so the PM is blocked by her body), even by 2-3 feet, it cuts out. Very very frustrating.

My Pilates instructor wears it for me during sessions, and she knows to stay line-of-sight. It’s good for about 20-25 feet max, beyond that it starts cutting in & out.

The PM is good for what it does (also good in a car, sitting side-by-side), but it has limitations that are quite surprising, considering the level of technology today.

Line of sight. Sometimes if you clip it further up on the shoulder that helps to avoid the body shadow.

Your post is really helpful.
I’ve learned from the answers here. Thanks for posting.

I can get 40 feet line of sight. No repeaters available that I’m aware of. If you were thinking of opening up a wall for a remodel that would likely do it. Simpler solutions might be something like a baby monitor or cordless phones (or any kind of intercom system)

Hang a mirror in the doorway so that you can see your wife in the kitchen … now you have line of site :slight_smile:

For those suggesting walkie-talkies or other devices, the ability to comprehend thru a direct connection (Bluetooth, PartnerMic) far exceeds any speaker-type device. I can barely tell what song is playing on the radio, but when I switch to Bluetooth, it immediately becomes crystal clear.

In reply to @astrohip

@astrohip said:

I can assure you, 25 meters ain’t happening. I have the Phonak PartnerMic, and use it extensively. It is extremely line-of-sight sensitive.

Thank you, and all for your most helpful answers. That settles it - it is not going to happen with the PartnerMic, and prior efforts with baby monitors and walkie-talkies always produced overriding static. The PartnerMic is still very helpful with her soft voice when we are both in the livingroom, but these replies have narrowed my expectations literally to line-of-sight.
Instead, I have now set up Drop-in on a pair of Alexa Echos, and so far today that is working static-free in both directions between the far ends of both rooms. Not sure why I had not thought of this before, but I guess I was too fixated on the Mic. It really helps to have this forum with which to kick things around with fellow users.

You might try getting a used Roger pen. The set up is more complex, requiring a license receiver, they are pretty cheap on e bay, I use a resound hearing aid with the Roger x connected to a multi mic, so I don’t know exactly how you install the license.

Thanks for your suggestion, but the used Roger Pens I see on eBay that include licenses are being offered for $500; the ones selling for $100 do not include the licenses.

yes, I thought that would probably be the problem. You might buy 2 Roger x 's and have your Audi transfer the license from them to your hearing aids. of course then your total cost is upwards of $300. I think there is a serial number that has to be higher than a certain number, and you have to confirm that the receiver is still in the x.

In reply to @astrohip

@astrohip said:

My wife wears it when we walk the dog together, and if she gets in front of me (so the PM is blocked by her body), even by 2-3 feet, it cuts out. Very very frustrating.

@NateS this happens with the Roger System as well. Body and other things blocking the signal as it works on same frequency.

Roger signal will bounce off walls when inside like the Bluetooth does tho.

@Zebras said:

this happens with the Roger System as well. Body and other things blocking the signal as it works on same frequency.

Roger signal will bounce off walls when inside like the Bluetooth does tho.

Thanks, I didn’t know this. Good info!

@Zebras said:

this happens with the Roger System as well. Body and other things blocking the signal as it works on same frequency.

Thank you too! From their advertising, I had the impression that there was something almost magical about the Roger System. Good to know the hard truth.

It’s probably not what you want to hear but I have a Roger On and I often leave in on my seat in a conference room and leave the conference room so I’m about 50 feet away and it still works. If I then go through another door and outside it will start cutting in and out. Perhaps this might be a better (albeit more expense) solution.

Found a device in a Mini Cooper pouch in a parking lot. You pair it with your phone. Leave it with something important and walk away. It gives a notice on your phone so you will retrieve it
Don’t know what it’s called

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