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Rechargeable vs disposable batteries

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Anyone who is new to hearing aids is often automatically given rechargeable. Some audiologist don’t go over the options and give the hearing aid that they feel is best.
My friend was not given an option and was given a color the audiologist thought my friend would want. I think it was beige, tan, light brown or some boring color. I went with her and asked if there were any other colors. My friend was able to upgrade the order and request a different color. When I asked about batteries, the audiologist said that wasn’t an option for Signia and Hear USA only uses Signia. So that was that.
She has had some problems with charging and actually blew out the electricity in an inn Iceland as a result of the adapter she brought. She had to purchase a new adapter in Iceland. Definitely embarrassing. :joy:
I know color and chargeable vs battery comes up a lot. But if you are new to hearing aids and an audiologist doesn’t offer or explain the differences, it’s a good question.

In reply to @AlexE

@AlexE said:

or is it ok for the whole unit to sit lower down behind your ear?

That is a conundrum to me also. All I can say is that with a longer receiver wire and the hanging lower behind my ear they feel like they are flopping about and do not feel secure.
Here is a picture which may help. The middle one is the correct positioning.

IMG_0003

In reply to @DJ11

My aids are from the as I am a veteran with service related hearing loss. I do have a choice in my aids and I have been wearing Oticon aids for 14 years. Veterans only get the top of the line aids. My Oticon INTENT1 came with two chargers, both are also rechargeable chargers. I learned a long time ago to be flexible and learned to work with what was available. Grewing up on a farm we didn’t have the luxury of being picky.

In reply to @WhiteHat

@WhiteHat said:

. In a couple weeks I’ll have had them 3 years

You are a candidate for replacement .Both Chuck (@cvkemp )and I have been able to upgrade within that time frame with no problem.
You may wish to wait until November when the new contract comes up, and get those brand spanking new Phonaks.
Get your current batteries replaced, and you’ll have them for back up.

Yeah, I asked about having them sent in last week. Specifically had scheduled the appt to be before the 3 year warranty is up. But she said I’d be without any aids while they were sent off. And “We can send them in anytime.” She said when I get fit for the new aids in November, we’ll send in the old ones and it is no big deal. Really don’t want to go without aids again for any extended period. I don’t know what happened to the loaner program she’d mentioned a while back. But they would likely have been marvels.

WH

In reply to @cvkemp

That is awesome, thank you for your service! You deserve the best!
I loved my Oticon, but my insurance only works with HearUSA. After my previous audiologist retired, I had to search for an audiologist that would try to get me any other hearing aid than Signia. Signia only comes with a charger. I was fortunate to find an audiologist in HearUSA that is willing to order and learn how to program their Widex aids. For me, Widex Moment 440 are okay, but not as good as my previous Oticon.
Insurance companies can be frustrating!

Allen,
Rechargeable hearing aid chargers have USB leads, that you can charge them with. Whilst in the aircraft they can be topped up in your seat, with an early start you get your head down and don’t need to communicate. Plus you won’t hear as much engine noise. In the car you can charge off the USB provided, you don’t need to communicate, just concentrate on driving rather than making phone calls.
So I don’t see a problem with rechargeables. Its all about forward planning.

In reply to @DJ11

Ha!

Adapters are just for the shape of the plug, not the voltage. Thats operator error no fault of the charger.
Most civilised countries are on 200- 240v unlike the USA thats only on 110v, the frequency usually doesn’t matter but the voltage does.
The wife’s son brought some friends over from Florida to England. The girl was a hairdresser, so first thing she does at the B&B is have a shower, wash her hair and then plugs in her US hair dryer. BANG! Knocks out the socket ring main fuse.
Not sure if it didn’t black the whole house out blowing a main fuse.

All plugs in the UK have their own fuse to protect the appliance, then there is a fuse to protect the ring main. Each socket has its own switch to turn off the power before removing the plug, not pulling the lead hoping it will come out. All you do there is strain the cable and possibly pull the cable out of the plug top or appliance.
I went round as dinner was almost ready and said she could dry her hair at our house with the wifes hair dryer. She yanked the cable out the plug top of that one.
If its a resistive load such as a travel kettle it may work if dual voltage, but anything with a motor or charger type circuitry then no it won’t. A kettle just takes longer to boil as the voltage is half in the US.
My Tablet charger is 100-240v input so ideal for anywhere in the world, the prongs are solid brass 5mm × 3mm section, not flimsy brass shim as is the US plugs. I could charge a set of hearing aids off my charger. Being 240v the current is lower, the cables can be smaller, they are safer.

If I could I think I would go back to disposables just for the reason my rechargeable ’s have already been replaced once since 2019. My first pair of aids are still working since 2012. I will say the only drawback on my old disposables is Costco said they can’t service them anymore or even change the program.

I fully agree! Most rechargeable hearing aid include a case with a built in battery that is good for 3 or 4 charges. If you are not going to pe around a power source for a few days, you can carry a battery bank, they are only around $25 for enough to give you 4 or recharges. I see no purpose in purchasing a hearing aid that requires replacing the batteries…

My KS10 aids aids won’t charge from a battery bank, at least the one I own. It automatically switches off, insufficient load. Has anyone else experienced this?

In reply to @Morgan1946

Wel I spoke to three HearUSA audiologists at 3 different locations. They all said the same, “Signia only comes with rechargeable.” That was a year ago. So maybe something changed, or it could be that those were not appropriate for my hearing loss.

In reply to @Mike5

You mean you see no reason for you to require disposable batteries. That is wonderful for you because all the brands have now gone down that path. But it is not good for me as rechargables don’t suit my need to be on duty for 24 hours. If my hearing aid batteries run out I need an instant solution not a half hour recharge. I also don’t want my hearing aids to become obsolete just because the battery won’t hold a charge any more. I want them to last a long time. My last set cost me $11,000 Au. That is too much to pay every 3-4 years.

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