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Rechargeable vs disposable batteries

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In reply to @BarryH

@BarryH My most recent power bank has a feature where you can tell it to deliver lower power to charge earbuds or smart watches - bet it would work for hearing aids too.

It’s an Anker PowerCore Slim 10000 PD model A1245 and I’m not even seeing this feature mentioned in the Amazon listing, but I checked the online manual to verify I wasn’t imagining it. I’m sure there are others out there with a similar feature, there are a lot of earbuds out there in the world!

In reply to @Psocoptera

You are using a battery bank that is to small (does not have a high enough current output) or the cable you are using does not carry enough current (I make sure that all of my cables are rated for 45 amps , then they will work for almost anything… It is also possible that your cable is bad. I have a battery bank that I bought in Italy laste year for $20 US dollars and it has no issues…

That is $7,378 US and I would agree… , but don’t you sleep, or can you not simply charge one at a time? The Jabre Pro 20s charge in 2 to 3 hours, and are good for 24 to 30 hours depending on how you use them. You can charge one at a time in the can. The case has a built in battery that is good for 3 - 4 charges. Throw one into the case and toss it into your pocket. No one goes full tilt 24/7 or you would die and I know that you are not dead.

I would highly suggest that you check out Costco in Australia. I checked and they carry the same brands there as in the US. You can get the Jabre Enhanced Pro 20s for about $2,400 Australian dollars. The Jabre Pro 20s are sold at audiologists for 3 times the price as at Costco, they sell them under the Resound Nexia 9 brand. I saw an Audiologist at one of the largest universities in the US and I think that the Audiologist and the Audiology Techs do a better job than the major university…

The batteries are good for 3 to 4 years, then if you wish the rechargeable batteries can be replaced and then you are good for another 3-4 years.

https://www.costco.com.au/hearing-aid-centre4

I hope that this helps you. Please let me know if you have further questions.

Sincerely,

Mike Holliday

Edited

In reply to @Mareng

While on the airplane I do need to communicate. I need to interact with the flight attendants and with other passengers (when one or the other of us needs to exit the row to use the restroom, for example). The flight attendants come around periodically and offer drinks, snacks, earbuds, etc. Announcements are made, etc.

I can assure you that I fly a lot. Far more than the average American. Over 1,100 flights in the past 8.5 years. I have a pretty good handle on my needs there.

When I am driving I need to be able to hear emergency vehicles. I need to be able to hear the instructions from the navigation system (so I can keep my eyes on the road). If I were to be pulled over for some reason, I would need to be able to communicate with the officer - and not fumbling around with a charger case and trying to get my aids on and in while he or she is approaching my car.

I don’t make phone calls in the car.

I am glad that you don’t see a problem with rechargeables. Yay you.

You are literally saying “Hey, no problem! This is the future, try to keep up! Just pick some times during the day where you are willing to be effectively completely deaf!”

Maybe you should get your eyes checked, so you can see how condescending you are being.

Edited

@everyone (unavailable) why can’t we just accept that we all have our beliefs and likes and preferences and leave it at that. There is no need to say anymore than what you do and use. We never change anyone by being forcefull our rude.

I’ve used hearing aids my whole life and I’ve never been a fan of rechargeable aids. I dislike the concept of having to charge my hearing aids every night, there have been times where I end up staying the night somewhere unexpectedly and I’m not sure I’d always remember to bring my charger, whereas I always have a pack of batteries in my wallet with me, no matter where I go. Also, I typically stream music and use the bluetooth feature with my hearing aids. This is known to drain the hearing aid battery, which is somewhat inconvenient as I have to change the battery more frequently (about a day earlier than usual), but would be extremely inconvenient if my hearing aid ran out of battery and needed to be charged to work again. They are more expensive in the long run than rechargeable, but I’m willing to pay that price for something I find more convenient.

I think it is a matter of preference to a certain extent also the choice imparts a certain flexibility of the tool. I love the analogy of prosthesis. If I want to communicate, I must have functioning hearing aids. It is a necessity for me to have functioning aids … at all times. You have to understand and accept we all have differences in order to see the importance of having choices.

So true but so are hearing aids with disposable batteries. I have been wearing aids for 20 years at first aids with of course disposable batteries, but my last few sets haflve be rechargeable aids. In 20 years I have had 2 failures, in both cases due to moisture and the aids had disposable batteries. I have always been a hiker and a very active person that sweats extremely. I have had ITE aids remade due to not fitting correctly too. Being without my aids sucks. But I am also extremely lucky to be a veteran and getting my aids from the . The VA ensures that I have working backups. And at this time i have even a usable backup set of aids to my backup aids. But being rechargeable I have to have a schedule and reminders to ensure that i wear my backup aids at least once a month to keep the batteries healthy. It takes discipline and willingness to do so. But i cannot be without my aids. I don’t travel with out backups and even backups to my backups. Normally it is over kill but it only takes one slip up to really scew up a trip or vacation.

Edited

I have experienced the pros and cons of both options. Ideally it would be as in my sound processor - I can use either 675s basket or rechargeable battery (unfold quote for pictures):

Phonak Audéo Sphere
Speaking of batteries, an interesting solution is found in sound processors for cochlear implants. I wear disposable 2x 675s daily, but when they run out in the middle of the day, I simply switch to a larger standard or smaller compact rechargeable battery. I’m just theorizing, but perhaps this may be a solution for excessive battery usage with AI. [20240817_171549] Cochlear Nucleus 6 - CP910 (2013) with (from top): 675s basket Standard rechargeable battery Compact rechargeable battery Ph…

Two 675s are enough for about 2-3 days, but recently the were went dead out of the blue during restaurant meeting.I often can’t remember when I inserted fresh 675s, so I can’t predict when they’ll run out.
Fortunately, I am not dependent on CI and can rely fully on hearing from (my sound processor rechargeable batteries broke down, and I have no one).

So, this is the con of disposable 675s. But they last 2-3 days vs. 12 or 18 hrs with rechargeables compact and standard size, respectively.

However, I appreciate that my sound processor gives me choice. It is quicker and easier to swap to rechargeable than wait 1-2 mins after after peeling off the sticker from disposables.

I don’t know what experience have other CI users: @Raudrive, @Deaf_piper, @joanhawsey?

Coming back to HAs - I sometimes have 24 hours of work, so ideal could be… rechargeables that would last ~30-35 hours. I then have full control over the remaining percentage of charge (not possible with disposables), and after overnight charging, I have 100% confidence that they won’t stop in the middle of the day and have safe margin after that 24 hrs…

However, sometimes I miss the times when the 13s disposable batteries lasted even 1-2 weeks…

Just my three cents…

In reply to @Bimodal_user

@Bimodal_user said:

However, sometimes I miss the times when the 13s disposable batteries lasted even 1-2 weeks…

Up to 2021, my Ventures had 13s and lasted 2 weeks. I streamed TV from my Compilot II and TV Link, just as much as I do now with Marvel/Paradise. That technology was ahead of its time. I took Bluetooth calls with it too.
Peter

@PeterH said:

Up to 2021, my Ventures had 13s and lasted 2 weeks

Previously I had also Ventures, Bolero 70-P on 13s.:grin:

I haven’t had TV Link or ComPilot, but I did have SmartLink+ with DynaMic . It was a disappointment, probably because my audiologist at the time couldn’t set it up properly.

In reply to @Member314

@Member314 said:

They are more expensive in the long run than rechargeable

Maybe, maybe not. Like I said in an earlier post in this thread, I use around 146 312-size batteries/year. Rayovac Extra 312’s from Hearing Tracker Shop are $18.99 for a pack of 60, or 32 cents each. Total for a year is $47, let’s call it $50. But any extra expense attributable to rechargeables reduces their price advantage. Say I buy a spare charger for $250 each time I buy a pair of rechargeable aids, and I buy new aids every 5 years. Then my expenditure on chargers for rechargeable aids will be the same as expenditure on batteries for regular aids. Substitute the price of Costco batteries, and regular aids are cheaper. And if you have a charging issue and have to travel to a distant Costco to get service, that trip could easily cost a year’s worth of Costco batteries just for gasoline.

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