Bluetooth dongle with Auracast support - FlooGoo FMA120

Phones could also be designed to remember certain broadcasts, allowing paired hearing aids to automatically tune in. Perhaps in the future, we’ll see this showcased at a phone launch event, with someone presenting it as a feature for ‘effortless switching’ between locations for their iMF hearing aids.

Would love to hear how the new 1.2.1 works with the FMA120!

Don’t take this as FMA120 is doing something wrong.
You’re doing more useful work than the spec documents.

I see no reason to be stuck with mfi but welcome workarounds.Apple needs to adjust to the new plan.

I can’t refute your other points, they all seem to be in order.
I find the higher requirements provided from the SIG to be lacking. I think somewhere there must be a human management interface for the user, hopefully connected to operating systems. Humans really need multiple methods; auditory visual, maybe even tactile to control how this works. I learned painfully not to design software that ignores human factors. I’ll stick with that a display and some list management will be needed for one type of use case. You outline another where process is used to reduce confusion and simplify. Might work great to bind an encrypted stream to a ticket. I think that’s good too. I know there are others as well. But I would like to see a more clearly defined method that allows applications to preset the right stream of information so an airport/airline could bind their communications to a user’s hearing devices. You are describing something near to that now.

What will kill Auracast outright for HA users is a delivery where everything everywhere all prompts at once. If it were me stuck in that world I would just turn the feature off. Users must have the ability to filter their inputs.

I like where you are going with the product and right now you do more than the Mfgs.
Thanks

I agree that the current “WiFi select” approach seems simple, but it could become confusing in places like shopping malls, where dozens of shops each have their own broadcast.

Looking ahead (and not as a joke—some companies were just excited about it, while others have already pushed it onto users), I believe the industry will eventually adapt to these challenges, including the airport and airline use cases you mentioned. A trip, vacation, booking, or calendar app could likely handle this automatically. Since such an app would already contain broadcast station information along the route and the phone can determine its location, it should be fairly straightforward to search for a preset broadcast, verify it against the database, and enable Auracast reception as soon as it is detected.

Ideally, a mobile phone would provide the necessary APIs to allow third-party apps to make this happen, rather than blocking them under the excuse of “security” or “privacy” while pushing proprietary frameworks or services to lock users in.

I appreciate the quick response on the Firmware version. I’m having some issues with my HA staying connected to Floocast. I’ve upgrade to latest FlooGoo Firmware and it looses connection. I’m running updated Windows 10 and have the FlooGoo connected to a USB Hub (extra port on my monitor). Just wondering if you are having any issues or have different configuration as I have attached?

@Tim_TheToolman said:

I’m having some issues with my HA staying connected to Floocast

Which hearing aid model ?

I have the Rexton Reach R-Li T. Firmware 25.5.972.3

Looks like all the settings are good. We’re working on a new update to fix issues like the state getting stuck at ‘Voice Starting,’ ‘Audio Starting,’ or ‘Audio Stopping’ when the signal gets weak or there’s interference. In the meantime, you could try unplugging and plugging the dongle back in to see if that helps.

I’m reconfiguring my workstation setup to plug the FMA120 into a USB port on my laptop. I have seen comments from others that suggest connecting to a USB Hub can be an issue. I have not seen a recommendation in FMA120 documentation. Is a connection via a USB Hub a potential contributor?

If the hub is well-designed and can supply enough peak current for the dongle, and the USB signal contacts are solid, it shouldn’t cause any issues.

That said, many recommend plugging USB devices directly into a PC’s motherboard port or a laptop instead of a hub. Some hubs use lower-quality components compared to PCs or laptops, and since they handle multiple connections, they need a solid external power source—a single uplink cable might not always be enough to power everything properly.

Since you’re using a port built into your monitor, it likely has enough power. Just make sure the uplink cable is solid and there aren’t any bandwidth issues if you have multiple USB devices connected—though that shouldn’t be a problem if it’s just the dongle. Also, since it’s a wireless dongle, if the port is on the back of the monitor, you might want to use an extension cable to reposition it so the signal isn’t blocked by the screen. It’ll still work since wireless signals can bounce in a room, but a clear line of sight is always better for a stronger connection.

Thanks for sharing the details about your setup! We’re planning to release a new version soon to address this issue, with even more features coming after that.

Has anyone connected this device to Google TV Streamer 4k?

Looks like the Google TV Streamer 4K doesn’t support USB DAC output. You might want to try the A2DP-to-Auracast relay firmware with the FMA120 instead.

Since most A2DP players compensate for the delay in classic Bluetooth audio, and Auracast adds only a tiny bit of extra delay, you should be able to watch TV without any noticeable lag.

In the A2DP-to-Auracast use case, the FMA120 would just need to be powered, not actually connected to any specific device (for example, the TV in the above scenario.) How many amps does the FMA120 require?