Smartlink Problems

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Hask12

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Well I am heading back to my audi on Wed. to see if I can get this smartlink adjusted. I have had it about a week and it has been pretty much useless. My hearing aids are resound azure power aids and my loss is profound in both ears. Program 3 on my aid has been set at FM+Mic, and program 4 is FM only.
Program 3 because of the setting allows background noise to filter in which pretty much negates the FM. I was told on here that I should change the settings to make it heavy on FM and less on Mic, to reduce, but allow some background noise so I'll see how that works. Program 4 which is FM only so far is useless. The volume is way too low making it very hard to hear anything. Hopefully the audi can increase the volume. The volume on the smartlink does not control anything since these are not phonak aids, and the volume wheel on my aids does nothing either, at least in programs 3 and 4. I have also found that the bluetooth connection with my cell phone is useless so far. I can't even tell the phone is on, although I am being alerted when the phone rings. My wife has tried to hear the cell phone through my aids, she has normal hearing and she says she can hear it but it needs to be louder. Plus my audi says having bluetooth on really drains the smartlink battery quickly. Not sure how quickly because I can't hear the phone so no point keeping it on. When I plug the smartlink into things like the computer or TV the volume again is way too low. So we shall see, but I don't have high expectations. And yes I do have the shoes and FM receivers attached to my aids.
 
Hi Hask12.

The loudness of the FM system can be adjusted in 2 ways. Either through your hearing aid program or through the FM software.

I checked our website and found the folllowing information:
"DPAI* = Yes

* DPAI = Designated Programmable Audio Input.
"DPAI: No" means that the parameters such as gain or the balance between the audio input device and the hearing instrument microphone cannot be finetuned.

"DPAI: Yes" means the external device may be connected via an independent audio input whereby gain and balance parameters can be finetuned."

Therefore, since your hearing aid has a dedicated program for the FM, the first step is always to raise the gain of your FM program in the hearing aid.

In addition, it is possible for the FM system gain to be increased using the FM Successware software.

As for the Bluetooth, ensure that you have first paired it correctly. Next you need to "connect" it to the phone when you want to use it. This latter step needs to be done daily.

Please see the following link to develop your own personalized user guide. Compatibility - FM Configurator | Phonak - life is on

I hope this helps!
 
I am certainly not a Phonak optimist. My hearing aids spend most of their days in their case because it is less depressing than using them and having them self-destruct within minutes every time. If I just don't wear them I don't have problems.

Having said that, my SmartLink has worked fairly well and i haven't had volume issues. The only time I really use my aids is with FM because there is no point without the FM. I am not sure what my point is...I have some serious Phonak related bitterness and needed to get it out :giggle: I am just waiting for a new product to come on the market that is comparable to Naidas and then I am running in the opposite direction of Phonak.
 
I just want to say, in advance, thank you to Phonak FM, who has time and time again come to the assistance to Phonak users on this forum, especially regarding assistant listening devices. His help has only increased the value of this forum. I will take the info you have provided to my audiologist tomorrow and we'll see what happens. If I remember correctly all adjustments to try to increase volume were done through the hearing aid program and not through the FM program.
I also want to thank Jenny for her honesty regarding Phonak problems she has had in the past. It is something I will take into serious consideration if I decide to purchase the smartlink and something I will discuss seriously with my audi. I also want to thank her because in spite of all the problems she has had with Phonak problems she still told me that she has not had any volume problems with her smartlink. I am aware how poor your hearing is Jenny so your response tells me that this volume problem should be corrected so that I can at least give the smartlink an honest test. Like you, the FM+ mic won't do me much good unless I can greatly lower the mic portion so that it doesn't overwhelm the FM portion. We shall see tomorrow. Thanks again to the both of you.
 
Well I returned from my audiologist and had everything adjusted. Apparently the shoes that snap onto my aids have adjustment screws on them that can be turned to raise the volume of the FM. So we did that. We also used the hearing aid program to lower the hearing aids on FM + Mic and to further balance the aids. I can probably further refine that with the adjustment screws on the shoes if necessary. So everything is now louder, but the overall quality of the sound could be better. Maybe I will adjust to that with time. The adjustment screws are pretty much cranked up as far as they will go, and with my progressive profound loss I don't know if investing in the smartlink will be worth my while, since it doesn't appear that more volume will be available in the future. Cell phone now working through bluetooth, but my audiologist says bluetooth is a huge drain on the smartlink. Not sure what a huge drain means. May have to get a new shoe because one of the shoes seems to lose it's connection periodically. Also with the volume cranked up the mic on the smartlink is now super sensitive to everything so the mic picks up any kind of rubbing, movement of mic, etc. which causes interference in the aids. So we shall see. Oh one other note. When my audi first called the Phonac audi about questions the guy didn't have a clue what my audi was asking about. That's not good. Remember now, I don;t have Phonak hearing aids, I have Resound Azure aids, so there are compatibility issue, but that's the beauty of the smartlink. It can be used with other company aids.
 
Maybe I need to make myself clearer. When I said I don't know what a huge drain means I meant how much faster then the normal 8-10 hrs it takes to drain the smartlink when bluetooth is not engaged.
 
Hask12 said:
Maybe I need to make myself clearer. When I said I don't know what a huge drain means I meant how much faster then the normal 8-10 hrs it takes to drain the smartlink when bluetooth is not engaged.
Click to expand...

When you have the Bluetooth enabled (ie in stand-by mode) the added drain is not very much. BUT! If you are using the Bluetooth a lot, then you will see the battery life go down much faster.

But just having it in stand-by mode will not affect battery life too much.
 
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