Adding Induction Coil to Handset for Hearing Loss

[Lewes2]

I am using both a SC 500 and a WE 2500 on a daily basis but with a bit of difficulty. The latter is my desk phone.

I wear a hearing aid in my "listening" ear.  In order to hear the other party, I must position the receiver close to the hearing aid mic and even  then the caller's voice is not always clear.

Has anyone installed an induction coil in the handset to make it hearing aid compatible?  If so, how is it done?  What do I need to do it?  Or is it even feasible? 

I've been on the look out, without much success, for an orange SC amplified handset and a red WE 2500 amplified handset, or compatibles. 

chuck

[rdelius]

There should be hearing aid compatable capsules for your handset.Paystations were required to have them.Some companies made add on adaptors ,both modular and modular to put on sets to boost the volume

[TelePlay]

An interesting question. Until recently, assisted hearing devices in live theatrical venues consisted of FM radio and infrared transmissions. Recently, the theater I am involved with added an Induction Loop system for those having hearing aides with induction loop capabilities. The loop has worked extremely well for those with compatible hearing aides, a great improvement over radio or IR. Lot of stuff on loop systems on the web using Google. Have no idea of what would be needed to solve your problem.

[Bill]

I'm not sure this is relevant, but maybe.

The phone already contains one induction coil, in the base. Many years ago, when I was about 12, I used to set an output transformer from an old tube-type radio on top of the 554 on the wall in our house. Hooked up the primary leads of the transformer to an audio amplifier, and voila, I could hear both sides of the conversation. My mother got screeching angry when I did this - privacy, I guess.

I suppose this is practical only for the old shirt-pocket style hearing aids, where you could take the electronics box out of your pocket and put it near the base of the phone. For more modern in-the-ear aids, I understand that you would like the induction coil close to your ear, since that's where the electronics "box" is. Hence the desire for an in-handset induction coil. But the basic principle ought to be the same. Just find a tiny audio transformer or audio choke - Radio Shack has 'em - and figure out a place to mount it on the handset. Wire it in series with the earpiece, and go!

Bill

[unbeldi]

The term "induction coil" is typically reserved for a transformer-like device with at least two coils, such as used in a telephone.
The hearing aid devices are typically called "induction loop" systems.  I don't know since when exactly, but at least since the 80s or so telephone receivers have to provide enough field strength to make it possible to pick up the electromagnetic audio signal with so-called "telecoils", or t-coils located in hearing-aids or attached to the handset.  This is actually different, from what I read, than the induction loop pickup that works with theater systems.
Even recently, Cisco for example notes in their IP-phone documentation that they do adhere to the guidelines, but that compatibility between systems and manufacturers of pickup coils varies and each has to be tested in the actual environment.

[twocvbloke]

Cortelco handsets with the volume control on them have receivers which are fitted with a hearing aid-compatible induction loop, and like the usual U-type receivers, they just drop into any G-type handset, or you can replace the handset on your phone with a Cortelco one (but they're not as nice to hold as a proper G-type)...

[dsk]

I guess the answer from rdelius are worth trying.
Still once I tailored a handset for a nearly deaf person by just replace the receiver with a strong electromagnet, it did work pretty well, but the handset was useless for hearing persons 

dsk

[Owain]

Handsets of this era - at least in the UK, with a diaphragm receiver - would work with a hearing aid on T (Telephone/loop) setting anyway. It's the modern electronic ones that cause problems.

[twocvbloke]

Handsets of this era - at least in the UK, with a diaphragm receiver - would work with a hearing aid on T (Telephone/loop) setting anyway.

The receiver in my Handset No. 17A (the one from Bob Freshwater himself) is a 3T (trimphone-type) with an additional induction coil wrapped around the outside of a plastic adaptor (to fit where a 4T would normally go) for use with hearing aids in the T position, though the specifications call for an actual 4T receiver, this one seems to be a bit different...

[Owain]

The receiver in my Handset No. 17A (the one from Bob Freshwater himself) is a 3T (trimphone-type) with an additional induction coil wrapped around the outside of a plastic adaptor (to fit where a 4T would normally go) for use with hearing aids in the T position, though the specifications call for an actual 4T receiver, this one seems to be a bit different...

That would be a Receiver Inset No. 2/3T.
http://www.britishtelephones.com/menureci.htm

[twocvbloke]

That would be a Receiver Inset No. 2/3T.
http://www.britishtelephones.com/menureci.htm

That's the one, can't vouch for it's compatibility with hearing aids though, maybe I should "borrow" one of the uncles' aids, just to try it...

[Owain]

I have an induction loop listener (similar to Ebay but cheaper from China.

It's quite useful for finding live electric wiring behind plasterboard.

When wandering round the shopping centre I could pick up the hearing loops in the council office interview rooms next door.  Loop systems purchased by someone with no understanding of loop technology or confidentiality.

Used to be able to get telephone listeners before handsfree phones became common; small transistorised amps with a pickup coil.

[DavePEI]

I am using both a SC 500 and a WE 2500 on a daily basis but with a bit of difficulty. The latter is my desk phone.

I wear a hearing aid in my "listening" ear.  In order to hear the other party, I must position the receiver close to the hearing aid mic and even  then the caller's voice is not always clear.

Has anyone installed an induction coil in the handset to make it hearing aid compatible?  If so, how is it done?  What do I need to do it?  Or is it even feasible? 

I've been on the look out, without much success, for an orange SC amplified handset and a red WE 2500 amplified handset, or compatibles. 

chuck

Message from Stan Schreier:

I went through a few drawers in my shop and was able to find one
    complete working unit. Lewes2 is welcome to it for the cost of
    shipping.  I'm sure I'll find more of them in the future.

    Attached are a few pictures of the cartridge.  The coil is a few
    hundred ohms and is connected directly across the cartridge terminals.
     The metal cap on the back is just to add weight.

Stay well.
Stan

Email address in PM.