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Build Your Own Bluetooth Hearing Aid

Posted by michael on from the volume-goes-to-11 dept.

CloudShape writes "I've been trying to find a way to make a mobile phone work with my hearing aids for some years now, and I finally managed it a few days ago. Although the procedure itself is pretty simple, the surrounding issues are good for quite a bit of discussion."

8 of 161 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Cell phone RF bad... Bluetooth good. by Earplugs · · Score: 3, Insightful

    I wonder how the RF from this would interfere with the existing technology in hearing aids to "sense" the magnetic field from a telephone reciever as opposed to listen to the actual audio waves. (Know as a T-P switch on most hearing aids I believe). Also, wouldn't your hearing aid technically not be allowed on commercial planes. How many people have been yelled at for using 802.11 and bluetooth devices already.

  2. Great idea... by Critical_ · · Score: 3, Insightful

    I was wondering if this guy has considered selling/giving his idea to the manufacturer of the bluetooth headset. This could always lead to a nice job offer later.

    On another note, does anyone know where to get that faceplate for the T68i in the following picture?

    http://www.gfern.com/btha/btha-complete.jpg

  3. What's going on here? by 1000101 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    34 posts and not one response on how he was originally designing this for 50 pounds for patentable hardware?!?!? This is /. isn't it?

    1. Re:What's going on here? by LuxFX · · Score: 2, Insightful

      It's not just that he designed it for 50 pounds -- but that Ericsson had a program that asked employees to come up with new patentable ideas, and only rewarded them with a 50 pound bonus. I'm sure this kind of 'bonus program' wasn't part of the daily schedule, but something the employees were asked to do on their own time.

      The irony is that they were asking this of R&D geeks that were supposed to be intelligent. This does not speak highly of the quality of Ericsson's HR staff. I wonder if their hiring instructions read something like, "Look for smart but extremely naive and gullible people. Sheep, people, find smart sheep."

      Wow that makes me mad.

      --
      Punctanym: alternate spelling of words using punctuation or numerals in place of some or all of its letters; see 'leet'
  4. Possible Answer: Frequency by TubeSteak · · Score: 2, Insightful
    F*ing A. my phone does that too. i usually fall asleep with the stereo playing a short playlist off my computer. It's a very rude awakening when i get an early phone call. I can also usually know when i have a call because the stereo buzzes for a second before the phone actually rings.

    Some of the brighter /.'ers can check out the wireless communication specs. Some carriers are slowly switching over to the 800/850 band, but not my carrier. They're mostly at 1900MHz. Here's another article that's a bit more informative.

    Yea, so: I think it's possible that your phone is on the higher frequencies while the other two aren't. I know for a fact my cell is @ 1900MHz and that i really hate it when people call before 9.

    As a bonus, I discovered yesterday that the cordless phones in our house drown out my wifi cable modem. What a trip. Isn't it wonderful how they're both at 2.4GHz.

    --
    [Fuck Beta]
    o0t!
  5. Am I missing something? by LoadStar · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Can someone clarify one thing for me - why bother with Bluetooth for this application? I'd think it'd be easier just to use a cell phone that has a standard 2.5mm jack.

    Take any "hands-free" kit with a microphone in the cable and a 2.5mm connector. Snip off the earpiece, leaving the microphone behind, and replace the earpiece leads with a 3.5mm mono jack. Use the 3.5mm to hearing aid adapter as shown in this story, and you're done.

    If you're going to have something clipped to your belt and a big cable, may as well carry the cell phone on your belt and have the wire going directly to the phone instead of a wire to a wireless link.

  6. Re:Cell phone RF bad... Bluetooth good. by _Sharp'r_ · · Score: 2, Insightful

    [begin rant]
    What I'd really like to see is a divorce of phone provider and cell phone seller. It's a pain to have to get a new phone when you switch networks.

    Haven't these guys ever heard of standardization? It'd be nice if you could go pick your phone as the best for your needs, then tack on a provider, instead of having to choose from their models-de-jur!
    [end rant]

    --
    The party of stupid and the party of evil get together and do something both stupid and evil, then call it bipartisan.
  7. Re:RFI sorted by Network Type by J.+T.+MacLeod · · Score: 2, Insightful

    I have the same problem, but with my GSM phone.

    There's nothing like setting your phone down on top of your desk and having your PC speakers or your keyboard synth start shouting in the middle of the night.

    DEET-DE-DEET DEET-DE-DEET DEET-DE-DEET. BZZZZZT.

    Oddly, my TDMA/CDMA phone never did anything like this.