Info Request: Hearing Loss - DHC-2 Beaver & DHC-3 Otter

[beaverbob]

I took my Worksafe BC paperwork to Nexgen Hearing in South Surrey, BC. All they needed was my file number and they did a thorough audio test including having to repeat various words back from a recorded list. Needless to say I got a lot of words wrong. A week later I went back and she fitted me with Bluetooth controlled hearing aids and programed them with her computer while in my ears. Needless to say "tone deaf" is an accurate statement.
Bob

[flymum]

Thought this the best thread to bring this up.......I fly Beavers and my headset is coming up to 20 years old and am looking for a new headset. Any input on a great headset for the DHC-2 on floats is greatly appreciated.

[Firetractor]

I used a Zulu lightspeed 2/3 for the last 4 or so years and it worked pretty well for me. However you always want to make sure you have a couple extra sets of batteries on hand. The punishment for having the batteries die on you away from base was severe.

[TailwheelPilot]

I have used a Telex 50D in Twin Otters, but not Beavers or Otters. It is an older headset, clunky, heavy, and I do not think the ANR is as good as the newer headsets, but it is comparable to a passive David Clark without power. My experience with their customer service has been bearable but not great.

I have been looking for a new headset for a few years but have yet to find a good ANR headset that also has some level or reasonable passive performance. I have seen mention that passive and active noise cancelling deal with different ranges and ideally all of it is blocked, since it all is damaging. Other than Telex or converting a passive headset to ANR myself, I have only found the short-lived Seinhauser S1. They said the S1 had passive noise reduction but it had not yet been certified when I contacted them and next thing I heard was they were leaving the aviation market.

[Ki-ll]

I have used a Telex 50D in Twin Otters, but not Beavers or Otters. It is an older headset, clunky, heavy, and I do not think the ANR is as good as the newer headsets, but it is comparable to a passive David Clark without power. My experience with their customer service has been bearable but not great.

I have been looking for a new headset for a few years but have yet to find a good ANR headset that also has some level or reasonable passive performance. I have seen mention that passive and active noise cancelling deal with different ranges and ideally all of it is blocked, since it all is damaging. Other than Telex or converting a passive headset to ANR myself, I have only found the short-lived Seinhauser S1. They said the S1 had passive noise reduction but it had not yet been certified when I contacted them and next thing I heard was they were leaving the aviation market.

How about earplugs worn together with a Bose A20?

[TailwheelPilot]

I considered that, but after reading a critique of the Clarity Aloft I am not certain if that is as useful as it sounds. It seems that earplugs do not provide the same protection as ear muffs/a passive headset because vibrations still reach the ear with ear plugs whereas they are absorbed/blocked by ear muffs/passive headsets.

[Ki-ll]

I considered that, but after reading a critique of the Clarity Aloft I am not certain if that is as useful as it sounds. It seems that earplugs do not provide the same protection as ear muffs/a passive headset because vibrations still reach the ear with ear plugs whereas they are absorbed/blocked by ear muffs/passive headsets.

I mean wearing ear plugs AND a passive + active noise cancelling headset (like a A20/Zulu) at the same time.
I tested Clarity Aloft in a Metro, they weren’t as good as simple Bose QC15/Uflymike combo (that combo had almost no passive noise cancelling due to QC15 being physically very thin). I doubt Clarity Aloft does anything in a Beaver/Otter.
Or even ear molds instead of ear plugs.

[ayseven]

I am a retired audiologist/pilot. Having two sets of hearing protection on at the same time is pointless. First of all, you don't want to block out the radio, and turning it up even more defeats any purpose to the plan...

There is only so much sound you can block out without it going right through your head. That is why helmets are worn by helicopter pilots: to keep the head vibrations down. Any decent commercially available noise blocking headset will be good; just make sure it is comfortable, and even that can be adjusted with different pads.

As for WCB and hearing loss. Prove a significant part of the flying in noisy conditions (is there one that isn't?) was done in X province, and they will cover your family member. Unfortunately, flying is done all over the place, and WCB is provincial. Just the system in place at the moment. The forms are long, and sometimes seemingly repetitive, but the WCB people have to check boxes before they hand out their personal lunch money to you or your family. In other words, jump through the hoops, and be patient with the WCB workers: they are not going to have an opinion either way, as long as you fill in the forms and do what they say correctly. Your audiologist should help you with any forms if necessary.

[Lost Lake]

Any feedback on success getting hearing aids. Looking at filing a wcb claim in Ontario.

[W5]

Any feedback on success getting hearing aids. Looking at filing a wcb claim in Ontario.

I am now on my second set of hearing aids, courtesy of the WCB in Alberta.

[goldeneagle]

Any feedback on success getting hearing aids. Looking at filing a wcb claim in Ontario.

No clue about the success on getting them thru various provincial wcb setups. My father had hearing aids for many years before he passed. He was always fiddling with them to get them to 'sorta work'. The fancy new ones at the name brand places sounded great, but, he didn't want to spend 5 grand on hearing aids. I took him to Costco, got the same fancy ones as the expensive place sells, cost less than half. They set them up with bluetooth, and we got them connected to his phone. Changed his life.

Funny thing was, he could hear his phone very well, couldn't hear folks on the other side of the room. Wasn't unusual after that, want to talk to dad, phone him, even if he is just in the next room. At the dinner table put his phone down on the table in 'microphone to hearing aids' mode, and suddenly he could hear the entire conversation.

That was about 8 years ago when he got them, used em for 4 years before he passed, I'm sure they have only got better since. I was quite surprised by the hearing center at costco, they had all the equipment and plenty of options, the only real difference between them and the name brand places, the cost. FYI, it was the same hearing aids as the name brand place was trying to sell for twice the price. At the time they didn't even try hide that by putting a Kirkland sticker on the brand. Just our experience some years back

[WaspJr]

Any feedback on success getting hearing aids. Looking at filing a wcb claim in Ontario.

went thru the process earlier this year and happy I did, WSIB folks were good...

https://www.wsib.ca/en/operational-poli ... ary-2-1990

[2R]

Enjoy the sounds of silence .
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZD0oDBYXb68
When the ringing finally stops and you can sleep all night long .