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Home > Archive > Hearing loss support > March 2006 > RadioShack Wireless Headphones
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RadioShack Wireless Headphones
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| Dave_s 2006-03-24, 11:26 am |
| I wear BTE hearing aids. These BTE have no DIA or shoes.
Without the BTEs, I listen to TV audio, with RadioShack 49 MHz
Wireless Headphones. My wife, sitting close to me on the sofa, tries to
talk to me when I am wearing the Headphones but I fail to hear or
understand her. Without my BTEs, when I remove the headphones, I do hear
her but do not understand her talking.
What I am really looking for is a setup that includes the Wireless
Headphones and a audio mixer so a ELECRET microphone, next to my wife,
could be mixed in with the audio from the TV.
One way to create this system, is use seperate Headphones, driven from
a seperate 49 MHz FM receiver. The audio section and equalizer, would
mix mike and tv sound.
I am looking for such a product, none found yet.
Also looking for a Receiver_on_a_chip IC such as a substitute for a
TDA7000. Given some usable parts, I would build this myself.
Also looking for sources for audio equalizers [kits are OK] so I can
peak the highs from the RadioShack Wireless Headphones that are
currently too bassy sounding. RadioShack seems to no longer sell
equalizers. Who else does sell them? Are EQs for guitars apt to have too
much distorsion? Who sells low cost EQs for musical instruments?
Thank you for any suggestions.
Dave_s, an old HAM operator.
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| Here's what I did.
Audio output from the TV audio LINE OUT (which does NOT turn off speaker
output) goes to an old but pretty good Kenwood garage sale equalizer
that has several inputs and a mixer.
The second input is a small audio amp to which I feed a mic clipped to
the recliner on which my wife normally sits - she has normal hearing.
The tiny mic is on the arm, hooded and pointing toward her, so its
cardioid pattern admits her speech but little audio from the television
set. The wire runs under the carpet.
The EQ is +/- 16dB, and allows reasonable tailoring to fit my personal
hearing loss. It goes to an old Jensen RF transmitter - wireless.
At my chair I have the mate - the Jensen RF receiver, which is headphone
independent. Plugged into it (I've tried a lot of headphones) is a
reasonable quality headset with neodymium magnets, large diaphragm,
excellent response, great transients, etc. I had to find something that
encloses the ear and isn't vented, so it wouldn't bother others. I
adjusted the EQ until the audio was intelligible - even enjoyable -
without my BTEs. I further fooled with the relative amplification until
I could hear my wife, who's not that intelligible but that's nothing to
do with my hearing 8^)
Works for me...
Ike
Dave_s wrote:
> I wear BTE hearing aids. These BTE have no DIA or shoes.
>
> Without the BTEs, I listen to TV audio, with RadioShack 49 MHz
> Wireless Headphones. My wife, sitting close to me on the sofa, tries to
> talk to me when I am wearing the Headphones but I fail to hear or
> understand her. Without my BTEs, when I remove the headphones, I do hear
> her but do not understand her talking.
>
> What I am really looking for is a setup that includes the Wireless
> Headphones and a audio mixer so a ELECRET microphone, next to my wife,
> could be mixed in with the audio from the TV.
>
> One way to create this system, is use seperate Headphones, driven
> from a seperate 49 MHz FM receiver. The audio section and equalizer,
> would mix mike and tv sound.
>
> I am looking for such a product, none found yet.
> Also looking for a Receiver_on_a_chip IC such as a substitute for a
> TDA7000. Given some usable parts, I would build this myself.
>
> Also looking for sources for audio equalizers [kits are OK] so I can
> peak the highs from the RadioShack Wireless Headphones that are
> currently too bassy sounding. RadioShack seems to no longer sell
> equalizers. Who else does sell them? Are EQs for guitars apt to have too
> much distorsion? Who sells low cost EQs for musical instruments?
>
> Thank you for any suggestions.
>
> Dave_s, an old HAM operator.
| |
| Dave_s 2006-03-24, 1:27 pm |
| Ike,
Great post!!!!!
Thanks for your reply and description. Cannot beat "works for you"!
I'll have to look for GOOD_OLD_GEAR such as the wireless RX and TX pair
and the EQ. Your suggestions sure are helpful. I like your method of
keeping the WIRELESS_HEADPHONES still usable.
No luck in my neighborhood 'garage sales' so far.
RadioShack seems to be selling less of this usable EQs.
Might go to a big electronic swapmeet.
Thanks, Dave_s
Ike wrote:[vbcol=seagreen]
> Here's what I did.
>
> Audio output from the TV audio LINE OUT (which does NOT turn off speaker
> output) goes to an old but pretty good Kenwood garage sale equalizer
> that has several inputs and a mixer.
>
> The second input is a small audio amp to which I feed a mic clipped to
> the recliner on which my wife normally sits - she has normal hearing.
> The tiny mic is on the arm, hooded and pointing toward her, so its
> cardioid pattern admits her speech but little audio from the television
> set. The wire runs under the carpet.
>
> The EQ is +/- 16dB, and allows reasonable tailoring to fit my personal
> hearing loss. It goes to an old Jensen RF transmitter - wireless.
>
> At my chair I have the mate - the Jensen RF receiver, which is headphone
> independent. Plugged into it (I've tried a lot of headphones) is a
> reasonable quality headset with neodymium magnets, large diaphragm,
> excellent response, great transients, etc. I had to find something that
> encloses the ear and isn't vented, so it wouldn't bother others. I
> adjusted the EQ until the audio was intelligible - even enjoyable -
> without my BTEs. I further fooled with the relative amplification until
> I could hear my wife, who's not that intelligible but that's nothing to
> do with my hearing 8^)
>
> Works for me...
>
> Ike
>
>
> Dave_s wrote:
>
| |
|
| I don't know if this will help but I put together a bunch of low cost
Radio Shack stuff to do something like that. You might want better gear
but it has done the job for me.
Here is what I have:
Wireless (900 Mhz) Stereo Headset: Sony MDR-RF960R ($90)
Level Leveler: TERK ($45)
15 Band Stereo Equalizer: Radio Shack ($100)
5 Channel Auto Sensing A/V Switch: Radio Shack ($30)
Telephone Patch: Inline Patch by JK Audio ($100 used)
Miniature Cordless Telephone: Xact Communications ($100)
Notes:
I built a circuit that fools the auto-sensing A/V switch into thinking
there is a video signal on the telephone channel so it switches
automatically to the telephone on pickup (on a first priority basis).
You can do this also for an intercom or even a FRS system
(walkie-talkie). This way you wife can interrupt your TV audio to bring
you a "Home News Alert" message without ambient sound mudding up the TV
audio when there is no "home news alert."
I use the miniature cordless telephone as a mike and dial only, the
incoming voice goes through the full audio gear.
Depending on your hearing characteristic you can cascade equalizers. I
built a simple RC "pre-equalizer" that emphasizes the highs to suit the
ski slope part of my loss. This lets the EQ just handle the fine
structure. You can do the same thing with a modest parametric equalizer
connected in front of the graphic equalizer.
The Sony 900 Mhz cordless headset I have has a feature of automatically
switching to the best 900 MHz channel during operation. I would pass
this automatic feature up and get the "you set it" model.
Miniature Equalizers:
Because I wanted stereo equalization I didn't try the guitar (stomp
box) EQ's available. But the ones I know of are:
MXR M 109 6 BAND EQ Graphic Equalizer
DANELECTRO DJ-14 Fish and Chips 7-Band EQ.
BEHRINGER EQ700 Graphic EQ
Try ebay to get an idea of price but they range from about $20 to $65.
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| Dave_s 2006-03-25, 11:24 am |
| Ike, thank you for reply and suggesting hardware that works with cable
connected phones. I am still trying to not abandon my wireless
headphones. Thanks, Dave_s
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| Dave_s wrote:
> Ike, thank you for reply and suggesting hardware that works with cable
> connected phones. I am still trying to not abandon my wireless
> headphones. Thanks, Dave_s
Don't abandon them. Just insert an equalizer between the TV audio out
and the input to the wireless transmitter.
In my case, I couldn't find a wireless headphone SET that I liked, and
that old Jensen produce was just a transmitter and receiver which
permitted me to pick any headphone. It took a while, but eventually
everything turned out just fine. In fact, I've set up the same thing 4-5
times for others with problems like ours. Those EQs are Saturday specials.
Ike
| |
|
| Dave: I use BTE and head phones, but over the ear kind and leae my aids in
so that I get a better sound other wise to me the head phones are"muffled"
som. I ususly help people near by that way, too. Have you tried it? What
you want to do is espensive and not easily done.
Ken
Technology Specialist - SanJuan Unifed Schools
CArmichael, DA
"Dave_s" <group78@dslextreme.com> wrote in message
news:12286ld2mmnuk0c@corp.supernews.com...
> I wear BTE hearing aids. These BTE have no DIA or shoes.
>
> Without the BTEs, I listen to TV audio, with RadioShack 49 MHz Wireless
> Headphones. My wife, sitting close to me on the sofa, tries to talk to me
> when I am wearing the Headphones but I fail to hear or understand her.
> Without my BTEs, when I remove the headphones, I do hear her but do not
> understand her talking.
>
> What I am really looking for is a setup that includes the Wireless
> Headphones and a audio mixer so a ELECRET microphone, next to my wife,
> could be mixed in with the audio from the TV.
>
> One way to create this system, is use seperate Headphones, driven from a
> seperate 49 MHz FM receiver. The audio section and equalizer, would mix
> mike and tv sound.
>
> I am looking for such a product, none found yet.
> Also looking for a Receiver_on_a_chip IC such as a substitute for a
> TDA7000. Given some usable parts, I would build this myself.
>
> Also looking for sources for audio equalizers [kits are OK] so I can peak
> the highs from the RadioShack Wireless Headphones that are currently too
> bassy sounding. RadioShack seems to no longer sell equalizers. Who else
> does sell them? Are EQs for guitars apt to have too much distorsion? Who
> sells low cost EQs for musical instruments?
>
> Thank you for any suggestions.
>
> Dave_s, an old HAM operator.
| |
| Dave_s 2006-03-26, 12:20 pm |
| Jim,
You are using some hardware I never considered and was not familiar
with. Your description is very helpful. I am studying and considering
how to implement my system.
> Here is what I have:
> Wireless (900 Mhz) Stereo Headset: Sony MDR-RF960R ($90)
> Level Leveler: TERK ($45)
> 15 Band Stereo Equalizer: Radio Shack ($100)
> 5 Channel Auto Sensing A/V Switch: Radio Shack ($30)
> Telephone Patch: Inline Patch by JK Audio ($100 used)
> Miniature Cordless Telephone: Xact Communications ($100)
As I understand your system,
1. Cordless phone is dialed and spoken into to
make the 'local voice' announcements temporarily muting TV audio.
2. The A/V auto sense does the switching from 'TV audio' to
'local audio'.
3. You special circuit listens for the carrier from the
cordless phone [ or FRS radios] and then generates 'quasi-video' to
make A/V unit mute 'TV audio' channel and enable 'local voice'
channel until Cordless phone carrier is turned off.
4. TV audio drives Leveler that drives the EQs that drives one channel
of the A/V sensor unit.
Cordless phone base station drives another channel of A/V unit.
A/V output drives the Sony 900 MHz TX.
Do I have that right?
Thanks for the tip to CASCADE EQs.
Very helpful and thanks again.
Dave_s
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| Dave_s 2006-03-26, 12:20 pm |
|
Ken wrote:
> Dave: I use BTE and head phones, but over the ear kind and leae my aids in
> so that I get a better sound other wise to me the head phones are"muffled"
> som. I ususly help people near by that way, too. Have you tried it? What
> you want to do is espensive and not easily done.
Ken,
I have not considered or tried this.
What sends sound to your headphones? Are headphones part of a ALD or
"personal listening device" that is belt mounted or in your shirt
pocket? Does your headphones cause feedback when placed over the BTE
earmolds?
Thanks for your suggestion.
Dave_s
>
> Ken
> Technology Specialist - SanJuan Unifed Schools
> CArmichael, DA
>
>
> "Dave_s" <group78@dslextreme.com> wrote in message
> news:12286ld2mmnuk0c@corp.supernews.com...
>
>
>
>
| |
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| Hi Dave
You have it about right. The telephone is separate from any intercom
etc.
There are many ways a system like this could be configured but I'll
describe what I have.
The objective was to have the audio from all sources including
telephone routed through the sound leveler (slow compressor), the EQs
and into the 900 Mhz cordless headphones transmitter base unit. The A/V
switch is sort of the hub that determines what you are listening to at
any instant - so I'll start with that.
Radio Shack's A/V switch (15-1985) is an automatic priority switch that
senses the presence of activity on up to five channels and
automatically switches to the one with the highest priority (determined
by jack position). It also has manual selection. Being a stereo and
video switch, it looks at the video inputs as an indication of activity
for the channels. So in cases when you just have a stereo input (but no
video) you need to fool it into thinking there is a video signal there
also in order to get automatically selected.
I put the cable box output on the lowest priority position. (I use the
box to select TV channels). I put the DVD in the second lowest
position. I have the telephone audio in the third lowest priority
position. With this arrangement, it is always getting a signal from the
cable box so normally it is on channel one. If you turn on the DVD
player it will switch automatically to that. If a telephone call comes
in and somebody picks it up (including me) it switches to that and I
hear binaural processed voice. So I never have to touch the switch.
As you know, telephone voice signals are not easily routed to line
powered audio equipment because of the need for galvanic isolation and
balance to avoid hum issues. In addition, since I wanted to use a
miniature cordless phone as my telephone microphone and dial, I needed
an indication the told the switch that the line was picked up (by me or
by another extension). I also wanted to be able to talk on the line
with my wife joining in using an extension without having her voice or
my voice sounding very loud compared to the incoming voice. It turns
out that the same issues arise when radio talk shows want to broadcast
caller conversations so equipment has been designed and marketed for
that purpose. One such device is the In-Line Patch made by JK Audio.
This is normally connected between the talk show host's telephone and
the telephone line and in-addition has separate isolated jacks for
phone audio-out, in-coming line audio-out, outgoing line audio input,
etc.. It also has an Axillary jack that you can use to pick-up the line
with by drawing current and you can tell that the line is picked up by
just looking at another pin.
Using the In-Line Patch unit I connected the RJ-11 Tel Line Input jack
to the telephone line as it enters the house )disconnecting the rest of
the house. I connected the rest of the house to the "Telephone" RJ-11
jack on the In-Line patch so it sees the house's telephone system as a
single telephone. I made a circuit that connects to the to the Aux jack
mentioned above and to the above mentioned miniature cordless
telephone's base routing the outgoing telephone audio and touchtone
dialing to the "outgoing line audio input" jack on the JK In-Line
Patch. The same special circuit also has a relay that takes some of
video signal coming from the cable box and (when the line is active)
routes it to the A/V switch to make it switch to the telephone audio
from the In-Line Patch.
The result is the only telephone system so far that has (for me) met
the 3 year old granddaughter word recognition test. I can hear her
better on this rig than I can in person.
I haven't added the walkie-talkie "dinner's ready" link yet but I would
put it on A/V Channel 4 and use the same simulated-video switching
trick.
I realize this is long and not very clear so let me know if you need
any further detail.
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