Saddlebrooke Assisted Listening Locations
I am a member of the Saddlebrooke Hearing Discussion Group. Recently both HOAs installed a Wi-Fi assisted listening system called MobileConnect in some of our meeting rooms. In this email I would like to discuss the two types of assisted listening systems used within our community and identify their locations.
The assisted listening system originally installed in many rooms in both HOAs is what is called a hearing loop (loop). A loop is easy to use if your hearing aid or cochlear implant is equipped with a T-coil and if that T-coil has been activated by your audiologist. To access the loop there is not a need to utilize a special app on your phone. All you need to do is simply press a button on your hearing device. Although I prefer to use the app associated with my hearing devices since I have several programs. If I use the app, I also can completely tune out any ambient noise.
Loops are more popular in Europe than in the U.S. In Europe, hearing loops are part of long-standing accessibility policies and public awareness campaigns. In the U.S., advocacy for assistive listening has not been as strong. Hearing loops are also expensive to install, especially in existing structures. Another reason that loops are becoming less popular is that T-coils are becoming less available in new hearing aids. Loops in HOA1 are located in the Vistas, Agave and the Activity Center. Loops in HOA2 are in the Desert View Theater and the Catalina Room.
Recently both HOAs have installed the MobileConnect system in some locations. In HOA1 it is on the upper floor of the HOA1 Clubhouse and in HOA2 it is in Mountain View Ballrooms East and West and the Sonoran Room. To access MobileConnect a resident must first download the MobileConnect app to their phone, access the correct Wi-Fi network and then use the MobileConnect app to access the correct channel. Our hearing group has assisted residents with the use of MobileConnect at several demos in the past few months. While the sound quality can be better than the loop, MobileConnect is not as easy to use as the loop. Some residents have also experienced an echo which is caused by a delay in the Bluetooth signal being sent from their phone to their hearing device.
In a future article I plan to provide an update on Auracast which is a Bluetooth system that is easier to use and better than MobileConnect. Unfortunately, most of us don’t yet have hearing devices that support Auracast.
Our group meets on the 2nd Friday of every month at 10 AM in the Catalina Room in the Mesquite Building. We typically have one or two Doctor of Audiology students from the University of Arizona in attendance. If you have questions or comments about this article or would like to have your email added to our distribution list, contact me at tgaule@outlook.com.