Hi-pro to Starkey Cable advice needed

Hearing Aid Self-Fitting and Adjusting [DIY]
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#1

I’m confused about the cables that I need to program my Starkey WI110 HAs.
I called Starkey support after looking at
http://www.starkeyhearingtechnologies.com/inspirehelp/ag/InspireOSCablesAndConnectorsStarkey.pdf

The chart indicates a straight cable for the RIC 12.
Starkey support told me a Purple programming cable.

I’ve already got the Inspire software. If I can get this cabling piece ordered I can go ahead and order my Hi-pro.

Just a little help here… Which cables End to End and where can I get them.

Thanks so much,
Allen

#2

First of all, what is a RIC 12?

Click the Advanced Search tool on the (upper right) of this forum page
Click Search Single Content Type tab (upper left)
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Select Show Results as: Posts
Type starkey cables (or whatever) into Keywords box
Click Search Now

This will show individual posts instead of having to slog through long threads

From that search you might find threads like the following…
>>Starkey Inspire / cables<<
>>Looking for purple Starkey CS44 cable<<

The murky consensus seems to be that standard CS44 cables may not work?? You may need the purple cables?? Let us know if you find something that works??
>>Picture of purple Starkey cable<<

#3
#4

I don’t know if the above Sonion cables will work??

#5

When/if you do get cables that work you should test the continuity of all four pins. If the continuity test is the same as this CS44 pinout, then you have standard CS44 cables.

35610705402_156e7740ce_b.jpg669×517

#6

RIC 13 refers to a Receiver In Canal Hearing Aid/HA that uses a size 13 battery.
RIC 312 refers to a Receiver In Canal Hearing Aid/HA that uses a size 312 battery.
You do know there is no such thing as a size 12 hearing aid battery, right?

#7

No, actually not. But no matter. I just checked my battery package, yup, 312.
OK, as mentioned I’m collecting the information and writing it I’ll keep adding to this and hopefully, if this is not a Fools Errand, I’ll be able to post the successful programming of these aids.

By the way, thanks for those cable ads. about 5 minutes late. I already bought them on Ebay and bid on the orange flex tabs there as well.

Self Programming Starkey Hearing Aids
I currently have Wi series Hearing Aids from Starkey. I bought them used and have had them replaced 2 times over the years. I verified the serial numbers when I bought them to make sure they were not stolen. Now the warrantees are direct to me, but programming them costs me $200 or more each time and that’s only for 1 programming. Thus my foray into self-programming. Out of necessity.

  1.   Get the Inspire software from the Starkey Pro site.

  2.   Figure out what cables and flex strip you need to attached to the Hi-Pro.

This should help:


http://www.starkeyhearingtechnologies.com/inspirehelp/en/InspireOSCablesAndConnectorsStarkey.pdf
3. I was fortunate to find these on Ebay. $20 each for the cables and $ for the Orange Flex Strips.
4. I bought a Hi-pro on www.aliexpress.com specifying “hi-pro hearing” on the search line and paid $169. (price seems to keep increasing)

#8

You can test continuity on pins 1 through 4 with a paper clip and a multi-meter from Harbor Freight which only cost $2 on sale, or free with promo coupon. Whoops, sorry the paper clip will be too large for the tiny end of a CS44 cable. You will need a smaller probe. Maybe a very tiny wire clipped to the end of the multi-meter probe. Here’s the multi-meter settings…

Sorry, picture got lost.

#9

I actually have one of those. A yard sale purchase. Invaluable for testing batteries.

#10

Hmmmm; I am wondering about the access space on your hearing aids to allow for different style cables Straight vs Curved. Maybe the pinout of the >>cs44 cable<< and the >>Purple Starkey cable<< will both be the same. But one is straight and one is curved. Maybe your HAs doesn’t have enough space to accommodate a curved cable and requires a straight cable because of limited space??

#11

Thanks for the concern. I did see curved vs straight cables mentioned in one of the documents. It calls for straight cables and orange flex strips in the Inspire Cabling document. I just hope it’s all OK when I get it all together.

I didn’t want to belabor this thread, but what the hell…
I bought these (then) top of the line Starkeys used 4 or 5 years ago. I took a chance and lucked out on Craig’s list. The local dispensers gave me a hard time tuning them and charging me $200 for a 1-time adjustment.
I sent them for in for repairs which actually turned out to be replacement 2 times. Thanks to Starkey for standing behind their products. I believe Starkey charges the dispensers $150 or so for a repair/replace, but the dispensers asked me for anywhere from $200 - $350/aid. If only Starkey would deal direct.
This last time I sent it in to an advertised on-line place for their $139 repair any HA. Ended up costing me $200/HA plus shipping which is still $50 cheaper/HA than the lowest cost dispenser in my area.

Over the past 5 years I’ve replaced the tubes myself 3 or 4 times buying them on-line I increased the DB thing from 40 to 50, but never had them re-programmed. This last repair came back missing the ability to use my remote to manage the volume and modes.

This whole adventure is not for the faint of heart.

I’m not sure what’s going on in the industry now, but it seems that the dispensers are allowed to sell the used aids and so I wonder if that’s affecting the used market. Perhaps they are allowed to sell used if they replace the tubes or the ear plugs?

Horrible industry. I was just seen by Beltone. I wanted to try their latest HA. Imagine they ask $10,000 for a pair and then discount to $5,000. I thought their dispenser was top notch. Seems they really push the service end and so try to make happy customers, but what a price. By the way, I didn’t think the latest were that much of an improvement over these old Wi series.

If I can get to the point where I can program my own HA’s, that would address a lot of my issues with uses HA’s.

#12

No, I meant (simply) look at your HAs and look at the pictures of curved and straight cables. Does it look like you have enough room to plug in a curved cable? Or does it look like you only have enough room to plug in a straight cable?

You should recheck that, I thought is was cable (straight), not cables and orange flex strips under column RIC 312.

Yes, we have heard this story before.

#13

To be honest, I don’t know where this cable, be it the Purple or Orange connects to the HA. I’ve not been able to find a good photo.

#14

From Self Programming Help…

#15

Seems like a lot of $$$ and time to put into 5yo aids

#16

Yep, it’s the old plan to buy $200 HAs from a widow on Craigslist first, and then figure what to do with them later.

#17

These $200 HA’s bought 5 years ago have worked out well for the past 5 years. The only issue with them has been obtaining support from vendors. I’m trying to free myself from vendors by self-programming. That’s part of what DIY is all about, eh?

#18

Prior to buying my Starkey’s on Craig’s I went to more than a few dispensers and also educated myself on-line. It took months of effort to try to understand what was going on in the market, what types of HA’s were being recommended and what was best for my kind of loss. I got exactly what the dispensers were suggesting at the time. I did very well except I got no support because I didn’t buy from the shop. Hearingaidforums has been invaluable by way of obtaining information.

Every time I see someone with HA’s I ask them about what they have in their ears. Rarely do I get any answer other than… what the audi or dispenser gave me. It’s taken me a while to get here and now I’m stepping into self-programming. It wasn’t easy to come back to this forum where one should be encouraged to DIY rather than knocked about. I’m doing very well to have gotten this far. Not bad for someone who’s not part of the HA business.

Thanks for your help,
Allen

#19

What equipment did your Audi use to program these?

#20

The Audi used a Surflink remote programming device. Just lay the HA’s on the desk as she did that, never connected it up with wires.