https://www.oticon.global/hearing-aid-users/hearing-aids/products/product-details?productId=368136&accessory (this page may not work completely from smartphone)
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Not showing up in the USA yet, but it looks like what I really want.
Per the userās manual, it looks like you get about 3 full charges for your HAs before the powerbank/charger runs out of juice. Of course you can top it off any time before it runs down. This seems about the same capacity as the Resound rechargeable charger.
It looks like the rate of charging your HAs is the same with this smart charger as compared to the battery-less charger -> 3 hrs for a full charge, 1 hr for half charge, 1/2 hour for quarter charge.
Long term storage is defined as 2 weeks or more. Youāre supposed to fully charge it if not used for 2 weeks or more. I guess what this means is that thereās a BMS in there thatās constantly slow-draining the battery. It looks like the battery will be fully drained after 12 months of non-use in storage if starting with a full charge before storage, so the manual says that if you let it sit for 12 months without giving it a second full charge at the end of 12 months, the battery can go bad and may need to be replaced.
Thereās no mention on whether the battery can be user-replaceable or not. If it can be, Iām sure they would have mentioned it already. But there IS mention that the battery may need to be replaced as per the note on long-term storage past 12 months without a second full charge at the end, so thereās hope that itās not a toss away design like the ConnectClip is.
By the way, the Apple Airpods are a toss away design. I donāt think you can even open them up to replace the batteries themselves if you want to. At least with the ConnectClip itās doable for DIY people.
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The Oticon rep told my audiologist today that the new rechargeable case and a 312 More version will be released in the US on Aug. 24. Hope sheās right!
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Anyone know if this Charger will work with the Philips hearlink HAs from Costco? The chargers look the same, but not sure. Thanks!!
Did you read this text in the manual?
The SmartCharger uses heat from inductive charging to dry your hearing aids when you place them in the charger ports.
The drying of your hearing aids is activated when you place the hearing aids in the charger ports and charging begins.
How important is it to dry oneās hearing aids regularly, anyway?
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Yes, I saw that part in the manual. I think the answer to your question depends on where you live. If you live in a humid place like Florida then itās more important to dry your hearing aids than if you live in a drier place like Arizona.
I think the inductive charging generates some energy waste by way of heat from the induction, so theyāre just taking advantage of this fact to claim that āOh, the SmartCharger can help dry your HAs, tooā. But my personal opinion is that it does not have a dedicated drying function per se really designed into the SmartCharger, so if you live in a very humid place, or if your ear canals tend to be humid inside, then I would not rely solely on the drying of the SmartCharger but would rather use a more dedicated dryer to dry your HAs after charging is complete.
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Using a dryer isnāt just about the body of the aid, but for the domes or molds as well. They spend a lot of time every day in a damp, dark place. It also helps to dry wax on the domes, making it easier to brush off.
These chargers canāt take care of that aspect of hearing aid drying.
Well, unlike other āopenā chargers, if you look at the picture for this charger at the top of the thread, youāll find that it totally encloses the entire HAs, including the dome/mold/receivers, when you close the lid. So we canāt really dismiss that this charger canāt take care of that aspect of hearing aid drying. The question is whether the heat generated as a byproduct of the inductive charging is enough to dry out the HAs sufficiently or not.
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My ReSound and Jabra chargers are closed like that picture of the Oticon charger, and donāt do anything related to the domes/molds.
Thatās kinda weird why youāre arguing with me that this Oticon SmartCharger canāt dry domes/molds when I already said that I donāt think the Oticon SmartCharger was designed with the drying function in mind specifically in the first place (that it was only a beneficial side effect of enclosed induction heat turned into a dryer claim).
I donāt have any opinion on whether your enclosed ReSound and Jabra chargers do or donāt do anything to dry the domes/molds. But I maintain my opinion that an enclosed device with heat inside is better for drying domes/molds (no matter how little or as an unintended benefit) than the same device left open that lets the heat escape.
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My intent isnāt and wasnāt to argue with anyone.
Do they use Induction or electrical contact charging?
Induction charging for the ReSound chargers.
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Anyone know if this Charger would be compatible with the Philips Hearlink? My charger looks just like the OPN charger, just wondering. Thanks!
I think itās most likely should be compatible, but no one will know until it comes out and somebody gets to try it. Most likely itāll also be available for the HearLink as well after it becomes available for the Oticon. You can check with your Costco HIS to see what they say. Itās more likely that Costco will sell the HearLink version of this charger cheaper than if you were to buy the Oticon version from a third party anyway, unless you canāt/donāt want to wait.
Obviously the SmartCharger is designed for the Oticon More miniRITE Rā¦but will the SmartCharger be backwards compatible for the Oticon OPN and OPN S?
I really hope so!