Phonak TV Connector - Can't figure it out!

Hearing Aids
#1

It’s been months now and I still cannot figure out how to make these Phonak TV Connectors, which were bought and set up with my HAs, work right! I have one plugged into the audio port on my laptop, and I have read the instructions dozens of times! Every time I think I’ve got it working right for a day or two and then suddenly it starts this damn bonging in my ears and won’t stop! When it starts to go wonky, it usually happens when there is a pause in the audio, for example when a person in a news or instructional or song video on youtube stops to take a breath, and that’s when the bonging starts, but then it continues to bong even after he/she resumes speaking and it drives me nuts. I’ve tried all sorts of different combinations of steps and none seem to eliminate the problem for more than a couple days in a row. I actually have two of these things and have swapped each one in and out and it still happens. Will somebody please straigten me out on this? I am still under home confinement due to both of us being high risk re covid-19. Haven’t caught it yet and don’t want to chance going out to the Costco Hearing Center for the duration. Here is what I have been doing which sometimes works for a couple of days and then doesn’t:

  1. Turn on TV Connector with top button until it turns green;
  2. Press side button on TV Connector until it turns blue;
  3. When bonging starts, I press button on top of one hearing aid.

Things seem to start out right and then the damn bonging resumes on top of the audio from my laptop!
Help would surely be appreciated.

#2

Which model of Ponak TV connector do you have?

#3

Interesting, if frustrating problem. 1) Is the bonging like anything else you’ve had, like perhaps the little song when you put it into automatic mode? 2) There’s a possibility that there’s something wrong with either the TV Connectors or the hearing aids. Before I’d try returning them, I’d try starting unfresh. You can unpair the TV Connector from all hearing aids by pushing the button on the back for 10 seconds until it turns orange. I would then unplug it for 15 seconds or so. I’d also restart the hearing aids (this would vary depending on if you have rechargeables or not) Put them in and out of charger for rechargeables. Open and close battery doors if disposables. Then I’d try repairing and see if the problem remains. If so, figure out a way to return to Costco. I personally feel minimal resist for my visits to Costco, but if you’re not comfortable, send somebody else or ship them to Costco.

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#4

I know this probably isn’t helpful, but I have had very little trouble out of my TV Connector. It is probably the best accessory Phonak makes. It does have its little peculiarities, however. If the source sound stops for more than a few seconds, the Connector seems to stop transmitting, and the hearing aids make the sound of whatever program they were in before streaming started. Usually, the Autosense jingle. From what you describe, that doesn’t sound like your problem. If you can do without the aids for a while, ship aids and TV Connector both back to Costco with a detailed explanation of the issue. Costco should be able to determine if it is the Connector, or the aids, and resolve the issue.

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#5

If the bonging sounds like a 2-tone doorbell, you’ve probably come into range of the other connector and it is inviting you to connect. What happens if you press the button on top of the hearing aid again?

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#6

Actually, I’ve double-checked and the other connector is turned off and disconnected.

#7

Thanks for your suggestion, but I can’t hear without my hearing aids so I guess I can only keep trying to find a solution at home for the duration.

#8

Thanks. I am working on these suggestions. Usually I get about 2-3 days of being back to normal after the steps you suggest, then the bong curse resumes until I do these steps again. At least I’ve got a routine now, even though it is aggravating and I have to let them sit for a awhile before these steps give me another temporary fix.

#9

I would lay odds that it is the computer causing the problem…Can/do you use the connector with your tv and does it revert to the same problem in a day or two?

#10

That’s intriguing. I will have to try that and report back. I thought I had ruled out the laptop as the problem when I bought and plugged in one of these sound cards and ran the TV connector through it:
https://tinyurl.com/y3yqrfs4

but the problem persisted so I set it aside.

#11

If they both work correctly with the tv the computer would be the first thing I would look at.

#12

Can you make program in target to connect to the tv?

#13

Reporting back, I found a temporary solution which is helping me out in the meantime, and I am posting it here because it may be an important clue. As I indicated, the aggravating and loud “dong dong” starts after about two or three days of normal use of the TV connector with my laptop. I have discovered that I can stop it by opening and shutting the battery door on both right and left hearing aids - the action which Phonak calls “forgetting” the connection. After I do that, they work again for about 2-3 days and then the persistent “dong dong” starts again loudly on top of the sound received from the laptop.
This temporary “solution” is annoying because unlike my KS5s, the KS9s require removing the hearing aids because two hands are needed to force the doors open, but I can live with this until the time arrives when I feel safe going into the Costco hearing center. It’s more work than unpairing with the little button on the TV connector, but it seems to be more reliable and takes effect more quickly in shutting off the “dong dong.”
Or maybe someone here in the forum will find that this additional clue enables them to tell me how to fix it myself.

#14

I am having a problem with the TV Connector and I am posting here, rather than starting a fresh inquiry.

I purchased one for our main TV a year or two ago. It’s been great! I recently decided to acquire another one for my computer. Yesterday I set it up and used it for a Video conference. It was great–actually allowed me to walk around during a lengthy presentation, and yet hear everything said.

But when I then tried to connect to my original TV connector, no dice. I may have made the mistake of trying to connect to it while the new TV connector was still live and in the same area, but then disconnected it. However, I still haven’t been able to get me original TV connector working again. It displays a solid green LED. I’ve tried holding down the “connect button,” which eventually turns red for a couple of seconds, but then resorts to green. I can’t get it into the pairing mode, and I can’t my aids (K9s) to pick up the signal.

Any thoughts? I had assumed that I could have more than one TV connector and that they would both work without any intervention once they were both paired.

Tom

#15

Turn your TV connector on the computer off.
If these connectors are within +/-50’ they can both be feeding your aids.

#16

re: But when I then tried to connect to my original TV connector, no dice.

Whoops. I figured it out. Apparently if you just touch the “connect button” briefly, it will then enter into the pairing mode. I just did that and the device is working fine.

Tom

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#17

My own experience using 2 TV connectors with my Phonak Marvel aids: I can keep both of them plugged into a device (one is hooked up to the TV, the other I use occasionally on my MacBook Pro laptop). My aids have been paired up with BOTH the connectors already.

Not sure what your TV connector looks like, but mine has an ON/OFF button. If I keep one OFF (or have it unplugged) there is zero problem using the other. But if I leave even one of them ON (green light is on), it seems my aids will reach out to that device every 30-sec or so! Yes, even if I hit the program switch to manually get my aids out of streaming, the aids are smarter than ME! They’ll just keep trying to reconnect to the TV connector, rendering all audio completely OFF if there’s no TV playing.

It can be commical, cuz when a program ends, I mute the TV (connector still ON as it’s across the room - out of site, out of mind). I’ll start a conversation with hubs, and 30-sec later SILENCE!! The aids have said “Hey! I wanna connect to the TV, not listen to this chap!”

Always cracks me up, so I inform hubs, then cross the room and manually turn the TV connector OFF. Life returns to normal.

I tell ya, my Phonak aids have a personality, a will, and can be muleish to live with. A lot like ME, I’m thinking… :blush:

#18

Sorry to disappoint you, they’re not smarter than you, they’re just set up that way by default - automatically reconnect to the active tv connector.

There are two more options - semi manual (will beep when around active tv connector and you click the button on aids and aids will switch to it) and manual - aids get additional program you can click to with your button, it’s last program. Or you can just use the phone app to pick a program.

I have it like that because I’m lazy to get up and click the buttons on tv connector device, and I’m mostly hanging around in living room, and sometimes my hubby watches tv and I’m not interested, so I don’t want my aids to connect immediately when there’s signal.

But yes, for switching between two tv connector devices, you’d have to additionally turn them on and off as needed.

In case you’d like similar setup, just tell your fitter to change that option. Should be able to do that with remote support option as well. :slight_smile:

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#19

Moin moin :slight_smile:

Thanks for this Blacky! I just re-programmed mine as this annoyed the hell out of me (the automatic setting), to the extent that I would not leave it on (on TV + PC etc).

#20

I did that the first day they came to me :joy: never looked back :joy:

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