#1

I am meeting with a Phonak rep the end of this month to to determine if I should buy the Roger ON vs, Roger Select or Roger Table Mic ii. I would like some input about these devices. I currently own the Luminty 90 hearing aids. I subistute teach and the background noise plus their soft voices makes it very difficult to hear the students when they are asking me questions. Other frustrating situations is dinner out - background noise again, riding in the car with road noise and AC and most social situations. What device is going to give me the most all around help. At this point the cost is mute because they are all pretty pricey. I would rather spend the money and get what is going to work as opposed to scrimping.

#2

@Waterbug Welcome to the forum, I hope you will find here what you are looking for.

Hopefully, the smashing people on this forum will give you a better advice.

Roger systems are a bit expensive, Roger On V2 is the latest tech they have.
Are you teaching in a small size classroom or a uni amphitheater?
Have you got any recent audiogram you can add to your profile?

Few member on this forum have got few if not most of roger accessories, hopefully they can help you figure out which one is best, me thinking Mr @kevels55 Mr @PeterH Mrs @1Bluejay , sorry if I’ve missed others.

There was a discussion about roger accessories in teaching environment, not sure about the thread

https://forum.hearingtracker.com/t/teacher-with-newly-diagnosed-loss-very-frustrated-in-the-classroom/66231

There was a recent discussion about roger in classes, but I can’t seem to find it.

#3

I have a Roger On and a Roger Select. I tend to favour the Roger On as it can be used with the MyRogerMic. The devices work about the same, but the Select doesn’t have Pointer mode.

I seem to remember @Zebras has the Roger Table Mic II.

Peter

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#4

Class sizes are usually 25-30 students so it can get quite chatty. The class room is a typical classroom not an uni amphitheater. I do not have an audiogram at this time. Thank you for responding.

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#5

Here is a link to Phonak Roger education accessories, you should be able to get them through your school finance! (ADA?)

Here is another thread that might be of help:

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The way I look at it, is you will need student to pass a microphone among themselves! so you can get the audio directly to your hearing aids, or use few Table Mic ii positioned in a way that is efficient for you to hear the whole class.

#6

How many Microphones are you going to use?

If you want to use more then one Microphone in Table Mode, then you have to buy the Table Mic II as the others won’t work in Table Mode if using more then one of those Microphones.

I’ve tried all three and love the Table Mic II, then the Select and then the On. I wasn’t impressed with the On but that’s just me.

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#7

I’ve seen some posts on here that some folks thought the Roger ON did not work as well in background noise as Roger Select. Have you any insights regarding this issue? Thanks.

#8

I will ask on the 24th to get a copy of my audiogram to upload. Good idea.

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#9

This seems to be geared more toward the student than the teacher. Since I am a retired teacher and subbing only this might be a bit pricey. But a good thought.

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#10

As a sub I can’t afford 2 table mics. One is going to be pricey enough. If I was still teaching full time on a teacher salary that would be different. I am thinking more of when they are coming to ask questions at the desk or when they ask me questions when I am walking the rows. Great ideas.

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#11

I just looked up MyRogerMic. It looks like it is a very useful tool.

#12

I have all the Roger stuff and generally agree with Zebras about the Table Mic, it is by far the most powerful and multiple can be linked together. Regarding affordability, yes they are expensive but I found that I couldn’t afford not to buy them and they quickly paid for themselves. perhaps your school can assist.

But the best advice here has been the suggestion to connect with Phonak and their educational systems division and they can work with your school system. That is what makes Phonak unique among all other organizations we discuss here. There contribution to deaf and HoH education is unparalleled.

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#13

@Waterbug
Not really, as to me they’re quite similar. I get best results if I maximise the RogerOn compared to HAs. To be honest, I rarely use them

#14

I use it in meetings, in a very echoey room. One member taps his pen on the table next to me. I use the app to ‘switch him off’ :grinning: (shhh, he doesn’t know). I could actually put the RogerOn on a table more central, as I don’t need to touch it. I’ve not tried that yet though.
Peter

#15

eBay is my go too. Bought one Table Mic II iN for ÂŁ60 which is roughly $100.

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#16

My own nickel’s worth of experience here: If you are subbing, and in a large-ish classroom with SO many students, the Roger ON iN is simply not gonna cut it. That tool is better for one-on-one conversation across a desk or table where you can POINT the slim Roger mic at the person talking to you.

I had to buy TWO (redundant) Roger ON iN mics to go with my TWO (redundant) rechargeable Lumity Life R90s. Total boondoggle of gear and double the cost! I used these for almost 2 yrs, but just recently bought the Phonak Lumity Life 312-battery aids in screamin’ PINK! LOVE LOVE LOVE them. No more clutter or redundancy with gear just to get through 15 or so hours a day of use per pair.

But I digress.

I think your best option may be to get a “Speech in LOUD Noise” program added (that may need tinkering with) so you can screen out the ambient noise/reflectivity of the classroom and HOPEFULLY zero in on the person talking to you from several feet away. Expect some awkward moments as you finesse the final solution.

It would be absurdly cumbersome to PASS the Roger mic around to those who need to ask a question, but that’s about the only way a Roger ON iN can be used in “remote” form (out of its stand, and in the hand of the person talking to you). The range of the Roger ON iN is impressive, but again, if you have that device on the podium pointed at the general classroom assembled in FRONT of you, it’s simply going to pick up WAY too much ambient noise to be of much use.

Again, just my own opinion, as I’m no teacher, and have had some frustration using this mic just at a table in a restaurant - much LESS in a large classroom.

That said, these Lumity Life aids really DO make a difference with speech comprehension if set up right. My speech comprehension score actually IMPROVED the past 1.5 yrs of wearing these vs my last test done. They deliver just that extra twist of crispness to speech to nudge one’s comprehension from, “Hmmmm. I’m thinking they said …” to absolutely hearing it right and answering back with confidence.

It’s your call, but if you SHARE your challenge with the students, my guess is they will cut you slack and work to help you hear them better! Good luck with these new aids and the subbing.
:slightly_smiling_face:

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#17

You have already been given some good information from some very informed people. Since I like to type :grinning: I will give you my 2 cents also. First I have had and used the Roger On iN, the Roger Select iN and Roger Table Mic II’s. All three will give you about the same benefit as far as picking up voices and sending them directly to your hearing aids. One is not louder or more efficient than another, the differences are in the different functionalities of each unit. I believe the Roger On iN has the most possibilities for someone who just wants to purchase/use a single device. The Roger on has a pointing function which allows you to point it toward the person you want to hear. That is a giant benefit of the Roger On in my opinion. It also has a table mode, which is similar or the same as the Roger Select and the Table Mic II, it has a presenter mode where it can be worn by someone and it has a head set function (ver 2 only) which can be used in making phone calls through a computer. The Select basically has only the table mode, although it can also be clipped to a person or worn around the neck with a lanyard. The Roger On and the Roger Select can be used together with the limitation that the Roger On must be worn by someone. The Roger Table Mic II has the advantages that more than one device or several devices can be used together to work as a network. I have two which I use in family gatherings at restaurants with large tables. Be aware that all of the Roger devices work well in calm situations and reasonably well in modest noise. Last night my wife and I ate at a (sort of) noisy Italian restaurant and and we were able to carry on a comfortable conversation when I placed the Roger On on the table in pointer mode with the device pointed toward my wife. In very noisy situations the Roger devices will pick up the surrounding noise as well so, for example, at a loud party they are more of a hinderance than a help. In summary, my opinion is that the Roger On iN is the best device if you are planning only to purchase one device.

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#18

I think I just attached my audiogram. Maybe it will give you some insight. Thank you for being so helpful!

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#19

I attached my audiogram if it is of any help.

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#20

Peter looking at everyone’s audiogram yours seems the most similiar which makes me wonder if we will have the same device preference. I’ll let you know after May 24.

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