ANA Discussion Forum
General Category => Hearing Issues => Topic started by: nteeman on April 25, 2009, 09:38:43 am
-
and after an hour at the audiologist's office, making programming changes so it doesn't feedback, I must admit I am not impressed. If I stop up my good ear so it can't hear I can now hear through the TransEar, but with my good ear open it doesn't seem to be making a difference. The audiologist asked me to try it for a week and see how I feel after some time and I will. But my first impression is that I can live without this. She said it might take time for my brain to get used to it and it could help me sense sound direction.
First impression -- I think I will be making a return next week.
:'(
Neal
-
Hi Neal I tried the trans ear too for a month I too was not impressed I got alot of feedback everytime I moved my head an open my jaw plus the sound quality was like being underwater. It did not change for me but it might for you. Hope it works for you Neal . Have you tried the Baha system.
-
Hi Neal I tried the trans ear too for a month I too was not impressed I got alot of feedback everytime I moved my head an open my jaw plus the sound quality was like being underwater. It did not change for me but it might for you. Hope it works for you Neal . Have you tried the Baha system.
Yes, I tried the BAHA demo about 3 weeks after my surgery and while it was better than this, I was not impressed enough to want to have a post put in my head. I think I can do fine without either TransEar or BAHA.
Neal
-
Nice talken to Neal sry one did not work for you.
-
Hi Neal!
Can't wait to follow your impressions / experience along wth the TransEar. Doesn't sound too hopeful as yet, but I'm glad you are giving it a little while to see if you change your mind. I had such a time with infections (staph included) at the incision after surgery that the thought of another surgery to put in a post for the BAHA was not something I wanted to think about. At the same time, I don't want to muck up what's left of "good" sound with a device that is supposed to help!
Glad you're going down this road - I'm happy to benefit from your experience!!
Kathy
-
my ent doc. said its the poor mans BAHA LOL
-
I had the Baha surgery and I would do it all over again for the benefit it gave me as a demo it was a pieceof cake been deaf in my ear 32 yrs so I am gald I did it.surround sound her I come ;D
-
I've had the TransEar for over two years now. Your brain does adapt to it after awhile. When I'm wearing it the gain is subtle. I don't seem to notice it. It's needed repairs for various reasons and one time I decided I just wouldn't bother with fixing it. Well, I couldn't take not being with it. I sent it in to be repaired. I started with the older version and now have the newest version. It seems to be working much better. I've been lucky with the settings. After my initial set up at the audiologist's office (which didn't take long) I've never needed to go back. Nothing is going to give us our old hearing back, but I find that it helps me. For me personallly, I didn't want to go the BAHA way with the permanent attachmenet in my head, but that's my personal idiosyncrasy.
Jean
-
The only manner it seems to be working for me is when I plug up my good ear, then I can tell it is doing something, or if I cup my hand over it and cause it to feedback. Otherwise I can turn it on and off while wearing it (by opening and closing the battery door) and I can not hear any difference at all. I am being very careful with it so I don't have any problem if I decide to return it next week. So far it looks as if that is what I will be doing.
Neal
-
Thats right Jean nothing is ever going to be like natural hearing :-[ . Sometime I think we or at least I forget that and try to look for that magic device.But if it works for that person thats great. ;D That is why I went with the Baha and gave back the transear it was more of a natural hearing to me ;D. But I am glad the transear works for you Jean .It took me awhile to research the Baha because of the implant that goes in your head so I understand somebody would be leary about it like Neal said having a post in your head the guys at work already tell me they are going to call me plug and play :o I thought that was funny great bunch of guys at work they are just fooling around.
-
Neal, don't give up quite yet. I wasn't impressed with the BAHA demo either. When I got my first Transear I felt exactly like you. I didn't feel like it helped at all after working with the audiologist reprogramming it, etc for a month. We sent it back to Transear, and my second one I think has much better in-the-ear contact. I plug up my good ear and I can still hear. It's not normal hearing at all, sadly, but it's better than nothing. I've had my new one about a week or so and it gave me a blister in my lobe so I'm not using it to let my lobe heal. I feel my hearing is worse without it. Work with the Transear people and your audiologist. You may still get what you want.
-
Wow Neal, I'm sorry to hear you aren't impressed by the TransEar.
As I recall you weren't impressed by the BAHA either.
Perhaps you'll be one of those who just adjusts to SSD and decides to remain hearing-aid free. Lots on the forum have made this choice and it seems to work fine for them.
Good luck,
Jan
-
Wow Neal, I'm sorry to hear you aren't impressed by the TransEar.
As I recall you weren't impressed by the BAHA either.
Perhaps you'll be one of those who just adjusts to SSD and decides to remain hearing-aid free. Lots on the forum have made this choice and it seems to work fine for them.
Good luck,
Jan
Jan,
I am still trying the TransEar but SSD and hearing-aid free may just be what is right for me. Thanks for the good wishes.
Neal
-
Giving the TransEar some time is definitely a good idea.
But whatever your decision turns out to be, ultimately it should be what is best and right for you.
As you know, everyone here is different :)
Jan
-
Neal,
I have a BAHA and I was just discussing with my audiologist that I didn't truly appreciate the benefit of it until I'd had it for almost a year. I knew I liked it and that it helped, but it seems to take a while for your brain to adjust and get used to filtering out the noise you don't need to hear. After that point, I really appreciated the difference the BAHA makes.
I realize there's probably a time period involved in returning your transear, but if possible, I'd give it a little while to see if it gets better for you, like my BAHA did for me. Your poor good ear and brain have had a lot of adjusting to do lately, so I think this is another instance where patience helps! ( Are we all getting tired of being patient yet? :D)
Lori
-
Transear gives you 60 days to try it.
-
Otherwise I can turn it on and off while wearing it (by opening and closing the battery door) and I can not hear any difference at all.
Neal,
I would try listening to something on your AN side, like a person talking, and doing the test above. That seems to be the situation where you would most notice the benefit of a BAHA or TransEar.
I have somewhat the same experience with my hearing aid. When I turn it off and on, I don't get a big jump in the amount of sound I hear. What I get is a more detail in the high end, and more directionality. The directional effect is subtle, and it took a little while for my brain to get used to it. It doesn't seem to me that I hear the direction of sounds really clearly, but I do turn in the right direction most of the time, so something must be going on.
Since you are hearing the sounds from the AN side with your good ear, I wouldn't expect it to sound all that different. But you might notice that you pick up details of sounds on your AN side better with it on. Whether it is worth it or not is up to you, of course.
Steve
-
Otherwise I can turn it on and off while wearing it (by opening and closing the battery door) and I can not hear any difference at all.
Neal,
I would try listening to something on your AN side, like a person talking, and doing the test above. That seems to be the situation where you would most notice the benefit of a BAHA or TransEar.
I have somewhat the same experience with my hearing aid. When I turn it off and on, I don't get a big jump in the amount of sound I hear. What I get is a more detail in the high end, and more directionality. The directional effect is subtle, and it took a little while for my brain to get used to it. It doesn't seem to me that I hear the direction of sounds really clearly, but I do turn in the right direction most of the time, so something must be going on.
Since you are hearing the sounds from the AN side with your good ear, I wouldn't expect it to sound all that different. But you might notice that you pick up details of sounds on your AN side better with it on. Whether it is worth it or not is up to you, of course.
Steve
I agree and that is exactly what I was hoping for. However I did that test -- put a talk station on my radio and placed it on my AN side. Then I turned the TransEar on and off and I can not notice any difference. If, while wearing the TransEar, I keep the radio on my AN side and stick my finger in my good ear I can still hear the radio but at a low volume. So far this is proving to be less than useful for me. I hope that there is an adjustment they can make to improve the performance otherwise I don't see any reason to keep this.
Neal
-
They can adjust the volume and pitches alittle but then you got to watch feed back.
-
Hi Neal,
I'm sorry the Transear isn't looking so great for you right now. I hope you can either have someone make the necessary adjustments and it becomes much better or that, maybe in time, you are able to get some good results with the BAHA. I know our surgeries were close together. I'm still in waiting mode on these decisions. My hearing and the noises in my head - well I'm still getting used to all that. My incision still hurts (seems to hurt a bit more now that post op) - it doesn't hurt much, just a bit. I don't want another surgery yet. But by the time I probably do feel fine, I'll be full swing in marathon training (silly me) so I won't want to try something then. So I'm thinking Dec - Jan. Anyway, I really hope something works out for you that you're happy with. Maybe you should keep playing with the Transear for now to see if it'll get better with time and adjustments.
Best wishes to you,
Keri
-
Hi Neal,
I'm sorry the Transear isn't looking so great for you right now. I hope you can either have someone make the necessary adjustments and it becomes much better or that, maybe in time, you are able to get some good results with the BAHA. I know our surgeries were close together. I'm still in waiting mode on these decisions. My hearing and the noises in my head - well I'm still getting used to all that. My incision still hurts (seems to hurt a bit more now that post op) - it doesn't hurt much, just a bit. I don't want another surgery yet. But by the time I probably do feel fine, I'll be full swing in marathon training (silly me) so I won't want to try something then. So I'm thinking Dec - Jan. Anyway, I really hope something works out for you that you're happy with. Maybe you should keep playing with the Transear for now to see if it'll get better with time and adjustments.
Best wishes to you,
Keri
Thanks Keri,
I have not given up on the TransEar. At least not yet. I spoke with the company and going back to my audiologist on Saturday for further adjustments. So far though, and I have been wearing it every day, I can't say that there has been any benefit. I do notice that if I press the part that goes in my ear it performs a little better. The fit might need to be adjusted. Also the program for the unidirectional always causes feeback so I can't use it.
Monday I went to a dinner with 7 buddies and I could not hear the person on my SSD side when he spoke to me -- I was disappointed.
I did notice that when I am on the phone at work and someone comes to my office and speaks to me while I am on the phone I can now tell someone is talking to me. Without the TransEar I usually can not hear that someone is trying to interupt my phone conversation. So far this has been the only time I can notice a difference with TransEar.
We will see if they can make any improvements with adjustments on Saturday.
Neal
-
Neal,
I am a happy Transear user and my advice to you is: don't give up yet, any judgment at this point is very premature. First of all, there could be a problem with your mold or the way you insert it into the ear. I went to an audiologist who has already done a few of these molds. He got it right the first time for me. Transear benefits were clearly established in his office. However, when I got home, sometimes I got what you described: Transear was clearly working but I did not think there was a difference in hearing. I realized that I was inserting it all wrong. Just one turn made all the difference. I can imagine BAHA users don't have this problem. So, now I test Transear this way:
1) before I insert, put it against Dry&Store with closed battery unit to hear it vibrate - make sure the batery is not dead
2)Turn TV on a very soft volume. Close my good ear - can barely hear anything. Now I insert my Transear and close my good ear - I should be able to hear the difference and make most of the speech sounds. If I don't, I rotate the Transear in my ear until I do.
When that happens, I am ready to face the world with confidence!
As far as SSD goes, yes, I agree with you, you can live a good life without any hearing help. I have been there for 20 years. However, I can also tell you, I appreciate any hearing help that I can get especially now that it is available. Nothing was there 20 years ago, it wasn't even an issue. By the way, nothing on the market is as good as your natural hearing, so Transear is help for SSD, not a replacement for your lost hearing. Any kind of hearing aid must seem to you as a very bad replacement for your lost hearing and it is but it is better that no hearing, in my opinion. Some day... I wish...
Don't give up, Neal! As a first step, go back to your audiologist and make sure the mold is OK. Then, make sure you know how to insert it to get the maximum performance out of it. Good luck!
Eve
-
Hi Eve ..... what you just said is something that must be remembered:
"By the way, nothing on the market is as good as your natural hearing, so Transear is help for SSD, not a replacement for your lost hearing."
I also think of baha in a similar manner. Thanks for the reminder!
:) Greg
-
"By the way, nothing on the market is as good as your natural hearing, so Transear is help for SSD, not a replacement for your lost hearing."
I also think of baha in a similar manner. Thanks for the reminder!
Greg -
you are absolutely correct. The same quote does apply to the BAHA. It's not the same as your "normal" hearing, but it's a great replacement.
Jan
-
I agree Jan I hated having to plug my good ear to see if transear was working but with the Baha demo I did not have to plug my good ear to know it was working, 10x better then the transear one because it is directly to your bone where transear is not no it is not natural hearing but the bset thing next to it. But I can understand if someone does not want surgery I can not blame them there. ;D It is a big discission.
-
Greetings all,
Today I went to my audiologist and she made some adjustments to the TransEar program and I must admit it made an improvement. Later I went in the sound booth and she played the word recognition test with background noise (sort of like the sound you'd hear in a restaurant) and the TransEar made a difference. She wants me to continue to wear it and check back next week.
I'll keep you posted.
Neal
-
Very good Neal glad it is better ;D
-
Good news, Neal ;D
Thanks for the update. I hope you continue to hear improvements.
Jan
-
Neal,
Good news! I hope you are happier with your TransEar in " real life". I hate to sound like a broken record, I have to agree with what everyone else said. My BAHA is definitely not as good as my natural hearing was, but it is a huge improvement compared to being SSD.
Wendy
-
Amen Wendy.
-
I got my newly upgraded Transear today and what a difference. My word discrimination is up to 90% with it, up from 70% with the original. I have to get used to having something in my ear again so I had to take it out after a couple of hours, but I am really impressed with how much they have improved it.
-
I did a test with my TransEar -- I placed a foam earplug in my good ear. With this in the contribution of the TransEar seemed to make a difference, it really helped. With the foam earplug removed the TransEar does not seem to make any difference.
I removed the TransEar after lunch yesterday and went through the rest of the day without it. I did not miss it at all. I feel my good ear has such good hearing ability that the TransEar does not make any noticable improvement. I am not wearing it today.
Neal
-
Hi Neal,
I have been following your thread for a while and thanks for the input and comments. 8)
i've been SSD for about 9 years from my AN. i've done fine,but, find it very difficult in crowded situations
and in public if someone is calling me. i think if the TransEar would help me to localize where the voices are
coming from or other enviormental noises it would be helpful. do you think it helps with that?
if it helps me to understand someone talking on the deaf side that's also extremely helpful. you don't think the
TransEar helps with that?
thanks again for the updates!!!!! ;D
-
Hi Neal,
I have been following your thread for a while and thanks for the input and comments. 8)
i've been SSD for about 9 years from my AN. i've done fine,but, find it very difficult in crowded situations
and in public if someone is calling me. i think if the TransEar would help me to localize where the voices are
coming from or other enviormental noises it would be helpful. do you think it helps with that?
if it helps me to understand someone talking on the deaf side that's also extremely helpful. you don't think the
TransEar helps with that?
thanks again for the updates!!!!! ;D
For me, with the week and a half using the TransEar it did not help with directionality. Maybe if you use it for a longer time period it does help but so far that has not been my experience. As far as someone talking on the deaf side I only noticed help from the TransEar when I had the foam earplug dampining the hearing in my good ear. Without the ear-plug I do not notice any difference with the TransEar on or off.
Neal
-
See if you can try the Baha headband for a weekor so Nea. lt is as close to natural earing as you are going to get in my opinion. ;D
-
Mike -
Neal tried the BAHA demo and wasn't impressed with it. That's what led him to the TransEar.
JB -
one of the BAHA processors (tiny hearing aid) called the Divino has a directional microphone built in to it. It doesn't provide totally "normal" directionality, but it definitely helps.
Although Neal wasn't really excited about the BAHA demo, most of us were. I've worn a Divino for almost a year now and I love it. The BAHA isn't for everyone - but you might want to ask your doctor about it.
If you like the demo, the surgery is well worth it.
Jan
-
Thats right I forgot about that. did not look back on 1 page. ;D
-
Hi Jan,
i plan on trying the demo. ;D
i would like to try the TransEar too, but, it's not covered by insurance.
-
FYI I returned the TransEar today. For me there is no difference with or without it.
Neal
-
Neal -
sorry to hear you didn't like the TransEar. I've never used one, but those who do generally have great things to say about it.
Any thoughts on trying the BAHA demo again?
Or have you decided to just keep things status quo for the time being?
Just curious,
Jan
-
Status quo for now.
:)
Neal
-
Neal:
I commend you for giving both the TransEar and the BAHA a fair trial. I'm convinced that some of us simply adapt to being SSD - even with it's obvious deficits - and find these admittedly impressive hearing aid devices under-perform (to our expectations) and so, aren't worth it - to us. Others swear by the same devices and find them invaluable. Your experience proves that 'one size does not fit all' and, as we often caution, the use of a hearing device for SSD folks is very much an individual choice. Thanks for providing a real-world account of your experience with the two most popular hearing aid devices for those dealing with SSD.
Jim
-
Sorry it did not work out for you Neal.
-
Hi Neal,
Sorry TransEar didn't work out for you. You do seem to have adapted pretty well to being SSD though -- if it's not a big deal to you this may be the way to go. Debbi and I were taliking about a possible get together in June. When we firm up a date I'll let you know. If you'd like, you can try my BAHA then.
Best wishes,
Wendy
-
Hi All,
It's been quite some time since I've been here, or over on the BAHA forum, and I thought an update would be good. I lost my hearing suddenly (SSNHL) on 9 Jul 2006, was fortunate to get right in to an ENT, had an MRI, and there was nothing found on the imaging - final conclusion, probably viral. In the nearly 3 years since then, I've moved up from 100% deaf in my left ear, to the upper profound range in a few frequency ranges (hee hee). I finally got a Transear in Jan 07, had a number of problems with it, and almost turned it back in. But I learned over time that the problems were mostly due to an audiologist I would never recommend to anyone else. I later found out a friend had also been to that same audiologist - unknown to me at the time - and had a similarly bad experience with a different type of hearing aid (a standard air conduction device). He returned his and went elsewhere. Yes, there were a couple of broken wires and a couple of other issues with the TransEar, but I could live with them because once I pushed my audiologist to keep trying on the programming (thanks to the experiences of others here), it became apparent that I didn't want to live without it. It never did fit properly, and also was never programmed properly, but I was still much better with, than without it.
Fast forward to late 2008. I purchased on a MasterCard, so I had a 1-year extension on the warranty, and used that late last year when the processor quit. Once that warranty ran out (Jan 09), I vowed never to return to that audiologist again. I also learned my medical insurance would cover at least part of a hearing aid, so I talked with the folks at TransEar/Ear Technology, and eventually arranged to be seen by a very competent audiologist who had some experience with the TransEar. I had the mold done a couple of weeks ago, and just got the new device last Thursday (the new 3rd generation model - I had the original model until now). It was almost funny - it hurt immediately, and quite a lot. The audiologist took a look and found that I had a small pimple up in my ear canal. The old TransEar had apparently been so loose that I didn't even feel it. I still wore it that afternoon and evening, and immediately went to a mall to "try out" the food court (lots of noise, and varying noises from all directions). The difference was immediately obvious. I was much more comfortable in that setting, and could discriminate sounds far better without being overwhelmed by all the background noise. That was a huge boost for me! I also started truly understanding things from my left ("bad") side, and for the first time in two years of having the old model that was never fit properly, I could actually "hear" the difference between what was getting to my right ear via the TransEar, and what was coming in directly to that ear. I don't know how to describe that, but I'd NEVER experienced that before.
I called my wife as I walked along inside the mall to tell her how it was working, and as I passed by two people sitting on a bench perhaps 6 feet from me on my left ("bad") side, I realized I actually heard several words they were saying despite hearing my wife through the cell phone in my right (good) ear. I paused and listened with them knowing what I was doing, and was actually able to understand some of the words even with my wife still talking (I didn't tell her what I was doing yet), as well as the background noise. When I finally walked further and told her what just happened, I actually had some slight tears well up in my eyes - it was a wonderful experience, especially after having had a TransEar already for over two years.
I left it out Friday and Saturday to let my ear canal heal, and put it back in Sunday for church. What a difference. There is one classroom where the A/C blower is so loud, it was a major distraction for me trying to even understand the teacher or any discussion before. Sunday, I was aware of the blower noise, but it was just sort of there - not overpowering. I had almost no difficulty understanding. I asked my wife if she thought the A/C blower sound had been fixed since the previous Sunday, and she said it was just as loud as it's been for two years. I thought that was the case, but I needed to make sure, just because of the remarkable difference in my experience sitting in that classroom.
I was off work last week, and just returned yesterday. I continue to find situation after situation in which my ability to comprehend is substantially better than before. I need to get a small amount of sanding done at a "hot spot" that's developed, but that's no uncommon in the first few days or weeks.
The bottom line for me is that I'm truly glad I stuck with it with the TransEar, even with all the problems largely the fault of the first audiologist. If anyone is considering a TransEar, select your audiologist WELL! If they've never done one before, I don't know that that would deter me from using them, I'd just want to make sure they weren't so egotistical (or lazy) that they wouldn't spend whatever time it took on the phone with Ear Technology to make sure the programming was done right, and that they never put the TransEar on a big grinding wheel (only a very thin amount - about skin thickness - should be taken off at a time). Better yet, call the TransEar folks and ask if they have a recommended referral in your area that has worked well with them already. Just get a good audiologist!
I'll monitor this for a while in case there are any questions. I know everyone's experience isn't the same for various reasons, but I'm 100% sold on the TransEar, and very happy I stuck with it. I can't tell how much of the improvement is due to the new model and the differences in frequency response vs. the fact that it was fit and programmed right, but the bottom line is that I liked my original model TransEar once it got working properly, but LOVE my new one. I'm continuing to discover more and more situations in which I find myself just feeling comfortable, when I wouldn't have enjoyed the experience only a week ago (prior to the new TransEar). Meetings are MUCH easier. And life just got a whole lot nicer (and my wife probably likes me more as a result ;D).
Chris
-
Chris~
SO glad to hear that this is working out so well for you!! Here's to a whole new world of sounds for you!!
K
-
Chris -
it's great to hear that despite some initial problems with your TransEar, you stuck with it and your persistence paid off.
Good for you. In my experience, better hearing is a wonderful thing.
Your post will be very valuable for those trying to decide between a TransEar and a BAHA.
Thanks for the feedback - and congratulations!! ;D
Jan
-
Update:
It's been just shy of 4 weeks now since I got my upgraded TransEar. I still find differences between what I can hear (or how) with the new device, vs. the original version. And though I'm being VERY cautious in saying this - I don't want to be too disappointed if it doesn't turn out to be the case - it seems that I may actually be developing some ability to locate sounds! I never even came close with the original device (probably more because of the problems created by the audiologist that were never fully worked out). It happened in a class at church Sunday, in a relatively low noise situation. I haven't been in a similar situation since then and haven't noticed localization again, but I'm cautiously optimistic that my brain may be learning the differences between the two different sounds in my right ear (TransEar sound vs. direct "real" sound), and figuring out the timing differnces, strengths of each sound, etc., to eventually give me some ability to localize sounds in a meaningful way. With multiple sounds, it's still harder to discriminate sounds, let alone localize any of them, so I guess I'll have to start "practicing" in low-noise settings without nearby walls to bounce sound around. ;)
Others have reported regaining some localizing ability, so I'm cautiously optimistic to see if this develops or was just a fluke situation. I'm well aware that in a low noise situation, it will be more easy to tell what's a direct sound (i.e. coming into the good ear from that side) vs. my new, improved TransEar sound also in my good ear. But the sensation of the speaker being behind me was what was new. I term it a "sensation," because I'm realizing that I don't remember anymore what the experience was actually like when I could localize sounds just fine - I never consciously thought about it back then because it was just normal. This time I consciously noticed it, and can't explain in words what it "felt" like - it was just there. What a nice "feeling," though.
I just thought an update might be of interest to people considering the TransEar, or some still relatively new users. It DOES get better with time (especially with a patient, cooperative audiologist who's willing to work with Ear Technology for any questions or uncertainty about something). I'm waiting on a slightly longer wire than the one I got with the new unit, and perhaps I'll have an even better experience once that comes in. In any case, I'm very happy with the new version other than still working out some fitting issues. But I'm not worried about that eventually being worked out - I'd rather go slowly with the sanding-down process than get too much taken off, after my original experience with the previous audiologist.
Chris (In 2 weeks it will be 3 years since my sudden hearing loss - my how time flies!)
-
Chris ~
Thanks for the update. It's great to learn that your TransEar unit is working out for you and your hearing has been improved. I hope your progress continues.
Jim
-
Quick update: When I got my new model TransEar three months ago, it came with a very short wire. My audiologist noticed how high the processor was sitting behind my ear, and suggested I try the next size wire. When it came in, I was to compare the two, and return the one I didn't want to keep. The difference was immediate! With either the old or new TransEar, I was never able to run the volume over dead-center "3" without lots of feedback ("4" is max for those who don't have one). With just a small fraction of an inch longer wire, I can run it "full blast" at 4 if I want to. There's a slight bit of distortion and perhaps a little extra noise at that level, and the difference between that and 3½ is almost negligible, so I run it at 3½ now to get great sound and not run down the battery too fast (I get between 2-2½ weeks wearing it at least 12 hours 5 days a week, plus more than half a day on Sundays). Just a slight change in wire length has dramatically improved the performance of my TransEar.
Chris