Had my first hearing test done last week...

[PatMarlin]

And to my pleasant surprise my hearing is 100% minus some tinitus that kicks in here and there... [smilie=w:

Even the Doc couldn't believe it, and he asked, "How old are you?". I told him which is 48. He also told me I was the first person to ask if the people in the other room next door could quite down a little, cause they were yakin' and interfering with my test. He said no one ever hears the people in he other room... :mrgreen:

This is remarkable mainly because I worked in the music industry as a keyboardist, touring every kind of venue you could think of from small smoky night clubs to major stadium concerts from the age of 17 to 30, then focused primarily on recording studio work including record engineering.

Add on top of that shooting since I was a little kid, and running tools and equipment all along the way. I know I'm bragging on myself here, but the fact is I made choices along the way and it has paid off.

Starting as a kid, my dad put the ear muffs on the first day at the range. Pretty rare at that time. Then as a musician I had my amplifier stack about as tall as my chest aiming below my head. I always stood up while playing, and tried to keep away from close proximity of the drummer.. :mrgreen:

In the recording studios, I always mixed at no louder than 85db and kept an SPL meter next to me at all times. Only occasionally cranking it up to check the thunder.

Later years and today even if I pick up a skil saw I put in the plugs. Shooting with inner plugs and outer plugs.

So in order to celebrate and try to keep my hearing I ordered these:

http://www.sportearx.com/products.html

Expensive yes, but way less than the cost of a set of hearing aids... purchased after the fact when my hearing would already be gone.

The sound quality of these units are exceptional. The "gate" operation, a studio term- or sound level attenuation kicking in at the time of a loud noise is unbelievably smooth. I can't even detect it working. I'm constantly putting ear plugs in and out all day long while running tools and equipment. These have allowed me to keep them in all day, and they are very easy to get used to. Haven't had a chance to hunt with them yet, but I think they will work fine.

They can be custom programmed- tailored to your hearing loss- your ears frequency response, and to your needs. I had ear impressions taken for custom fit, and had them set the 4 channel settings to kick in at:

1. Running chainsaws and continuos equipment 65 db.

2. Range shooting at 85 db.

3. Hunting in the woods- their recommendation.

4. Hunting in an open areas such as for coyotes and birds etc.- their recommendation.

Not trying to make anyone feel bad, and I know many shooters have not been so fortunate, specially when the old 45 acp case or cigarette butt in the ear was the only thing used, and those of you that went to battle and suffered for us.

But for those who still have good ears you may want to think about this. Also, for those with some hearing loss, these are one heck of a hearing aid. I know I will have them ready as I get older.

I got a year end special deal on the SportEAR Rapid-Fire™ RF412 set for $1250.

For the cost of 2 good rifles... one for each ear. Pretty sound investment I think... :drinks:

[454PB]

Yes, you are very lucky. I've been playing music in bands for 20 years, shooting, riding motorcycles, snowmobiles, and that's just my "fun" stuff. I also put in 34 years working in power generating plants. I made every effort to protect my hearing, and still do. However, it is declining quickly now. I think hearing aids are inevitable.

[shotstring]

My hat is off to you for being able to play in a band and still maintain good hearing, not to mention a fondness for the shooting sports.

I remember when I went to a Steve Miller concert, and when I left the concert hall, I was walking through a silent movie. I could hear absolutely nothing, no sound at all. My hearing didn't return until the next day. Big power amps are no joke, so ja done good!

[PatMarlin]

Thank ya kindly.

Problem is the folks out in audience took way more than the guys on stage.

You NEVER had sound levels that high on stage. Wasn't needed. Small night clubs are worse for the muscian.

Now- they have total onstage in-ear monitors. No more loud speakers on stage to compete with the ambient noise. That is the best.

[felix]

Seems to me that every band member should be wearing these big ear muffs. Maybe the folks in the audience will get the idea and demand much lower sound settings. I get very pissed off when I hear a car/bike going down the street 3 blocks away, either from pipes or base notes. ... felix

[PatMarlin]

Seems to me that every band member should be wearing these big ear muffs. Maybe the folks in the audience will get the idea and demand much lower sound settings. I get very pissed off when I hear a car/bike going down the street 3 blocks away, either from pipes or base notes. ... felix

I was definitely part of the problem there back in '92... hearing my engineered bass notes from other cars running down the road.. :mrgreen:

[NVcurmudgeon]

Pat, being a generation older than you I remember it was .38 Special cases in the ears. If you ask me how I know I can only answer, "Huh?"

[lathesmith]

I haven't verified this, but I read somewhere that in order for your eyes to have the same range of sensiitivity as the ears, they would have to be built like an electon microscope. If that is anywhere close to the truth it is no wonder that as a society we are going deaf, and as PM states a lot of this is in the choices we make. Once-upon-a-foolish-time, wearing ear protection was considered "sissy". Thank goodness those days of stupid short...um, sightedness? are behind us. If being able to hear later in life is important to you...do your best to protect your ears NOW as much as possible.
lathesmith
lathesmith

[Ricochet]

At the 0dB level that's supposed to be the baseline of hearing, the minimum sound level that a person with acute hearing can detect under good conditions, the back-and-forth motion of the eardrum at midrange frequencies is said to be less than the diameter of an oxygen molecule.

[floodgate]

Here I go preaching again, but this is IMPORTANT, especially for us shooters, machinery folks, bikeys and all!:

If you detect ANY hearing loss, get to a good audiologist (better, try two or three and compare notes; they will usually charge nothing or very little for an evaluation, in the expectation of selling you hearing aids) and see where you're at. If you need any help, get good aid or aids (one or two ears) and wear them regularly. You don't need the micro-tiny in-ear ones - batteries last better on the bigger ones - and avoid aids with external off/on switches (the first things to fail) or volume adjustments (you'll be forever twiddling with them). And learn to live with them!

However good the aids, when you start to lose hearing you also lose hearing skills; the volume can be cranked up, but the skills cannot always be fully re-learned. (I can't listen to live music, because I have developed a "processing lag" of a second or so, so I am always a note or two behind; it often takes me a moment to "decode" an unfamiliar word, too - all the result of lost "hearing skills"). In her mid 70's, my wife still has above-normal hearing, and getting hearing aids ten years back has - in truth! - saved our 53-year marriage (well worth saving, too!).

GET YOUR HEARING TESTED, AND, IF YOU NEED ANY BOOST, GET HEARING AIDS AND USE THEM! End of rant; thanks for your patience!

Eh???

floodgate

[PatMarlin]

Pat, being a generation older than you I remember it was .38 Special cases in the ears. If you ask me how I know I can only answer, "Huh?"


I stand corrected ...........:mrgreen:

I wish my eyesite weathered as well, but I guess I can't have it all... :roll:

[NSP64]

What???:confused:

[jawjaboy]

I've had mine checked annually for the last 28 years(job required). I'm at about 85% average now. Age old adage, "if I only knew then what I know now." :(

[10-x]

What? Can you guys speak up, I cant hear You!
To many years in manufacturing machine shops,shooting with and w/o protection.
BTW we used cigarette filters in the Army...ever fired a recoiless rifle? claymore mine ?
Going to get checked and aquire some "hearing enhancement devices" soon.

10-x

NRA Endowment
H.R.M.S.
N.F.A.C.

[218bee]

I wish I had started wearing hearing protection long ago. I remember going to the range with my dad in the sixties and I don't ever remember seeing anyone wearing muffs. After shooting a few hundred shotshells and then my 35 cal 336 Marlin my ears would be ringing and thought this was "normal". Now at 50 my ears ring 24 hours a day! and I find myself saying what a lot more than I used too. I guess I should have them checked out eh?

[dragonfire]

I'm 33 years old and 75% deaf , lost most of mine about 5 years ago ,from being in the marines to just being in the welding shop did mine in ,always use head gear even if ya just shooting 22 long rifle , trust me if ya got good hearing ya want to keep it , most of my hearing was lost and replaced with a constant ringing that will drive most people insane , and to qoute my doctor when i asked if i ever would get any peace and quite "when your dead you'll have some peace an quite" so there ya have it .

[454PB]

One of the ironies is that some of my older co-workers wore hearing aids....but had to remove them upon arriving at work. We wore hearing protection about 50% of the time, and even 100% of the time depending on the assignment. We also had to have a hearing test annually, and received a letter and retest requirement if there was a "threshhold shift". My charts started in 1972 or so, and ended when I retired in 2004. It was a steady decline at first, then a rapid decline towards the end. I trained a lot of young guys starting out over the years, and hearing protection was no joke. I beat it into them from day one and made sure it was not considered "wuss gear" (that's a cleaned up version of the actual term).

I have to hand it to my employer, they spared no expense in hearing protection. Those that work around generators, steam turbines, boilers, and all the auxilary pumps and compressors have a nearly zero chance of escaping hearing damage and loss.

[Bad Water Bill]

I probably lost most of mine in the navy. We had to make adjustments while the aircraft were in FULL afterburner .After 8 hours of this you could hear 0 for at least 12 to 14 hours and yes we wore the mickey mouse head sets. Not complaining because as I have told my kids No I was not in any wartime but because we were there none of this is in cerulic. I think I got off cheap compared to the price many others paid. BWB:castmine:

[kodiak1]

Excuse me Pat what was that you said?.
Good going you got me beat!!!!!!
LOL Ken

[MT Gianni]

One of the ironies is that some of my older co-workers wore hearing aids....but had to remove them upon arriving at work. We wore hearing protection about 50% of the time, and even 100% of the time depending on the assignment. We also had to have a hearing test annually, and received a letter and retest requirement if there was a "threshhold shift". My charts started in 1972 or so, and ended when I retired in 2004. It was a steady decline at first, then a rapid decline towards the end. I trained a lot of young guys starting out over the years, and hearing protection was no joke. I beat it into them from day one and made sure it was not considered "wuss gear" (that's a cleaned up version of the actual term).

I have to hand it to my employer, they spared no expense in hearing protection. Those that work around generators, steam turbines, boilers, and all the auxilary pumps and compressors have a nearly zero chance of escaping hearing damage and loss.

We still get an annual test. Most of us realized early that when welding on pipe the earplugs keep the hot nasties from rolling down into the ear canal. Not a fun experience. Gianni

[Frank46]

Well I'm 61 and just got a hearing aid. Worked around generators, boiler feed pumps, fuel oil pumps and gas turbine. Like some of us the hearing loss was gradual at first but had a hearing test done late last year. I've always worn hearing protection but high decibel levels sustained will do your ears in. My wife
"insisted" I get tested and then the hearing aid. I even wear ear muffs when cutting wood and grass. Just look for the grey haired guys like me who always ask Huh what did you say. Frank

[454PB]

So Frank, what did you get, what did it cost, and would you recommend it to others?

[AZ-Stew]

A couple others stole my thunder on this one. I was hoping to be the first to say, "What??"

I've always said the NRA convention is the world's largest collection of people who say, "What?" If you don't believe me, attend one.

I lost a good portion of mine via the US Navy. 5" guns, ASROC and Standard Missiles, missile launcher machinery, idiot officers who would come up from behind while doing familiarization firing exercises with the M-14 and shoot from a position where their muzzle brake was adjacent to my ear, deck grinders used to remove the non-skid deck coating before replacement, non-stop ventillation fans, etc. The Navy wasn't big on mandating hearing protection for Tin Can sailors back in the 70s.

Lost some of it to my own stupidity, occasionally shooting without muffs (haven't done it for 15-20 years). Lost some to driving many hours in a car with no AC. The wind roaring by the open windows didn't do me any good.

Despite all that, I still have excellent low-frequency hearing. It's just the highs that are gone. The upside is that I'm never bothered by crickets. Down side is that I can't hear a referee's whistle while watching sports. I can hear that the crowd noise disappears at certain times, because the ref's whistle drowns it out, but since I can't hear the whistle, there is a silent spot that I've come to recognize as a signal that the whistle has been blown. We adapt.

Pat's been smart and has kept his hearing. For those youngsters who are new to this forum and to shooting, thank him for his advice about using hearing protection at all times when in a noisy environment. If you do, when you get to be my age, you'll still be able to enjoy music and other sounds I can only remember because I can no longer hear them.

Regards,

Stew

[PatMarlin]

One thing about those SportEARs are they cost bout' $600 - $800 per ear. Amplification and noise reduction in one unit.

When I was in the office to get my impressions done I found out the starting price for hearing aids there were $1895 per EAR!!

And hearing aids have no hearing protection, so I think the SportEars are an increadible value and investment.

[montana_charlie]

At 62 (in a month) I can also claim 100% hearing.

That means I can hear my wife sweetly suggest that I "keep my manure-covered boots out of her clean kitchen"...
no matter which side of me she is screaming from.
CM