Does a battery need to be inserted to program the Alera 77/87 BTE form factor?
Yes, you need to have a battery inserted for programming to occur for this form factor, either with the AirLink or with cables. This is a new requirement for this form factor only at this time.
Is there a thin tube model for the Alera?
Yes, for the Alera 77/87 BTE models.
How do you convert between the 77 (Standard) and 87 (Power) devices?
First, you need to ensure the earhook is correct. For the 77, it should be the filtered earhook, and for the 87, it should be the unfiltered earhook. Next, you should convert the device to the proper form factor in the Aventa fitting software.
Why do you need to convert to the proper power level in the fitting software (Standard or Power)?
Even if you’ve already ensured you have the appropriate earhook (filtered for 77, unfiltered for 87), you need to convert to the 77 or 87 form factor in Aventa for several reasons. First, if the incorrect software is used, the fitting in the software will not be accurate to the actual hearing aid response, in terms of the system calibration, the DFS Ultra calibration, the max gains and max peak output levels. This means the sound quality and possibly even the battery drain will be worse than if software conversion had been completed. Further, failing to convert in the fitting software will result in the printout of the fitting being incongruous to the earhook of the actual hearing device.
How long should a battery last for the Alera 77/87 wireless BTE hearing instrument?
Battery life is dependent on a number of factors: hours usage of wireless, the degree of hearing loss, the features activated in the device, and the surrounding environment. The following is based on real measurements.
AL977/87-DRW : Fitted to be in the middle of the fitting range, Expansion ON, Noise tracker ON, DFS ON, Adaptive directionality ON.
