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Smoke detectors for the elderly Robert Green 10-03-2009
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Posted by Robert Green on October 3, 2009, 11:27 am


I was at an elderly friend's house the other day when the smoke alarm went
off. It was quite loud and I reacted instantly to the noise. My friend, a
former Army marksman in his 70's, who's suffering from profound high
frequency hearing loss, heard nothing!!!

Then I started looking around for alarms that used lower frequency sounders
but the only thing I could find were specially converted smoke detectors
that cost $300!!!!

I'm wondering why COTS alarms operate at such a high sound frequency,
especially when it's well known that older adults lose their high frequency
hearing first. I have been thinking of just unsoldering the Sonalert
sounders in low priced alarms and replacing them with lower frequency
sounders, but that could compromise the detector's ability to sense smoke if
the replacement sounder has sufficiently different electrical
characteristics.

Does anyone know of a *reasonably* priced smoke detector whose sounder is
audible to people with high frequency hearing loss? I'd like to buy a
couple of such detectors for him, but the price on the only unit I've found
would bring the bill to over $1200 for four detectors, and that's just
unreasonable. I know what goes into making a smoke detector and 10x the
cost of the parts still wouldn't bring the price that high.

The idea that smokes use sounders that can't be heard by a lot of elderly
people seems pretty unreasonable to me as well.

Surely someone out there makes a smoke detector or combo smoke/CO detector
(even better) that makes a sound people with typical hearing loss could hear
a little better.

BTW, we can skip flashing light smoke detectors. BT, DT, GTS! He's got a
phone ringer/flasher that he never hears or sees. The unit's flasher can't
really be seen in daytime easily and the electronic ringer again uses a tone
in the 5000Hz and above range and is inaudible to him. FWIW, based on some
simple tests I did with CoolEdit, a PC program that allows you to create any
audible tone, he can hear most stuff below 4000Hz. Yes he has a hearing aid
but no, he does not sleep with it in.

Thanks in advance for your help.

--
Bobby G.



Posted by fftt on October 3, 2009, 12:04 pm


> I was at an elderly friend's house the other day when the smoke alarm wen=
t
> off. =A0It was quite loud and I reacted instantly to the noise. =A0My fri=
end, a
> former Army marksman in his 70's, who's suffering from profound high
> frequency hearing loss, heard nothing!!!
> Then I started looking around for alarms that used lower frequency sounde=
rs
> but the only thing I could find were specially converted smoke detectors
> that cost $300!!!!
> I'm wondering why COTS alarms operate at such a high sound frequency,
> especially when it's well known that older adults lose their high frequen=
cy
> hearing first. =A0I have been thinking of just unsoldering the Sonalert
> sounders in low priced alarms and replacing them with lower frequency
> sounders, but that could compromise the detector's ability to sense smoke=
if
> the replacement sounder has sufficiently different electrical
> characteristics.
> Does anyone know of a *reasonably* priced smoke detector whose sounder is
> audible to people with high frequency hearing loss? =A0I'd like to buy a
> couple of such detectors for him, but the price on the only unit I've fou=
nd
> would bring the bill to over $1200 for four detectors, and that's just
> unreasonable. =A0I know what goes into making a smoke detector and 10x th=
e
> cost of the parts still wouldn't bring the price that high.
> The idea that smokes use sounders that can't be heard by a lot of elderly
> people seems pretty unreasonable to me as well.
> Surely someone out there makes a smoke detector or combo smoke/CO detecto=
r
> (even better) that makes a sound people with typical hearing loss could h=
ear
> a little better.
> BTW, we can skip flashing light smoke detectors. =A0BT, DT, GTS! He's got=
a
> phone ringer/flasher that he never hears or sees. =A0The unit's flasher c=
an't
> really be seen in daytime easily and the electronic ringer again uses a t=
one
> in the 5000Hz and above range and is inaudible to him. =A0FWIW, based on =
some
> simple tests I did with CoolEdit, a PC program that allows you to create =
any
> audible tone, he can hear most stuff below 4000Hz. =A0Yes he has a hearin=
g aid
> but no, he does not sleep with it in.
> Thanks in advance for your help.
> --
> Bobby G.

Cheaper than $300 but still kinda expensive

http://www.independentliving.com/prodinfo.asp?number=3DSC509

cheers
Bob

Posted by Robert Green on October 4, 2009, 11:16 am


> I was at an elderly friend's house the other day when the smoke alarm went
> off. It was quite loud and I reacted instantly to the noise. My friend, a
> former Army marksman in his 70's, who's suffering from profound high
> frequency hearing loss, heard nothing!!!
> Then I started looking around for alarms that used lower frequency
sounders
> but the only thing I could find were specially converted smoke detectors
> that cost $300!!!!

<stuff snipped>

Cheaper than $300 but still kinda expensive

http://www.independentliving.com/prodinfo.asp?number=SC509

cheers
Bob

Thanks, Bob. I just don't understand why using a lower-frequency sounder
adds so darn much to the cost! There HAS to be a cheaper solution and I'm
going out to Sprawl-Mart and some other stores to see what I can find. This
is one case where on-site shopping might very well beat out on-line
shopping.

--
Bobby G.



Posted by Joe on October 3, 2009, 12:15 pm


> I was at an elderly friend's house the other day when the smoke alarm wen=
t
> off. =A0It was quite loud and I reacted instantly to the noise. =A0My fri=
end, a
> former Army marksman in his 70's, who's suffering from profound high
> frequency hearing loss, heard nothing!!!
> Then I started looking around for alarms that used lower frequency sounde=
rs
> but the only thing I could find were specially converted smoke detectors
> that cost $300!!!!
> I'm wondering why COTS alarms operate at such a high sound frequency,
> especially when it's well known that older adults lose their high frequen=
cy
> hearing first. =A0I have been thinking of just unsoldering the Sonalert
> sounders in low priced alarms and replacing them with lower frequency
> sounders, but that could compromise the detector's ability to sense smoke=
if
> the replacement sounder has sufficiently different electrical
> characteristics.
> Does anyone know of a *reasonably* priced smoke detector whose sounder is
> audible to people with high frequency hearing loss? =A0I'd like to buy a
> couple of such detectors for him, but the price on the only unit I've fou=
nd
> would bring the bill to over $1200 for four detectors, and that's just
> unreasonable. =A0I know what goes into making a smoke detector and 10x th=
e
> cost of the parts still wouldn't bring the price that high.
> The idea that smokes use sounders that can't be heard by a lot of elderly
> people seems pretty unreasonable to me as well.
> Surely someone out there makes a smoke detector or combo smoke/CO detecto=
r
> (even better) that makes a sound people with typical hearing loss could h=
ear
> a little better.
> BTW, we can skip flashing light smoke detectors. =A0BT, DT, GTS! He's got=
a
> phone ringer/flasher that he never hears or sees. =A0The unit's flasher c=
an't
> really be seen in daytime easily and the electronic ringer again uses a t=
one
> in the 5000Hz and above range and is inaudible to him. =A0FWIW, based on =
some
> simple tests I did with CoolEdit, a PC program that allows you to create =
any
> audible tone, he can hear most stuff below 4000Hz. =A0Yes he has a hearin=
g aid
> but no, he does not sleep with it in.
> Thanks in advance for your help.
> --
> Bobby G.

Seems to me someone in our dysfunctional Congress needs to address
this issue. Or maybe Consumer Reports or AARP could launch a campaign.
We supposedly have Consumer Product Safety working for us, but they
seem to be asleep except for traces of lead in Chinese toy paint.
On the technical side, what do you audio experts think of having a
raunchy sounding dual tone that would generate a beat frequency that
would be even more (maybe disagreeably) audible?

Joe

Posted by Stormin Mormon on October 3, 2009, 3:18 pm


I'm all for it. Joe for congress!

--
Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
.



Seems to me someone in our dysfunctional Congress needs to
address
this issue. Or maybe Consumer Reports or AARP could launch a
campaign.
We supposedly have Consumer Product Safety working for us,
but they
seem to be asleep except for traces of lead in Chinese toy
paint.
On the technical side, what do you audio experts think of
having a
raunchy sounding dual tone that would generate a beat
frequency that
would be even more (maybe disagreeably) audible?

Joe



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