Beltone 86 User manual

User guide
Beltone Behind-The-Ear power hearing aids, Rechargeable

Hearing aid information
Left hearing aid Right hearing aid
Serial number Serial number
Model number Model number
Battery type £Rechargeable
Program Beep Description
1 One beep
2 Two beeps
3 Three beeps
4 Four beeps
2

Table of Contents
Introduction 5
Getting to know your hearing aid 8
Charging your hearing aids 9
Placing your hearing aids in your ears 11
Removing your hearing aids from your ears 13
Using your hearing aids 14
Advanced options 26
Wireless accessories 29
Cleaning and caring for your hearing aids 33
Tinnitus Management 40
General warnings and cautions 49
Cyber security warnings 53
Troubleshooting 54
Warnings to hearing care professionals (US only) 57
Regulatory information 60
Technical specifications 65
Additional information 67
3

4

Introduction
Thank you for choosing Beltone hearing aids. We recommend that you use your hearing aids every day.
NOTE: Read this booklet carefully BEFORE using your hearing aids.
Intended purpose
•The hearing aid is intended to compensate for hearing impairment by amplifying and transmitting sound to the
ear.
Target group/User profile
•The hearing aid is intended to be used by adults and children 12 years of age or older.
•The hearing aid is intended to be used by lay persons.
•The hearing aid is intended to be fitted by qualified hearing care professionals.
Therapeutic indications
•Sensorineural, conductive or mixed hearing loss.
Contra-indications
A hearing care professional should advise a prospective hearing aid user to consult promptly with a licensed
physician (preferably an ear specialist) before dispensing a hearing aid, if the hearing aid dispenser determines
through inquiry, actual observation, or review of any other available information concerning the prospective user,
that the prospective user has any of the following conditions:
•Visible congenital or traumatic deformity of the ear.
Introduction 5

•History of active drainage from the ear within the previous 90 days.
•History of sudden or rapidly progressive hearing loss within the previous 90 days.
•Acute or chronic dizziness.
•Unilateral hearing loss of sudden or recent onset within the previous 90 days.
•Audiometric air-bone gap equal to or greater than 15dB at 500 Hertz (Hz), 1000 Hz, and 2000Hz.
•Visible evidence of significant cerumen accumulation or a foreign body in the ear canal.
•Pain or discomfort in the ear.
Side effects
If you experience side effects, contact your hearing care professional. Possible side effects from wearing a
hearing aid may be:
•Dizziness
•Tinnitus
•Perceived worsening of hearing loss
•Nausea
•Skin reaction
•Ear wax accumulation
6Introduction

Symbols
WARNING: Points out a situation that
could lead to serious injuries.
Legal manufacturer.
CAUTION: Indicates a situation that could
lead to minor and moderate injuries.
MD
Medical Device.
NOTE: Advice and tips on how to handle
your hearing aid better.
By prescription only (US).
Follow instructions for use. Complies with ACMA requirements.
Equipment includes an RF transmitter. Complies with IMDA requirements.
Product is a Type B applied part.
UDI
Unique Device Identification.
Date of manufacture.
Do not dispose of your hearing aids and batteries with ordinary household waste. Your hearing aids and
batteries should be disposed of at sites intended for electronic waste or returned to your hearing care
professional for safe disposal.
Please ask your local hearing care professional concerning disposal of your hearing aid.
NOTE: There may be specific regulations in your country.
Introduction 7

Getting to know your hearing aid
Model 86
1. Earmould
2. Tube
3. Microphone inlets
4. LED green indicator light
(See page 14)
5. Program button
6. Volume control
7. Left/Right identification
Left=blue.Right=red.
8. DAI(Direct Audio Input) connector
1
2
3
4
6
5
3
7
8
NOTE: Use only original consumables from Beltone, e.g. tubes.
8Getting to know your hearing aid

Charging your hearing aids
We recommend that you fully charge your hearing aids before using them. This is just a precaution to make sure
that you don't run out of power unexpectedly. To learn how to charge your hearing aids, please consult the user
guide for your hearing aid charger.
Battery warnings
WARNING:
•Rechargeable hearing aids contain Li-Ion batteries. Exposure or ingestion can be seriously harmful.
•Never put your rechargeable hearing aid in your mouth. Keep your rechargeable hearing aid away
from pets, children and people with cognitive, intellectual or mental health challenges.
•If a Li-Ion battery or a rechargeable hearing aid is swallowed, seek immediate medical attention.
•If the outer casing of your rechargeable hearing aid is broken, the rechargeable batteries inside may
leak. In this case, do not attempt to use the hearing aid – contact your hearing care professional.
•Battery leakage can cause chemical burns. If you get exposed to battery leakage material, rinse
immediately with warm water. If you get chemical burns, redness or skin irritation from battery leakage,
seek medical attention.
•Batteries are harmful for the environment. Therefore, never try to burn them – dispose of your used
rechargeable hearing aids according to your country’s regulations or return them to your hearing care
professional.
Charging your hearing aids 9

•For safety reasons, use only the charger provided with your hearing aid.
•When traveling, consult your airline about any rules for transportation of your hearing aid and charger.
Low battery alert
When the batteries are low on power, the volume in your hearing aids will momentarily reduce and a melody will
play every 15minutes until there is no more power - then your hearing aids will turn off.
10 Charging your hearing aids

Placing your hearing aids in your ears
How to tell left from right
Left hearing aid (blue marking) Right hearing aid (red marking) Colour marking shown here
CAUTION: If you have two hearing aids, they may be programmed differently. Do not swap them as this
could damage your hearing.
Your hearing aids are colour-coded. Left=blue.Right=red.
If your hearing aids are not colour coded, ask your hearing care professional to add colour coding.
Placing your hearing aids in your ears 11

Inserting earmoulds into your ears
1. Hold the earmould between
your thumb and index finger and
position its sound outlet in your
ear canal.
2. Slide the earmould all the way
into your ear with a gentle,
twisting movement.
3. Turn the top part of the
earmould gently backwards and
forwards so it tucks behind the
fold of skin above your ear
canal. Move the earmould up
and down and gently press it to
place it correctly in the ear.
4. Place the hearing aid firmly
behind the ear and make sure it
sits securely. When properly
inserted, your hearing aids
should fit snugly and
comfortably.
NOTE: It may be helpful to pull your ear up and outward with your opposite hand during insertion. By
experimenting, you may discover an easier method.
CAUTION: Never attempt to modify the shape of the hearing aid, earmoulds or tubing yourself.
12 Placing your hearing aids in your ears

Removing your hearing aids from your ears
1. Lift the hearing aid from behind your
ear. Let it hang beside your ear
momentarily.
2. Using your thumb and index finger, gently pull the earmould
(not the hearing aid or the tube) loose from your ear. Remove
the earmould completely by twisting it gently.
Removing your hearing aids from your ears 13

Using your hearing aids
Turning your hearing aids on and off
To turn your hearing aids on or off, press the push button for
5seconds.
Pressing the button for other lengths of time enables other
functions such as flight mode and streaming. These are described
elsewhere in this manual.
Your hearing aids will automatically go into sleep mode when you
place them in the turned-on charger, and they will automatically
reactivate when you remove them from the turned-on charger.
Your hearing aids always start in program1 at the pre-set volume.
NOTE: If the charger is disconnected during use, the hearing aids in the charger will turn off.
Explanation of indicator lights on the hearing aid:
•One 2-second green blink: The hearing aid turns on and is in operating mode.
•Three 1-second green blinks: The hearing aid turns off.
•When the hearing aid is present in the charger, green indicator lights pulsate: The hearing aid is recharging.
•When the hearing aid is present in the charger, green indicator lights are steadily on: The hearing aid is fully
charged.
14 Using your hearing aids

Delayed Activation
Delayed Activation delays the time before your hearing aid turns on after you remove the hearing aid from the
charger. With this function activated, you will hear a beep for each second of the delay period (either 5 or 10
seconds).
NOTE: If you do not want to use this function, ask your hearing care professional to deactivate it.
Adjusting the volume
Your hearing aid automatically adjusts the volume depending on your listening situation.
However, if your hearing aid has a volume control, you can adjust the volume according to your preferences.
To increase the volume, briefly press the top part of the
volume control button.
To reduce the volume, briefly press the bottom
part of the button.
You can also adjust the volume by means of a Beltone remote control or the Beltone HearMax™ app.
Using your hearing aids 15

When you change the volume, the hearing aid responds with a beep. When you reach the upper or lower limits,
the hearing aid responds with a low-pitched beep.
Your hearing aid can be programmed with an additional function for the volume control: "Long press on the
bottom part of the button". The available functions are:
•Minimum volume: volume will immediately reduce to lowest setting, or
•Mute: the hearing aid will be muted.
To resume normal volume, repeat the long press on the bottom part of the button.
NOTE:
•If you have two hearing aids with the Synchronised Volume Control function enabled, volume control
adjustments to one hearing aid automatically repeat in the second hearing aid. When you change the
volume in one of the hearing aids, it responds with one or more beeps. A beep in the second hearing
aid follows.
•Your hearing care professional can disable the volume control.
Listening programs
Your hearing care professional can activate one or more listening programs in your hearing aids. These
programs can help you in specific situations. Ask your hearing care professional about which programs could be
useful for you.
16 Using your hearing aids

Programs Use
All-Around The best option if you want only one program.
Restaurant For use in noisy places such as restaurants and social gatherings.
Music For listening to music.
Acoustic phone A special program for phone conversations.
Outdoor For outdoor use.
Telecoil phone + Mic For use if you have a phone with a telecoil.
Telecoil loop + Mic For use in places that have a teleloop system such as theatres
and places of worship.
Ultra-Focus For use only in very noisy places
(more focused than the Restaurant program).
Changing program
Your hearing aid has a push button which allows you to select from several
listening programs.
Push the button to change program. You will then hear one or more beeps.
The number of beeps indicates which program you have selected (one
beep= program 1, two beeps= program 2 and so on).
You can also change programs using a Beltone remote control or the Beltone HearMax™ app.
Using your hearing aids 17

NOTE:
•If you have two hearing aids with synchronisation enabled, a change of program on one hearing aid
automatically applies to the second hearing aid as well. The same number of beeps will then sound in
the second hearing aid.
•When you turn the hearing aids off and on again, they always start up in program 1 and your pre-set
volume level.
Using teleloop systems with your hearing aid
Telecoil (Optional)
The Telecoil function may help to improve understanding of speech with Hearing Aid Compatible (HAC)1
telephones and in theatres, cinemas, houses of worship, etc. that have a teleloop installed.
When you select the Telecoil function, your hearing aid picks up signals from the teleloop or your HAC telephone.
Your hearing care professional can activate the Telecoil program.
NOTE:
•The telecoil does not work without a teleloop (that is, an induction loop) or an HAC telephone.
•If you are having trouble hearing with the telecoil, ask your hearing care professional to modify the
function.
1Some smartphones are hearing aid compatible (HAC).The HACphone establishes a small hearing loop that your hearing aids can connect to.The telecoil picks
up the HAC phone's signal and converts it to sound.
18 Using your hearing aids

•If there is no sound from your hearing aids in a teleloop system with an active Telecoil function, the
teleloop system may not be turned on or may not be operating correctly.
•The sound from the teleloop and the hearing aid microphones can be mixed according to your
preference. Ask your hearing care professional for more details.
•When you want to stop the telecoil function, change to another listening program.
Using a telephone
Your hearing aid allows you to use your telephone as you normally do. Finding the
optimal position for holding the phone may require practice.
The following suggestions may be helpful:
1. Hold the telephone up to your ear canal or hold it close to the hearing aid
microphones as illustrated.
2. If you hear whistling, try holding the telephone in the same position for a few
seconds. The hearing aid may be able to cancel the whistling.
3. You can also try holding the telephone slightly away from the ear.
NOTE:
•If you find it difficult to get a good result while using your mobile phone, your hearing care professional
can give you advice on available wireless accessories to enhance listening capabilities.
•Depending on your needs, your hearing care professional may activate a function specifically for
telephone use.
Using your hearing aids 19

•If you have a mobile device, you can pair it to connect directly to your hearing aids. See "Advanced
options", page 26.
Mobile phones
Your hearing aids comply with the most stringent Standards of International Electromagnetic Compatibility. Any
degree of disturbance can be due to the nature of your particular mobile phone or of your wireless telephone
service provider.
Auto-Phone (optional)
If you place a magnet on the telephone receiver, your hearing aids will automatically switch the telephone
program on when the receiver is close to your ear.
When you remove the receiver from your ear, the hearing aids automatically return to the previous listening
program.
NOTE: Ask your hearing care professional to enable Auto-Phone in your hearing aids.
20 Using your hearing aids