Unitron Element User manual

Element™
BTE Guide

Table of Contents
Your Element™Hearing Instruments ...............................1
Practical Solutions to Everyday Problems ......................2
Getting the Most Out of Your Element™Hearing
Instruments..................................................................3
Using the Element™BTE Guide .......................................4
Putting Your Element™Hearing Instruments
on Your Ears .................................................................5
Turning Your Element™Hearing Instruments
On and Off ...................................................................6
Feedback-Free Listening .................................................7
Replacing the Battery .....................................................8
Operating Instructions ..................................................10
Assistive Listening Devices ...........................................15
Caring for Your Element™Hearing Instruments.............17
Cleaning Your Element™Hearing Instruments ..............18
Warnings .......................................................................21
Troubleshooting Guide .................................................23
Warning to Hearing Instrument Dispensers ................26

1
Your Element™Hearing Instruments
Hearing Healthcare Professional:__________________________
_____________________________________________________
Telephone: ____________________________________________
Model: _______________________________________________
Serial Number:_________________________________________
Replacement Batteries: Size 13 Size 10
Warranty: _____________________________________________
Use Automatic Program for (if applicable)
1: Quiet
2: Group/Party Noise
Use Manual Program 1 for: ______________________________
Use Manual Program 2 for: ______________________________
Use Manual Program 3 for: ______________________________
Date of Purchase: ______________________________________

2
Practical Solutions to Everyday Problems
Congratulations on choosing your new Element™BTE
(Behind-the-Ear) hearing instruments. For over 40 years,
Unitron Hearing has been committed to making life
better for people with hearing loss. This means a
commitment to developing high-quality hearing
solutions that incorporate special features to solve the
everyday problems and concerns you have with hearing
loss and hearing instruments.
Element includes real problem solving innovations, high-
value advanced features, and delivers exceptional sound
quality in everyday listening environments. Your Element
hearing instrument may include an automatic program
that reads your listening environment and automatically
determines a sound destination that is most effective for
optimal listening as your listening needs change
throughout the day. Three additional manual programs
give you added flexibility to meet your particular
listening needs. Element’s sophisticated adaptive
features offer you the latest in digital technology so your
hearing instruments adapt without the need for manual
adjustments or fiddling by you.

3
Getting the Most Out of Your Element™
Hearing Instruments
Adjusting to your new hearing instruments will take
some time. In the beginning it is important that you do
not use the hearing instruments for longer than is
comfortable. Depending on your previous experience
with hearing instruments, a few hours a day may be
enough and then you can increase wearing time
gradually. Once you have become accustomed to your
hearing devices, you should wear them all day every day
since infrequent use will not permit you to adapt to your
hearing devices and enjoy their full benefits. The quicker
you get used to the everyday sounds around you, the
less you will notice that you are wearing hearing
instruments.

4
Using the Element™BTE Guide
Refer to the table of contents for a complete listing of
the topics covered in this guide.
There are different styles of BTEs available. The
diagrams below identify some of the components on
your hearing devices. Have your hearing healthcare
professional place a check beside the diagram that best
describes your BTE style.
Legend
1 Earhook
2 Slim Tube
3 Microphone and
Microphone Shield
4 Program Button
5 Volume Control
6 Battery Door/On &
Off Switch
7 Dome
8 Retention Piece
BTE with
Volume Control
BTE with
Slim Tube
BTE without
Volume Control
1
3
4
5
6
1
3
4
6
2
3
4
6
7
8

5
Putting Your Element™Hearing
Instruments on Your Ears
BTEs with Slim Tubes
1. Hold the slim tube where it attaches to the dome and
gently push the dome into your ear canal. The slim
tube should lie flush against your head and not stick
out.
2. Place the hearing instrument over the top of your ear.
3. Place the retention piece in your ear so it rests at the
bottom of the opening of your ear canal.
4. Repeat steps 1-3 for your other ear if you wear two
hearing devices.
BTEs with Earhooks
1. Carefully insert the earmold in your ear. The earmold
should fit into your ear snugly and comfortably.
2. Place the hearing instrument over the top of your ear.
3. Repeat steps 1-2 for your other ear if you wear two
hearing devices.

6
Turning Your Element™Hearing Instruments
On and Off
Your hearing instruments have a three-position battery
door that acts as an off/on switch and that allows access
to the battery compartment.
To turn the hearing instrument on, close the battery door
fully. Note: If the start up delay is activated, your
hearing instruments will not turn on for 10-15 seconds
after closing the battery door.
To turn the hearing instrument off, partially open the
battery door. This position allows excess moisture to
vent away from the battery compartment.
To replace the hearing instrument battery, fully open the
battery door for access to the battery compartment.
on off open
Note: When turning your hearing
instrument on and off, grasp the
top and bottom of the
instrument with your index finger
and thumb. Use your thumb to
open and close the battery door.

7
Feedback-Free Listening
Your Element hearing instruments have an optional start
up delay that can be activated by your hearing
healthcare professional. If the start up delay is activated,
your hearing instruments will not turn on for 10-15
seconds even if the battery door is closed fully. The
hearing devices return to the start up delay position
each time you turn your hearing devices on. This allows
you to insert your hearing devices without experiencing
whistling.
If you wear hearing devices now, you may have
experienced whistling from your hearing devices when
you talk, chew, use the telephone or hug someone.
Element’s feedback technology dramatically reduces this
uncomfortable whistling before you or anyone else can
perceive it.

8
Replacing the Battery
1. Gently swing out the battery
compartment door with your
fingernail.
2. Grasp the battery with your
thumb and index finger and
remove.
3. Insert the new battery into the
battery compartment with the
plus (+) sign on the battery
facing the same way as the plus
(+) sign on the edge of the
battery door. This will ensure
that the battery door closes
properly.
Note: If the battery is inserted
incorrectly, the door will not close.
4. Close the battery compartment
door.
Plus (+)
Signs
Plus (+)
Signs

9
Low Battery Warning
When you hear one long beep, your hearing devices are
warning you that their batteries are low. You will hear the
warning approximately every 30 minutes until you
change the batteries or the batteries die. After the first
warning, you may experience some reduction in sound
quality. This is normal and can be remedied by inserting
fresh batteries in the hearing devices. If you prefer, your
hearing healthcare professional can change the pitch
and loudness of the low battery beep or turn it off
entirely.
Caring for Batteries
• Always discard batteries carefully.
• To prolong battery life, remember to turn your hearing
devices off when not in use.
• Remove the batteries and keep the battery door open
while hearing devices are not in use. This will allow
internal moisture to evaporate.
Battery Warnings
• Never leave hearing devices or batteries where small
children and pets can reach them.
• Never put hearing devices or batteries in your mouth.
If a hearing device or battery is swallowed, call a
physician immediately.

10
Operating Instructions
Changing Programs on Your Element™Hearing
Instruments
Your Element hearing instruments may have an
automatic program and up to three additional manual
programs. Element’s automatic program will satisfy most
of your listening needs by adjusting to different listening
environments without requiring manual adjustments. Up
to three additional manual programs can be individually
tailored by your hearing healthcare professional to meet
your particular listening needs.
Your hearing devices are equipped with a push-button
for switching between programs. Each time you push the
program button, you will move to a new program. Your
hearing devices beep to indicate which program you are
in (i.e. one beep for program 1, two beeps for program 2,
etc.) If you prefer, your hearing healthcare professional
can adjust the pitch and loudness of the program beep
or turn it off entirely.
Adjusting the Volume
The volume on your hearing devices may adjust
automatically in response to the loud or quiet sounds
around you. If you have a manual volume control, you
can further adjust the volume on your hearing devices.
The manual volume control is numbered one to four. One
indicates that the volume is at the minimum level and

four indicates that the volume is at the maximum level.
Rotate the volume control upward to increase the volume
or downward to decrease the volume. Note that your
volume control may be disabled by your hearing
healthcare professional and, therefore, could be inactive.
Before changing the volume on your hearing devices,
secure the device on your ear with your index finger and
thumb. Then using your thumb, rotate the volume control
up or down.
Setting Your Ideal Volume
Element hearing instruments with manual volume control
have an ideal volume indicator. A single beep indicates
when the volume control has reached its ideal level for
your particular hearing loss, as pre-set by your hearing
healthcare professional.
Listening in Windy Environments
Element’s wind noise manager will engage automatically
based on whether wind conditions are moderate or high.
When the wind noise manager is engaged, sounds such
as speech, may become quieter because the wind noise
manager is working to reduce the loud noise produced by
wind. When you are no longer in a windy environment,
the wind noise manager will not be active and desirable
sounds, such as speech, will once again become louder.
11

12
Listening in Quiet and Noisy Environments
Your Element hearing instruments have a directional
microphone system to meet your listening needs in
different environments. The directional system focuses
on sounds in front of you (i.e., speech) while reducing
sounds from the sides or behind you (i.e., noise). Your
Element may have an advanced directional microphone
system that adjusts automatically to changing noise
levels and tracks moving noise sources. Your hearing
healthcare professional can tell you how your directional
system has been customized for you and which listening
programs have the directional microphones activated.
In addition, Element contains technology that identifies
and minimizes sudden impulse sounds that many
hearing instrument wearers find irritatingly loud such as
slamming doors or clattering dishes. This technology is
designed to increase listening comfort in adverse
listening situations without impacting sound quality or
your ability to understand conversations.
Replacing the Microphone Protectors
Your Element hearing instruments have a shield to
protect the microphones from dirt and debris. Debris on
the microphone protector reduces the sound quality of
the instrument. You should have the microphone
protectors replaced by your hearing healthcare
professional approximately every three months to
ensure optimal sound quality.

13
Using Element™with the Telephone
Element has the ability, depending on hearing loss, vent
size and style of hearing instrument to provide feedback-
free phone use without program changes. For many
wearers this means, when the phone rings, all you have
to do is pick up the telephone and hold it to your ear
normally. In some situations when using a cell phone, you
may experience digital interference that sounds like
static, buzzing or beeping. If you experience interference,
increase the distance between your hearing instrument
and the phone receiver.
Easy-t for the Telephone or Cell/Mobile Phone
Element can also come equipped with an optional easy-t
(automatic telephone switch) that can help you listen on
the telephone. Easy-t automatically switches your hearing
instrument into a telephone listening mode with hearing
instrument compatible phones. You will hear a short
melody to indicate you are in the telephone (easy-t)
program. If your phone is hearing instrument compatible,
it will have a magnetic coil and the easy-t will activate
automatically when the telephone is held to the ear. Once
the telephone is removed from the ear, the hearing
instrument will switch back to the normal listening mode.
Since the location and strength of the magnetic coil varies
among phone manufacturers, it may be necessary to
move the telephone receiver slightly to find the best
reception. If the hearing instrument does not switch to

14
the telephone program automatically when the telephone
receiver is placed in proximity, the magnet for easy-t
hearing instruments should be attached to the telephone
receiver. The magnet is designed to strengthen the
magnetic field at the ear piece of hearing instrument
compatible telephones.
To affix the easy-t magnet:
1. Clean the telephone receiver.
2. Hold the magnet near the “listening end” of your
telephone receiver and release it (Figure 1). The
magnet will flip to the appropriate side and seek the
optimal position on the telephone receiver.
3. Place the double-sided tape in this optimal position on
the telephone receiver (Figure 2) and attach the
magnet to the tape (Figure 3).
Warnings
• Be sure the magnet is securely affixed to the telephone.
• Keep loose magnets out of reach of children and pets.
• If the magnet falls into your ear, contact your hearing
healthcare professional.
Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3

• If the magnet is swallowed, contact your physician
immediately.
• The magnet may affect some medical devices or
electronic systems. Always keep the magnet (or the
telephone equipped with the magnet) at least 30 cm
(12”) away from pacemakers, credit cards, floppy
disks or other magnetically sensitive devices.
• Too high distortion during dialing or phoning may
mean that the phone handset is stressed by the
magnet. To avoid any damage, please move the
magnet to another place on the telephone receiver.
Assistive Listening Devices
Listening in Public Places
Element’s optional telecoil can also help you listen in
public places equipped with telecoil compatible assistive
listening devices such as a loop system. If your hearing
instruments do not operate when the telecoil is on, the
loop system may not be operating or you may be in a
“dead” spot. Try positioning yourself in a different part
of the looped area or return your hearing instruments to
the microphone position and sit as close to
the speaker as possible.
Connecting to External Audio Sources
Your Element hearing instruments may
feature optional direct audio input (DAI) to
15

16
connect to other audio sources such as a stereo or
television. You will need to purchase the direct audio
input system and a connector cord from your hearing
healthcare professional before you can connect to
external audio sources.
DAI can also be used to fit your hearing instruments with
an assistive listening device, such as a FM system, which
you may purchase to improve listening in difficult
situations.
Note: If your hearing instruments are the small BTE style
that requires size 10 batteries (Moda), your hearing
instruments are not compatible with direct audio input,
MicroLink MLx or an FM system. However, hearing
instruments that use size 13 batteries are compatible.
Refer to your battery package for the size of your hearing
instrument batteries or consult with your hearing
healthcare professional for more information.
Listening Over Distance
Your Element hearing instruments may be compatible
with Phonak’s MicroLink™Receiver Module, a wireless FM
system that improves listening over distance. The MLx FM
receiver module connects to the direct audio input
system and is powered by the hearing instrument battery.
Using FM and Infrared Systems
Some FM systems consist of a teleloop worn around the
neck, which is connected to the FM receiver worn on a belt