Monitor hearing loops

Hearing loops is a great technology that help people to hear better in public venues all over the world. However the technology is invisible and it is not clear to everyone when it functions or not. Also it is widely common with tick-box-sales of hearing loops which means they are sold at the lowest possible price point with the aim to just tick a box and say somthing has been done to comply to a law or requirement, but with minimum or no value for hard of hearing people. Therefor the international standard for hearing loops has been updated so that all hearing loops also should include fixed and portable monitor systems.

A fixed monitor device such as T-SIGN should be installed so that non technical staff and audience easy can verify the function of the hearing loop system. Care should be taken so that it is not disturbing.

A portable monitor device such as Companion Loop Listener should be used by assigned staff to check the performance of the full hearing loop system based on sound quality and inteference.

2010 - First publication of IEC 62489-1 is released. It is a standard to define the components of the hearing loop system and how to mea.sure them.
2014- IEC 62489-1 AMD 1 is released that also stipulates that hearing loops should be equipoped with a fixed and portable monitoring system.
2018 - The implementation of monitoring in hearing loop system is valid from January 2018.

IEC 62489-1 AMD 1 can be purchased here.