If you're confused about signaling systems, you're not alone! They are one of the trickiest things to buy. That's why we put together these signaling system basics to make your purchase easier. Remember, if you're confused at any time, you can always call us 1.888.328.2974 V/TTY or email questions@hsdcstore.com.
1. What do signaling systems do?
There are many things in our environment that rely on sound to get a person's attention. Phones and doorbells ring. Smoke detectors sound an alarm. Babies wake their parents up at night by crying. These systems work well, however, they do not take the Deaf community or people with hearing loss into consideration. That's where signaling systems come in. They use visual or vibrational cues to alert Deaf and hard of hearing people about the visitor at the door, the smoke alarm, or the crying infant. They flash a light or vibrate in order to get the person's attention.
2. Types of signaling systems.
There are two main types of signaling systems: stand-alone units and transmitter-receiver systems.
- Stand-Alone Units can only address one
issue. For example, a hard of hearing woman wants her desk
lamp to flash to alert her that the phone is ringing. She
can purchase a Telephone
Ring Signaler
that will accomplish this. This device plugs into her phone
line and has a plug-in for her lamp. It uses the very
same signal that generates a ring on her home telephone
to flash the lamp.
This stand-alone signaling solution works well as long as the woman is in the same room with the lamp to see it flash. But what if she lives in a house with multiple rooms? - That's
where the second type of signaling system comes in handy. Transmitter-receiver
systems have two or more parts--(you guessed it) a transmitter
and one or more
receivers. You need both or nothing will happen. One is
useless without the other. Think of the transmitter as a
quarterback who throws the ball to the
receiver. Unless the receiver
is there to catch it, the pass is no good.
Now, our woman decides to purchase a Telephone Ring Signaler TR75, which has a transmitter. She has transmitter, she needs a receiver.
Here's another tricky part though, only certain receivers work with certain brands of transmitters. So, it's important to purchase compatible parts. We've tried to note which products are compatible in the details section of each product. However, if you're still not sure, call us at 206.328.6872 V/TTY in the Seattle area or 1.888.328.2974 V/TTY nationwide or email questions@hsdcstore.com.
As was the case in the first scenario, our hard of hearing woman plugs the phone line into the ring signaler (remember, this one is also a transmitter!) and sets up three receivers--one in her den, one in her living room, and the third in her bedroom. Now, when the phone rings in the den, she is alerted in these three rooms. She no longer needs to be in the same room to see it ring. This is the benefit of the transmitter-receiver systems--they can send out a signal to multiple receivers simultaneously.
The other benefit to transmitter-receiver systems is that some of them can send out separate signals to different kinds of receivers. Based on the different transmission signals and receivers, your signaling system can alert you that the phone is ringing, that there's a fire in the kitchen, and that the baby's crying. You just need to get the right kind of transmitter and compatible receivers. If this is the sort of elaborate set up you need, we really suggest that you call us at 206.328.6872 V/TTY in the Seattle area or 1.888.328.2974 V/TTY nationwide or email questions@hsdcstore.com, and let us help you find the right system for you..
