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Not actually Erin. & is used with permission. |
I was at
LibertyCon last weekend, and anyone who has attended conventions knows that they can be noisy from everyone talking, which can lead to headaches and possibly sensory overload. Conversely, some of the convention rooms can have poor sound systems -- or sometimes not even have microphones at all -- and when combined with guests who mumble or refuse to raise their voice, they can be hard to hear even for people who don't have hearing damage like I do.
If you are easily overstimulated by loud noises, or wish you had a way to amplify conversations, or both, then I have a solution for you:
Walker's Hearing Enhancer Earbuds. These earbuds have 29db noise reduction, making them suitable for use at the range, but like bulkier electronic earmuffs they also come with a microphone to amplify conversations. As you can see from the picture below, the controls are on the earbud "rope" itself, which makes turning them on and off or adjusting the volume easy and convenient.
These earbuds are rechargeable via a micro-USB port and have a battery life of approximately 15 hours. I used mine nearly all day Saturday and I didn't run out of battery, nor did I experience any discomfort.
Like nearly all amplified hearing there will be an audible "hiss" when them in their powered mode, but this is an unavoidable characteristic in all but the most expensive devices; my father had a set of
prescription hearing aids by Signia and they had a similar hissing sound when active.
If I had one complaint, it would be that there is no way to toggle between "Amplify everything around me" and "Amplify only what is in front of me", which would be great for conversations in noisy areas, but that's asking an awful lot from a $50 piece of equipment.
There is also a
Bluetooth version which can be used to listen to music, but not make telephone calls. This version used to be much more expensive but is actually a dollar less than the non-BT version, so if you want to be able to listen to music while blocking out other noises get that one instead.
Changing the topic completely, a few weeks ago I discussed the
benefits of using UV cured liquid plastic resin for repairs. Well, my Bondic ran out of juice and instead of paying $15 for 8 grams of resin, I decided to buy in bulk and got myself a
100 gram bottle of it for $10. While I am happy with this resin, it is thicker and my usual methods of UV curing took longer. Being an impatient person, I sought to remedy this with a stronger light, preferably one that I didn't have to hold. I found that solution with
this UV LED lamp. With over 15,000 ratings and priced at only $7, I thought it was worth the gamble. So far, I am very happy with its performance, and even if it breaks within a few months of use (unlikely given its reviews) it will have paid for itself in its convenience.
One click of the power button turns it on for one minute, a second click for three minutes, and a third turns it off. Pressing and holding the button turns it on without a timer. I haven't had to use that setting; I've found that 60 seconds is enough for most resin, and 3 minutes will definitely handle the rest.
As a bonus, if you or a family member use gel nail polish on your nails, then this can be used to cure that as well. (It won't work on traditional nail lacquer).
Other than saying that I'm very happy with my purchases, that's all I have for now. As always, stay prepped or get wrecked.
FTC disclaimer: I bought these items with my own money and I wasn't paid for this review. Go away.
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