Do we do the beer before or after the summit 
Ahhh health and safety so it will have to be after or instead!
73
Dave
(M6RUG)
Dave, a couple of thoughts, speaking as somebody with moderate hearing loss (a hearing aid on each ear)ā¦
Yes, the isolating ear phones sound like a good idea. Thatās what I do with my FT-817 or MTR and it works well for me (except I could do with some more gain on the MTR, so stations less than S5 might not make it!). I probably appear a little rude to passing hikers when they get no reply to their comments though!
Usually I am also running a VX7 which has Yaesuās funny waterproof 3.5mm socket, presenting a bit of a problem. And if anybody on 2m wants to attract my attention whilst Iām doing HF they need to shout really really loud!
What I would ultimately like to do is go Bluetooth for everything, but there is no prospect of the hospital giving me Bluetooth aids in the short to medium term.
Another option you could investigate is a neck loop (or typically nowadays a pair of small loops that rest over each ear) with your aids switched to āTā, with or possible without an additional amplifier to drive them. I did look at this briefly and it seemed a possibility, despite potential for interference from the RF.
Also you should be able to use shoes on your aids for direct input via an appropriate cable. Unfortunately my Danalogic aids donāt have suitable accessories as the suppliers concluded they were a bit rubbish. Maybe youāll have more luck.
What I do for logging when Iāve got my paper log packed away is I record the QSO on my phone. In another thread ([Audio recording][1]) we talked about this and dedicated recorders. Obviously there is an issue here with the earphones or whatever being plugged in, but perhaps some combination with a Y adaptor could work out? These are readily available, to allow two 3.5-mm devices to be connected to one socket. So maybe your āwing-manā could plug in a second pair, or it could go straight to a recorder (but then thereās the issue of getting the TX audio).
73, Simon
[1]: Audio recording
You are clearly new to this game. Before AND after.
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I wonāt mention the name of a certain activator from Buxton who does is during as well
I will ponder this one for a while before a full response as there are quite a few variables. Hearing aids donāt work for me. The NHS ones are certainly better than they used to be and they are beneficial in a quiet room with a one on one conversation. Introducing another conversation, music, PSU or even a noisy fluorescent tube makes them totally useless!
The upper and lower frequency loss is one thing, the chronic tinnitus in combination with the other problems is another.
A spark of an idea - be back in a bit
73
Dave
(M6RUG)
Hi Simon
Hearing aids are only used when I am in a quiet room such as GPās surgery and they work fine but they drive me mad outside of quiet environments.
In the shack I have an Elad FDM-S2 SDR receiver which appears as a sound card on the PC. I take the line out of the PC and into a pair of 40w amplified Logitech speakers. I plug the isolation headphones into the speakers. This gives sufficient amplification and external noise isolation and generally, works very well.
IQ0s and tuners can give you a nasty shock though! a couple of weeks ago I was working someone on a SOTA in Poland and a local ham - about half a mile away - called him with 400 watts into his beam pointing straight at me and the activator - took a hour or two to recover that one !!!
I have been using isolation headphones for quite sometime before I got my license and use them for TV, radio and music listening so I know they work. I keep promising myself a nice set of Heil Prosetās but havenā managed to afford them yet. These give about 27db of noise reduction and utilising a foot PPT would freem my hands up for logging on the PC.
On the hills, for ease, It would be better to have someone to help with the logging. Recording the session is an option but getting the time down would be harder. Getting the time right - although not essential for claiming points - give a better chance of getting the confirmation ā*ā against the activatorās and chaserās log. This is something I like partly for satisfaction and partly to provide evidence in the unlikely event a dispute arose.
I am not sure if a Heil Headset can be connected to a VHF/UHF rig but do know that they are OK on 817ās and the like ??? The alternative is something like the A-KABEL headset which are used for communications in very noisy environments. These will fit VHF/UHF rigs (that is what they are designed to do) but are flaming expensive!
That just leaves the question of the logger being able to hear the QSO for them to do their bit. Bluetooth is an option, as are Y adapters and cables and possibly PMR446 ??? I need a bright spark to answer that one 
For ease, Software logging would be my choice. Currently I use SOTA CSV which automatically logs the time and can easily be set up with other variable parameters. Once back in the shack nothing extra is required after the log is uploaded to the database and imported into my main logging software. I wouldnāt be able to transfer a paper log to PC and errors would likely take place.
I have often wondered my many activators have got to the bottom of a hill and realised there notepad and log is still at the top?
Thanks, you have given me some ideas to develop
Dave
(M6RUG)
I wonāt mention the name of a certain activator from Buxton who does is during as well 
Iām not from Buxton! 
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I know just what you mean Dave. But you might find using them with direct input (inductive loop or shoe input) and no microphone makes this a very different experience. Whether or not the mic input gets switched off can be down to how the aid is configured, so you may need to ask your audiologist if you want to try this option but itās not already set for this. I think the aids should hit limiting if blasted with QRO, so it could help in a situation such as you describe, in the shack as well as on a hill. Have a word with a proper audiologist about technologies to try. I wouldnāt expect a GP to have any great depth of knowledge in this area.
I have on occasion found myself trying to decode weak CW only to realise that it was tinnitus. At least it didnāt make any sense - so far!
If you record the audio (certainly with a phone - donāt know about a dedicated recorder) you could figure out the QSO times from the file time stamp. Or just ask your QSO partner to tell you the time I guess.
Simon
LOL that is funny!
I sometimes wonder in having tinnitus is in fact beneficial. You naturally try and tune the weird noises out of your head and learn to concentrate your brain to hear what you need to hear. When I get in a pileup on a noisy band, using that skill - even unconsciously - could help to complete a contact? that doesnāt mean that I would suggest Amateur Radio Operators smacking themselves around their head when they see a spot on SOTAWatch
I will look at this and have a chat to the audiologist next time I see her.
The other problem I find with hearing aids is that I canāt see well enough to put the batteries in
Dave
(M6RUG)
I wonder, do I need a bigger backpack ???
No Dave, better to leave the beer in the cool box in the car - something to look forward to AFTER the activation. Beer before an activation is certainly not my preferred tipple - Lucozade is where itās at as far as I am concerned, especially at 05:00 when I need a boost before the first hill of the day.
(Other energy drinks are availableā¦ taxed in 2018?)
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Yes, puts sensible head back on
That is normally when I go to bed!
The cost of SOTA activating is going up 
Morning Dave
First of all sorry for delayed response to yesterday as little time for radio etc yesterday, till this morning. Thanks for you response and discussion is finally under way and looking at over riding problems. You will encounter.
Distance from actual car to me provided your in the AZ and not connected to the car in anyways physically such as its being used to collect you power supply off or even supporting your antenna can be easily set up feet away with NO physical connection. Should be by rights OK and with in rules from what I can gather and yet many activators drop off the car and march miles to the summit.
When you activating having said Sherpa as we now call them can set up your station in a way good for you and the joint operator to assist you in logging etc. there are ways and means of doing this no doubt you will sort out and learnt with your Sherpa a non verbal communication as no doubt out share with your wife. Just basic things etc.
Now may be as a suggestion instead of doing an actually activation may be meet up with some one. Is to get a feel of whats going on and learn the environment about you gain experience from this a little day trip, so you can work out in head what you can endure etc. There are ways and this is Sota ways of doing things gaining the experience to progress forwards in what you want to do.
No doubt one day we will hear you on air from a summit, Look forwards to and peoples are going to be little extra decorum with you. Remember the activator is in control.
Karl