USAC Racing Forum

General Chat => Point .25 => Topic started by: sprintcar39 on December 09, 2010, 11:10:27 PM



Title: Hearing Loss - Ear Molds - Columbus Indoor
Post by: sprintcar39 on December 09, 2010, 11:10:27 PM
Dawn Flinn from EarEVERYTHING will be coming to the Columbus Indoor .25 races this weekend from Indianapolis Indiana to give a short seminar about how to protect our kids hearing as well as our own. The seminar will last about 15 minutes and will be held right after the handlers meeting. After the seminar Dawn will be taking impressions for anyone that is interested in ordering custom ear molds to be used with your raceceiver. More Information can be found on the earEVERYTHING website.

This will be a very informative and eye opening experience.


http://eareverything.com/sportsproducts.html (http://eareverything.com/sportsproducts.html)
 


Title: Re: Hearing Loss - Ear Molds - Columbus Indoor
Post by: wesracing on December 10, 2010, 11:17:12 AM
Eric,
     Not that money would get in the way of protecting my kids hearing, but out of curiosity, did they give an estimated price on a set of these? Thanks.


Title: Re: Hearing Loss - Ear Molds - Columbus Indoor
Post by: sprintcar39 on December 10, 2010, 11:30:29 AM
Sarge,   They are not the cheapest but you get what you pay for. They retail for $240.00 but I think we are going to get a small group price break if the interest is there. There are some features about these specific ear molds that sets them apart from most of the others out there. They come with a 3 month warranty and the biggest feature is that they can be repaired. Most of the other high dollar ear molds are non-repairable. Another nice feature Dawn has talked about is as your kid grows she can modify them as necessary to keep the custom fit. The price might be out of most of our budgets but in the long run the hearing for us and our kids is PRICELESS.

I wish I had been educated many years ago....even though I dont know if I would have done anything about protecting my hearing at the time. After racing sprint cars for many years and being around racing I am paying the ultimate price today...HUH ?  yeah.


Title: Re: Hearing Loss - Ear Molds - Columbus Indoor
Post by: wesracing on December 10, 2010, 12:36:06 PM
Although I won't be at indoors this weekend because I still don't think I could drive 4 hours in a vehicle yet, I would be interested. I will call them and tell them to put my name in to help get the group rate and I will take Wes down to Indy to have his impressions made. He has sensitive hearing and we had to have this done once before so he could attend monster truck shows, sprint car ,and nascar races. Of course they didn't have the speakers in them to work as ear buds. Thanks for the info.


Title: Re: Hearing Loss - Ear Molds - Columbus Indoor
Post by: Walker23 on December 12, 2010, 09:09:00 PM
We are getting the molds done here locally next week and send in the molds out to Dawn to make the finished product.


Title: Re: Hearing Loss - Ear Molds - Columbus Indoor
Post by: lawsonracing on December 13, 2010, 02:56:00 PM
Wow, 240.00 !  I had Racing Electronics do ours in Charlotte. they were 139.00! They are the ultra soft . I sent them impressions done by ear doctor. ( 30.00)  the good thing is when our dog chewed on them( true story) I had to get some new ones asap ! They keep your molds on file and i had a new set in 4 days! Racing radio work with NASCAR, etc.

http://www.racingelectronics.net/index.php?event=store&action=products&item=ear_molds 

call Davin 1-704-886-1661



Title: Re: Hearing Loss - Ear Molds - Columbus Indoor
Post by: sfreitas20 on December 13, 2010, 03:12:06 PM
If you have a Sam's Club near you that has a hearing center inside, they also make custom molded ear buds and are very affordable.  We are getting AJ's done there.


Title: Re: Hearing Loss - Ear Molds - Columbus Indoor
Post by: CrewChief6 on December 13, 2010, 10:56:58 PM
earfuze.com

Less than $40. Mold it yourself. Works great.


Title: Re: Hearing Loss - Ear Molds - Columbus Indoor
Post by: sfreitas20 on December 13, 2010, 11:14:00 PM
I can't remember off the top of my head, but I believe it is $49 to have the molds done at the Sam's by me.  They make them so you pop in the ear buds from pretty much any standard head sets into the mold.  Then if you rip a wire or anything, you just get a new cheap head set and pop the new one in.


Title: Re: Hearing Loss - Ear Molds - Columbus Indoor
Post by: lawsonracing on December 14, 2010, 06:54:18 PM
I am talking about custom earplugs that have a speaker in them. The molds we had done were done professionally at a ear doctor, say 30.00 and then sent to Racing electronics with small ear phone pieces . they fit perfect and my son can hear. 150.00 is a small price to pay for my sons ears, it amazes me how  see many buy 1k axles but cannot spend  the correct money on safety, etc. I still see many of you racing with cheap collars instead of a hans , etc.  still.   


Title: Re: Hearing Loss - Ear Molds - Columbus Indoor
Post by: CrewChief6 on December 14, 2010, 07:20:03 PM
Hey don't knock the cheap stuff, Kevin!  ;) Earfuze works great, and it custom-fits your driver with a decent headset. We use the racer version with right and left ears a separate color. Best part about this is, it's inexpensive enough that you can have an extra one in your trailer, and if one breaks, you can have another ready to go in less than 30 minutes. I mean, really. These are kids. They're going to break things (we've killed a set already). I can think of better ways to spend the extra $100-$200... tires, spindles, lots of rods...


Title: Re: Hearing Loss - Ear Molds - Columbus Indoor
Post by: sfreitas20 on December 14, 2010, 07:43:51 PM
I too am talking about a custom earbud, with a speaker in it, for about $49 for the molds and $15 for the speakers.

A friend has the $175 dollar ones that were done at the tracks this year and already his is ripping and the speaker has fallen out.  So I examined it really close before putting it back together and guess what it is...A rubber molded earbud with a speaker in it.

Knock it all you want, but a custom molded piece of rubber with a speaker in it, is a custom piece of rubber with a speaker in it.  Some cost $200 and some cost $30, but in the end if it is molded to the kids ear and has a tight fitting speaker in it, it is going to protect just the same!

As far as criticizing people's decisions about what safety equipment to buy for their kids and not...I deleted what I originally typed and will just leave it at this...Everyone has different tolerances, budgets and opinions and at the end of the day if a parent has piece of mind that their child is safe, then that is their decision and nobody else's.


Title: Re: Hearing Loss - Ear Molds - Columbus Indoor
Post by: lawsonracing on December 15, 2010, 12:56:20 PM
I AGREE , If these  work for you , I do not blame you , I do not see 240.00 for a set though. Ours are a soft gel type material... only problem is that you have to get them done every year, because of growth.


Title: Re: Hearing Loss - Ear Molds - Columbus Indoor
Post by: sprintcar39 on February 15, 2011, 05:12:28 PM
Dawn from Ear Everything has agreed to come to the Midwest Thunder Championship Series - Last indoor event of the year at Columbus.

We bought a couple of pairs and we love the quality and the sound. If you are at the indoor ask Ross how he likes them and he can show them to you. If anyone else bought them let everyone know what you think too.

She will be there on Saturday only and will be setup in the sign in room right after the handlers meeting.


Title: Re: Hearing Loss - Ear Molds - Columbus Indoor
Post by: Walker23 on February 16, 2011, 07:28:08 AM
After seeing her product compared to the popular less expensive standard. I would say her product is far superior.

Glad she will be there!




Title: Re: Hearing Loss - Ear Molds - Columbus Indoor
Post by: Griffin Brown Racing on February 16, 2011, 09:03:54 AM
Griffin also has a set,very good quality,fit perfect!!!
You may ask Griffin also, what he thinks!!!


Title: Re: Hearing Loss - Ear Molds - Columbus Indoor
Post by: sprintcar39 on February 23, 2011, 11:00:58 AM
Just a note to remind everyone that Dawn from Ear Everything will be at the Columbus Indoor event this Saturday. She will be available right after the handlers meeting and stay as long as necessary to meet with everyone.

She will be taking impressions for ear molds.


Title: Re: Hearing Loss - Ear Molds - Columbus Indoor
Post by: earsaver on February 23, 2011, 08:30:02 PM
Hello everyone!  I wanted to address some of the comments and also make sure I thank the people that choose earEVERYTHING.  It is because of you I can continue to do what i do, and it is what I love.

My mission with my business is to educate people involved in racing about their hearing, how it works, how it breaks down...as well as, the products available to make a difference in the conservation effort for your kids.  I am a lic and American Speech and hearing association certified audiologist.  I am the audiologist for the indycar series and the ALMS and supporting series, Ive made ears for NASCAR, NHRA, IndyCar, ALMS, ASA miswest tour late models, sprints, midgets, and QMA.  Another part of my business is in ear monitors for musicians on stage.  Here Ive had the chance to work with Prince, dave Matthews band, and many more.

If we can make an earphone that goes deep enough into the ear canal and fit well with the ear we can offer a SEAL.  the seal is what helps the kids turn the race-ceivers down and protect their ears from the noise of the car.

I recognize there are other choices and everyone has a budget.  I have worked hard with a lab to make a durable and REPAIRABLE earset.  I WANT IT TO LAST.

The strain relief is superior.  the lab MOLDS THE WIRES BACK INTO THE MOLD.  So unlike your radio guy industry standard where there is only strain relief on the wire to the speaker, I have added strain relief for the wire within the mold.  The material is a soft silicone.  The molds are available in colors.  I find the kids love to choose the colors, makes them the a part of the process.  The cords are not a braided wires to a plastic injection molded connector.  I use a silicone coated cord available in blue, red, or black and ANY LENGTH YOU TELL ME!! You are not stuck with only 19" or 36". 

Do it yourself mold kits are a joke to me.  you need to get to the second bend of the ear canal for an adequate seal.  Even the radio guy doesnt always get deep enough to make that seal.

As far as growing kids, yes the seal needs to be good all the time.  As they grow, they will shoot up in big 1/4" jumps, but their ears will only distort slightly.  I can add a silicone coating to build up the canal portion to maintain the seal for as long as possible.

There is a repair warranty of three months offered with the product.  Repairs are a flat rate for one ear $59, and both ears are $89, and it goes back into warranty. EVERYTHING gets fixed for that pricing. So yes, more expensive to begin with but if you have to replace a set during or for the next season you have already spent MORE.  You cant repair the standard radio guy earpiece, mostly due to the way they insert the speakers and pack it with silicone and the plastic injection molded connector will not allow you to fix one side only.

We CAN change the pattern that hearing loss accepted as a byproduct of motorsport.  We CAN help our kids and the next generation of racers understand they can choose better ear pieces both in the car and out (ipod)

I look forward to meeting with parents and kids this saturday in Columbus.  I will drive over in the morning and arrive around 9-915 like last time.  If you are interested but not sure, please come by and chat with me.  I also offer to take the ear impression without you purchasing that day.  I need the ear impression to ultimately do the work so I take a chance, get it and then I am able to do the work with a phone call.  I will honor the discount I gave the group last time, retail is $240, but I take $15 off because of the great response Ive gotten.

Thank you to all the folks who said how much they enjoy their earsets.