A Review – and a Relief.
I have a type of brain that shuts down when too much information goes into it.
White noise, crackles, burps and ker-chunks from amateur radio transmissions can make it difficult-to-impossible for me to focus. In such a mental-state, I cannot hear what my radio is receiving. I used to refer to this situation as: “I don’t hear call-signs”, but I’m not doing that so much any longer. Here’s why…
This past year I’ve been on the hunt for an aid. I’ve learned to use built-in audio filters better, I’ve tried “affordable” external digital filters (from China), I’ve attached a 1:1 choke to try and reduce noise, but nothing has really worked very effectively…
…until to got ahold of Sotabeams’s Wolfwave Audio Processor.
First-time Lucky
In short, and without reading the manual very much, I switched on two settings for a trial:
- Age-related hearing loss correction.
- Dynamic adaptive noise reduction.
… and an SSB transmission that I was listening to, full of head-upsetting white noise/QRM, suddenly became almost DAB-like to my ears. I’m not exaggerating! 😲
Other solutions that I’ve tried do remove some of the noise but, for me, they also mangle the spoken words into something akin to the transmitter holding their nose while talking through water 💦. I can’t make sense of what’s they are saying. And although I happened upon a random setting with my first try of the Wolfwave Audio Processor, to actually hear someone speaking clearly was WONDERFUL! 👍🏻
… so much so that I made an actual QSO (only my second on SSB in 2 years 😂). Joy.
Being deliriously happy with my ability aid, I thought I’d share 💞
Sotabeams Wolfwave Audio Processor can be found here: https://www.wolfwave.co.uk/
I’m sure there’s a “buy” link on there too, if you’re interested.
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