I mentioned last time that Jan and I recently went to a concert at a venue strange to us. It was to hear a new piece of music, and there was to be a pre-concert talk given by the composer. It was obviously important to me that I was able to follow the talk. I checked their website and it indicated that they had a hearing loop. When we booked the tickets, we double checked that the loop system would be on for the talk.
When we arrived at the venue, I checked again that they had a loop system and that it would be available. I’m sure it won’t come as a surprise to many of you that when the talk started I was not able to hear anything. Clearly there was no working loop system.
Because I am probably a bit of a geek, and because this is not the first time something like this has happened, I carry a small loop tester on my keyring. There is a button in the middle of this gadget, and when the button is pressed it gives an immediate indication of whether or not the loop system is working.
I find this useful in two ways. If it indicates that the loop is working, I know the problem is with my aid - well it does happen sometimes! If it indicates that the loop is not working, it helps me convince the relevant staff that I am not just a loopy person who doesn't know how to use my aid.
I have a bit of technology in my hand that is clearly indicating that the loop is not working, and some people seem happier to believe my keyring than to believe me. You don't need to be at all 'techie' to use the device. Just press the button and the lights will tell you if the loop is working properly.
In this case, it turned out that their loop system was turned on, but there was no microphone connected to it. Well, that just might explain everything.
Happily, after the talk we were sitting very close to the orchestra, and found the music to be exciting and rewarding even without a loop. Shame about the talk though.