Choosing a timer-alert for a deaf person

Review of a timer on sale from a national organisation for the deaf The specifications of this timer look excellent: it can be set to sound, to flash and to vibrate, apparently ideal or anyone hard of hearing. It can be worn on a belt or can stand on a surface. I could not hear the sound alert unless it was held close to my ears, which is impractical for normal use. (The problem was the relatively high pitch.) To be fair, others with normal hearing could hear it satisfactorily and it was not specifically targeted at the deaf. None of us could notice the flashing alert unless we were in the dark or watching closely - again impractical for normal use. None of us could notice the vibration unless we were concentrating on it, even when the timer was placed on the skin - again impractical for normal use. The belt clip could work satisfactory for its stated purpose but is unsuitable for holding a cord as a pendant because the balance is such that the timer tips up. Review of a mechanical timer on sale in shops and on the internet A ring is loud enough and low enough for me, with my hearing problems, to hear even when it is the other side of the room. The ring is reasonably extended. The clip at the back can hold a cord so that the timer can be worn as a pendant. The timer is light enough to be worn as a pendant. The timer is cheap - only a few pounds, although the cost does vary from one online shop to another. A disadvantage is that the timer's range is only a hour, so it may have to be set more than once for a single event. Electronic timers would be more accurate. Manual timers of this sort cannot be relied on for accuracies greater than 1 -2 minutes.

The problems

There are all sorts of situations where one wants to keep track of time and be alerted when the time is up. The obvious example is in cookery, but there are numerous others, all of which call for a timer-alert of some sort. However, for deaf people, it is no easy matter to find one that is suitable:

• The alerts on watches tend to be too quiet.
• Vibration alerts on phones are fiddly to set up.
• Regular kitchen times are generally packaged in such a way that it is impossible to remove them to try them out before buying - and the description on the packaging is seldom sufficiently detailed or reliable for a deaf person to judge usefulness. In my experience, with my particular hearing loss, most are effectively useless.
• Trying out timers is an expensive business because the packaging is such that it cannot be removed and resealed undamaged - and timers which turn out to be unsuitable are not taken back for resale because they are no longer in their original pristine packaging.

Features required in a timer alert for a deaf person

The first question to ask is whether one wants the alert to be a sound, a visual flashing, a vibration or something else.

In my view, visual flashing on any domestic timer alert is of little use because the flashing is not bright enough to notice unless one happens to be in the dark or is keeping one's eyes constantly on the timer. Neither of these situations fit in with a normal life.

Vibrating alerts could be ideal if the vibration were strong enough to notice and/or could be set up in contact with the skin. To be noticeable, vibrations need to be energetic and of a low frequency. I have never found one that is really effective, apart from on my old Nokia phone - but see my update on Nokia phones on another page.

So until a manufacturer comes up with something else,  I am left with sound alerts - see my recommendations below. First though an aside on seeking help from the experts.

Experience of buying a timer alert from a national organisation for the deaf

It seemed sensible to check the online shop of a national UK organisation for the deaf. I will not mention its name as my experience was far from satisfactory. I had felt that the organisation would surely only sell products that worked well for deaf people.

When I checked the site, there were a range of watches and clocks with alerts, but only one alert of the sort suitable for a kitchen timer. It looked just what any deaf person would need - small, flashing, vibrating and loud. I asked for it as a Christmas present and eagerly tore off the packing. This was a major mistake because the online shop consequently refused to take the timer back. See my review on the right.

I did send the organisation a review of the timer for its website, but this was never published. Current reviews are extremely short and all very positive, although reviews on the websites of regular online retailers do reflect my concerns. I also suggested to the organisation that they ask me to test their products, free of charge, before adding them to their sales portfolio. My suggestion was "forwarded to the department concerned" but not taken up.

Experience of buying a timer alert from an old-style shop

I was fortunate to find an old-fashioned shop that was selling its timers loose, so that I could try them out - a rare luxury that is unlikely to be repeated. The best one for me was an old-style mechanical one which rang loudly at a low pitch. It is available packaged in various shops and on the internet, which is why I am showing a picture of it with my review on the right. Incidentally it was also cheap.

Recommendations

• Within reason, pitch is more significant than volume for a deaf person. So if you can't try out the timer, go for the old-style mechanical sort where a pointer is moved round a dial to wind it up. The sound tends to be much lower pitch and louder than with the electronic battery versions.

• Go for a timer with an extended ring rather than a single ping or bleep.