If you’ve got a hearing loss or have a family member who does, you may have even more difficulty with that daily dilemma of getting up in the morning. Regular alarm clocks, even the most creatively annoying, just aren’t enough help if your hearing loss is severe or even total. There are however, two types of alarm clock signalers that can get you back on track with your daily routine: bed/pillow shakers and lamp flashers. In this blog I’ll highlight the latest on the wireless vibrating alarm clock feature from Amplicom.
The bed shaker, for those accessory enabled alarm clocks, functions in a fairly straight-forward manner. Plug it into the alarm clock, place it under your pillow or inside your pillow case, set the wake-up time, and have your head buzzed when it’s time to get up! That’s the good news – the bad news is if you toss and turn and move around at night, the shaker can get pulled out of the clock or the cable connection may not reach far enough to allow the vibrator to be effective. Amplicom has addressed that “reach” problem and is now distributing 2 new alarm clocks with wireless bed shakers.
Their TCL 100 Analog Alarm Clock has a large illuminated clock face and uses a high-frequency wireless bed shaker with a claimed range of up to 300 feet. It also features battery backup and a loud 90 dB alarm that can be set to 5 different patterns.
Their TCL 200 Digital Alarm Clock also has the long-range wireless bed shaker, AND it will announce the time and date amplified – in no less than five languages. The wireless bed shaker has up to 80 hours of standby time before it needs to be recharged. The large digital display of the TCL 200 is also illuminated, has the extra loud alarm combined with a flashing LED light, and dual alarm settings.
Both of the Amplicom units are sized for limited bed-side table space or travel – clocks are 6 inches by 5 inches by 3 inches. The vibrating pad is a little over 4 inches in diameter and 1 ½ inches thick, and weighs about 6 ounces. As an additional feature both models can connect to your phone line and function as a signaler for incoming phone calls. The Amplicom alarm clocks are readily available online (Amazon) and through traditional assistive technology vendors (Harris Communications.) Now you’ve got one less excuse for not getting up in the morning!!