Lightning Enterprises

Hearing Aid Workstation Kits - A Real Bargain

2006-10-28T07:01:00.000-07:00

We have seen an increase in workstation kit sales lately. I think it is because folks are finally realizing what they are, and how they can help with the cost of setting up a new workspace for hearing aid repair and modification.

So, what is a workstation kit? It is the equipment that would be provided with a complete workstation, minus the workbench. In other words, you supply the bench or table, we supply the equipment. And it allows you to set up you workspace in an efficient and organized manner. The centerpiece of the kit is the Control Module. This allows you to put you vacuum pump under your bench where it is quieter and out of the way, and place your desiccator drying chamber somewhere off the bench top if you wish. The CM-3 also controls an UV cure unit and gives it a timer control. This also gives you more flexibility as to where you put the UV unit. We have had a few customers who installed the UV unit inside a drawer, so it was completely out of the way until they needed it.

But, the price is what really makes the Workstation Kits attractive. For instance, our WK-3 Workstation Kit is the most popular, and costs $820.00. Compare that to the versabench complete workstation, which is a high-end bench and uses our WK-3 kit - at $3595.00 (plus freight shipping).

If you have a high-end office and want to give that impression to your patients, then the versabench may make sense, but if you have a repair lab out in the back room, then the Workstation Kit is probably the way to go.

Hearing Aid Vacuum Helps Batteries Last Longer?

2006-10-02T11:16:00.000-07:00

We received an email from a customer recently who is very satisfied with My Vac, a vacuum pump specifically for the consumer for maintaining their own hearing aids. We get emails quite often thanking us for My Vac, but this customer was very specific about how My Vac had helped his hearing aid batteries last longer. Here is the email:

Hi,
Thank you for being in business.
I love My Vac. I want to pass some information on to people about my experience with My Vac.
My batteries last 75% longer. All the while (before I purchased it) I use to replace batteries often, 3 to 4 times a month. Now one battery last a month and longer. Why, by properly cleaning my hearing device, My Vac is awesome. My hearing is much, much, clearer.

Thanks again,
Ron S
Oakdale, California 95361

So, how does keeping your hearing aids clean help your batteries last longer? I will get into that in detail in our next email newsletter, but basically with newer hearing aid electronics, the more amplification needed, the more power is required from the battery. I’ll give you an example. Let’s say your hearing aid sound outlet is partially blocked with earwax. This is going to impede the sound somewhat, so you will need more amplification to overcome this obstruction. So, to compensate you adjust the volume control. In doing so you have called for more gain from the hearing aid amplifier, which will use more power from the battery. It is one of those cause-and-effect things.

Lightning Vac 2 - More Bang

2006-08-28T12:53:00.000-07:00

Last week I got a call from a hearing aid user who had just got back from an appointment with his hearing health provider. Apparently, he had a problem with one of his hearing aids and he had gone in to see about getting it repaired. This is what he told me in his own words: “I gave the woman my hearing aid. She cleaned it out with a suction device, and in just a few seconds handed it back to me and asked if I needed anything else. I couldn’t believe it, my hearing aid was working fine.”

So he asked where he could get a suction device like the one she used, and she told him to get a vacuum pump from Lightning Enterprises - you get more bang for your buck. So he called and ordered the same model she uses, Lightning Vac 2, which also has a blower.

I know we have that reputation – it’s just nice to hear it once in awhile.

Want to learn more about our Lightning Vac 2 hearing aid vacuum system? Click Here

Hearing Aid UV Materials - Some Changes

2006-08-04T08:20:00.000-07:00

We distribute a line of UV materials for hearing aid repair and modification, and hearing aid shell fabrication. We carry Dreve materials because we feel they are the best quality, and they provide the most complete line of products.

Recently, Dreve has made changes effecting which colors they will continue providing, and in what quantity. The biggest change is to discontinue the Pink and Dark Brown colors. They feel the Flesh Tone (referred to as Yellowish) is more suitable than Pink, and that there isn’t enough demand for Dark Brown. Here is a list of what will be available:

Shell / Patch material:

Clear: 500g bottles only
Pink: discontinued
Flesh Tone (referred to as Yellowish): 100g and 500g bottles
Tan – Opaque: 500g bottles only
Red Transparent: 100g and 500g bottles
Blue Transparent: 100g and 500g bottles
Brown – Opaque: 500g bottles only
Dark Brown: discontinued

Other material changes:
Fotofix faceplate adhesive will only be available in 20ml bottles. 50ml bottles have been discontinued.

For a complete listing of our UV materials, CLICK HERE.

A True Fish Story (aren't they all?)

2006-07-30T14:53:00.000-07:00

Now this is a really good fish story – and though it has nothing to do with the hearing aid industry, I think you’ll enjoy it.

Last week, I took a vacation and headed up to Millinocket, Maine for a little fishing. The Eastern Branch of the Penobscot River is known for its fantastic smallmouth bass fishing, and believe me it didn’t disappoint. We caught a lot of fish.

At one point, we made our way up a small stream which flows into the Penobscot because we heard they had been taking larger bass in that area. Anyway, we had made our way up the stream as far as we could go, as it was too shallow to go any further. It was hot and I wanted to get wet before we left for the main river, so we pulled the boat ashore and I went into the water. I was in up to my thighs, just about to go under and I noticed a fish sitting on the bottom right in front of me. I could see it was a sucker, about 18 – 20 inches long, and he wasn’t moving at all – just sitting on the bottom. I slowly worked my way over to the fish, and was standing right beside him – still no movement. I decided to touch the fish with my foot – and when I did he came alive. He JUMPED over my head and landed in the boat! I still can’t believe it! So there he was in the boat, flopping around for dear life. After several attempts I was able to grab him and return him to the water where he left the scene in a hurry.

I have never seen a sucker jump before, and to accomplish that much air from 2 feet of water is just amazing. And landing in the boat was just a big bonus! Hey, I don’t care if you don’t believe me – it really did happen. My fiancée, Kelley, saw the whole thing. I just wish she had the camcorder rolling for Americas Funniest Home Videos.

July Newsletter - How to Close a Hearing Aid

2006-07-18T04:42:00.000-07:00

We just sent out our July Newsletter. The new format we are using seems to be working out well. Last month we began a series of hearing aid repair how-to topics called Tech Corner. We felt there just isn't enough information readily available for hearing industry professionals who want to perform simple hearing aid repairs in the office. You can look at our Tech Corner as Hearing Aid Repair 101. This time we discussed how to close a hearing aid that has been opened. If you want to read the whole article you can find it here, as well as previous articles.

Next newsletter, we are going to discuss how to buff a hearing aid.

Hearing vs Playing Music

2006-06-11T15:01:00.000-07:00

I knew this subject would come up eventually. I play in a band, and work actively in the hearing aid industry – two ends of the hearing health spectrum seemingly diabolically opposed to each other. So I’ve received a couple of emails recently, commenting on how bad playing in a band is for my hearing, and how irresponsible it is for me to endorse both concepts in the same sentence.

I started this blog in an attempt to introduce myself as owner of Lightning Enterprises. I wanted folks who do business with our company to have a little more insight into the operation of the company, and also give more personal information about me – who I am and what I like doing. Why I own the company and what makes it tick. Indirectly, we help people hear better, and that gives me great satisfaction. I would never endorse anything that would hurt anybody’s hearing.

I have played in bands at the local level for many years, and that also gives me great satisfaction. Music is marvelous entertainment, and when I play a favorite song, or bring back a memory it is a wonderful feeling. The trick for hearing protection though, is not to play loudly. Many times, musicians try to make up for lack of skill by playing louder – it helps cover up mistakes. And I admit I have played loud before – years ago. But I go for more of a quality sound now, and it pays off. Not only does it make you play better, you save your hearing as well. I can say I have no hearing loss at all after all these years of playing music.

So how loud do we play? I like to play just loud enough that I can barely hear the dancer’s feet shuffle during a slow song, or waltz. That’s about 80db right in front of the speakers.

May Newsletter

2006-05-25T08:39:00.000-07:00

We send out an email newsletter every other month or so to a growing subscriber list. We usually cover a topic of interest to the hearing aid industry related to our equipment, but this time we decided to start a series specifically on easy hearing aid repairs that can be performed in the office. I am suprised how little information is readily available to the novice hearing aid repair tech, or someone who wants to begin small repairs in the office.

So, in this issue we are covering how to open a hearing aid. If you want to see the article you can view in our newsletter archives here.

Supply & Demand

2006-05-12T12:46:00.000-07:00

I got a call yesterday from someone looking at our BDM-2 Battery Drain Meter for hearing aids. He wanted to know what the price was. I told him $127 for the BDM-2 or $107 for the BDM-1 - plus $21.00 if he needed a battery pill to connect to the hearing aid. He seemed a little agitated at the price. He asked why this device costs so much when his cell phone which connects to the internet, has a camera and cooks breakfast costs half as much? He hung up uninterested, and leaving me feeling a little agitated.

I thought he had a good question though, and one that can plague the small business supplying a niche market – Supply and Demand.

Whenever you manufacture a specialty item like a battery drain meter to a limited number of customers, it is going to cost more. From parts to labor, you are going to pay more to make your product. Most components for example, are quantity priced – which means the more parts you buy the less expensive they become, and the less expensive your device becomes to manufacture. And if it is a very niche market (like the hearing aid industry) you are likely to pay more for labor to assemble the product because it doesn’t make sense to buy expensive equipment to automate the process – that would really drive the price of the product up.

Now with a huge market, like the cell phone industry, you would likely be making millions of units so component costs would be extremely cheap, as well as labor as the whole process would likely be automated. Same with computers, televisions, iPods – anything that has a large public appeal. I know because I used to work in the semiconductor industry. Everything is automated, and parts are cheap.

So it comes down to this: Is the product worth the price? Is it going to save time and money? Is it going to make my your easier? As far as the BDM products – YES.

I wonder if he called Starkey. They used to get $300 for their battery drain meter.

More About Vacuum Flow

2006-04-29T03:30:00.000-07:00

I can always tell when I touch on a new subject – I get emails. As I said in my last post, the amount of open flow is the most important spec to look at when choosing a hearing aid vacuum. Flow is a concept that is a little more difficult to understand, so advertisers use the “Hg specification to prove they have the most power. I would rather have less power and more flow for cleaning hearing aids because flow is the movement of air, and that is going to move the debris out of the hearing aid. Of course, if you can have flow and power you’ve got a winner.

Here’s an example: I got a call from a local Beltone dealer who had questions about her vacuum pump. She had just bought an Aura-Clean and she was really expecting more results. I had never seen an Aura-Clean in person, so I volunteered to stop by with our VAC-1 to compare. I turned her vacuum pump on and plugged the end of the vacuum tubing with my finger. Maximum vacuum was 22” Hg – not bad for power. But, what I did notice was it seemed to take forever for the vacuum gauge to get there. That told me the pump didn’t have a lot of flow, and therefore wasn’t going to be effective for cleaning hearing aids. I demonstrated the VAC-1 and it just blew the Aura-Clean away (plus it’s less expensive). We also compared our Lightning Vac 2. That is a smaller unit with 15”Hg, but has an incredible 4 lpm of flow.

She ended up getting our VAC-1 – everyone that tries one does.

Choosing a Hearing Aid Vacuum

2006-04-22T09:49:00.000-07:00

We get calls every week from folks needing a hearing aid vacuum pump for their office or lab. Most are looking for something that will clean hearing aids on a professional level, without spending a lot of money. And most have done a little research so they are somewhat aware of vacuum pump specifications – the problem is the spec they are focused on is usually the wrong one.

There are two important specs when it comes to vacuum pumps as they relate to hearing aids. One is the vacuum capacity. This is the number most folks are familiar with as it is the one given in advertisements to tout the most powerful vacuums. It is given in inches of Mercury and looks something like this: 25” Hg. The number relates to the vacuum level the pump is capable of. In other words, a pump with the specs listed above will pump the air out of a box until the vacuum level inside reaches 25” Hg. The higher the number, the more air will be removed from the box.

The second number is the amount of flow the vacuum pump has – and this is the most important spec when it comes to cleaning hearing aids. Flow has to do with how fast the air is being pumped and is given in liters per minute, or cubic feet per minute. So if a vacuum pump is rated at 4 lpm, that means the unit will pump 4 liters of air in one minute. Think of that pump as moving a couple of 2 liter Pepsi bottles of air in one minute. The higher the flow the more air will be moved, and the more debris will be removed.

So where does the “Hg number become important? When you are using the vacuum pump for drying the hearing aid, then it is important to have a strong “Hg number. You will be drawing the most air out of the box, and the most moisture out of the hearing aid (a very efficient technique by the way).

Here is a link to an article that gets a little more involved: Hearing Aid Vacuum

So, when you’re shopping for a vacuum pump for the office, look for the unit with the most Flow, and if it comes with a high “Hg you’ve scored a winner. Do you want a recommendation? Look At This

VAC-1 Hearing Aid Vacuum Warranty

2006-04-14T13:28:00.000-07:00

We had just increased the warranty on our VAC-1 Hearing Aid Vacuum from 2 years to 3 years a little while ago, frankly because they just never come back for repair and we wanted a nice edge on our competition. I think we could have increased it to 5 or 10 years if we wanted to (maybe in the future). We have been manufacturing these units for 7 years now, and another 5 years before that with the company I used to work for, and we have only seen a couple come back. And to tell you the truth there was nothing wrong with them.

The weird thing about this is the same day we announced the new warranty, I got a call from a customer who had just taken over an older hearing aid practice, and while he was looking over the equipment in the lab he came across one of our VAC-1 units. Now, the VAC-1 is a powerful vacuum pump that we have configured to clean hearing aids. It can be used as a stand alone unit, or configured with some options for hearing aid drying and so forth. You can get a complete description on our web site here. The system was still being used, but it was only set up for cleaning hearing aids with the vacuum pump and he wanted more functions, so he gave us a call. Come to find out the unit was from 1997 and still going strong. All he needed to modernize was the VAC-1D vacuum desiccator chamber for fast hearing aid drying, and the VAC-1C compressor option for blowing air.

This is one of those days where you know you made a good decision.

Lightning Enterprises - Introduction

2006-04-02T10:42:00.000-07:00

Hello, my name is Chris Perkins, and I own a company dedicated to developing and manufacturing products and equipment designed for hearing aid repair and maintenace. The company is called Lightning Enterprises, and I wanted to create this blog in an effort to give insight into the operation of a small niche business - the ideas, successes, and defeats that come with the territory.

First if all, I got into this business because I was working in the industry. I was the Product Development manager for a small hearing aid manufacturer for about 8 years or so. We actually got into more than just making hearing aids. The owner of the company was always looking for other ways to make money, so he had me develop some other products that were useful to us in the repair department. I developed a UV cure unit that was used for modifying hearing aids quickly using UV curable materials, and a vacuum pump unit for extracting wax out of hearing aids. Both products proved invaluable to us, so the owner began marketing them to other industry professionals for in-office repair work.

Both products sold well, but the company itself went through some management problems and wasn't run very well. After a few years, the company was so cash poor they couldn't even afford to buy the parts to make these products. They had distributors who were getting tired of waiting for product, and I heard one of them was going to start making UV cure units themselves, so I contacted them and asked if they would buy them directly from me. So, I started making UV cure units and vacuum pumps in my garage part-time.

So, this was the birth of Lightning Enterprises over 7 years ago now. We have grown into a major supplier to the hearing aid equipment market with several new products, and many new ideas. I'll be posting periodically, hopefully giving insight into the heart of this company.