Hugh Hetherington Hearing Aid Museum
Hugh Hetherington Hearing Aid Museum

The Hearing Aid Museum

Hearing Aids of all types—Ear Trumpets, Carbon Hearing Aids, Vacuum Tube Hearing Aids, Transistor Hearing Aids, Body Hearing Aids, Eyeglass Hearing Aids and much more!

Home Enter the Museum About Us Contact Us

FREESubscriptionto:
Hearing Loss Help
The premier e-zine for people with hearing loss

Your email address
will never be
rented, traded or sold!

Your First Name:
Your E-mail:
Search this site:

 Results per
 page

 all words
 any words


Click on the "General Information" button (top button above) for an overview and general information on this category of hearing aid.

 

Carbon Hearing Aids: 1900-1939

Ardente Double Carbon Tortoise Shell Hearing Aid

The Ardente Double Carbon Tortoise Shell hearing aid was manufactured by Ardente Acoustic Laboratories, Ltd. of London, England. Mr. R. H. Dent, the founder, used his name prominently on many of his hearing aids along with the Ardente trade name. It was manufactured around 1930.

Click picture for larger view

 

Back Next

 
Close-up view of the right half of the Ardente Double Carbon Tortoise Shell hearing aid carbon microphone.

The microphone was 5¼" x 2½" in diameter and ⅝" thick.

Inscribed into the face of the microphone are the words, "Mr. R. H. Dent's Ardente, 309 Oxford St. London, W1"


Click picture for larger view

 

Rear view of the Ardente Double Carbon Tortoise Shell hearing aid double microphone.

The back of the upper microphone had a 5-step volume control shown in the "softest" position, while the back of the lower microphone had a pocket clip. This hearing aid could be taken out of its resonant case and worn clipped to a pocket if the wearer so chose.

The two-pronged battery plug is at the right.

Click picture for larger view

 

Front view of the Ardente Double Carbon Tortoise Shell hearing aid earphone. The earphone measured 2" in diameter x ¾" thick.

There are two small holes on each side of the earphone for the headphone band (see below).


Click picture for larger view

 
The Ardente Double Carbon Tortoise Shell hearing aid earphone with headband attached.


Click picture for larger view

 
The Ardente Double Carbon Tortoise Shell hearing aid came with a folding headband (shown in the folded position). The two "points" (bottom right) snapped into holes in the sides of the earphone to hold it in place.

 


Click picture for larger view

 
Rear view of the Ardente Double Carbon Tortoise Shell hearing aid earphone. Inscribed into the back are the words "Ardente" and "309 Oxford Street, W1".


Click picture for larger view

 
Ardente used this rather interesting plug configuration—one pin and one jack on each plug. This plug joined the earphone or receiver cord to the microphone.


Click picture for larger view

 
 

Rear view of the Ardente Double Carbon Tortoise Shell hearing aid receiver showing the on/off switch (center). "On" was up and "off" down.

This hearing aid came with both an earphone and a receiver. The wearer chose which to use in any given situation.
 


Click picture for larger view

 
Side view of the Ardente Double Carbon Tortoise Shell hearing aid receiver showing how the wire ear hook snapped into a groove around the circumference of the receiver. This ear hook helped hold the receiver in place.


Click picture for larger view

 

Edge view of the Ardente Double Carbon Tortoise Shell hearing aid receiver showing the slot (bottom) on the side that allows you to turn the earpiece front a bit. This moves the diaphragm in or out, and thus presumably increases or decreases the volume. There is normally a screw that constrains the adjustment to be up to that of the length of the slot.


Click picture for larger view

 
 

Front view of the Ardente Double Carbon Tortoise Shell hearing aid receiver showing the ear tip. Early receivers came with stock ear tips. The ear tip screwed to a post on the receiver so it could easily be replaced with one of a different size.

 


Click picture for larger view

 
The Ardente Double Carbon Tortoise Shell hearing aid hooked up to a 4½ volt Eveready D888 zinc-carbon hearing aid battery.


Click picture for larger view

 

The Ardente Double Carbon Tortoise Shell hearing aid packed in its resonant case.

 

 

Click picture for larger view

 

Front view of the Ardente Double Carbon Tortoise Shell hearing aid resonant case/carrying case showing the double carbon microphones in place. It could be used this way as a table-top hearing aid. The case measured 8" x 3½" x 3" deep.

 

 

 

Click picture for larger view

 

(If a larger picture doesn't appear, you may have to turn your pop-up blocker off)