Sonotone Model 1111 Transistor (Body) Hearing Aid
The Sonotone Model 1111 transistor body hearing aid was made by Sonotone
Corporation of Elmsford, NY in 1953. This 3-transistor aid was Sonotone's first all-transistor hearing aid.
This body hearing aid measured 3 1/16" by 1¾" by ⅝" thick.
(7.8 x 4.5 x 1.6 cm) and weighed 2.7 oz. (78 g) without the battery.
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Front view of the Sonotone Model 1111 transistor hearing aid. The Sonotone Model 1111 was designed based on
US
patent #2,789,160 by Franklin A. Gage.
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Close-up view of the upper front of the Sonotone Model 1111 transistor hearing aid showing
the microphone grill with the Sonotone "S" in the center. Below it is
the wire pocket clip.
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Front cover of the manual for the Sonotone Model 1111 transistor hearing aid.
Read the
manual for
the Sonotone Model 1111 hearing aid here.
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Top view of the Sonotone Model 1111 transistor hearing aid showing
volume control (left), the receiver cord jack (center) and the on-off
switch (right).
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Top view of the Sonotone Model 1111 transistor hearing aid showing the
receiver cord plug and jack. Note the Sonotone "S" on the receiver
cord plug.
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Top left corner of the Sonotone Model 1111 transistor hearing aid showing
the 3-position on-off switch (Bi-focal control). Off is to the right.
Full on is to the left. In the center position (shown) is what they call
the "bi-focal" position. In this position you can "dim out background
sounds for clearer hearing in crowded, noisy places". Probably this
meant that in this position the microphone sensitivity was reduced by
reducing the voltage by half. (This hearing aid used a special 2.8 volt
battery.) In effect it was "half on" in the center position as opposed
to their description of "full on" in the left position.
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Left side view of the Sonotone Model 1111 transistor hearing aid showing
the 3-pin jack (center). This jack had two uses. You could plug in an
optional external microphone (what they called the "Movable Ear"), or
you could plug in an external t-coil (what they called the "Telephone
Pickup" accessory). For the ladies, the external microphone could be
camouflaged by sliding one of Sonotone's "SonoCharms", a jeweled brooch,
over the "Movable Ear".
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Rear view of the Sonotone Model 1111 transistor hearing aid showing the
battery compartment door (lower half) in the closed position.
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View of the battery compartment of the Sonotone Model 1111 transistor
hearing aid with the battery compartment door opened. It swung up from
the bottom.
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Close-up view of the back of the Sonotone Model 1111 transistor hearing aid
battery compartment showing the three adjustment levers. The left one
"P" was for 3 different power settings (shown here in the "2" setting),
the center one "HI" (labeled B & A) was for the high cut filter (shown
in the "A" position) and the right one "LO" (labeled 1 & 2) was for the
low cut filter (shown in the "2" position).
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Close-up of the back wall of the Sonotone Model 1111 transistor hearing aid
battery compartment showing the serial number (428279). Above the
serial number is stamped "See patent notice in instruction book".
Below the serial number is stamped "Sonotone Corp,. Elmsford, N.Y.,
U.S.A."
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View of the bottom of the Sonotone Model 1111 transistor hearing aid
battery compartment showing the label with the Sonotone name and model
number (1111) or "eleven eleven" as it was also called.
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View of the Sonotone Model 1111 transistor hearing aid battery
compartment with the battery in place.
The Sonotone
Model 1111 used a 2.8 volt Sonotone
No. 650 (shown at right) (or
No. 600 not shown) mercury battery. These were equivalent to Eveready's No. 122
(E122E) battery.
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Rear view of the receiver of the Sonotone Model 1111 transistor hearing aid.
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Front view of the receiver (left) of the Sonotone Model 1111 transistor hearing aid showing
how it snapped to the ear mold (right), here shown unsnapped. Note
that the nubbin is off center. This was so it could be better worn in
the left ear (shown), or turned 180° for the right ear. (See
instruction sheet.)
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The Sonotone Model 1111 transistor hearing aid in its carrying case. |
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Outside view of the
carrying case of the Sonotone Model 1111 transistor hearing aid.
The carrying case measured 5¾" x 2½" x 1⅜" (14.6 x 6.3 x 3.5 cm).
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