Towards the end of our last trip our caravan TV started to falter. Starting with a green line down the centre of the screen we adjusted our brains to stop ourselves comparing the image on either side of the line and got used to it. With Woody’s failing hearing though he was unable to enjoy watching any programs with background music. Just think about that. Apart from the News programs that leaves little else to watch, he would give up and read a book. Before long the poor old tellie just gave up the ghost altogether and we both resorted to other entertainment.

We waited for our return home to sort out the problem and we’ve been busting for lockdown to end so that we can shop around for a 12volt television that is compatible with Woody’s Bernafon hearing aids like our one at home is.

To explain, his hearing aids are controlled by an app on his phone which chats to an adaptor attached to the TV via a Toslink cable. The app also allows him to hear his phone through his hearing aids. Searching online wasn’t much help as we really needed to physically juggle a TV around to find the slot that we needed for the Toslink cable and like our old caravan TV we soon found that not all of them have one.

It was worthwhile having a bit of a drive around town just for the sake of seeing what has changed in the last ‘however long it has been’ since life was normal. Regardless of the driving, we found the TV that we wanted at our nearest Harvey Norman store and thankfully the salesman knew exactly what we were after without us having to manhandle his stock. The new Akai TV is now up and running on the caravan and Woody can hear the TV well. We just have to add the Bernafon adaptor box to our long list of things to pack before every trip.

Oh, and I should mention Woody ordered a new phone online during lockdown all shiny and new and guess what? It is compatible with his hearing aid app but isn’t compatible with his hearing aids…the research and the shopping never stops.

Note: That old TV did at least 134,000kms. Never once did we take it off the wall arm fitting because it always seemed secure. It’s been down nearly every major road in mainland Australia and quite a few that shouldn’t be called roads, that’s a lot of bouncing.