The Latest News and Updates From Frye Electronics!

NOW SHIPPING: WinCHAP
Frye is proud to announce that they are now shipping WinCHAP, the Computer Hearing Aid Program for Windows. WinCHAP was designed with the needs of the hearing aid clinician in mind. With WinCHAP, either the FA10 audiometer and 6500 or the FP40 hearing aid analyzer and the computer can be hooked up together allowing users to run most measurements from there without having to go back and forth between machines.

Also, all data can be permanently stored on your computer along with extensive client, manufacturer, and personnel information. A free-35 day demo is available.

For those users with older computers, the old CHAP program for DOS is still available, though it doesn't have as many features as the new WinCHAP. Also, those with the old CHAP program can purchase WinCHAP for $300, and there is a conversion utility in WinCHAP that converts old CHAP files into the new format.

6500-CX SOFTWARE 4.53:
The 6500-CX code has been updated again! This upgrade only affects those units with ANSI 96. Argosy Electronics, a Frye customer, discovered a labeling bug when testing high gain linear aids. The ANSI 96 test sequence correctly tests the response curve on those aids with a 60 dB signal, but the printout says that the aid was tested with a 50dB signal. Those customers with software versions 4.50, 4.51, or 4.52 with the ANSI 96 test sequence are entitled to a free upgrade to fix this problem. Just call Frye at (800)547-8209 and free software will be mailed out right away.

NEW FEATURES ON THE FP40:
Velcro has recently been added to the couplers and sound chamber on the FP40 hearing aid analyzer. This was done to keep the microphone/coupler assembly in place as the test is performed, making for a more accurate test.

YEAR 2000:
Frye is happy to announce that most of their products are 'Y2K' compliant. This means that absolutely nothing will happen to FONIX instruments when the new year rolls around.

Some people, however, might notice a very slight problem when March 1, 2000 comes along. The 6500-CX has a leap year bug which is actually not related to the year 2000 at all. Basically, one of the Frye programmers messed up the leap year calculation in his code. He made the 6500-CX think that 1998 was a leap year and that 2000 was not.

Luckily, this problem was caught some time ago, and it only affects units with software versions 4.0 through 4.31. In fact, most users with this problem already encountered it last year in 1998. To find what software version your unit has just turn off your unit, and turn it back on again. The opening screen will tell you the software version. Please contact Frye at(800) 547-8209 with questions regarding affected software.

The only other product affected by the year 2000 is the old CHIP computer program, which has been in retirement for eons. All other units either don't have a date function or are unaffected by either the year 2000 or the leap year. No Frye accessories have Y2K problems including microphones, sound chambers, couplers, probe tubes, or fun-tak.

ANSI S3/86 WORKING GROUP:
George Frye, President of Frye Electronics, has been chairing the ANSI Working Group S3/86-Hearing Related Data Structures. This group's task has been to create an open standard which specifies how computer programs communicate hearing related data between computer programs.

This would mean that programs conforming to this standard would be able to pass hearing related data back and forth easily. This would make it extremely easy to run statistical analyses from a variety of tests taken from different instruments anywhere.

So far, the working group has written a parent standard and two hearing aid structure standards with more on the drawing board intended to cover a whole range of hearing related data. ANSI has not yet approved the standards, but they're pretty confident that approval will come soon.

George is giving talks on the standard and its significance at both the ADA and the ASHA conventions. If you'd like further information please contact us.

Conact Frye:
If you have any questions, concerns, gossip, orders, information, corrections, complaints, or comments, please feel free to call us at (800)547-8209, FAX at (503)639-0128 or email at at sales@fryebox.com.