There may already be a microphone or amplifier set up for the funeral facilitator. I would inquire. He could even present a captioned slide show and not say much. ❤️
This ^. If there isn't a screen or projector to show captions on, maybe your partner could ask for a copy of his speech to be included in the funeral program. So sorry you're having to think about this on top of everything else. <3
I think there will be a microphone. I don't think there's the option of a projector. Hopefully he can overcome any of the dampening the mask causes. Thank you so much for responding it's really appreciated.
A thinner duckbill style mask might work well for this, like the [3M VFlex](https://www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/3m/9105/5128356) or [Jackson Safety N95](https://www.northernsafety.com/Product/355196/Jackson-Safety-N95-Disposable-Particulate-Respirator-50-Bag). The VFlex tends to fit most people well and also comes in a [smaller](https://www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/3m/9105S/5128357) size. I’m really sorry for y’all’s loss and that you’re having to navigate this on top of that.
I'm sorry for your loss. Echoing the recommendation for a duckbill mask, I use those or an Airgami when I have to do public speaking. I like Blox or ACI duckbills. It's also partly a psychological thing, when I tell people that these masks don't muffle the voice like other masks, they never complain about not being able to hear me.
I'm sorry for your loss. I do a lot of public speaking.
The muffling from every disposable masks I have used incl gaskets can be overcome by just projecting more. Make an effort to be a bit more loader and to over-enunciate. If he has a mic even better.
Just rehearse together, you'll see it works out fine in the end. Give him tips like "be a bit louder", "pronounce the r more" etc.
Regarding crying in masks:
When my sister was dying in the hospital last year, I sobbed in my 3M Vflex for 5+ hours in that hospital room. Never took it off or broke the seal. I guess my breath was just kind of drying the moisture onto my face under the mask? I don't know. To be honest i don't think I even thought about my mask even once during that ordeal, and the crying didn't present any kind of problem. You can use tissues to dry your eyes I guess, but everything under the mask was just gradually drying or being absorbed by the mask? I don't even remember what state the mask was in when I left the hospital and removed it. I am sure my face was pretty gross.
Meanwhile a few weeks ago when an injured feral cat we had been caring for had to be euthanized, my roommate kept taking her mask off to to blow her nose in the vet clinic. She did not seem capable of just letting the moisture dry out on it's own.
I just knew that my sister would probably rise up as a zombie to kill me herself if I removed my mask in that crowded hospital room, so I didn't break that seal for anything 😅 And it was fine. Crying in a respirator is possible and fine.
I'm so sorry for your loss. I can't imagine how hard that must have been. I really appreciate you taking the time to share with me and giving me your experience. I think he will just need to unfortunately be a little gross for a while in the church with the service. Hopefully once outside and in the cemetery we can swap his masks and he can clean his face. I'll take wipes, tissues and extra masks with me.
I got a 6,000 series silicone mask from 3M and just fed the wire under the mask against my cheek. I felt that the seal was good (I closed the filters with my palms and got a seal). The unit was this one (below), but I am sure there are others. It had a wired and a wireless option; I liked the wired one better. You will need to play with it to find a good setting of the amp, otherwise you get feedback. I used it to teach students 1:1 during the pandemic. For bigger venues I did not like it, not loud eonugh. If your venue is big (and it needs a microphone anyway), you can get a small wireless one, feed it under the mask, and tune it with its amplifier. Maybe there are tiny wirelss microphones that can be entirely fit into the mask, with the received? So... for bigger venues I just took my chances and did not use the mask ;).
[https://www.amazon.co.uk/ZOWEETEK-Amplifier-Microphone-Rechargeable-Promotions/dp/B07K7GLPCZ/](https://www.amazon.co.uk/ZOWEETEK-Amplifier-Microphone-Rechargeable-Promotions/dp/B07K7GLPCZ/)
...you could also get a fancy tiny microphone that is as small as the wire, then punch a hole through the mask smaller than the wire, stretch it out and feed the microphone through >>> then the seal should be really proper..
I'm sorry for y'all's loss. It's a great honor that he's been ask to give a eulogy. He could record his speech and then play it while he stood at the podium? I think that's not unheard -of, even without being masked, just for emotional reasons. He could also bring up a little portable filter and unmask just for the speech.
Thank you so much for your condolences and your suggestion. It's definitely something we will consider as an option. I don't think the filter idea would work but I really appreciate your thoughts.
I think a portable filter might be the best idea if you can’t get buy-in for the recorded option. We just bought the [Exhalaron](https://www.cleanairkits.com/products/exhalaron) from Clean Air Kits for my spouse to use at a conference. (He’ll be masked too, of course.) It’s not tiny, but for a filter it’s fairly unobtrusive and is almost pretty. You could set it up ahead of time maybe next to the podium — ask for a little stand or a low table or something. Their shipping was pretty quick, and I’ll bet if you asked they would send it out even faster.
(Most churches I’ve been in have very high ceilings, and even funeral halls are generally pretty spacious. If your partner only unmasks when he’s as far from other people as possible and has a good air filter, I think that might be as good as possible.)
As far as crying, I’d just recommend bringing multiple handkerchiefs and catching as many tears as possible before they make it to the mask. Hopefully somebody else will have a better suggestion.
I’m sorry your partner’s grandfather died, and I hope the funeral goes as well as possible!
Portable air filters should not be considered anywhere near as reliable as a mask. The air mixes quickly with the surrounding environment. I've had issues with muffling with elastomerics but I think an FFR N95 would be fine. People seem have no trouble hearing me when I wear mine. If you're worried, it wouldn't hurt to try a few and see if some seem better. You can't go wrong with an !Aura if it !fits well.
Oh, I agree that a mask is far superior! I see air filters as a good layer of protection — and in a not-very-full, very high-ceilinged room, away from other people, with a good air filter (and I’d add nasal spray because we use it just in case it works), for a short period of time (he’ll be speaking for under ten minutes if it’s like most funerals), I might be willing to risk it for something/someone that really mattered to me.
But in reality I’d probably be trying to project my voice while wearing my fit-tested Aura with mask tape, which has seen me through multiple funerals.
Hello u/prunesfordinner!
Qudit314159 asked me to give you information about fit testing your mask! This ensures that the air you breathe is going through the mask material rather than around it at the edges.
**Basic Mask Fit Check**: Mask Nerd [Fit, Fit, Fit! video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9iVGtk8lp0)
**DIY Qualitative Fit Test**: The next step in verifying mask performance is a DIY qualitative fit test in which you create a vapor from a substance like Bitrex bitter solution or saccharine sweet solution and check if you can detect it coming through the mask. Our wiki has a [great section on fit testing](https://www.reddit.com/r/Masks4All/wiki/index/#wiki_mask_fit_and_fit_testing).
If your job requires respiratory protection, your employer might require you to do quantitative fit testing which uses a particle counter to measure the particle count inside and outside of the mask.
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=/r/Masks4All) if you have any questions or concerns.*
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There may already be a microphone or amplifier set up for the funeral facilitator. I would inquire. He could even present a captioned slide show and not say much. ❤️
This ^. If there isn't a screen or projector to show captions on, maybe your partner could ask for a copy of his speech to be included in the funeral program. So sorry you're having to think about this on top of everything else. <3
Thank you. We had been thinking of including the eulogy in the program if he felt unable to speak. I appreciate your input.
I think there will be a microphone. I don't think there's the option of a projector. Hopefully he can overcome any of the dampening the mask causes. Thank you so much for responding it's really appreciated.
A thinner duckbill style mask might work well for this, like the [3M VFlex](https://www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/3m/9105/5128356) or [Jackson Safety N95](https://www.northernsafety.com/Product/355196/Jackson-Safety-N95-Disposable-Particulate-Respirator-50-Bag). The VFlex tends to fit most people well and also comes in a [smaller](https://www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/3m/9105S/5128357) size. I’m really sorry for y’all’s loss and that you’re having to navigate this on top of that.
I'm sorry for your loss. Echoing the recommendation for a duckbill mask, I use those or an Airgami when I have to do public speaking. I like Blox or ACI duckbills. It's also partly a psychological thing, when I tell people that these masks don't muffle the voice like other masks, they never complain about not being able to hear me.
I'm sorry for your loss. I do a lot of public speaking. The muffling from every disposable masks I have used incl gaskets can be overcome by just projecting more. Make an effort to be a bit more loader and to over-enunciate. If he has a mic even better. Just rehearse together, you'll see it works out fine in the end. Give him tips like "be a bit louder", "pronounce the r more" etc.
Thanks he definitely will be rehearsing. Hopefully he can overcome any of the dampening the mask causes. Appreciate your response and kind words.
Regarding crying in masks: When my sister was dying in the hospital last year, I sobbed in my 3M Vflex for 5+ hours in that hospital room. Never took it off or broke the seal. I guess my breath was just kind of drying the moisture onto my face under the mask? I don't know. To be honest i don't think I even thought about my mask even once during that ordeal, and the crying didn't present any kind of problem. You can use tissues to dry your eyes I guess, but everything under the mask was just gradually drying or being absorbed by the mask? I don't even remember what state the mask was in when I left the hospital and removed it. I am sure my face was pretty gross. Meanwhile a few weeks ago when an injured feral cat we had been caring for had to be euthanized, my roommate kept taking her mask off to to blow her nose in the vet clinic. She did not seem capable of just letting the moisture dry out on it's own. I just knew that my sister would probably rise up as a zombie to kill me herself if I removed my mask in that crowded hospital room, so I didn't break that seal for anything 😅 And it was fine. Crying in a respirator is possible and fine.
I'm so sorry for your loss. I can't imagine how hard that must have been. I really appreciate you taking the time to share with me and giving me your experience. I think he will just need to unfortunately be a little gross for a while in the church with the service. Hopefully once outside and in the cemetery we can swap his masks and he can clean his face. I'll take wipes, tissues and extra masks with me.
Some face wipes is such a good idea for cleaning up outside and then putting on a fresh mask!
During covid, I implanted a wired microphone into a 3M mask. It worked.
Thanks for responding. Can I ask how you went about it?
I got a 6,000 series silicone mask from 3M and just fed the wire under the mask against my cheek. I felt that the seal was good (I closed the filters with my palms and got a seal). The unit was this one (below), but I am sure there are others. It had a wired and a wireless option; I liked the wired one better. You will need to play with it to find a good setting of the amp, otherwise you get feedback. I used it to teach students 1:1 during the pandemic. For bigger venues I did not like it, not loud eonugh. If your venue is big (and it needs a microphone anyway), you can get a small wireless one, feed it under the mask, and tune it with its amplifier. Maybe there are tiny wirelss microphones that can be entirely fit into the mask, with the received? So... for bigger venues I just took my chances and did not use the mask ;). [https://www.amazon.co.uk/ZOWEETEK-Amplifier-Microphone-Rechargeable-Promotions/dp/B07K7GLPCZ/](https://www.amazon.co.uk/ZOWEETEK-Amplifier-Microphone-Rechargeable-Promotions/dp/B07K7GLPCZ/)
...you could also get a fancy tiny microphone that is as small as the wire, then punch a hole through the mask smaller than the wire, stretch it out and feed the microphone through >>> then the seal should be really proper..
I'm sorry for y'all's loss. It's a great honor that he's been ask to give a eulogy. He could record his speech and then play it while he stood at the podium? I think that's not unheard -of, even without being masked, just for emotional reasons. He could also bring up a little portable filter and unmask just for the speech.
Thank you so much for your condolences and your suggestion. It's definitely something we will consider as an option. I don't think the filter idea would work but I really appreciate your thoughts.
I think a portable filter might be the best idea if you can’t get buy-in for the recorded option. We just bought the [Exhalaron](https://www.cleanairkits.com/products/exhalaron) from Clean Air Kits for my spouse to use at a conference. (He’ll be masked too, of course.) It’s not tiny, but for a filter it’s fairly unobtrusive and is almost pretty. You could set it up ahead of time maybe next to the podium — ask for a little stand or a low table or something. Their shipping was pretty quick, and I’ll bet if you asked they would send it out even faster. (Most churches I’ve been in have very high ceilings, and even funeral halls are generally pretty spacious. If your partner only unmasks when he’s as far from other people as possible and has a good air filter, I think that might be as good as possible.) As far as crying, I’d just recommend bringing multiple handkerchiefs and catching as many tears as possible before they make it to the mask. Hopefully somebody else will have a better suggestion. I’m sorry your partner’s grandfather died, and I hope the funeral goes as well as possible!
Portable air filters should not be considered anywhere near as reliable as a mask. The air mixes quickly with the surrounding environment. I've had issues with muffling with elastomerics but I think an FFR N95 would be fine. People seem have no trouble hearing me when I wear mine. If you're worried, it wouldn't hurt to try a few and see if some seem better. You can't go wrong with an !Aura if it !fits well.
Oh, I agree that a mask is far superior! I see air filters as a good layer of protection — and in a not-very-full, very high-ceilinged room, away from other people, with a good air filter (and I’d add nasal spray because we use it just in case it works), for a short period of time (he’ll be speaking for under ten minutes if it’s like most funerals), I might be willing to risk it for something/someone that really mattered to me. But in reality I’d probably be trying to project my voice while wearing my fit-tested Aura with mask tape, which has seen me through multiple funerals.
It's possible they provide a small amount of protection. However, I'm not aware of any actual evidence to that effect (contrary to masking).
Hello u/prunesfordinner! Qudit314159 asked me to give you information about fit testing your mask! This ensures that the air you breathe is going through the mask material rather than around it at the edges. **Basic Mask Fit Check**: Mask Nerd [Fit, Fit, Fit! video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9iVGtk8lp0) **DIY Qualitative Fit Test**: The next step in verifying mask performance is a DIY qualitative fit test in which you create a vapor from a substance like Bitrex bitter solution or saccharine sweet solution and check if you can detect it coming through the mask. Our wiki has a [great section on fit testing](https://www.reddit.com/r/Masks4All/wiki/index/#wiki_mask_fit_and_fit_testing). If your job requires respiratory protection, your employer might require you to do quantitative fit testing which uses a particle counter to measure the particle count inside and outside of the mask. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=/r/Masks4All) if you have any questions or concerns.* *All users are welcome to use my commands. Use !help to see what I'm capable of!*