10.  Troubleshooting Tips & Techniques
  
a) There is a loud and continuous tone sounded when using the control keys.

The soft key may be stuck against the casing. Just move the key about to release it.

b) The unit does not power-up.

It is possible that the fuse holder may have become loose during transit or the fuse is blown. Disconnect the power cord, remove the fuse holder at the rear of the unit and check that the fuse is OK. Power-up again.

 c) The password has been forgotten.

Call your dealer for support.

 d) The LCD screen is very blue after start-up.

Hold down the Hash (#) key and press the <UP> <DOWN> arrow keys to change the contrast of the LCD screen.

 e) The recorder is switched on with channel lines connected. The Logging Menu shows “C” in the status column and the LEN (Length) meter is running, but no calls are active.

The channels are probably set to Off-Hook. Enter the Options Menu and change the Line Trigger setting from Off-Hook to VOX Mid.

 f) During the process of recording a call, the call appears to be cut into multiple records, each of a fixed length.

Check the Maximum call length setting in the Options Menu (Call button). If a call reaches the maximum length setting, it will be cut and then restarted as a new (continuation) record, with no loss of recording in between the cut and restart.

To avoid cutting the call into multiple records, increase the Maximum call length setting.

g) During the process of recording a call, the call appears to be cut into multiple records, each of a varied length.

Check the VOX level settings of the channel(s) concerned. It is possible that the VOX level threshold is too sensitive in detecting silence on the line. For example, “VOX Hi” detects a high signal with associated low sensitivity, so if the voice at either end is not loud enough or is not talking continuously, the recorder may detect a period of silence and cut the call.

At the same time, check the VOX Timeout setting in the Options Menu. If the VOX level threshold is too low, the calls will be cut based on the VOX Timeout setting. A combination of changing the Trigger setting to VOX Mid  or VOX Low and also increasing the VOX Timeout setting  (Section 7.4) should eliminate the problem of cut calls. 

h) The call I am replaying finishes in the middle of the call, and I know that there was an extended conversation.

This call has most likely been “cut” as determined by the Maximum call length setting.

Check the channel number of the call in the Search Menu, then search for the next call at the same channel number and you will find the remainder of the call. The second part of the call should be indicated by a (cont...) entry in the number field that indicates a continued call.

i) When making a telephone call, I can hear the remote party very clearly but when I play back the call, it is hard to hear the remote party.

This is associated with the AGC (Auto Gain Control) built into the recorder.

The recorder is designed to “record” all the sounds heard on the line, both Transmit (Tx) and Receive (Rx). This includes background noise, line noise and ambient noise.

The recorder “records all audio noise”, and cannot distinguish between “background” and “foreground” noise. This problem may be compounded if the recording is made via Handset Adapters. In this case, the “background noise” fed back through the microphone of the handset is combined with the Receive (Rx) signal from the “Remote Party”, and therefore what appears to be a clear voice to the listener may sound soft or hard to hear upon replay.

This is a function of the AGC, which “averages out” all the audio signals detected during the recording.

If on the other hand, there is no background noise, then the “Remote Party” will sound very clear and loud upon replay.

j) I am dialing a number and I can hear the tones on my phone, but no DTMF number appears in the Logging Menu next to the (C) Current Call.

If recording via a handset adapter, it may not be possible for the recorder to detect DTMF tones. If your phone system transmits a proprietary signal to the PABX, and the PABX converts this signal to DTMF tones, then the recorder cannot detect the DTMF as it is not present at the point of recording.

The recorder will detect DTMF tones, provided they are on the line at the point of recording.

k) I have selected Archive from the Search Menu. Now my keyboard has locked-up and the recorder does not seem to be working.

The archive process takes time. Writing to a CD is a time-consuming process. During the archive process, the <MENU> and <SELECT> keys will be disabled and you will have no access to other functions of the recorder.

DO NOT SWITCH OFF THE POWER. Although you have no access to the recorder, it will still be recording on active channels, and it will still be archiving calls to the CD. It is recommended to start the archive process during times of low-usage, or when you do not need to gain further access to the recorder for a period of time.

l) I have archived calls to a CD but the “% Used” indicator on the Logging Menu remains at the same level.