5. Installing Software on a PC (Win98/2000/ME/XP)
Install TeleCorder software from the CD
included with your recorder prior to connecting the supplied USB cable from
the recorder to the USB port on your computer.
1. Insert the CD into the drive on your PC.
If it does not auto run to show install procedure, look at files on the CD
using file manager and open “TeleCorder_V410E.exe” file. Follow on screen
instructions. If
your PC is running WinXP, you may be asked for Microsoft signature (screen
shot at right). Select continue until installation is finished. The
TeleCorder program will now be installed in your computer, be listed under
Programs, in Control Panel add/remove programs, and there should
be
an icon on the desktop for the TeleCorder (image at left). If you try to run
the TeleCorder program without a TeleCorder connected to your PC via the USB
connection cable, or if the TeleCorder power is off, the software will not
run. You will see “ERROR: No TeleCorder device connected!”.

2. If your TeleCorder is not already powered On, connect
it to AC power and wait for it to display time and date. Since the
TeleCorder is normally left On at all times, there is no power On/Off
switch. To turn it Off, unplug the power cord. Connect the supplied USB
cable (photo at right) from the USB port on the back of the TeleCorder to a USB
port on your computer. The first time you connect the TeleCorder to your
computer, your PC should display “New Hardware Found” message, search for
and install the required driver software (FTDIFT8U2XX.dll), if the software
was previously installed (see above).
If connecting a TeleCorder to your PC
that was previously used with a different TeleCorder, you may receive a
pop-up message telling you that it has “Found New Hardware, FTDIFT8U3XX
device, installing — Files Needed”, type the path to the folder where the
driver was previously installed (such as: C:\Program Files\TeleCorder\TeleCorderE_F4V201),
or the path to the drivers folder on the CD supplied with your TeleCorder
(such as: E:\Drivers, where E is the CD drive on your PC containing the
TeleCorder CD). In some parts of Canada and England different formats of
Caller ID information is used. If the Caller ID is not in the Bellcore, as
in the USA and most other countries, the Caller ID numbers will not show
(some phone line providers in Canada still use the older Stentor format).
3. Run the TeleCorder program by clicking on the
icon on your PC desktop that was created when the program was installed or
from the programs list. Refer to manual section III (below) for detailed
information.
III. Using TeleCorder
1. Recording Process
When connected to standard telephone
lines, the TeleCorder will automatically record the telephone number called
in or dialed out, time duration of the call and the voices of the
conversation. You don’t need to change your procedure for making or
receiving your calls. Nevertheless, the following points should be
considered. When connected to phone lines, channels should be set to
start/stop recording using the voltage sensing mode, not the VAR mode
(hardware set-up from key-pad, or Hardware screen using a PC).
1) If Caller ID numbers are not
displayed, confirm with your telephone company that your phone lines have
the caller ID feature enabled and that it is the USA Bellcore standard. Otherwise, there will not be caller phone
numbers recorded and displayed when managing the recordings. If you are
connected to telephone handset audio, the recorder will not show caller
numbers and will only show dialed out numbers if the handset has standard DTMF tones when dialing. Also check to be sure phone line channels are set
for voltage sensing, not for VAR start/stop.
2) Always wait to answer a call until
after the second ring so that the phone number from the calling party can be
received and stored with the recording.
3) When channels are set to start and stop
recording using voltage sensing, outgoing calls will not be saved unless
they are longer than 8 seconds and contain a minimum of 3 dialed digits (DTMF
tones). This feature minimizes false recordings and does not apply when
using Voice Activated Recording (VAR).
1.1 Setting for Phone Line or Voice Activated Recording (VAR)
When you first connect a new
TeleCorder, default settings for all channels will be for Voice Activated
Recording (VAR). Channels connected to phone lines should have their
start/stop mode changed to the voltage sensing start/stop mode. In this
mode, instead of monitoring audio levels, the recorder will monitor for DC
voltages on the selected inputs to indicate on-hook and off-hook status. The
phone line voltage is high when the circuit is not in use and will drop to a
lower voltage when it is being used. Any channels set for on-hook/off-hook
voltage sensing that are not connected to a phone line will not show any
recordings due to the lack of the DC voltage changes that are required to
initiate a recording in this mode.
If you connect any of the TeleCorder inputs to audio sources that do not
have standard on-hook/off-hook voltages, these channels must be set for
audio or voice activated recording (VAR).
1.2 VAR Settings
Recorder channels set for the VAR mode will detect the voice level on the
line to start a recording. It will start recording when a preset audio level
is reached (normal conversation levels), and stop after the audio drops
below this threshold (no sound other than weak background noise) for a
preset period of time. The length of quiet required for the recording to end
is called “turn-off-delay”.
|
|
Phone
Line Recording |
Voice
Activated Recording (VAR) |
|
Requirement to
Start |
Phone Line DC
voltage lower than the threshold (<20v DC) |
Audio level on
input is loud enough or louder than
preset threshold required
to start recording |
|
Requirement to
Stop |
Phone Line DC
voltage higher than the threshold (>20v DC) |
Audio level is
lower than
preset level required to
continue recording for the selected turn-off-delay |
|
Suggested
Uses |
Recording from
standard Analog phone lines
|
1.
Radio recording,
broadcast or two-way
2.
Amplified microphone
3.
Audio picked up from handset or headset of analog or digital
telephone set (single or multi-line phone)
4.
Analog phone line recording where DC voltage sensing cannot be
used |
|
Parameters |
1. DC Voltage
Threshold:
(This threshold
is preset in the
TeleCorder through hardware
components
and cannot be
changed via software). |
1.
VAR or Off-Hook Mode for each channel
2.
Threshold in 4 levels
3.
Turn-off-delay/VAR
space:
(4, 12, 32, or 100 seconds)
4.
VAR Time-Out to limit long recordings and start a new
recording: (20, 40, 60, or 120 minutes) |
2.
Setting Channels for Operation in VAR Mode
You can use either your PC or the
keypad built into the TeleCorder to select Phone Line recording or VAR mode,
and to change and confirm these and other operating
parameters.
2.1 Configuring TeleCorder using a PC
Using your PC with the TeleCorder
program running, select Hardware from the main screen. You will open the
Hardware Information screen as shown here. From this button you will gain
information about the TeleCorder including version number, capacity, media’s
usage, recorded call items, deleted call items, etc.

(click on above
image to see full size window)
a.
Channel/Port Setup: Each channel (Port) in the recorder can
be set to start and stop recording using either audio activation (VAR) or
voltage sensing. Channels showing a check mark in the boxes labeled
Port 1,
Port 2,
Port 3, or
Port 4, are
set for VAR recording. Channels with no checkmark indicate they are set for
phone line recording. For any channel you want to start/stop recording using
the phone line voltage sensing mode, click on the box for that channel to
remove the check mark, then click the Write
Hardware button to confirm any
changes. With 2 channel TC-02F, disregard Port 3 and Port 4
settings.
b. VAR Voltage Threshold: Set the threshold
level to match the audio level on your audio source.
L0: Extra Sensitive, suitable for weak audio sources with low
background noise level: (for example, with weak earphone or line-out
recording).
L1: High Sensitivity, suitable for normal line level audio sources
with low background noise levels: (normal phone handset earpiece audio or
weak speaker of radio).
L2: Mid Sensitivity, suitable for higher than normal audio levels
and/or higher background noise levels: (for recording from a noisy phone
line when voltage sensing cannot be used due to non-standard voltages or
with normal speaker audio from a radio).
L3: Low Sensitivity, suitable for very high audio levels, and high
background noise levels. Recording may stop if audio levels are too weak:
(phone recording with non-standard and very noisy DC voltages, or extra loud
radio audio).
After making changes, click the
button labeled Write Hardware
to confirm any changes. You may be asked to quit the program and try again.
You may also need to un-plug and re-connect the TeleCorder power or USB
cable to successfully change the TeleCorder operating parameters.
c. Turn-Off-Delay Time (VAR Space Time): If
any channels have VAR selected for recording start/stop, also select one of
the four turn-off-delay options (VAR Turn Off
Delay): 4, 12, 32 or 100 seconds.
This setting will help to prevent recordings from ending during quiet
periods. Click the Write Hardware
button to confirm any changes.
d. VAR Timeout: If any channels have VAR
selected for start/stop, set the timeout to one of the four choices: 20, 40,
60 or 120 minutes. This setting will limit the maximum length of a recording
for easier management of long conversations or for when recording from
broadcast radio where pauses may not be long enough to separate individual
recordings using VAR for start/stop. If a recording reaches the maximum
length of time that you select for VAR TimeOut, that recording will end, and
a new recording on that channel will begin. Click the
Write Hardware
button to confirm any changes.
e. Save VAR and Outgoing Calls Less than 8s or Outgoing Calls
with Less than 3 DTMF Codes:
Click on this option to place a check
mark in its box if you want to save recordings that are less than 8 seconds
long. If this box is not checked, VAR recordings shorter than 8 seconds, and
outgoing telephone calls (using voltage sensing for start/stop) with less
than 3 DTMF digits, will not be saved.
This setting is normally used if
external noise causes frequent and unwanted false audio activated
recordings, or if telephone line testing produces short off-hook conditions
that are not associated with actual phone line usage. It is normal to record
all activity on the monitored circuits. Use care when setting to delete
short recordings. This setting can only be changed from the PC It cannot be
changed from the units keypad.
f. Hardware Information: Click on this box to
show information about your TeleCorder; hardware version, model type, number
of calls recorded, number of calls deleted, total length of all recordings
in its memory (in hours, minutes and seconds), total length of deleted
recordings, and percentage of storage space used.
g. Date/Time Setting: Click on this box to
copy the date/time setting from your PC to the TeleCorder.
h. Audio Recording Mode: From this sub-button you can set
the quality of recordings.
Mode 0 --- Large file, good audio.
8bit linear PCM mode used in the 1st generation recorders.
Mode 1 --- Tiny file, poor audio.
2bit ADPCM mode.
Mode 2 --- Small file, good audio.
3bit ADPCM mode. Default mode set from factory.
Mode 3 --- Large file, best audio.
8bit nonlinear PCM mode.
i. Limitation for List Displaying: From this
sub-button you can set the list display features to speed up the list
refresh process or to have more items displayed in the lists of recordings
shown on your PC in the main TeleCorder program screen. The default setting
is 2000 for fastest speed. You can select a different number, such as 10000,
32768 or 65536, respectively. This selection is saved in software, not as a
hardware setting.
j. Caller ID Detection Settings: From this sub-button you
can set (turn on/off) the caller ID detection
features.
Pre-Ring DTMF Detection: If the local caller ID mode is DTMF and sent
before the Ring, you must turn this feature on. Otherwise, if erroneous
caller numbers are sometimes received, you should turn this feature off.
Pre-Ring FSK Detection: If the local caller ID mode is FSK and sent
before the Ring, you must turn this feature on. Otherwise, if erroneous
caller numbers are sometimes received, you should turn this feature off.
Forced FSK Between Rings: If your caller ID signaling is FSK and sent
between the rings, you must turn this feature on. This is the normal setting
for North America.
k. Volume Balance Setting (Dava): For recorded audio in
the recording mode 1, 2, or 3 (see above) the player can provide Dava ---
Digital Automatic Volume Adjustment capabilities. This is done in software,
not hardware. There are 2 possible settings.
Dava for File Conversion: This setting is normally used to enable
Dava converting batches of files to wave files.
Dava Depth for Play and File Conversion: This setting can provide
better audio quality but less balance in audio levels. This switch will take
effect both for playback of recordings and for batch file converting of
recordings to wave files.
l. Dava:
If the volume levels of the 2 sides of a conversation are different, or if
the line quality is not well adjusted, the Digital Automatic Volume
Adjustment (Dava) function will amplify the lower or far side to more
closely match the level of the stronger or near side of a recorded
conversation during playback. Since background noise will also be amplified
together with the sound, there will be a compromise to permit weak voices to
be played at higher levels without raising background noise levels to
objectionable levels.
m. Notice for PC settings:
Some of the above settings must be locked into the TeleCorder hardware by
restarting the recorder. If this is the case, you will see a message to
restart the recorder (unplug power from TeleCorder, wait 10 seconds, and
re-connect to power). After any of the above settings are changed, they will
not take effect until the recorder is restarted by turning off or
disconnecting AC power to the TeleCorder, waiting a minimum of ten seconds,
and powering the TeleCorder back on. Any changes made in software should now
be locked into the recorder’s internal memory.
After the settings have been changed, check to make sure the recorder is
functioning as expected.
2.2 Setting up your TeleCorder using the built-in HandyPlayer
See section 3.2 for more detailed
descriptions of HandyPlayer buttons and operation.
Using the
0 Setup key on
the HandyPlayer, enter into the setup mode. When in the setup mode,
parameters to change will be underlined. Use the
4 or
5 keys to
change which character is highlighted and the 2
and 8 key to
change the value of the highlighted character. Use the bottom right key save
changes and the bottom left key to
quit.
1. There are 4 setup modes provided on the HandyPlayer.
The setup items on the HandyPlayer are listed as follows:
a. Date/Time/Recording
Mode
b. Password
c. Language for display
d. VAR Channels (two with
model TC-02F, four with TC-04F)
The
channels are listed from 1 to 4 (P1, P2, P3 and P4) as
“xxxx”,
1 for VAR, 0 for non-VAR
e. VAR Threshold
f. VAR Delay Time
g. VAR TimeOut
Set individual VAR options as required to match the required recording
parameters.
2. Notes
a. To avoid
interruption of active recordings, you should
only set the above items while the recorder is idle. Wait
until no channels are active or unplug inputs prior to
changing settings.
b. The above
settings must be locked into the TeleCorder
hardware by restarting the recorder. After any of the
above settings are changed, they will not take effect until
the recorder is restarted by turning off or disconnecting
AC power to the TeleCorder, waiting a minimum of ten
seconds, and powering the TeleCorder back on. Any
changes made in software should now be locked into
the recorder’s internal memory.
c. After the settings
have been changed, check to make
sure that the recorder is functioning as expected.
d. The recorder listens
for outgoing numbers dialed using
DTMF/touch-tone signaling and stores them with the
recording. It is possible for it to document and record
false phone numbers when the recorder is in the VAR
mode (particularly when recording broadcast radio music
where
the audio can mimic sounds of dialing). To avoid
collecting and recording these erroneous numbers, you
can use
the PC interface to disable storing of dialed digit
signaling.
2.3 Removal of TeleCorder
Follow
the installation procedure outlined above in reverse order.

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