werner@ut-ngp.UUCP (Werner Uhrig) (02/03/84)
RRRAAAiiidddddd......
> ... features do not vary significantly ....
I must disagree, it is very important to analyze the features available,
and create a list of features which you consider either a) a must
b) desirable c) interesting d) unneccessary e) undesirable
The list of available features keeps increasing all the time and checking
the latest CR-report is not enough. For example, I just became aware, that
now a recorder is available which does not require a beeper for remote control
but which can be controlled by a call from any touch-tone telephone.
Some features which I would want today if my 2 year old machine would go
to recorder heaven are:
- seperate cassettes for announcements and incoming calls
- variable length announcements
- unlimited length of incoming call recording (voice activated)
- remote control without beeper (using touch-tone signals)
- announce only setting
- record conversation capability
that last point (recording conversations) is worth a few extra words.
A recent discussion on net.legal, I believe, pointed out, that a directly
connected recorder must indicate with a beeping sound when a call is
being recorded. Connecting a microphone to the phone to pick up a
conversation, however, does not require either warning nor a repetetive
beep-sound to indicate that you are recording.
Given that we do most of our everyday business by phone it is very useful
to record most of our conversations, as the exact phrasing of a "verbal
contract" might be significant, at least, as a convincing reminder in a
disagreement, if not as an effective helper in a court case. It can be
a lot more convincing to play a tape, and swear to it, that this is the
complete and untampered word-for-word exchange which took place, rather
than to outwitted by the argument: "Are you ABSOLUTELY sure, that you
remember the EXACT phrases, or could it have been that the words used
were such-and-such, which you might have misunderstood to mean ..."
So, if I may, legally, wire myself "for sound" when I go out to buy a
used car, I'd also want to have the same capability on my phone.
So, I would insist on a recorder, which has an external mike capability
to be able to record "beepless" rather than one which beeps every 10
seconds making what's said unintelligable (particularly costly during
overseas calls).
I found another, unexpected benefit of the capability to record conversations
which you may not have considered: Rather than tell a third party about
the contents of a call, I can now simply hand over the tape. As calling
has replaced writing as the preferred way to stay in touch with friends,
there are no letters anymore which are easy to share and can be kept and
reread. Recording those calls can be a big help.
You can also record and keep your favorite obcene calls, of course :-)
I have a PHONE-MATE, REMOTE 930, which is outmoded in that it requires
the use of a beeper, and records conversations with an obnoxiously frequent
(every 10 seconds) and loud-long beep -- otherwise it has all the features
I know of which I would insist on today.
Cheers, ~~~w~~~ werner@ut-ngp {.UUCP or .ARPA}rpw3@fortune.UUCP (02/09/84)
#R:umcp-cs:-496200:fortune:39400001:000:1217
fortune!rpw3 Feb 8 22:04:00 1984
I am currently using (and several of my friends use) the "Record-A-Call"
brand recorder. It's not the cheapest, but the VOX operation is reliable,
and the unit seems to last forever (I'm going on 5 years with the same
set of tapes).
It's of the two-cassette variety, one endless-loop and the other
a normal (but leaderless) 30 or 60 minute tape. It makes it VERY
easy to pop in a special message temporarily. It comes with a rather
long endless-loop tape, ~30 seconds, but you can get tapes as short
as 12 seconds, generally from whomever services them in your area.
(Finding them can be a pain, if you bought from a discount store!)
Remote control is extra cost, but occasionally worth it, if you
remember to take the little tone box with you on the trip.
The only tricky thing is the initial adjustment for how many rings before
it picks up. To do that right you have to have a patient friend who is
willing to call you a few times while you try settings on the (analog)
knob. Once set, it's quite stable. (I have mine set for three rings.)
Rob Warnock
UUCP: {sri-unix,amd70,hpda,harpo,ihnp4,allegra}!fortune!rpw3
DDD: (415)595-8444
USPS: Fortune Systems Corp, 101 Twin Dolphins Drive, Redwood City, CA 94065