SYM Systems EasyTalk Instruction Manual

USER’S HANDBOOK

-i User’s Handbook

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USER’S HANDBOOK
TM
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i User’s Handbook
Writing JamesTanne
Editing Megan Salisbury
Photography,Graphics,Layout JamesTanne
Engineering Ed Kandefer
Allen Poetzsch
PhuocTran
Thanks to all the people out in the field who evaluated and tested the EasyTalk.
EasyTalk™ is a registered trademark ofThe GreatTalking Box Company
©1997 SYM Systems Corporation.All rights reserved.Duplication of this material in whole or part for commercial purposes is expressly
prohibited.

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Table of Contents
Introducing the EasyTalk
New Technology i-2
Features i-2
About this Handbook i-3
Quick Start
Setting Up the Equipment 1-1
Recording Messages 1-2
Playing Back Messages 1-4
Calling Alarm 1-5
Equipment and Its Care
The Equipment 2-1
Description of Hardware Features 2-4
The Touch Panel 2-7
Overlays 2-8
Caring for the EasyTalk 2-10
Charging the Battery 2-11
Making the Battery Last 2-12
Low Battery Warning 2-12
Technical Information 2-13
Recording Messages
Setting Up the EasyTalk 3-1
Preparing to Record 3-2
Recording Messages 3-4
Re-recording Messages 3-5
Preparing Overlays 3-5
Level Message Cues 3-7
Erasing Messages 3-8

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Playing Back Messages
Getting the EasyTalk Ready for the User 4-1
Speaking Messages 4-2
Settings for the End-user 4-3
Calling Alarm 4-4
Scanning
About Scanning Mode 5-2
Scanning patterns 5-3
Selecting Scanning 5-5
Adjusting the Scanning Configuration 5-6
Trouble Shooting
Common Problems 6-1
Keyboard Calibration 6-3
Servicing the EasyTalk 6-4
Glossary of Terms

i
Introduction

i-1 EasyTalk User’s Handbook
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Introduction:
Introducing the
EasyTalk
™
Congratulations on purchasing the best in assistive communication
technology.The EasyTalk is a digital playback device,designed to provide the best
combination of ruggedness,portability,and price/performance available.It
allows you to record messages digitally to later be played back instantaneously
with the touch of a key.The EasyTalk is ideal for individuals requiring a limited
number of messages with easy access.
The EasyTalk was created with the following criteria in mind:
• Ease of use
• Portability
• Durability

Introduction i-2
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• Long battery life
• High quality sound
• Affordable Price
New Technology
Employing leading edge technology,the EasyTalk is compact,easy-to-
use and completely programmable.It uses reliable Flash EPROM technology to
provide memory for recording up to 14 minutes of speech.With advanced
memory management,the EasyTalk provides 4 levels of messages,giving a
maximum of 160 messages! Also,the EasyTalk’s sophisticated audio circuitry and
high quality speaker produces a crisp clear voice and the high capacity Nickel-
Cadmium batteries ensure long continues operation (up to 12 hours on a single
charge).
Features
The EasyTalk integrates the following features:
• High quality digital sound
• Multiple message levels (total of 4)
• Variable length messages on every level
• Compact,rugged case
• Customizable overlays for 6 different keyboard layouts
• High message capacity
• Programmability
• Ease of Use
• Highly sensitive touch panel with no‘dead zones’
• Calling alarm
• Ultra bright scanning LEDs

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About this Handbook
This handbook was designed to help you,as a care giver or therapist,to
quickly learn to set up the EasyTalk and put it to use.It will help you to record
messages and then teach the user to play them back.For those familiar with this
type of communication aid,there is a‘quick start’chapter that gives only the
most essential information in order to set up the EasyTalk,record messages,and
begin playing them back.For more in-depth instructions,such as for scanning or
special care,please refer to the remainder of this guide.
This manual is designed to make the initial reading and subsequent
referencing as quick and simple as possible.
• The first chapter, Quick Start ,will guide experienced users
through software installation and basic use.
• The second chapter, Equipment and Its Care ,provides detailed
instructions on handling the EasyTalk and its accessories.
• The third chapter, Recording Messages ,explains how to set up
the EasyTalk with messages for later playback by the user.
• The fourth chapter, Playing Back Messages ,provides
information which should help the care giver or therapist to adjust
settings for the user and to teach the user to play back messages.
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