[guide.chat] Trucall
- From: "John Keel" <j.keel1428@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: "chat forum" <guide.chat@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Wed, 24 Oct 2012 22:05:59 +0100
Hello,
A number of you have expressed an interest in Trucall, so here goes. As I said
earlier, the device, which is quite small, sits between your land line and
your phone or phones if they are cordless. There are only two cables to
connect. One to the electricity supply which should be near your phone , and
the other to the land line. The only sighted assistance you will need is the
pin number which is the last 4 digits of the serial number which can be found
on the bottom of the unit. Once you know that, you are ready to go.
In the setting up process, you are guided by a very pleasant human female voice
who sounds a bit like Charlotte Green but isn't. She will hold your hand all
the way. Trucall has a lot of menus and sub-menus so you can choose from all
the options simply by pressing the appropriate number on your phone's key pad.
If you make a mistake or want to change things later, you can always go back to
the setup menu and make any alterations. Trucall works better if you have
"Caller I D". This is usually free from your telephone provider.
If someone rings you, they are asked to say their name. Your phone then rings
and Trucall tells you that you have a call from who ever has just said their
name. You then have the choice of speaking to them, asking them to leave a
message or by pressing the hash key. If you do that, Trucall tells them that
you are not interested in their call and to not call again.
The unit will also act as your answering machine and alert you if you have any
messages. So if you already have an answering machine, this must be switched
off or they will clash.
Another great feature is that you can set it to record all calls or record
selected calls by pressing the only button on the unit. Recording domestic
phone calls is not illegal. It is only commercial organisations who are
required to tell you in advance.
One of the advanced features of Trucall is that you can create two lists of
phone numbers. In the star list, you enter all the numbers of your family and
friends which allows them to get straight through without having to say their
name. The other is the hash or Zap list into which you can enter numbers of
anyone you never wish to speak to.
One feature I particularly like is, if you are listening to a message from
someone, and you want to call them back, you just press 8 on your key pad and
Trucall will dial the number for you provided that you have "Caller I D."
The initial setup takes only a few minutes, and having done that, you never
need to touch it again.
I have only outlined some of the main features of Trucall and you can get any
further information by ringing them on 0800 0336 330. They now have a new unit
which only differs from mine in that it has greater memory capacity. It costs
£99.99.
When I bought mine, I spoke to the technical team at RNIB who expressed some
interest but, so far as I know, did very little about it. It has also been on
QVC a few times but they never say it is suitable for visually impaired people
which is their loss.
I have had my Trucall for over 3 years and have never had a nuisance call.
I hope all this has been helpful, and if you decide to buy one, you won't
regret it. Let me know how you get on.
Kind regards,
John
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