CapTel News from Ultratec – Spring 2009

Sound Check: Adjusting CapTel for the Best Sound Quality

Maximize the sound quality of your CapTel conversations by adjusting the two slide controls on the right side of the phone: Volume and Tone. The Volume control governs the loudness of incoming sounds, and the Tone control governs the pitch or frequency. If you hear high-frequency tones better, move the Tone control up to the higher end of the scale. The higher-pitched sounds will come through the handset. If you hear low-frequency tones better (such as hearing male voices better than most female voices), start with the Tone control down at the lowest setting. This will allow the deeper, fuller sounds to be emphasized.

Try starting with the Tone control at the low end of its spectrum, and adjust it upward until the audio quality reaches a comfortable level. TIP: For an additional volume boost, press the VOL button to increase the handset volume to a maximum of 35 decibels. With the volume boost activated, you can still adjust the Volume slide control to a comfortable level. Note: The maximum amplification is available on captioned calls only.

Seeing Captions on Incoming Calls

While every CapTel call you dial out can get captions automatically, the way to get captions on incoming calls depends on how your phone is set up. Use this handy guide to help make sure you can see captions on every call - incoming and outgoing.

During a captioned call, the Captioning Assistant listens to the voice of the speaking party for the sole purpose of captioning their words. The Captioning Assistant cannot hear the CapTel user's voice at all. By law, Captioning Assistants are held to the strictest standards of privacy set by the Federal Communications Commission. You are guaranteed absolute confidentiality during your CapTel call.

New Printable Call Me Cards

New personalized business cards are available online that let you enter your name and phone number. Print out these cards to give to friends, relatives, and colleagues who call you on a regular basis. Visit CapTel website.

Do I have the Right Phone Line for CapTel?

For optimal hearing and "hands-free" convenience, you can use CapTel with headsets, neck loops, and other assistive devices -

To work correctly, CapTel requires a standard analog phone line or DSL line with DSL filter. CapTel is not designed to work over other kinds of telephone connections, such as office PBX, digital cable, or VOIP/Internet-based phone systems.

What kind of phone line do you have? If you are experiencing difficulty with captions, check the type of phone service you have. You can tell by looking at your telephone bill.

  • Does your service provider list anything about cable, broadband, VOIP, Fiber Optics?
  • Do you have a "bundle package" that includes your television, internet, and phone service all-in-one?*
  • If you are still unsure, call the customer service number on your phone bill and ask the representative to confirm what type of phone service you have. If your phone service is anything other than analog, "POTS" (Plain Old Telephone Service), or DSL, please contact CapTel Customer Service to discuss your options.

* NOTE: some DSL providers call their packages "bundles". If you are unsure if your "bundle package" is DSL or digital cable, contact your telephone service provider.

Hooking Up Answering Machines or Signalers

What is the best way to use an answering machine or a signaler with your CapTel phone? Although every person's situation may be different, here are a couple of guidelines to follow:

Y-Jacks are Okay
A Telephone Line Adapter (also known as a Multi Jack Connecter, duplex jack, or Y-Jack) allows more than one device to be connected to a single wall jack. For example, you may have your CapTel sharing a line with an answering machine or a signaler. TO USE: Plug the Y-Jack directly into the telephone outlet on the wall. Then, plug the CapTel phone into one slot and your other device (i.e, answering machine) into the second slot.

Avoid Line Splitters
A Telephone Line Splitter is used when multiple phone lines come into one jack, by splitting the one jack into separate lines. For CapTel users, however, line splitters may interfere with the captions if both lines are being used at the same time. For example, if you have a fax line sharing a jack with your CapTel line, your captions may be disrupted if a fax comes in during a CapTel call. Splitters also do NOT work for people interested in 2-line CapTel, which requires two separate phone lines on two separate jacks.

There is often confusion on the difference between Y-Jacks and Line Splitters, and some places that sell telephone equipment use the word "splitter" interchangeably. Please contact CapTel Customer Service if you need help.

Registering Your Long Distance Service

Before making any long distance captioned calls, be sure to register your long distance carrier with CapTel Customer Service so that long distance charges are billed correctly under your personal calling plan. If your long distance service is not registered, your long distance captioned calls will be billed through your state's default relay long distance carrier, which typically charges much more than your own calling plan.

TIP: If you live in a setting with a common telephone switchboard (for example, in some retirement communities or assistive living apartments), please check with your facility manager for the correct long distance provider, as well as for any "trunk" lines that might be assigned to your phone calls. CapTel Customer Service can help – please give us a call or visit us online!

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