Telephone Reader Volunteer Resources

HOME Reader
Frequently Asked Questions

Q: As a volunteer reader who reads from home, how do I access Telephone Reader?

A:
1. Plug in your keypad and let it charge for two to three minutes.
2. Dial the toll-free TR access number for you area; as soon as system answers, enter 8462 (the universal home reader code)
3. Enter your personal four-digit identification number, and then enter your four-digit security code number.
4. Enter the publication number for the assignment you are going to read, and follow the prompts.

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Q: My headset connects to Telephone Reader, but when I enter my codes, Art tells me I'm not entering my codes fast enough.

A: On the left side of your headset is a switch labeled 'T/P'. One setting is for Touch-Tone dialing, the other is for Pulse, an old-style telephone set. Your headset needs to be set to Touch-Tone, or 'T', at all times to work with Telephone Reader.

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Q: I plugged in my headset and pressed the 'On-off' button on the front. Why don't I hear a dial tone?

A: These headsets draw power to operate from the telephone line. The first time (or anytime you unplug the headset for a period of time) you plug in the headset, it takes a minute to 'charge'. When you first plug it in, you need to leave the headset for about two minutes before pressing the 'On-off' button.

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Q: I dialed in to read from home but I cannot get connected -- the system just keeps ringing and ringing. What should I do?

A: The Telephone Reader server occasionally becomes unavailable due to periodic restarts or crashes. If you find that you cannot connect to the system:

1. Hang up (press the On/Off button on your keypad).
2. Contact Audio Reader via phone or e-mail to let us know that TR is unavailable. Call 785-864-4612 or 1-800-772-8898 to speak with George (M-F) or Gina (Sat/Sun) . You can e-mail George at gmccoy@ku.edu or Gina at rdkrause@ku.edu.
3. Try to dial in again in 10 minutes.
4. If you still cannot connect, wait another 10 minutes and try again. After being restarted, it takes the TR server about 10 minutes to go through startup routines and get the TR application up and running.

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Q: I was recording from home and suddenly lost my connection to the system. What happened?

A: The TR server either crashed or was restarted. If this happens, wait 10 minutes and try to reconnect. Enter the four-digit number of the article you were reading and press 2 to append to the end of the article. Resume reading at that point and finish the article.

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Q: I am no longer interested in reading for Telephone Reader. What do I do with my headset?

A: Please return your headset to Audio Reader. You can mail it to:
Audio Reader Network
1120 West 11th Street
PO Box 847 Lawrence, KS 66044