Screenless Phone FAQ

 

 

The Owasys 22C

Frequently Asked Questions

Concerning Operation Of The Owasys 22C Screenless Talking Cellular Telephone

Version 1.3, 3 December60;2007

Copyright

(C) Copyright 2007, By Capital Accessibility (LLC). All Rights Reserved.

Verbatim copying and distribution of this entire document is permitted in any medium without royalty provided this notice is preserved.

Please check our Customer Service web Page for the latest version of this (and other) documentation concerning the Owasys 22C in the U.S. and Canada: Support. We invite you to use this link to send us your comments and suggestions on this document. Your comments are most welcome.


Table Of Contents

NOTE: Whenever an audio tour demonstration for some topic is also available on our web site, this will be indicated with the following marking: Same-Topic Audio Tour: followed by a link to that audio tour.

This Quick Reference FAQ provides information on the following topics:


What are all these buttons on the 22C?

Same-Topic Audio Tour: Introduction (Time: 03:01; Size: 2.8M)

We're very proud of our easy to use buttons. Many people can readily figure out what most of them do without being told, but a few of our buttons do need explaining. Here's our quick tour of the buttons on the 22C. Hold the phone so that the buttons face you, and so that they congregate toward the bottom of the phone.

22c Front Buttons

The three round buttons across the top of the 22C's keypad are special:

  1. The button at the upper left takes you to the Phonebook for placing calls to numbers stored in your Phonebook. See the section entitled "How do I call using my Phonebook?" below to learn how to use this button. Adding new entries and editing existing entries in your Phonebook is accessed through the 22C menus described in the section entitled "How do I add and edit entries in my Phonebook?" below.
  2. The middle button on the top row toggles the 22C between Hands Free Mode and Handset Mode. You can use this button anytime, including during a call. You can think of Hands Free Mode as a speaker phone. Handset Mode is, of course, for the times when you hold the phone to your ear. Because Hands Free Mode can be very loud, and possibly unpleasant if you accidentally hold the 22C up to your ear while the 22C is in Hands Free Mode, the 22C will not stay in Hands Free Mode for very long unless you are actively using the menus, dialing a call, sending a text message, or talking on the phone.
  3. The button at the upper right is the Info Key and has several important functions that you will use frequently:
    • Pressed briefly it repeats the last message the 22C voiced. Press this key briefly anytime you need to hear any message the phone just voiced again--including while you're in the Status Menu.
    • Held in while the phone is ringing, it provides caller ID data in Handset Mode only, because we believe who's calling you is your business, and no one else's.
    • Held in for a few seconds when there is no call in progress, it takes you to the 22C Status Menu. While in this menu, use the up/down navigation key (above the 2) to scroll through the 22C's status information, including battery strength, signal strength, date and time, network status, and advisories of missed calls and any unread text messages.

NOTE: The 22C is manufactured in Europe and announces date and time in European fashion, day month year and time.

Left Side Buttons

Lastly, there are two buttons on the left side edge of the 22C. These are arrow shaped and adjust the 22C's volume up or down. You can use these anytime to adjust volume.


How do I insert my SIM card and my battery?

You may never need to do it, but just in case, here's how to install your SIM card and your battery. By the way, SIM stands for "Subscriber Information Module." It's a postage stamp sized silicon wafer that contains your phone number and all the data required to make your phone work.

To insert your SIM card and your battery you will need to remove the back cover plate. Find the indentations about midway on the back side of the phone and slide the cover plate off by pressing down toward the bottom edge of the phone.

Back of 22c Battery Cover

If the battery is already installed, you must first remove it to insert a new SIM card. Find the protruding clip holding the battery in place at the bottom edge of the battery compartment and press the clip firmly toward the battery itself--up toward the center of the phone. This will release the battery.

Battery Release

The SIM card slot is a rectangular area that you can feel beneath the battery. The data contacts in this rectangular depression are to the left and there are two guides across the top and bottom two thirds of the SIM card compartment to help you guide the SIM card into position. Your SIM will slide under these guides and over the two columns of contact pins. Orient your rectangular SIM card to be wide and short just like the rectangular depression it slots into, and orient it so that the diagonal cut corner is to the upper right. Then, using the upper and lower overhanging lips as your guide, slide the SIM gently, but firmly from right to left into this rectangular slot until it's firmly in place. You will need to give the SIM a little extra push about two thirds of the way in in order to get it all the way in place.

SIM Card in 22c

To replace the battery, orient it so that the rounded edges face out and the clip is to the bottom of the phone. Insert the upper end first and then push down on the lower end of the battery to seat it firmly in its compartment. You may hear a slight click when the battery is seated.


How do I charge my 22C?

Plug the supplied electrical charger into a standard electrical socket, and plug the end of the attached cable into the socket on the bottom edge of the 22C, below the telephone keypad.

Charging plug in bottom of 22c

It is perfectly OK to charge the 22C while it is on. It's perfectly OK to make and receive calls, (or manage your configuration or Phonebook entries) while the 22C is charging.

If you plug the charger into the phone while the 22C is on, you'll hear a brief audio alert indicating that the phone is now charging. You'll also have an additional entry in the Status Menu (see the section "What are all these buttons?" above) informing you that the 22C is charging. Once the battery is fully charged, this message in the status menu becomes "Complete Charge Battery."

However, if you plug the charger in while the phone is off, you will not hear the audio alert. Rather, after about half a minute the 22C will voice "Charging Only." In other words, it will be turned on partly into a special mode that only provides information about your battery status while you are charging the 22C.

See the section entitled "How do I turn my 22C on and off?" below for additional information about charging while turning the 22C on and off.


How do I turn my 22C on and off?

Same-Topic Audio Tour: Basic Usage (Time: 02:04; Size: 1.9M)

To turn the 22C on, simply hold in the pound sign button (at the lower right corner of the touch tone keypad).

If you press this key when the 22C is NOT charging, you should hold it in until you feel the 22C vibrate. When you feel the vibration, you can let go of the pound key. If you then hold the 22C to your ear, you'll hear the Owasys melody playing, a welcome message, and finally a network advisory. The network advisory should be the name of your service provider, Cingular T-Mobile, or Rogers (in Canada), etc. When you hear the network advisory, your 22C is ready for use. Note that if you are roaming, the 22C will say "Roaming on" and then your service provider's name.

However, if you power on the 22C while it is charging, it will not vibrate. Rather, it will first say "Welcome to Owasys 22C," then play the Owasys melody and continue booting as described above. You may release the "#" key when you hear the 22C voice "Welcome."

To turn the 22C off, hold in the pound key (which the 22C pronounces (European-style) as "hash," until the 22C asks if you really want to turn it off. Press the Yes key (above 1) to continue shutting the telephone off. After a few seconds you'll feel the 22C vibrate. This indicates the unit is powered off. However, if you power off the 22C while it is charging, it will not vibrate, but will rather return to "Charging Only" status.

IMPORTANT: In very rare circumstances you may find the 22C does not begin booting when you hold in the "#" key. If this appears to be the case, simply open the battery compartment lift and re-seat the battery then turn on your 22C again as described.


Can I use my headset with the Owasys 22C?

While many standard headsets can plug into the 22C, we strongly advise that you use ONLY the manufacturer approved headset. The headset jack on the 22C is also used by our data cable to update firmware on the Owasys 22C. Using a non-approved headset can render your 22C unusable and void your warranty. Instead, why not order a manufacturer approved headset from Capital Accessibility to use with your 22C.

NOTE: The 22C automatically answers incoming calls when the headset is plugged in.

NOTE: The socket on the right edge of the 22C is also a serial port. The serial port is used to connect the 22C to a computer using a special cable available from Capital Accessibility in order to update the software on the Owasys 22C.


What's the Network Advisory? And, how do I dial a call?

Same-Topic Audio Tour: Making A Call (Time: 01:02; Size: 0.98M)

As described above, the Network Advisory is the name of your service provider, e.g. T-Mobile. It is important to listen for the Network Advisory message because you can only dial a phone number by starting from this prompt. Think of the Network Advisory as your starting point on the Owasys 22C.

If unsure, press the Info Key (at the upper right) briefly. Was your service provider's name voiced? If so, you can dial the telephone. If not, hold in the "No" Key for a few seconds until the Network Advisory is voiced.

CAUTION: if you were dialing a number, you will need to hold the "No" key in twice, because the first long press empties the buffer of digits you've dialed, while the second press returns you to the Network Advisory.

To dial the telephone simply press digits as you would do on any touch tone telephone. The 22C will voice each digit as you dial. To hear what you've entered so far, press the Info Key (at the upper right) briefly. All the digits you've dialed so far will be voiced. If you make a mistake, press the "No" key briefly to remove one digit and the 22C will announce the next digit that will be erased if you press "No" again. If no digits remain, the 22C will say "Empty."

Once you've entered all the digits for the number you wish to dial, simply press "Send." the 22C will say "Dialing" and repeat the number you dialed while your call is being placed.

In addition to dialing from the Phonebook (described in the section entitled "How do I call using my Phonebook?" below), you can dial from three special lists that are automatically maintained for you in the Owasys 22C:

The last ten numbers you dialed are available to you by simply pressing "Send" after a Network Advisory. The most recent number is presented first. To access the other nine entries stored on this list, use the up/down navigation button above the 2.

Similarly, the last ten calls you missed, and the last ten calls you accepted are available in lists under the "Call Information" menu option. From the Network Advisory, press the navigation key until you hear "Call Information," then press "Yes." You can then use the up/down navigation button to select among the several lists of Accepted, Dialed, and Missed Calls. Press "Yes" again to access the list of numbers in that category.

Once you've highlighted the number you want, press "Yes" again. You are presented with a few options including the option to dial this number, and the option to add it to your Phonebook. As always in the 22C menus, use the up/down navigation button to make your selection, and the "Yes" key to activate it, or the "No" key if you make a mistake (or change your mind).


How do I lock and unlock my keyboard?

Locking and unlocking your keyboard is a task you will likely perform often. After all, it's very easy for the buttons on the 22C to get pressed while you carry your phone around in your pocket, purse, or briefcase.

To lock the keypad press the star key (*) at the lower left of the touch tone keypad until the 22C voices "Keypad Locked."

To unlock the keypad press and hold the star key again. The 22C will ask if you really mean to unlock the keypad. Answer by pressing "Yes" to unlock and begin using your phone.


How do I get my voice mail?

Most service plans come with voice mail, however your voice mail messages are not stored on the Owasys 22C itself. Rather, you retrieve your voice mail messages by dialing a special telephone number provided by your service provider. For most GSM services voice mail can be accessed by dialing *123 and pressing Send.

If the SIM card in your Owasys 22C is correctly programmed, you can also use the "Voice Mail" selection available on the Messages menu, however T-Mobile SIMs are currently often incorrectly programmed as #123, so this menu option does not work as it should unless you correct the error. Fortunately, you can correct it. Select Messages, Voice Mailbox and then select "Set Mailbox Phone Number." After you've entered the correct data, you can use "Read Mailbox" to access your voice mail messages. Better still, you can also just press and hold '1' at the Network Alert prompt to access your voice mail.

NOTE: Do not confuse voice mail with the other options on the "Messages" menu. To learn how to send and receive text messages, see the section entitled How do I send and read text messages?" below. Text messages are different from voice mail.


My 22C Stopped Ringing And Only Vibrates

You've most probably stumbled onto our Silent Mode feature by accidentally holding in the 5 key just a little too long. Silent Mode really is a cool feature, and we think you'll like it once you understand how to use it. Keep reading. We describe Silent Mode in the next section of this document.


How do I mute my ringer?

The Owasys 22C can ring or vibrate (or both at the same time) when you receive a call. Usually, you will want your phone to ring out loud. But, because there are so many situations in life where it's important that your phone not ring out loud, we've made it easy to go back and forth between these two modes.

From the Network Alert prompt simply hold in the "5" key until your ringer status changes. The 22C will announce, "Silent Mode: Silent On" when you change to vibrate only mode; or it will voice "Silent Mode: Silent Off" when you change back. By default the Owasys 22C only rings when not in Silent Mode. To get both vibration and a ring, select Configuration in the menus, then Sounds And Alarms, and finally Vibration Mode and enable it.


How do I mute Myself On A Call?

If you ever use your 22C to participate in a teleconference conversation with several other callers, you'll appreciate your ability to mute your 22C. Muting yourself is particularly handy when you use your phone in a noisy environment especially when you participate in a conversation with several others on the same call. The other people on your call will particularly appreciate not hearing the background noise around you when you're not actually speaking. When your call is muted, you are still able to hear what others on the call are saying, but you'll need to first unmute yourself before others on the call can hear you.

Muting and unmuting yourself is very simple. During a call, press down on the navigation key to mute yourself, and press up on the navigation key to unmute yourself. The 22C does not acknowledge your action in any way in order to not interfere with your call, but you will find muting and unmuting yourself is just this simple.

NOTE: This feature is only available on Owasys 22C firmware revisions beginning with P7P5 released in June 2006.


How do I know who's calling?

Same-Topic Audio Tour: Caller ID (Time: 01:43; Size: 1.6M)

The 22C provides talking caller ID. When your phone rings (or vibrates) with an incoming call, press and hold the Info Key (at the upper right) and hold the phone to your ear. Caller ID information is not announced in Hands Free Mode because we believe who's calling you is your business alone and no one else's.

If the incoming call is coming from a number in your Phonebook, the 22C will announce the name associated with that number in your Phonebook. If not, it will announce the number the call is coming from, when this information is available. When it is not available, the 22C voices "Anonymous."


How do I check my battery and signal strength?

Same-Topic Audio Tour: The Info Key (Time: (Time: 01:53; Size: 1.8M)

To get up to the second information on your battery, signal strength, and other status information, press and hold the Info Key (at the upper right) until the first status message is spoken. Use the up/down navigation button (above 2) to scroll through remaining status data. If you need any item repeated, simply press the Info Key briefly.

NOTE: If you have text messages that you have not yet read, this fact will be the first status advisory you hear. To access this unread message, simply press "Yes."

NOTE: If you have missed one or more calls, you will be advised of this in the Status Menu. You can press "Yes" to find out who called, and then "Yes" again to call them back (or add them to your Phonebook).

NOTE: Status messages include date and time, presented European fashion, day, month, year, and time of day.


How do I call using my Phonebook?

Same-Topic Audio Tour: The Phonebook (Time: 04:06; Size: 3.8M)

You can call any entry in your Phonebook by first pressing the Find And Call button (at the upper left). The 22C will voice "Enter Contact Name."

At this point you could press "Yes" and begin scrolling through your Phonebook entries using the up/down navigation button, but this could be very inefficient since the Phonebook holds up to 250 named entries.

Instead, first use the alphabetic feature of your touch tone keypad to get you close to the name you want. For instance, press 2 once for names starting with A, press 3 once for names starting with D, 4 once for those starting with G, etc. Then press "Yes" to go to that point in your Phonebook list of names, and then use the up/down navigation button to highlight the name you want.

When you find the name you want, press "Yes" again. If you've entered only one number for that person, the 22C will dial it for you at this point. But, you can associate up to three numbers with each named entry, one for home, work, and a mobile phone number. So, if you have entered more than one telephone number for the name you want, you will need to use the up/down navigation button again to highlight the number you want to dial, and then press "Yes" one more time to dial that number.

To learn more about how to write alphabetic characters with your 22C keypad, see the section entitled "How do I write text with my 22C?" below.


How do I write text with my 22C?

Same-Topic Audio Tour: The Phonebook (Time: 04:06; Size: 3.8M)

The process of creating words using your touch tone keypad is something that some people use all the time, e.g. for sending text messages, while other people almost never use. You may want to learn how to do it at least well enough to add names to your Phonebook so that you can dial frequently used numbers by name. Here's how text entry on a touch tone keypad works with the 22C.

Alphabetic letters have long been associated with the numbered digits. The association is as follows:

Table of alphabetic characters on the numeric telephone keypad
Number
Letters
2
A B C
3
D E F
4
G H I
5
J K L
6
M N O
7
P Q R S
8
T U V
9
W X Y Z

To enter any alphabetic character, press the associated digit key as many times as is required to get to that character on that key. For example, to get 'b,' press 2 twice, and to get 'c' press it three times. The 22C will voice each alphabetic letter as you pass through it. You should hear the letter you want.

NOTE: There's a kind of rhythm to entering text. If you wait too long to press a key the second or third time, you will not get the second, third or fourth letters on that key. On the other hand, it isn't necessary to try to press keys as fast as you can.

After you get one alphabetic character, you can begin entering the next alphabetic character on another digit key immediately. However, to enter a character on the same digit key, wait about a second. For instance, to enter the word "cab," first press 2 three times, wait a second or so, then press 2 once, wait another second or so, and then press 2 twice.

To get a digit, simply hold the digit key in until you hear the digit voiced.

To find out what you've entered so far, press the Info Key (at the upper right) briefly.

To erase characters one at a time, press the "No" key briefly. The 22C will voice the character that will be erased if you press "No" again.

The 1 key has space and many punctuation marks. Press 1 once to get a space between words. The 22C will voice the word you just entered. Press 1 twice for a comma, and three times for a period.

The 0 key has the plus symbol (+) so important to internationally correct number entry. If you travel internationally, you may want to use + at the beginning of all numbers in your Phonebook in order to use your SIM card and Phonebook entries abroad. The U.S. model of the 22C, however, will not work in most countries outside of the U.S. and Canada. Fortunately, a 22C is available for use in most countries where your North American 22C cannot work. Contact ScreenlessPhone.Com to learn more.


How do I add and edit entries to my Phonebook?

Same-Topic Audio Tour: The Phonebook (Time: 04:06; Size: 3.8M)

To create a new named entry in your Phonebook, or to edit or delete an existing entry, press down on the up/down navigation button (above the 2). The 22C will voice the menu selection "Phonebook." Press "Yes" to enter the list of Phonebook functions. Use the up/down navigation button again to highlight the task you want, e.g. Add A New Entry, or "Edit An Existing Entry, and press "Yes" again.

Use the procedure described in the section entitled "How do I call using my Phonebook?" above to locate the named entry you want to edit or delete and press "Yes."

Each named Phonebook entry has the same six data fields, name, home number, work number, mobile number, email address, and address.

Access these fields by navigating with the up/down navigation button. To edit or enter data in a highlighted entry, press "Yes." Then, use the procedure described in the section entitled "How do I write text with my 22C?" above to enter (or edit) text (or phone numbers). When finished entering data, press "Yes" to return to the list of fields, navigate to "Store Contact" with the up/down navigation button, and press "Yes" to store the contact data you've entered in your Phonebook.


How do I send and read text messages?

Same-Topic Audio Tour: SMS Text Messaging (Time: 03:45; Size: 3.6M)

To access the text message functions on your 22C use the up/down navigation key to highlight the "Messages" menu selection and press "Yes." Use the up/down navigation button again to highlight the text message function you want and press "Yes" again.

When reading messages you've received, use the "Yes" key to open the text of each received message. Pressing "Yes" while message text is open will bring up a context menu that facilitates answering, forwarding, deleting the message, and even calling the person who sent the message to you.

To send a new message, select "Send A New Message" and press "Yes. Press "Yes" again after highlighting the option called "Text" to enter text as described in the section entitled How do I write text with my 22C? above. When you've finished entering text, press "Yes" and highlight "Destination." Press "Yes" and enter the phone number of the person you're sending the text message to. You can either enter the phone number, or you can press the Find And Call key (at the upper left) and select a number from your Phonebook. Press "Yes" again, navigate to "Send Message" and press "Yes" to send the message. When your message is accepted by your service provider, you'll hear a brief audio alert notifying you that the message has been sent.

IMPORTANT!: SMS text messages are NOT automatically deleted, and the Owasys 22C offers only limited room for storing old text messages. Therefore, you must delete messages you've sent and received from time to time in order to make room for new ones. You can press "Yes" after reading a message and delete it right away. Or, on the same menu, you can arrow to "Delete All Messages" to clear all text messages from your phone's memory.

NOTE: Do not confuse SMS text messages with voice mail. To learn how to retrieve your voice mail see the section entitled "How do I get my voice mail?" above. Text messages are different from voice mail.


How do I get my account balance from my phone company?

You can use the text messaging capability of your 22C to obtain your account balance from T-Mobile. Enter "#225#" and press "Send." Notice that "225" spells "bal" as in balance to help you remember this feature.

T-Moble will send you a text message with your account balance. You will hear a brief audio alert when the message arrives. Use the Status Menu feature available on your 22C by pressing and holding the Info Key (in the upper right) until the 22C voices "Network Message." Then press "Yes" to hear the message.


How do I find out how many minutes I've used?

You can use the text messaging capability of your 22C to find out how many minutes you've used in your current billing cycle with T-Mobile. Enter "#646#" and press "Send." Notice that "646" spells "min" as in minutes to help you remember this feature.

T-Mobile will send you a text message with data about the minutes you've used. You will hear a brief audio alert when the message arrives. Use the Status Menu feature available on your 22C by pressing and holding the Info Key (in the upper right) until the 22C voices "Network Message." Then press "Yes" to hear the message.


How do I change my ring tone?

Same-Topic Audio Tour: Menus (Time: 06:54; Size: 6.4M)

The 22C has over 50 ring tones available to suit your taste and personality. Use the up/down navigation button to highlight "Configuration" and press "Yes." Then press "Yes" again on "Sounds and Alarms." Lastly highlight "Ringing Tone" and press "Yes" again.

The number of the currently active ring tone will be announced, and then that tone will play. Use the up/down navigation button to listen to the available ring tones. When you find one you want to use, press "Yes" then press "Yes" again to confirm your ring tone selection. Then, hold in "No" to exit the menu structure and return to the Network Alert.


How do I set speech speed and pitch?

Same-Topic Audio Tour: Menus (Time: 06:54; Size: 6.4M)

Two of the most important adjustments you will want to make with the speech of your talking cellular telephone are rate and pitch. These are available by selecting "Configuration" in the menus followed by "Speech Configuration." Next, select either "Speed" or "Pitch.

Speed settings are voiced as "Quick" and "Slow." Actually, it would be more accurate for the 22C to say "Faster" and "Slower." Continue pressing either "Quick" or "Slow" using the up/down navigation control until the speed reaches the rate you desire, then press "Yes" to set the rate.

Similarly, pitch settings are voiced as "Treble" and "Bass." Actually, it would be more accurate for the 22C to say "Higher" and "Lower." Continue pressing either "Treble" or "Bass" using the up/down navigation control until the pitch reaches the level you desire, then press "Yes" to set the pitch.

You will be asked to confirm that you really want to make the change. Press "yes" again for your change to take effect.


How do I make other configuration selections?

Same-Topic Audio Tour: Menus (Time: 06:54; Size: 6.4M)

The 22C provides numerous configuration settings and telephone features for you in its menus. All 22C menus function very much the same way. Here are the generic instructions for using this telephone's menu system:


How do I get help with my 22C?

Capital Accessibility Customer Service stands ready to help you get the most from your Owasys 22C. We've arranged several resources to help you:

IMPORTANT: Do not ask your service provider for help using the Owasys 22C. Instead, call us for customer support. Unlike your service provider, who tries to support dozens of phones for millions of users, we know exactly what phone you're using and all about how it works, because it's the only phone we support!


How do I get help with my phone bill and service plan?

While Capital Accessibility will happily help you with your phone, we cannot help you with your phone bill or your service plan. For issues like these, for issues having to do with your voice mail, for all the issues relating to your telephone service, you must call your service provider. Use the 800 number for your service provider. Calls made to this number from your 22C are generally free and do not count against your monthly minutes.

Please note that you cannot use 611 by default to reach your service provider on the Owasys 22C as you can on some cellular phones.


Order Your 22C Today!

Order Yours Today On Our Ordering Page Here!

Owasys 22C

 

 

 

 

 

The Owasys 22C is marketed in the U.S. and Canada by Capital Accessibility, LLC

The Owasys 22C uses speech by Babel

 

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