DAISY player help
Welcome to your Blind Foundation DAISY Player and to reading audio books and magazines.
Books that use DAISY technology allow you to use bookmarks and to move forwards and backwards between chapters. The DAISY player has sleep functions and can alter the speed of the narration.
This player will play commercial audio CD books such as those you borrow from the public library, music CDs and Mp3 files. However, you cannot play DAISY CDs on a regular CD or Mp3 player.
Included in these instructions are:
- DAISY player cleaning and safety instruction
- How to use the player in Simple Mode.
- How to put the player into Advanced Mode
The word DAISY is an acronym for Digital Accessible Information System and when a book is produced in DAISY format it enables the reader to navigate around the book in a similar way to when reading a print book.
Safety instructions
This player is an electrical appliance and should be used with the same caution that applies to other household electrical appliances.
Observing the following safety precautions will protect the player and yourself. If the player appears to be malfunctioning please turn it off immediately and contact the library. Do not attempt to repair it yourself.
- The player should be kept on a flat firm surface such as a table top.
- Keep the player away from heat sources, such as direct sunlight and heaters.
- Keep the player away from liquids and ensure your hands are dry when you remove the power plug.
- The rechargeable battery can only be replaced by the library. Do not attempt to replace it yourself.
If you plug the player into the same power board as other electrical equipment such as TVs or radios, you may experience some noise disruption.
Cleaning instructions
Always disconnect the power cord from the socket before cleaning the player. Wipe dust and dirt from the player using a soft damp cloth, and then wipe it with a clean dry cloth. Do not wipe the CD in a circular motion when cleaning, using a straight line motion, wipe from centre outwards.
Becoming familiar with the player
When you receive your DAISY player, the box should contain the following: the player with a power cord in two parts (which should be joined together) and two CDs with five print documents.
The CDs are:
- An audio CD with these instructions on it which you can use in your own CD player or your new DAISY player.
- A DAISY audio CD comes inside a cardboard envelope and contains a selection of magazines for you to practice with.
The print documents are:
- DAISY player instructions.
- Information about the Library Service.
- A list of the audio magazines you can subscribe to.
- A list of reading genres or subjects you can request.
- An issue of the library magazine, Sound and Touch.
Remove the player from the box, place it on a firm, flat surface and run your hands over it. The bottom of the player has a flat surface. The top or face of the player has buttons on it as well as the player’s speaker which is in the top right hand corner.
The CD slot
This is in the front of the player and should be facing towards you. The lip of the CD slot is made from a plastic that is flexible and has a rubbery feel.
Play/Stop & Information button
Directly above the middle of the CD slot you will feel a small oval indentation. Just above this is the Play/Stop button. The Play/Stop button is a rectangular button with a depression in the middle. This button is also used as the Information button.
Forward and Rewind
On either side of the Play/Stop button are two half circle buttons. The left hand one is the Rewind button and the right hand one is the Forward button.
Title select
To the right of the Forward button are the Title select buttons which are two arrow shaped buttons facing away from each other. These buttons allow you to move between the different books and magazines on the CD.
CD Eject button
To the right of the Title select buttons is the CD Eject button. It is a small square button which is slightly indented.
On/Off Button
Above the CD Eject button is the circular On/Off button which is slightly indented. To the right of this button is a small groove. This groove will help you to locate the On/Off button.
Sleep timer
The Sleep timer is a small round button directly above the On/Off button.
Speaker
The speaker is in the top right hand corner above the Sleep timer. It is a large circle and you will feel it’s corrugated grill.
Volume
Moving to the left from the speaker you will find a toggle button to adjust the volume. Pressing the top half will increase the volume. Pressing the bottom half will decrease the volume. Pressing both parts of the toggle button at the same time will reset the volume to normal.
Tone
The toggle button to the left of the volume button is the Tone button. Pressing the top half will make the tone higher. Pressing the bottom half button will decrease the tone. Pressing both parts of the toggle button at the same time will reset the tone to normal.
USB port
Moving to the left side of the player, the first socket on this side is a small rectangular socket for a USB connection. This is to connect the player to a computer, memory stick or USB device.
Head phone socket
Moving towards you the round socket is the head phone socket. Above this socket on the edge of the player you will feel a small groove. This groove will help you locate the head phone socket.
Secure Digital Card or SD card slot
The third slot is long and thin and takes a SD card.
Power socket
At the back of the player are two holes. The smaller one in the centre of the back is the power inlet socket.
Service technician socket
The square slot beside the power socket is a socket for use by the service technicians. You will not need to use this socket.
Battery
Your player can be fitted with an internal rechargeable battery which will last for approximately five hours. They player does not come with a battery. Please contact the library if you would like one to be sent to you. The battery takes four hours to recharge and you do this by plugging the machine into a power point.
You can play a CD while it is recharging.
Once the battery is charged and you disconnect the player from the power source you will hear a set of descending tones. When you connect it to the power you will hear ascending tones.
When using the player on battery power the player will automatically switch itself off if it has not been operating for 15 minutes.
Power connection
The power cord is in two parts. These two parts should be joined together when you receive the player.
The small round pin on one end of the cord fits in to the power socket at the back of the player and the two pin plug goes in to a power point.
Please note: You must only use the power adaptor or the internal battery provided, to power your player.
Using the player in simple mode
Run your hand down the right side of the player face until you feel the groove that leads you to the On/Off button.
You will need to press and hold down the On/Off button for a few seconds until you hear a chime and a voice saying “please wait”.
The player will shortly sound a chime and tell you that “There is no disc inserted”.
To turn the player off, press and hold the On/Off button until the player announces “power off”.
Insert a CD
Remove the CD from its cardboard packet. Do not dispose of the cardboard packet because you will need this to return your CD to the library.
On one side of the CD about 1 cm away from the hole in the centre you should be able to feel a circular ridge. This ridge is on the bottom side of the CD and this side must face downwards when you insert the CD.
Place the CD into the slot and gently push it until the player catches it and automatically takes it the rest of the way.
Once the player has accepted the CD it will chime and then say “disc audio” or “disc DAISY title”.
The player will then say the name of the first book or the magazine.
If a CD is inserted upside down, the player will say “damaged or improper disc” and will reject the CD.
Play the CD
Find the indentation on the front of the player, above the CD slot. This will lead you to the Play/Stop button.
Press this button once to start the CD playing. Press it again to stop playing.
Title select
The Title select buttons are the arrow shaped buttons to the right of the Forward button. These are the buttons you use to find out what is on your CD.
If you press the right side pointed edge of these buttons this will move you forward through the titles on the CD. By pressing the left pointed edge of these buttons this will move you back through the titles on the CD.
When you find the book you want to listen to press the Play/Stop button.
When you press Play/Stop again the narration will stop. The player will remember the place the narration stopped regardless of whether you eject the CD or start listening to another book on the CD. Once you return to the book the narration will start where you previously stopped.
Pressing both of the Title select buttons enables you to select content from different sources. This content includes audiobooks on CDs, from a USB stick or an SD card as well as from the player’s internal memory. To hear and select content from different sources keep pressing the Title select button.
Information button
If pressed once the Play/Stop button will start and stop playing a book. If you hold it down it will activate the information function.
When you are part way through a book and you activate the Information button the player will tell you how long you have been listening to that particular book as well as information about the player such as how much battery charge is left.
To turn off the Information button press the Play/Stop button.
Forward and Rewind
The Forward and Rewind buttons perform two functions. If pressed once they will skip forward or back to the next section or heading of the recording. If pressed and held down they perform the normal rewind or fast forward function. If you continue to hold down the buttons the player will skip 1 minute, 5 minutes, 10 minutes. After this if you let the fast forward or rewind button go it will continue to skip forward or backwards until the Play/Stop button is pressed.
Sleep timer
The Sleep timer is above the On/Off button and below the speaker. This button stops the player after the selected time. By pressing the button once you will set the timer for 15 minutes, twice for 30 minutes, three times for 45 minutes and four times for 1 hour. The fifth press turns the sleep timer off.
If you want to know how long before the player turns off you can press the timer once and it will tell you the time left.
Key describer
Find the indentation in the front of the player, above the CD slot. This will lead you to the Play/Stop button. To either side of the Play/Stop button are the forward and rewind buttons. By pressing both the forward and rewind buttons at the same time and holding them down you will turn the key describer on.
Press both these buttons now until you hear “key describer on”.
Once the key describer is turned on you can press any button and the player will tell you the name and function of that button.
To turn the key describer off press both forward and rewind together again.
Eject the CD
Press the Play/Stop button to stop the book from playing. Eject the CD using the CD Eject button which is below the On/Off button in the bottom right hand corner.
That is the end of the instructions for using the player with the mask on and in simple mode.
Using the player in advanced mode
When the mask is removed more buttons are exposed and these enable access to the DAISY navigation features.
A DAISY book may contain several levels of structure. Level 1 could be the sections or parts of the book and Level 2 could be the chapters. Another DAISY book could have three levels of structure. Level 1 could be the sections or headings, Level 2, the pages and Level 3 phrases.
Removing the mask
To remove the mask find the two clips on either side of the player near the front. Pull both clips out, away from the player, and at the same time pull the mask upwards. This can be quite difficult to do.
Remove the CD
If you have a CD in the player please remove it before you proceed.
Your player needs to be turned off before you start.
Number button pad
Directly above the Play/Stop button is a group of 12 buttons in the same formation as a telephone key pad. The number 5 button has a small raised dot in the centre.
Changing the mode from simple to advanced
Hold down the 5 button at the same time as pressing the On/Off button. When you hear “Please wait” and a chime you may release your finger off the On/Off button but continue to hold down the 5 button. After about 10 seconds you will hear “advanced mode”. You have now activated the advanced settings.
Repeating the steps outlined above will return the player to simple mode.
Navigation buttons
Some of the number keys have two functions; they act as number keys but also as navigation buttons.
The 2 and 8 keys are above and below the 5 and allow you to select the type of navigation eg level, phrase or page.
The 4 and 6 buttons, which are to the left and right of the 5 button, allow you to navigate backwards and forwards through the book using the selected type of navigation.
The star key, to the left of the zero key, will cancel or undo your previous action.
To the right of zero is the “Hash” or “enter” button which will enter or confirm your previous action.
The 9 button is used to copy a book from the CD or external storage device onto the internal memory of the player.
Information button
This angled oval button, to the right of number six on the key pad, gives you information about the book such as the time that has lapsed and the length of time before the book is finished. If held down for a few seconds it will also tell you the current date and time.
The Bookmark button
Starting at the bottom closest to the rewind button, the triangular button is the Bookmark button. Use this button to mark a place in the book that you want to return to later. This player allows you to have up to 1,000 bookmarks per book.
To place a bookmark press the Bookmark button twice and then either press the Hash key, to the right of zero, or the play button to confirm the bookmark place. The player will tell you the number of the bookmark.
To go to a specific bookmark press the Bookmark button and then the Hash key or the play button. You will be instructed to enter the number. Using the keypad press the number and press enter.
To remove a bookmark press the Bookmark button three times, press the number of the bookmark and then the Hash key or the play button.
Press the bookmark button four times to get out of the Bookmark function.
Go to button
The diamond shaped button above the Bookmark button is the Go to button. Depending on the levels of structure in the book use this button to go to a particular page or heading in the book.
Press the Go to button once for a particular page. Press the enter button (Hash or Play/Stop) and the player will ask you to enter in the number of the page you want to go to. Type the page number in on the keypad and press the enter key (Hash or Play/Stop).
To go to the beginning of the book or magazine press the Go to button twice. Press the enter key (Hash or Play/Stop) and you will be taken to the start of the title. To go to the end of the title press the Go To button twice, press the zero key and then enter (Hash or Play/Stop).