Equipment
Do I have the high-tech gadgets of a secret agent to record my calls? Do I build these devices in my basement like some sort of mad scientist? No, the answer is to simply visit your local Radio Shack and you can be setup with the equipment I had to record the conversations both in person and via the phone. Below I will show you all of the devices I used and will give you a link on the Radio Shack website so you can purchase them online or print off the part number and go into the store to buy them:
The first item you will need is a digital recorder. You will basically be carrying this everywhere with you, so get something small, light, and can hold lots and lots of recording time because you will need it. The Olympus I purchased is similar to this one. It should come with a USB cable to you can plug it into your computer and download all of those files for easy documentation. The next item you will want to purchase is a line adapter for a land-line phone. This is any phone that you plug into a wall. You simply attach this control box to the wall, plug your phone into it, and plug your recorder into it and you can record and play any calls you'd like through your recorder. It is super simple and easy to use. If you have a cell phone and will be getting calls while you are at work or out and about you will want to pick up a cell phone line adapter. This unit works just like the land-line adapter only you plug your cell phone into it and then plug your recorder into it as well. You will also need to purchase the accessory below if you do not already have one. You will need a direct connect headset to plug in to the cell phone adapter so you can actually talk to people on your cell phone when you are getting calls. The Bluetooth enable headsets will not work with this adapter, so make sure you pickup a standard headset and nothing fancy. On my computer I used sound editing software to clip the audio I wanted and to cut out any dead space where there was no talking. I used a piece of Adobe software called Audition. It is great for working with audio and saving your edits as mp3's. I also used my digital camera to document the cracks photographically as they occurred. I would suggest a higher mega pixel camera, such as a 6-7 mega-pixel, so you can get prints made and have a hard copy. I have always used Sony brand digital camera and have found them to be easy to use and to take excellent photos. I found that when I was taking photos it was hard to tell what the dimensions of the cracks were, so I purchased a stainless steel 6" ruler from Staples that I could tape up next to the crack when I was shooting photos. Not only did this make the photos look more professional and serious, I felt like a CSI investigator.
Taking photos but not really being able to see your windshield cracks? It can be pretty hard to shoot those photos to begin with, but with Adobe Photoshop you can adjust the levels and contrast to make the cracks really stand out and provide you with good pieces of evidence in your case. I also used the software called Skype to place calls and record them directly on my computer. Basically Skype is VoIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol), which basically means you can make phone calls through your computer. Skype has a plugin for it called PowerGramo which will record any call placed by Skype on your computer and save it to any folder you wish. Skype came in handy several times when I didn’t want to risk my having a bad connection when I was collecting information and also because I do not have a home telephone and rely on my cell phone. Also with Skype you will need a headset for your computer, shown below, that has both headphones to hear the person you called and a microphone so you can speak with them.
If you want to be just like me you can blow around $100 on a Playtronics Headset with Boom mic. This allows you to communicate with people using the Skype software. I am an avid video game player, so I already had this piece of technology before heading into my case. If you don’t really want to be like me at all, which would mean not being a huge geek, then you can just purchase a Jensen Headset with boom mic, which will set you back about $20.
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