the Conference Call system

technical notes

Using the Conference Call System

Home Retreats are delivered via telephone using a Conference Call Service. Each retreat will be assigned a different long distance call-in number. This is NOT a toll-free number, so participants will be responsible for their normal long distance carrier charges, if applicable.

The information below gives a full explanation of how the Conference Call Service works. Participants should read this carefully to learn how to access a retreat.

You may begin calling in to the conference call 15 minutes prior to the start time. This will allow everyone time to enter the room and settle in.

General Instructions

  • Call the dial-in phone number. This phone number changes for each retreat and therefore is not posted here. Keep this number nearby in case you need to dial in again. You will receive the new dial-in phone number when you have registered for the retreat.

  • A voice will give you instructions to enter your access code. Wait until you are instructed to enter the access code. The system will not record any numbers that you enter before they are asked for.

  • The access code should be entered followed by the ‘#’ key. Keep this number handy also. You will also receive this access code when you have registered for this retreat.

  • NOTE: There are many people participating in these retreats. It can happen that when several people are trying to dial in to the conference room at the same time, some may be unable to connect on the first try. This usually just means that you need to just hang up and try to call in again a few times until you connect.

  • A voice will inform you that you have entered the conference ‘room’ and tell you how many people are already in the room. When you first enter the room, it will be in Conversation Mode. This means that everyone’s phone is open and anyone who speaks will be heard by everyone else.
    Please announce your name when you are able since attendance will be taken if practical.

  • If you call in after the scheduled start time, you may enter the conference 'room' during the silent periods between Shinzen's guidance. This does not mean that you have been bumped from the conference call. Just wait until he speaks again.

  • After Shinzen arrives and the retreat begins, he will then switch to either Question & Answer Mode or Presentation Mode.

  • In Question & Answer Mode, Shinzen will always have an open line and can be heard by everyone. Participants lines will be muted, which means that no one can hear us unless we un-mute our phone. If you want to ask a question or say something, press *6.  A voice will tell you that your phone is un-muted. Please say your name.  When you are done speaking, press *6 again. A voice will tell you that you are once again muted.

  • Shinzen uses Presentation Mode when he is guiding meditation for all to hear. he will be heard by everyone, but everyone else will be muted and will not be able to un-mute by pressing *6.

  • Please note that some speaker phones create static when in Conversation Mode (mainly when you first call in) and everyone is un-muted. If this occurs, you may need to go off the speaker phone and designate only one person to chat. You can resume using the speaker phone when Shinzen begins the retreat

  • Calls seem to sound the best on corded telephones, although cordless phones are often used. But if you get a lot of static or echoing it may be because you are using a cordless phone. Please be aware that it’s not recommended that you use a cell phone. The reception is usually poor, they tend to create a lot of static, and conversations can drop in and out.

  • Using phone cards: I have gotten information from the conference call service that while this service usually does accept phone cards and 10-10-xxx numbers, sometimes these do not work. You may not be able to access the conference call or may be booted from the call while in session. Apparently this is because of the way these numbers route calls around before reaching the destination number. There is nothing that can be done about this. I would suggest that you try to access the conference call number before the retreat to make sure your card or number works. I always use a 10-10-xxx number and am able to get in every time, but I have had reports from others who were bumped from calls in the past. If it happens to you during the Phone Retreat, the only thing you can do is to try calling back in using another service, perhaps on a cell phone or using a standard long distance service.

  • If you have difficulty connecting to the conference ‘room’ or are unable to un-mute yourself so that you can ask a question, please read the Troubleshooting Problems section below. Try the re-connecting steps there.

Call Modes

Conversation Mode

Until Shinzen officially begins the retreat, the call is in Conversation Mode. This means that everyone’s phone is un-muted and anyone who speaks can be heard by everyone else. We participants can also hear any background noises (dogs barking, dishes rattling, toilets flushing, etc.) and because everyone’s phone is un-muted there can be static and poor sound quality.

This check-in is the time to announce yourself, say hello and schmooze a bit. Shinzen usually puts us into Conversation Mode at the end of a call also.

Presentation Mode

While Shinzen guides or teaches, he will switch the call to Presentation Mode. This means that only Shinzen and/or the person he is guiding can be heard. Everyone else is muted and cannot un-mute themselves at this time by pressing 6.

Question & Answer Mode

When Shinzen opens the call for questions, he puts it in Question & Answer Mode, which allows us to un-mute by pressing *6 when we have a question and then press *6 again when we are finished interacting to mute ourselves again. Your phone remains muted unless you press *6.

During Conversation Mode and Question & Answer Mode, if you press *6, you are un-muted and can be heard by others.  In Presentation Mode, your phone is muted and you can talk, laugh, flush a toilet, etc, and no one will hear you. You can also enter or leave the conference without being heard or disrupting the call.

Troubleshooting Problems

  • To insure that you enter the correct conference ‘room’ a computer voice will repeat the numbers you have entered. Please verify these numbers to insure that you are in the correct room.

  • If you are unable to enter any room or you can enter the correct room but are unable to hear or be heard, hang up and try again.  The conference call service occasionally has technical problems, but they are continually working to ensure good connection and reception. It is often that case that just hanging up and calling in on a different line solves the problem (particularly if you were using a cordless phone).

  • If you press *6 to ask a question and are unable to un-mute yourself, press *6 again. Sometimes it works after the second or third time you press 6. If that doesn’t work, hang up and try reconnecting to the conference call again.

  • Sometimes (not often!), for seemingly no reason, you will be thrown off the call and suddenly hear a dial tone. If this happens, hang up and dial in again.

  • If you have difficulty connecting to the conference ‘room’ and the re-connecting steps don’t work, please let us know via email at webmaster@shinzen.org.

  • During a retreat, if we determine that there are problems reconnecting that apply to the whole group, we will email you with instructions on what to do. Usually this will involve using a new dial-in number and access code.

  • Please don’t call or email VSI or Choshin as she is no longer facilitating these conference call retreats.

 

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