Placing & Receiving Calls with the Captel 800

CapTel Telephones

You place a call on your CapTel 800 the same way as with any other telephone. As you dial, your CapTel phone automatically connects to the Captioning Service to show you captions during the call.

Placing a Call

Before you dial, check that the red light around the CAPTIONS button is on. The Captions feature must be on before you place a call in order for you to get captions. If the light is off, press the CAPTIONS button to turn it on.

  1. Lift the handset.
  2. Dial the phone number of the person you wish to call.
  3. As you dial, the display screen shows the status as your CapTel phone connects to the captioning service, letting you know when captions are ready.
  4. Listen or watch the signal meter to know when someone answers. Watch the display screen for captions. Begin your conversation as you normally would.
  5. When you are done with your call, hang up the handset.

TIP: Remember to dial 1 + area code if the number you are calling is long distance.

NOTE: If the Caption feature is turned off when you dial, the Captioning Service will not be connected and you will not receive captions. You cannot turn on captions manually in the middle of a call with 1-Line CapTel. If you would like captions, hang up, turn on the Caption feature, and place the call again.

Receive calls by having your callers dial 877-243-2823 and then inputting your telephone number.

Answering a Call with Captions (1-Line Mode)

Because the captions are provided by a Captioning Service, the person calling you must first connect with the service in order for you to receive captions during the call (1-Line CapTel only). Give your callers the toll-free Captioning Service Voice Number 1-877-243-2823.1

1. The person calling you first dials the toll-free Captioning Service Voice Number 1-877-243-2823.

2. The caller will hear a recorded greeting that asks for your telephone number. The caller should enter your phone number and press pound (#).

Recorded greeting: "Thank you for calling the Captioned Telephone Service. For long distance calls, be sure to register your preferred long distance provider. For additional information, press pound (#). Please enter the area code and phone number of the person you are calling followed by the pound (#) sign."

 

2-LINE MODE: In 2-Line Mode, your callers can dial your phone number directly; they do not need to dial the Captioning Service first. You can turn captions On/Off at any time in the call, on any call (incoming or outgoing). For directions on answering calls in 2-Line Mode, please see page 85 in the CapTel 800 User Guide.

3. When your CapTel rings, the display lights up and flashes RING.

4. Pick up the handset. If the caller is connected through the Captioning Service, there is a pause while the service connects to your CapTel phone.

During the pause, the person calling you hears the recorded message “Please hold, the person you have called will be with you shortly.” During this message, the caller will not be able to hear you speak.

5. The red light around the CAPTIONS button turns on

6. The display reads Waiting for Captions. During the pause, the person calling you hears the recorded message “Please hold, the person you have called will be with you shortly.” During this message, the caller will not be able to hear you speak.

7. Watch the display. You may begin speaking as soon as you see that the call has connected.

     

NOTE: If the call was not placed through the Captioning Service, the call will not be captioned. You cannot turn on captions manually in the middle of a call with 1-Line CapTel. The light around the CAPTIONS button will turn off during the call. If you would like captions, ask the person to hang up and call you again through the Captioning Service using the toll-free Voice Number (See numbers listed). Once you hang up, the light around the CAPTIONS button will turn on again.

1Exceptions:    
Federal Relay CapTel Calls ....................... 1-888-801-7210
Spanish-to-Spanish Captioning Calls ....................... 1-866-217-3362
California Residents Only (Non-Federal) ....................... 1-866-399-9050
California Spanish-to-Spanish Only ....................... 1-866-399-9090
Texas Residents Only (Non-Federal) ....................... 1-800-933-5129
Texas Spanish-to-Spanish Only ....................... 1-800-933-5417