In article <[log in to unmask]>, CJPeiffer wrote:
>used 60-minute or 90-miniute tapes.  The recording took a little less than
>one side of the tape.  We were instructed to allow the tape to play to the
>end when the tour was completed. (I received those instructions when I
>picked up the audio tours and the tape reminded us to do so at the end.)
>I guessed that the tour was recorded on both sides of the tape and was
>simply turned over rather than wasting time or batteries in rewinding.

Many good comments snipped...

I'm on the technical side of the audiotours right now as a volunteer
docent at OMSI.  And if I had *my* druthers, we'd ditch the taped
tours for either digitally recorded materials (sort of like the
tapeless telephone answering machines) or low powered, shielded,
ir broadcasts from specific exhibits.  One of the big problems with
two people going to the same exhibit together is that it is virtually
impossible to synchronize their tapes because of variability in play
rates and tape stretch.  The ir broadcasts would also obviate the
"where am I supposed to be" problem, since you would only receive
information when you're standing in front of a particular exhibit.

The digital players would be lovely from several other standpoints:
very low power consumption means that the batteries last longer;
no tapes to jam, stretch, wobble, or play one track forward and one track
backwards (this sounds hilarious, but it isn't useful to the visitor),
no heads to clean, no tapes to flip -- just hit the reset and play
buttons again.  Additionally, it would be easy to program the digital
players to have program 1 in English, 2 in Spanish, 3 in German, 4 in
Japanese, etc.  At least that's what hubby the electrical engineer
tells me.  I suspect what you spend in extra costs for equipment would
be more than made up with lower staff costs during the run.

Audiotours are great... they can really bring an extra dimension to
the exhibit.  But please try to make them as easy on your guests and
staff as possible!  Please, please, please????

Kay Lancaster    [log in to unmask]  (who has about 50 more players that
need resoldering today because of broken wires or dead batteries).