Category: Troubleshooting

My audio tour isn’t working?

When the audio tour isn’t working, there are a few things you should check.

Podcatchers

If a Podcatcher isn’t working as it should, we recommend reading this article instead. Most misbehaving Podcatchers can be brought back in line by synchronizing them.

IDentifiers

If a Podcatcher seems to not respond to one or more IDentifiers, there’s a few things you can try. First you have to make sure if you hear a beep when pointing the Podcatcher at an IDentifier.

The Podcatcher beeps when pointed at the IDentifier, and either plays the “Invalid IDentifier Stop” content or no content at all.

  1. Make sure you activate a tour by pointing at a Start IDentifier before testing an Object IDentifier. And make sure the Stop you’re testing with is linked to the correct Tour. Read more about Start IDentifiers here.
  2. Check if the content is published and synced.
  3. Check if the code written on the back of the IDentifier matches the one linked in the TourEditor.
  4. Check if the Stop has audio content.
  5. Publish any unpublished changes in the Tour.
  6. Sync the content onto the Podcatchers again to be sure.

If that doesn’t work, it’s possible (though rare) that the code the IDentifier sends out is different from what’s printed on the sticker. You can check this by using the Podcatcher to read the code to you. Here you can read how to do that.

The Podcatcher does not beep when pointed at the IDentifier.


This is usually a sign that the battery in the IDentifier is empty. Try with a few different Podcatchers to confirm that this might be happening (and isn’t just the Podcatcher’s fault), then replace the battery. If that doesn’t work, the IDentifier can be sent for repairs.

We hope to be helpful enough with this Knowledge Base, but it’s entirely possible you have a question that isn’t listed anywhere. Should that happen, contact us. We’ll be glad to help you get back up and running with the system.

How can I prevent Podcatchers from going into an error state?

Podcatcher we receive for repairs often don’t include a description of what’s wrong with them, and sometimes returned players seem to work just fine. To give you a better understanding of the general meaning of the lights on the Podcatchers and the required action, we have made the Podcatcher LED Status sheet.  Combining that and the Podcatcher LED Error sheet you can determine whether or not a Podcatcher (in an error state) needs to be sent for repairs.

Although we always replace our Podcatchers (which are in an error state or need to be repaired) free of charge, we would like to prevent you from unnecessarily spending money on shipping costs.

To make optimal use of our system and prevent your Podcatchers from going into an error state it’s important to:

  • Place a Podcatcher back into the Dockingstation when returned after use, so it can charge again
  • Firmly push the Podcatcher into a slot when placing it back into the Dockingstation
  • Place all Podcatchers back into the Dockingstations at the end of the day, so they can charge and sync overnight
  • Always sync replacement Podcatchers (whether for missing or repaired players), because they do not hold the content yet
  • You can try syncing a Podcatcher with an error in a different slot to make sure the problem doesn’t lie in the Dockingstation slot
  • Make sure the Sync Console is up, running and connected to a wired internet connection 24/7

If the Podcatcher has been physically damaged, has a distorted sound or makes a rattling sound when shaken, it needs to be replaced. Hardware defects can’t be solved by syncing the player.