[OSM-talk] voice recorders

[David Earl]

On 15/10/2007 13:58, Jeffrey Martin wrote:
> I was thinking of getting a voice recorder. Do they have clocks?
> Can you synchronize the times and use that to find your
> location on the track?
> Can I ride on the bus and say, "Tunnel begins.... Now"?
> to mark a point?
> 

In principle yes, but I quickly abandoned the idea. If I had some 
software to support it it might be easier (e.g. point at a location on 
the track to jump to the relevant bit of commentary)

My Olympus VN-480PC 
(http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/index.php/Audio_mapping) does have 
date/time (timestamps the file), though it would have to be calibrated 
to the GPS like you would a camera timestamp. You would have to start a 
new recording (file) for each POI (it doesn't timestamp each 
pause/resume, only new recordings), and then measure the time into the 
recording when you say 'now'. Also bear in mind you'll be moving at 
10m/s or so.

I found the easiest way on a bike was simply to do a circle in the road 
so it is marked on the trace. But obviously you don't have that luxury 
on a bus. Waypoints on the GPS were just too tedious - I would need to 
stop cycling; but it may be easier on a bus.

I wish my recorder had voice command activated start/stop. The voice 
activation is too sensitive to car and breathing (using a headset) to be 
  of any use. If I had the "jump to commentary" software I mentioned, 
I'd just leave it running and wouldn't have to listen to hours of heavy 
breathing!

David