voice recorder feature

[John Dirks Jr]

Are there any digital voice recorders that will allow you to categorize comments? You could set up folders for each category. When in the basement for instance, you key a folder for electrical comments and another for plumbing, etc.

This way you could record different category information in succession but then be able to play each category in a consolidated arrangement for report writing.

[kurt]

I think any of them would do that. I've got a cheapo one that has some reasonable number of folders available.

[John Dirks Jr]

I think any of them would do that. I've got a cheapo one that has some reasonable number of folders available.

I wonder if anyone has tried it that way. I wonder if it would work well.

[David C. Argabright]

The recorders I use have four folders. Others may have more. It's an interesting concept but I'm afaraid I'd forget which folder is which and get the information scatted through the whole thing. [?]

I record each inspection in one folder as I work. Short descriptions, locations, and notes. 99 potential notes to each folder.

I always put the property address as the first note so I don't start off on the wrong foot. My report system allows me to shift between sections without having to fully complete them before I move on to the next section. It marks itself as complete when the all information is filled in.

If I were able to remember which folder I was using for each system I would need about a dozen files to keep them seperate.

My old brain cells are too worn out to get that complicated.[:-crazy]

[Bain]

My method's similar to David's. Besides, why would you want a bunch of separate folders to sift through? Doesn't the progression by which you check out the house gather the information into clumps of related notes on your recorder? Mine does.

[Inspectorjoe]

If a recorder had a separate record button for each folder, then I can see it being a big time saver. My recorder (and probably almost all of them) requires you to scroll through the different folders by repeatedly pressing a button. I tried what you want to do ...... once. Actually, I think I gave up on it halfway though the inspection.

If you really want to save time, get yourself a WAVpedal. If your report program allows you to jump around easily, that's the way to go. During the inspection, just dictate your notes as you think of them. Back home, using the play, rewind and fast-forward pedals, it's easy to transcribe the notes. To be sure I don't miss anything, I have mine set to rewind a half second when I let up up on the pedal.

[inspector57]

Sounds confusing. I use separate folders on my camera for each address which is normally not a problem, but can get confusing when doing a multi-family with several addresses on one day since I tend to concentrate on inspecting and not recording information.

That said, there is an inspection software out there that uses voice recognition that responds to verbal commands to put the comments in the proper place in the inspection/report.

I can't remember what the name is, but I think it was developed nearby in Texas a couple of years or so back. I have not heard much of it lately.

I am not a verbal guy, so it never appealed to me, but I can see where it would work for the right person.