Thoughtstream problem?

[Saskia]

Hi people, my new Thoughtstream arrived today. I tried it and it seemed to work fine mostly, only a few times it blacked out and the sound dropped off in the middle of operation. It didn't last long, just a second, but it did make me wonder if there's something wrong with it. Or could it be a faulty (sensor-)cable?

I tried the Proteus/TS-combo as well and it was hard to determine the influence of the TS, but that maybe me getting to know the system.

Kindly help out, thank you,

Saskia

[Andy]

Hi Saskia;

Make sure you have new, fresh alkaline batteries installed. The sensor does need to be attached so it always contacts you. If it separates from your skin, the machine will stop.

Here's a thread discussing the sensor a little:
http://www.mindplacesupport.com/foru...read.php?t=375

-Andy.

[Saskia]

Thanks Andy, been reading up on sensor peculiarities and am getting better results now. The advice to use 'fresh' alkaline batteries puzzles me a bit; how long can you use them for and still regard them as 'fresh'? Anyway, I have to use rechargeables as my conscience won't let me do otherwise, and luckily they work OK so far.

Another poster mentioned how frustrating it can be when the Thoughtstream indicators keep going up while you're trying to relax. You start wondering if the machine's working properly or if it's you, nothing more effective to get your bloodpressure up. I experienced this on the first day and then I did a session combined with Proteus (just using the TS to register, no to loop) that was sure to help me relax. It did, and to see the result on the TS afterwards was very reassuring. So that's my suggestion to any desperate newbies out there.

[CraigT]

A good little trick, if you're just wanting audible feedback is to hook the TS audio into the Proteus aux. Adjust the TS volume so that you can just hear it behind the Proteus session. Also good for using the TS with a Procyon.

Cheers,
Craig

[Andy]

Thanks Andy, been reading up on sensor peculiarities and am getting better results now. The advice to use 'fresh' alkaline batteries puzzles me a bit; how long can you use them for and still regard them as 'fresh'? Anyway, I have to use rechargeables as my conscience won't let me do otherwise, and luckily they work OK so far.

Hi Saskia;

You may be ok using rechargables, but keep in mind that the devices can start to do very strange things if the batteries get too low. I'm not sure how long rechargables will allow the thoughtstream to run.
Unfortunately, there's no "battery meter" on these units to let you know. The rule of thumb though, is that if you're ever having any issues at all with any of the products, 1st thing to do is to put in brand-new alkaline batteries to see if the problem goes away.

-Andy.