Nor’Sea27 Owners GAM Site



This is a new feature of the NewsLine.
In times of old, when one voyager met another on the open sea, they would take the time to match course and speed, and have a “Gam”. A conversation to relay information on what was going on where each sailor had just been, so the other knew what he was heading in to, or, just to get the latest news.

Well, here we are, voyagers on the net, and interested in the Nor’Sea 27 sailboat. The NewsLine has set up this site for owners & wannabes to match course & speed and have a gam. Once you have the software on your computer, any time you sail to this site you can talk live to any other person who is also here.



It's very easy to do! Just heave-to for 15 minuets, download a bit of software, install it, Start Firetalk, use the "Launch" button on the bottom left side of the Firetalk control panel, and  then navigate back to this page, and you are ready for the gam!

From time to time we will have an author or other experienced owner talking about a specific topic here at the Nor’Sea gam site. If you have a subject you think you would like to hold a special GAM about, just drop us an e-mail and we will schedule it!
You can then just sail back here to this page, match course & speed, and talk directly to them, or any of the other people that will also be here for the gam.

Best of all, just like in the past, this gam is totally free!



Standard Scheduled Gam
Date:
The first Tuesday of each month
Time:
0200 GMT  -  2100 Atlantic  -  1800 Pacific Time 

If you would like to be a featured author here at the gam, or would like to suggest a topic that you think everyone would be interested in, please drop a note to the NewsLine Editors

For more information click on:

Requirements to use        Download software        Using the software




Requirements to use the software

In order to use the Firetalk system you will need at least:
         Computer System: PC
         Operating System: Windows 95/98/NT4
         CPU: Pentium™ 120MHz or equivalent processor
         Memory: 16 MB RAM
         Sound Card: Full-duplex sound card required
         Connection: 28.8 (minimum) Internet connection
         Installation: 2 MB of free hard drive space
         Accessories: Microphone and speakers



Download the Software

To get started the first thing to do is download FireTalk program and install it.
( Sorry FireTalk will not work on Mac at this stage )
Just click on the firetalk button below and follow the direction.




Using the software
 

To get a look at all you can do with this software just click on this!

How do I install Firetalk?

Read the following detailed directions. But it's not as hard to install it as reading directions!

Firetalk has a user-friendly, easy installation process, which will install the program to your computer. In addition, a step-by-step sound setup will walk you through configuring your microphone and speakers.

To install Firetalk, follow the steps below:

           1.Download the file FTSetup.exe from the Firetalk Web site
              at http://www.firetalk.com/download.html.
           2.Save to an easy to remember location on your computer,
              such as the Desktop. Save file as FTSetup.exe
           3.After download is complete, locate the FTSetup.exe file
              and double click to begin installation.
           4.Follow the instructions provided to install Firetalk.

During installation, the following 10 steps will guide you through configuring your system for optimal performance within Firetalk:

Step 1. Introduction
              Introduction to Firetalk and the Setup wizard. Click on
              Next to continue installation.

Step 2. Windows Sound Setup
           1.Windows Sound Setup will automatically check your
              computer’s sound card and volume settings.
           2.Firetalk may make some suggested changes to volume
              settings. Click Accept for changes to take effect.
           3.To continue to next step of installation, click on Next.

Step 3. Volume Settings
           1.Test your volume level under step 3 by clicking on the
              Play Test Sound.
           2.Move the slider bars for both Master Volume and
              Wave Out back and forth to set volume.
           3.Once volume adjusted to desired level, click Next to
              continue.

Step 4. Record Volume
           1.Your microphone’s playback and recording volume can be
              adjusted in this step. Click Test Microphone Settings to
              begin test.
           2.Speak into your microphone and you will hear your voice
              echo back to you.
           3.Slide the bar for Mic Volume to desired volume setting.
           4.If you are using a laptop, it’s recommended you put a
              check in the box labeled Are you using a laptop?
           5.Click Stop Test once finished, then click Next to
              proceed.

Step 5. Transmit Sensitivity
           1.Begin measuring your microphone’s sensitivity by clicking
              on Measure Background Noise, which starts a 5
              seccond test. Please do not talk during this test.
           2.The sensitivity can then be manually adjusted by moving
              the Microphone Sensitivity slider bar. Move to the right
              for Less sensitivity and to the left for More sensitivity.
           3.You may click on Back to return to the previous step and
              hear how your voice sounds.
           4.If adjusted properly, click Next to proceed to the next
              step.

Step 6. Network Test
           1.Firetalk will test if you can connect to the Firetalk
              servers. Click on Test Network Connection.
           2.Allow test to complete. Click Next to continue.

Step 7. Finish
              Setup wizard is finished. Click on Finish to exit setup and
              run Firetalk.

Step 8. Internet Connection
           1.A screen entitled Internet Connection appears. Here
              you are asked how you connect to the Internet; via
              Modem (a direct connection) or a Local Area Network
              (LAN).
           2.Select your method of Internet Connection and press
              Next.
           3.If you selected Local Area Network (LAN) on the Internet
              Connection window, then a screen entitled Firewall will
              appear. If you select Modem, then you will see a screen
              entitled Sound Settings (Step 9).
           4.If you selected Local Area Network (LAN) you should
              select whether you are behind a Firewall and click the
              Next button. If you selected Modem you can skip to the
              next step (Step 9. Sound Settings).

Step 9. Sound Settings

              Here you are asked if you are using a microphone and
              speakers or a headset with a microphone. Select your
              type of sound equipment, and click the Next button.

Step 10. Installation Complete
           1.Options to view the README file, launch Firetalk, and
              choose whether or not you would like Firetalk to
              automatically launch when you start your computer
              appear on this screen. The README file contains the
              latest news and information about Firetalk.
           2.The installer closes and returns you to your desktop,
              where you will see a Firetalk icon. This icon is used to
              start Firetalk if it is not set to automatically run on
              Windows startup.
           3.If you do not want Firetalk to be automatically launched
              when you start your PC, place a check mark in the box
              next to this option (the last option).
           4.Then move FTSetup.exe into the Recycle Bin; Firetalk is
              now installed on your computer and you will not need the
              Installer again.

Note: If you later change your mind, you can access this (and many other) options using the Tools menu. For more
information on this, please reference the Firetalk Options section of the User Guide.