Dectalk Express synthesizer question

Dectalk Express synthesizer question

[Cory Martin]

            Hello listers,

            I am relatively new to Linux and am just beginning my journey in
to it and am looking at aquiring a hardware synthesizer which will be
suitable.  In fact my first task is to try and get the System Rescue CD
distribution talking, as I start a new job as a hardware tech in a week and
a half or so and really need some kind of hardware diagnostics tool at my
disposal.  As this is compiled with Speakup included I thought it would be
perfect, except that it doesn't support the Keynote Gold SA speech
synthesizer which is what I have.  So now I'm looking for a nice cheap used
Dectalk Express synthesizer and am fortunate enough to have found one on an
online auction.  The synthesizer is being sold by some bulk electronics
dealer who I believe aquires used items and pushes them back out as online
auctions, however my problem is that the Dectalk Express I'm buying comes
iwth nothing except itself.  No cables, no adaptor, no disks, no manual,
nothing, and its not even garanteed to be working, so obviously its quite a
risk.  However paying $50 including shipping is far preferable to be then
spending hundreds for another Dectalk even if I could find one, however I am
wondering if anyone can tell me what I need?  I read somewhere that the
Serial cable for the Dectalk is proprietary thus I would run in to a real
snag finding one, can anyone confirm this?  Or does it use just your
standard 9-pin male/female or 25-pin male/female serial connector?  Also the
adapter...can anyone tell me if 12 volts, 400-500 MA regulated current
sounds right?  Can anyone tell me what type of connector size it uses or if
the center is positive or negative?  I'm assuming that the center is
posative.  I realize this is off topic from Speakup directly however I
really need help and figured that someone on this list would likely still be
using a Dectalk Express and would be technical enough to be able to answer
my questions.  Also if anyone has the manual and could forward it to me off
list that would be awesome as I can't find it online anywhere it seems.  I
really would appreciate a speedy reply as I pretty much have a day and a
half before this item is no longer available and I need to decide by them if
I should snag it or if I would be banging my head against the wall by the
week's end trying to find appropriate cables and such for it.

Thanks for your help,

Cory

Re: Dectalk Express synthesizer question

[Chris Brannon]

> wondering if anyone can tell me what I need?  I read somewhere that the
> Serial cable for the Dectalk is proprietary thus I would run in to a real
> snag finding one, can anyone confirm this?  Or does it use just your
> standard 9-pin male/female or 25-pin male/female serial connector?  Also the
> adapter...can anyone tell me if 12 volts, 400-500 MA regulated current
> sounds right?  Can anyone tell me what type of connector size it uses or if

The serial cable is an odd-ball.  Its two plugs look like
the RJ-45 plugs used with twisted pair ethernet cables, but I don't think
that they are true RJ-45 plugs.
The cable should come with an adapter that allows you to plug the unit
into a 9-pin serial port.

I have a DECTalk Express, but its completely dead.  It won't even run on
batteries.  I might be able to send you a cable.

Not sure about the AC adapter.  It is a monstrous, brick-like growth of
a wall-wart, and it will take up space on your power strip!  I have one
of these as well.

-- Chris

Re: Dectalk Express synthesizer question

[Kristoffer Gustafsson]

Hello!
Buy a dectalk usb from gw micro instead.
It can be connected to the serial port too I think, and work like a dectalk 
express.
Ok, it is more expensive, but you know that the unit you buy really works.
/Kristoffer
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Chris Brannon" <cmbrannon@cox.net>
To: "Speakup is a screen review system for Linux." <speakup@braille.uwo.ca>
Sent: Tuesday, April 28, 2009 7:08 AM
Subject: Re: Dectalk Express synthesizer question


>> wondering if anyone can tell me what I need?  I read somewhere that the
>> Serial cable for the Dectalk is proprietary thus I would run in to a real
>> snag finding one, can anyone confirm this?  Or does it use just your
>> standard 9-pin male/female or 25-pin male/female serial connector?  Also 
>> the
>> adapter...can anyone tell me if 12 volts, 400-500 MA regulated current
>> sounds right?  Can anyone tell me what type of connector size it uses or 
>> if
>
> The serial cable is an odd-ball.  Its two plugs look like
> the RJ-45 plugs used with twisted pair ethernet cables, but I don't think
> that they are true RJ-45 plugs.
> The cable should come with an adapter that allows you to plug the unit
> into a 9-pin serial port.
>
> I have a DECTalk Express, but its completely dead.  It won't even run on
> batteries.  I might be able to send you a cable.
>
> Not sure about the AC adapter.  It is a monstrous, brick-like growth of
> a wall-wart, and it will take up space on your power strip!  I have one
> of these as well.
>
> -- Chris
> _______________________________________________
> Speakup mailing list
> Speakup@braille.uwo.ca
> http://speech.braille.uwo.ca/mailman/listinfo/speakup 

RE: Dectalk Express synthesizer question

[al Sten-Clanton]

"Buy a dectalk usb from gw micro instead.
It can be connected to the serial port too I think, and work like a dectalk
express.
Ok, it is more expensive, but you know that the unit you buy really works.
/Kristoffer"

Am I mistaken, or is that gismo about seven hundred and fifty dollars?  I'd
consider getting one myself, but only if it's a lot less than that.

Al

Re: Dectalk Express synthesizer question

[Gaijin]

On Mon, Apr 27, 2009 at 10:41:23PM -0600, Cory Martin wrote:
>             I am relatively new to Linux and am just beginning my journey in
> to it and am looking at aquiring a hardware synthesizer which will be
> suitable.

	Then you might not want a Dectalk, which takes it's own software
just to get it to work with Linux.  You'd probably have better results
with a Doubletalk synthesizer which is supported by both Speakup (well,
currently anyway) and the Jupiter screen readers.  HTH,

			Michael

Re: Dectalk Express synthesizer question

[Alex Snow]

>From what I remember, some of the Dectalk Expresses use MMJ (a 
proprietary Dec connecter) for their serial port.  You need to find 
mmj->db9 cable...I'm looking for one of these at the moment for my 
VAXstation 3100, which uses the same type of connecter, and they seem 
a little hard to find.  You can grab an MMJ patch cable from Blackbox, 
and try and find a db-9 to mmj adapter on ebay or the like which is 
what I will probably end up doing.
On Mon, Apr 27, 2009 at 10:41:23PM 
-0600, Cory Martin wrote:
>             Hello listers,
> 
>             I am relatively new to Linux and am just beginning my journey in
> to it and am looking at aquiring a hardware synthesizer which will be
> suitable.  In fact my first task is to try and get the System Rescue CD
> distribution talking, as I start a new job as a hardware tech in a week and
> a half or so and really need some kind of hardware diagnostics tool at my
> disposal.  As this is compiled with Speakup included I thought it would be
> perfect, except that it doesn't support the Keynote Gold SA speech
> synthesizer which is what I have.  So now I'm looking for a nice cheap used
> Dectalk Express synthesizer and am fortunate enough to have found one on an
> online auction.  The synthesizer is being sold by some bulk electronics
> dealer who I believe aquires used items and pushes them back out as online
> auctions, however my problem is that the Dectalk Express I'm buying comes
> iwth nothing except itself.  No cables, no adaptor, no disks, no manual,
> nothing, and its not even garanteed to be working, so obviously its quite a
> risk.  However paying $50 including shipping is far preferable to be then
> spending hundreds for another Dectalk even if I could find one, however I am
> wondering if anyone can tell me what I need?  I read somewhere that the
> Serial cable for the Dectalk is proprietary thus I would run in to a real
> snag finding one, can anyone confirm this?  Or does it use just your
> standard 9-pin male/female or 25-pin male/female serial connector?  Also the
> adapter...can anyone tell me if 12 volts, 400-500 MA regulated current
> sounds right?  Can anyone tell me what type of connector size it uses or if
> the center is positive or negative?  I'm assuming that the center is
> posative.  I realize this is off topic from Speakup directly however I
> really need help and figured that someone on this list would likely still be
> using a Dectalk Express and would be technical enough to be able to answer
> my questions.  Also if anyone has the manual and could forward it to me off
> list that would be awesome as I can't find it online anywhere it seems.  I
> really would appreciate a speedy reply as I pretty much have a day and a
> half before this item is no longer available and I need to decide by them if
> I should snag it or if I would be banging my head against the wall by the
> week's end trying to find appropriate cables and such for it.
> 
> Thanks for your help,
> 
> Cory
> 
> _______________________________________________
> Speakup mailing list
> Speakup@braille.uwo.ca
> http://speech.braille.uwo.ca/mailman/listinfo/speakup

-- 
/*
 * Oops. The kernel tried to access some bad page. We'll have to
 * terminate things with extreme prejudice.
*/
die_if_kernel("Oops", regs, error_code);
	-- From linux/arch/i386/mm/fault.c

Re: Dectalk Express synthesizer question

[Alex Snow]

That's only the Dectalk PC that requires special software, and seeing 
that's an ISA card, it's really useless these days.  The express works 
fine.

On Tue, Apr 28, 2009 at 07:27:38AM -0700, Gaijin wrote:
> On Mon, Apr 27, 2009 at 10:41:23PM -0600, Cory Martin wrote:
> >             I am relatively new to Linux and am just beginning my journey in
> > to it and am looking at aquiring a hardware synthesizer which will be
> > suitable.
> 
> 	Then you might not want a Dectalk, which takes it's own software
> just to get it to work with Linux.  You'd probably have better results
> with a Doubletalk synthesizer which is supported by both Speakup (well,
> currently anyway) and the Jupiter screen readers.  HTH,
> 
> 			Michael
> 
> _______________________________________________
> Speakup mailing list
> Speakup@braille.uwo.ca
> http://speech.braille.uwo.ca/mailman/listinfo/speakup

-- 
lp1 on fire
	-- One of the more obfuscated kernel messages

Re: Dectalk Express synthesizer question

[Michael Whapples]

I know this may not be the answer you were expecting but have you 
considered looking at the GRML (www.grml.org) live CD? I don't know how 
GRML might fit in for what you want from the linux distro, but it comes 
with speakup included and also can be used with software speech on the 
live CD. OK so you would need a working soundcard to use software 
speech, but find a suitable USB sound card and plug that into any PC and 
you know you have a working sound card (the matter might be working out 
which sound card (internal if it exists or external)has been allocated 
as the default card might be another matter). Also when using software 
speech, should the system fail to fully boot you won't have access to 
the boot messages of the live CD, but this is probably rare.

I don't know whether this would be enough for your needs, but it is an 
alternative and potentially a much cheaper alternative (how much would a 
USB sound card cost compared to an hardware speech synthesiser).

Michael Whapples
On 23/12/42 19:59, Cory Martin wrote:
>              Hello listers,
>
>              I am relatively new to Linux and am just beginning my journey in
> to it and am looking at aquiring a hardware synthesizer which will be
> suitable.  In fact my first task is to try and get the System Rescue CD
> distribution talking, as I start a new job as a hardware tech in a week and
> a half or so and really need some kind of hardware diagnostics tool at my
> disposal.  As this is compiled with Speakup included I thought it would be
> perfect, except that it doesn't support the Keynote Gold SA speech
> synthesizer which is what I have.  So now I'm looking for a nice cheap used
> Dectalk Express synthesizer and am fortunate enough to have found one on an
> online auction.  The synthesizer is being sold by some bulk electronics
> dealer who I believe aquires used items and pushes them back out as online
> auctions, however my problem is that the Dectalk Express I'm buying comes
> iwth nothing except itself.  No cables, no adaptor, no disks, no manual,
> nothing, and its not even garanteed to be working, so obviously its quite a
> risk.  However paying $50 including shipping is far preferable to be then
> spending hundreds for another Dectalk even if I could find one, however I am
> wondering if anyone can tell me what I need?  I read somewhere that the
> Serial cable for the Dectalk is proprietary thus I would run in to a real
> snag finding one, can anyone confirm this?  Or does it use just your
> standard 9-pin male/female or 25-pin male/female serial connector?  Also the
> adapter...can anyone tell me if 12 volts, 400-500 MA regulated current
> sounds right?  Can anyone tell me what type of connector size it uses or if
> the center is positive or negative?  I'm assuming that the center is
> posative.  I realize this is off topic from Speakup directly however I
> really need help and figured that someone on this list would likely still be
> using a Dectalk Express and would be technical enough to be able to answer
> my questions.  Also if anyone has the manual and could forward it to me off
> list that would be awesome as I can't find it online anywhere it seems.  I
> really would appreciate a speedy reply as I pretty much have a day and a
> half before this item is no longer available and I need to decide by them if
> I should snag it or if I would be banging my head against the wall by the
> week's end trying to find appropriate cables and such for it.
>
> Thanks for your help,
>
> Cory
>
>
>
>    

Re: Dectalk Express synthesizer question

[Gaijin]

On Tue, Apr 28, 2009 at 10:54:56AM -0400, Alex Snow wrote:
> That's only the Dectalk PC that requires special software, and seeing 
> that's an ISA card, it's really useless these days.

	Ah...my bad.  Was watching a dectalk discussion a few weeks back
and thought it applied to all the Dectalk models.  Kewl.  Okay, forget
what I said, except for recommending the Doubletalk, which is supported
by more sreen readers. <grins>

			Michael

Re: Dectalk Express synthesizer question

[Tony Baechler]

Hi,

I can't help with the cable, but I can say that you don't need software 
in Linux.  If you want DOS drivers, look in the /software directory of 
the archive below and get dtxv42cd.zip.  For the manual, get 
/text/manual.zip.  The archive is http://dectalk.goldenaudio.net/

Re: Dectalk Express synthesizer question

[Jason White]

Chris Brannon  <speakup@braille.uwo.ca> wrote:

>I have a DECTalk Express, but its completely dead.  It won't even run on
>batteries.  I might be able to send you a cable.

I would suggest keeping that Dectalk Express, as it could be valuable to
somebody later on as a source of parts.

RE: Dectalk Express synthesizer question

[erik heil]

Hi. Their are several versions of dectalk. The pc internal is the only one which requires software. 

-----Original Message-----
From: Gaijin <gaijin@clearwire.net>
Sent: Tuesday, April 28, 2009 10:27 AM
To: Speakup is a screen review system for Linux. <speakup@braille.uwo.ca>
Subject: Re: Dectalk Express synthesizer question

On Mon, Apr 27, 2009 at 10:41:23PM -0600, Cory Martin wrote:
>             I am relatively new to Linux and am just beginning my journey in
> to it and am looking at aquiring a hardware synthesizer which will be
> suitable.

	Then you might not want a Dectalk, which takes it's own software
just to get it to work with Linux.  You'd probably have better results
with a Doubletalk synthesizer which is supported by both Speakup (well,
currently anyway) and the Jupiter screen readers.  HTH,

			Michael

_______________________________________________
Speakup mailing list
Speakup@braille.uwo.ca
http://speech.braille.uwo.ca/mailman/listinfo/speakup