Talking 15C

[KimH]

So I saw this on eBay and thought, heck - it may or may not work, but I'll try.

Some work on the PSU (had CuriousMarc in mind ) and it actually woke up.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/e4282xaoq5ihu6...7.mov?dl=0

These are the guys who made it Back Of Box anyone know them?


and PCBs Circuits

Stacked like this Stack

Let me please hear from those who know about this - I am curious

[Max Stone]

The product was manufactured by Captek/Science Products.

From their web site, "...Captek/Science Products has a 50-year history of adapting an extensive array of items for use by the vision impaired. Our focus has always been on innovation, quality, and service. In recent years our specialty has become voice adaptation of digital displays, but we continue to investigate other creative ways to make equipment accessible through touch and sound." end quote.

They've a small enterprise that's been going for 50+ years, but it looks like they've had to scale back their business in recent years due to declining sales.

I'm sure they'd appreciate knowing you've managed to recover a piece of their history to working condition.

Some interesting reading on their history here:

CAPTEK/SCIENCE PRODUCTS

[KimH]

(06-21-2021 07:02 PM)Max Stone Wrote:  The product was manufactured by Captek/Science Products.

From their web site, "...Captek/Science Products has a 50-year history of adapting an extensive array of items for use by the vision impaired. Our focus has always been on innovation, quality, and service. In recent years our specialty has become voice adaptation of digital displays, but we continue to investigate other creative ways to make equipment accessible through touch and sound." end quote.

They've a small enterprise that's been going for 50+ years, but it looks like they've had to scale back their business in recent years due to declining sales.

I'm sure they'd appreciate knowing you've managed to recover a piece of their history to working condition.

Some interesting reading on their history here:

CAPTEK/SCIENCE PRODUCTS

Thanks for that find, I tried - couldn’t pull it off….

I dropped them a note as you suggest, let’s see if they respond

UPDATE

They responded!

It appears to be on of the first units they converted - it is from before they started tracking Serial#s

I took the chance to ask a couple of questions which might be interesting for the forum, I'll come back if /when I get a response - let's see

UPDATE

Mike responded, he said that they had made 50-100 of these and also the TI-66 (apparently that was their first model to mod)

He could not recall the exact price but suggested 5-600 dollars a pop, so not far from the 1000 (incl the 15c) that I had expected.

When I have the courage, I may take it apart completely to see where the device gets the display data, nothing obvious comes to mind - suggestions are welcome.

It has to come from the display somehow as it reads only what the display says, four-point-zero-zero-zero-zero in FIX 4 less in FIX 2

I can hear the NUT-CPU running when it is. The readout can only be done after the CPU goes into idle - I can hear the CPU working when I turn up the loudspeaker (it would not pass todays EMI)

[peacecalc]

Hmm... it is only able to pronounce numbers, but that isn't sufficient for calc. If it is able to verbalise the blue (and orange) button and the commands. That makes more sense for a praktical use...

[KimH]

(06-22-2021 01:12 PM)peacecalc Wrote:  Hmm... it is only able to pronounce numbers, but that isn't sufficient for calc. If it is able to verbalise the blue (and orange) button and the commands. That makes more sense for a praktical use...

Initially I had a similar reaction but ended up with 2 "conclusions"

"5", "CLR" & "CHS" has an epoxy blob on the key, which help navigation similar to 10-Finger touch-typing (German "Blind Schreiben" ) on a normal keyboard where "J", "F" & "5" have an indication/dent on the key, you know where the letters are in your language QWERTY, QWERTZ or AZERTY-like.

and

It for sure beats NOT having anything at all which can calculate for a blind or visually challenged person.

To tie back to the story of the HP-35, how does a SlideRule work for a VI person

I can't tell exactly how old this unit is but judging from the sticker it would be from 1987. I wouldn't expect that there were very many options available like what the 15C provides some 34 years ago. PCs clearly changed this over time as they became more than a CPU with 256k of RAM and a Screen showing green characters.

[KimH]

(06-22-2021 06:13 AM)KimH Wrote:  

(06-21-2021 07:02 PM)Max Stone Wrote:  The product was manufactured by Captek/Science Products.

From their web site, "...Captek/Science Products has a 50-year history of adapting an extensive array of items for use by the vision impaired. Our focus has always been on innovation, quality, and service. In recent years our specialty has become voice adaptation of digital displays, but we continue to investigate other creative ways to make equipment accessible through touch and sound." end quote.

They've a small enterprise that's been going for 50+ years, but it looks like they've had to scale back their business in recent years due to declining sales.

I'm sure they'd appreciate knowing you've managed to recover a piece of their history to working condition.

Some interesting reading on their history here:

CAPTEK/SCIENCE PRODUCTS

Thanks for that find, I tried - couldn’t pull it off….

I dropped them a note as you suggest, let’s see if they respond

UPDATE

They responded!

It appears to be on of the first units they converted - it is from before they started tracking Serial#s

I took the chance to ask a couple of questions which might be interesting for the forum, I'll come back if /when I get a response - let's see

UPDATE

Mike responded, he said that they had made 50-100 of these and also the TI-66 (apparently that was their first model to mod)

He could not recall the exact price but suggested 5-600 dollars a pop, so not far from the 1000 (incl the 15c) that I had expected.

When I have the courage, I may take it apart completely to see where the device gets the display data, nothing obvious comes to mind - suggestions are welcome.

It has to come from the display somehow as it reads only what the display says, four-point-zero-zero-zero-zero in FIX 4 less in FIX 2

I can hear the NUT-CPU running when it is. The readout can only be done after the CPU goes into idle - I can hear the CPU working when I turn up the loudspeaker (it would not pass todays EMI)

Found this based on what I got from the manufacturer

TI-66

Seems like the printer port was used, but that does not help me

[jklsadf]

For the 15C, it's probably getting the display data directly from the connector going the the LCD.