Stentura 400 SRT, Mac, Plover

[Marnen Laibow-Koser]

Hi everyone!

I recently found out about Plover and am excited to give it a spin.  I had the good fortune to get a used Stentura 400 SRT in good condition on eBay for $20 (really!), and I'm about to get the appropriate cables to hook it up to my Mac.  A few questions as I get this working:

* From the other threads about the 400 SRT, I'm assuming that I don't need a Stenograph brand realtime cable, and that any decent DB-9-to-USB cable should do (perhaps with some of the drivers at http://sourceforge.net/projects/osx-pl2303/ ), right?

* Does anyone know if the 400 SRT manual is available in electronic form?  I didn't get a manual with my writer, and Stenograph doesn't have the manual available on the website.  In fact, when I called Stenograph, they claimed that they don't even have any paper copies in house anymore!  StenoWorks sells paper copies for $15, but I'm likely to lose a paper manual.  If no one has yet made the 400 SRT manual available for download, then I'll probably buy one from StenoWorks, scan it, and make it available.

* Is there anything else I should be aware of as I set this up?  If so, perhaps I'll add it to the wiki...

Best,

-- 

Marnen Laibow-Koser

http://www.marnen.org

mar...@marnen.org

[Fred James]

> --
Marnen Laibow-Koser
(a) It is my understanding that you will need the realtime cable, and a
the DB9-USB conversion cable ... other may disagree, and I have zero
experience with MACs.
(b) Manual ... check with JM Steno <http://jmsteno.com/shop/> ... they
(among others) may be able to help you.
In the USA, JM Steno can fix your SRT 400, if needed.
In Canada, it's Gus Baert at Steno Reno Man <http://ucanto.shawwebspace.ca/>
Hope that helps
Regards
Fred James

[Marnen Laibow-Koser]

On Thursday, April 24, 2014, Fred James <fred...@fredjame.cnc.net> wrote:

[...]

(a) It is my understanding that you will need the realtime cable, and a the DB9-USB conversion cable ... other may disagree, and I have zero experience with MACs.

Well, in principle, the fact that I'm connecting to a Mac shouldn't make a difference; USB data is USB data, and the OS really doesn't come into it.  What has worked on USB connections in your experience?  Others have basically said that the realtime cable is nothing special, and that both cables should not be necessary.  

(Pet peeve: the short form of "Macintosh" is "Mac".  "MAC" is the short form of "media access card".) 

(b) Manual ... check with JM Steno <http://jmsteno.com/shop/> ... they (among others) may be able to help you.

I see nothing on their site that would lead me to believe that they have *any* manuals. 

 

In the USA, JM Steno can fix your SRT 400, if needed.

Good to know.  I'm apparently fortunate that Northeast Steno isn't too far from me here in the Boston area. 

Best,

--
Marnen Laibow-Koser
mar...@marnen.org
http://www.marnen.org

Sent from Gmail Mobile

[Mike Neale]

Hi Marnen.

That's an amazing deal you got!

The user guide for the Protege might give you 80% of what you need:

https://www.stenograph.com/ftp/updates/stentura%20prot%C3%A9g%C3%A9%20user%20guide.pdf

Regarding the cable, if you buy a decent one from amazon it will be a lot cheaper than going to stenograph. There is nothing about the stenograph official one that adds anything to the data to make it work, it is simply a serial to usb cable like all others.

I am using this one with my Cybra. Notice that the serial end of the cable has screw posts and so does the steno writer. Therefore, you won't be able to plug the cable in without removing one set of posts (the ones on my writer screw off). To get round this, I bought a serial to serial cable which also acts as a nice extension cable between my writer and my computer. However, it may just be easier for you to get one with screws not posts to begin with.

I hope this helps :)

[Marnen Laibow-Koser]

On Friday, April 25, 2014, Mike Neale <mig...@gmail.com> wrote:

Hi Marnen.

That's an amazing deal you got!

Yeah, I couldn't quite believe it. :)

 

The user guide for the Protege might give you 80% of what you need:

https://www.stenograph.com/ftp/updates/stentura%20prot%C3%A9g%C3%A9%20user%20guide.pdf

I have looked at that.  However, I gather that since the 400 SRT has no function keys, settings are adjusted by pressing combinations of letter keys -- but I don't know what those combinations are.

Regarding the cable, if you buy a decent one from amazon it will be a lot cheaper than going to stenograph. There is nothing about the stenograph official one that adds anything to the data to make it work, it is simply a serial to usb cable like all others.

Of course.  But that's not the question I asked.  I know I will need a DB9-to-USB cable.  The question is whether I will need the Stenograph realtime cable in addition.  

[Fred James]

Marnen Laibow-Koser
User manual ...
<http://www.stenoworks.com/200srt-400srt-users-guide/>
Realtime cable ...
you already know my vote
Also ...
get a tilting stand
<http://www.stenoworks.com/tilting-tripod-for-passport-infinity-other-stenograph-writers/>
(check with vendor, but I think this one will do the trick)
Regards
Fred James

Marnen Laibow-Koser wrote:
(omissions for brevity)

[Marnen Laibow-Koser]

On Saturday, April 26, 2014, Fred James <fred...@fredjame.cnc.net> wrote:

Marnen Laibow-Koser
User manual ...
    <http://www.stenoworks.com/200srt-400srt-users-guide/>

I already said I knew of that, and was asking about an electronic copy. 

 

Realtime cable ...
    you already know my vote

I'm not asking for votes, but for answers from people who have actually done this.  I want facts, not a popularity contest. 

 

Also ...
    get a tilting stand
<http://www.stenoworks.com/tilting-tripod-for-passport-infinity-other-stenograph-writers/>
    (check with vendor, but I think this one will do the trick)

Is this any better than the tripod it came with?  If not, I'm not spending $90 on it right now. :)

 

Regards
Fred James

[Fred James]

Marnen Laibow-Koser
(omissions for brevity ... good luck on the rest of it, anyway)

Marnen Laibow-Koser wrote:

Also ...

    get a tilting stand
<http://www.stenoworks.com/tilting-tripod-for-passport-infinity-other-stenograph-writers/>
    (check with vendor, but I think this one will do the trick)

Is this any better than the tripod it came with?  If not, I'm not spending $90 on it right now. :)

I am not sure what you got, but I assumed (dangerous) that you got the standard tripod (straight, no tilting)?  If so, most people (your mileage may vary) seem to prefer to be able to tilt the machine forward a bit to help take some of the strain off the wrist.

Do you need it?  No.  You can start without it, and see if you can do without it (saving the purchase price of yet another accessory).  If you find you need/want it, you will probably be able to buy one in the future.

Electronic version of the user manual ... sorry have not found one of those.  The manual that came with our (rebuilt) SRT 400 is a copy (xerox type) and the images are already difficult to see ... otherwise I would have already offered to scan it for you.
Regards
Fred James

[Marnen Laibow-Koser]

On Saturday, April 26, 2014, Fred James <fred...@fredjame.cnc.net> wrote:

Marnen Laibow-Koser
(omissions for brevity ... good luck on the rest of it, anyway)

Marnen Laibow-Koser wrote:

Also ...

    get a tilting stand
<http://www.stenoworks.com/tilting-tripod-for-passport-infinity-other-stenograph-writers/>
    (check with vendor, but I think this one will do the trick)

Is this any better than the tripod it came with?  If not, I'm not spending $90 on it right now. :)

I am not sure what you got, but I assumed (dangerous) that you got the standard tripod (straight, no tilting)?

Presumably. 

 

  If so, most people (your mileage may vary) seem to prefer to be able to tilt the machine forward a bit to help take some of the strain off the wrist.

Thanks. I'll keep that in mind as I experiment. 

 [...]

Electronic version of the user manual ... sorry have not found one of those.  The manual that came with our (rebuilt) SRT 400 is a copy (xerox type) and the images are already difficult to see ... otherwise I would have already offered to scan it for you.

Understood.  I'll keep looking. 

[Fred James]

Marnen Laibow-Koser
(more omissions for brevity)
Marnen Laibow-Koser wrote:

A few last comments (intended to be helpful ... your journey will be
arduous enough without without additional hindrance)
Maybe you are trying to learn Plover? If so ...
The people on this list all seem to be really good people
But like any mailing list, the people on it are also busy doing
other things, too

So, please be patient ... the question about the cable(s) has been asked
many times before, so you may find what you need by searching here ...
<https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/ploversteno>

Maybe someone else on the Plover list would be more helpful than I, on that.

And specifically ... you are asking for some one with experience hooking
up an SRT 400 to a MAC, right? Maybe no one has done that? Just
guessing, but from what I have read on the list, a lot of people have
newer machines, which of course all seem to be USB to USB already ... sigh.

If this is your first venture into the waters, I understand, and
support, you reluctance to run up a bunch of out-of-pocket expenses
right a way ... all the best.
Regards
Fred James

[Marnen Laibow-Koser]

On Saturday, April 26, 2014, Fred James <fred...@fredjame.cnc.net> wrote:

Marnen Laibow-Koser
(more omissions for brevity)

Just trim quotes like I do...

 

Marnen Laibow-Koser wrote:

A few last comments (intended to be helpful ... your journey will be arduous enough without without additional hindrance)
    Maybe you are trying to learn Plover?  If so ...
        The people on this list all seem to be really good people
    But like any mailing list, the people on it are also busy doing other things, too

I'm aware of that. :)

 

So, please be patient ... the question about the cable(s) has been asked many times before, so you may find what you need by searching here ...
<https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/ploversteno>

The reason I'm posting at all is that a forum search yielded insufficiently useful results. 

Maybe someone else on the Plover list would be more helpful than I, on that.

And specifically ... you are asking for some one with experience hooking up an SRT 400 to a MAC, right?

"Mac", not "MAC" (which has a different meaning -- see my earlier comment). 

 

  Maybe no one has done that? Just guessing, but from what I have read on the list, a lot of people have newer machines, which of course all seem to be USB to USB already ... sigh.

Well, if you had followed your own advice of doing a forum search before you posted, you would know that there are several other threads, implying that people *have* done this, but never posted useful information about what actually worked. 

So I'm asking if anyone has more conclusive information.

[Jason Koo]

* From the other threads about the 400 SRT, I'm assuming that I don't need a Stenograph brand realtime cable, and that any decent DB-9-to-USB cable should do (perhaps with some of the drivers at http://sourceforge.net/projects/osx-pl2303/ ), right?

Just for the record - my own setup is on a Mac OS X (10.9.2) with a Cybra Writer and some cheap generic serial-to-usb cable

Back to your question - I suspect you should be able to get it working without the official Stenograph realtime cable but the best thing to do would be to just test it out on your own. You'd likely find the answer sooner than waiting for an active 400 SRT user to reply.

As for the drivers - it would depend on which chip your serial-to-usb cable is using.

Myself, I've tried cables with PL2303 (shows up a "PL2303-[something] in system profiler) and CH341 (shows up as "USB2.0-Ser!" in system profiler) chips - they both work.

Their respective Mac drivers are available at:
PL2303 - http://sourceforge.net/projects/osx-pl2303/
CH341 - http://www.wch.cn/downloads.php?name=pro&proid=178

[Marnen Laibow-Koser]

On Sunday, April 27, 2014, Jason Koo <jask...@gmail.com> wrote:

* From the other threads about the 400 SRT, I'm assuming that I don't need a Stenograph brand realtime cable, and that any decent DB-9-to-USB cable should do (perhaps with some of the drivers at http://sourceforge.net/projects/osx-pl2303/ ), right?

Just for the record - my own setup is on a Mac OS X (10.9.2) with a Cybra Writer and some cheap generic serial-to-usb cable

Again, thanks.  I guess I'll try that first and be prepared to shell out for the second cable if it doesn't work.  

[acdoozie]

Hi Martin,  I know you're looking for an electronic copy of the manual - but if you're still thinking about getting a hardcopy - there's one on Ebay for $3.00 (free shipping).   
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Stentura-400-SRT-Writer-Users-Guide-/171319919758?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item27e376848e

[Marnen Laibow-Koser]

On Sunday, May 4, 2014, acdoozie <acdo...@comcast.net> wrote:

Hi Martin, 

That's not my name. :)

 

 I know you're looking for an electronic copy of the manual - but if you're still thinking about getting a hardcopy - there's one on Ebay for $3.00 (free shipping).   
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Stentura-400-SRT-Writer-Users-Guide-/171319919758?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item27e376848e

Thank you!  I'll check this out. 

[acdoozie]

Oh My!  my eyes were playing tricks on me :)   You're welcome Marnen

[Marnen Laibow-Koser]

On Sunday, May 4, 2014, acdoozie <acdo...@comcast.net> wrote:

Hi Martin,  I know you're looking for an electronic copy of the manual - but if you're still thinking about getting a hardcopy - there's one on Ebay for $3.00 (free shipping).   
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Stentura-400-SRT-Writer-Users-Guide-/171319919758?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item27e376848e

Thanks again.  I got it, and will scan it and make it available if I have time. 

From the manual, I assume that "student mode" (-TSDZ at startup) would be best for realtime work? 

[Roslyn Sim]

Hello Marnen

Did you end up scanning the 400SRT manual? I would be interested in a copy.

Also, did everything go smoothly connecting to your Mac? I will be doing the same soon (a 400SRT is on its way).

Thank you,
Ros

[Marnen Laibow-Koser]

Thanks for the reminder!  I still need to do both of these things. 

 

Thank you,
Ros

Best, 

[Elliot Holland]

Hi Ros,

I had some problems connecting a 200 SRT to my Mac, but got everything working eventually. If you have any questions, let me know.

Best,
Elliot

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[Roslyn Sim]

Thanks, Elliot. I'll ask if I get stuck. Nothing I need to know before I begin?

Ros

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[Elliot Holland]

You'll need a serial to usb converter that works with macs. The one o got didn't work with mine so I had to install something else. You'll also need to mess with some other settings. I'm moving today and have my computer and equipment packed up. Otherwise I could be of more help.

[Roslyn Sim]

Thanks for that tip. Hope your move goes smoothly :-).

Ros

Sent from my iPhone

[Roslyn Sim]

My 400 SRT arrived this morning and I took your advice and made sure the serial to USB converter I bought was Mac-compatible. I had to fiddle around finding and installing drivers (it only came with a mini CD, which I wasn't prepared to put into a slot drive), and updating the 'Port' under 'Configure...' to:
/dev/tty.usbserial

Hope that helps if others need the information :-)

Ros

[Elliot Holland]

Excellent! So everything is up and running now?

[Roslyn Sim]

Yes :-). Probably should have said that - oops!

Now I just want to figure out how to set up 'StenoTray' that I keep reading about - it sounds better than continually opening the add translation window to see stroking options (my current method). Do you happen to know whether it is easy to run on a Mac?

Ros

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[Elliot Holland]

Oh great. I had to mess with the configuration settings in Plover without really knowing what I was doing, so I'm glad it's working more easily for you.

It is. I just had to download it, turned on "log strokes" in Plover and then it was up and running. I would have given up months ago without Stenotray.

Best,
Elliot

[Glen Warner]

Oops!

In my article on Plover, I mentioned that I had to do some searching to find drivers for the Mac, and even had instructions up from the site I was using in a picture.

Unfortunately, Plover was hiding an important part of the web address of the page I was using.

I did some Googling and found this page:

http://www.prolific.com.tw/US/CustomerLogin.aspx

When you log in using the appropriate information on that page -- "guest" and "guest" as I write this -- you will find yourself on a page where you can download drivers for your particular flavor of operating system, as well as the appropriate instructions.

Sorry about that!

--gdw

[paulo paniago]

 

Hello Roslyn,

 I’m also a Mac user, and I’ve seen some pictures of the Stentura 400 SRT on the net: it looks really nice, I think you made a great decision.

Keep us informed of how it goes with you, and specially for tips and advanteges/disavanteges you encounter, you have a keen eye for those.

[Roslyn Sim]

Thanks, Paulo :-). That's a big compliment!

In case it's of interest, I just started a blog: http://stenoros.blogspot.com.au/

I expect it will be pretty boring - daily updates etc. - but you're most welcome to visit.

Ros

Sent from my iPhone

--

[Glen Warner]

Hi, Ros.

Nice blog -- and great score on the free writer!

I first ran into Jade on the (now gone) Phoenix Theory forum, which, at the time, was run by the woman that created the theory, Carol Jochim.

Unfortunately, she seems to have retired from the seen entirely, but before she did, she gave this interview:

http://www.stenolife.com/carolj.htm

Enjoy!

--gdw

[Roslyn Sim]

I'd seen that one before - probably on your site! I've spent a lot of time looking through your pages - you have a wealth of material there and provide such a wonderful online resource for steno - especially for people like me who live outside the US!

Sent from my iPhone

[Glen Warner]

Hi, Ros.

Thanks! I put Cheap and Sleazy together to help starving students o' steno save money by pointing them to cheaper alternatives than whatever their school was telling them, so I'm glad to see that you found something of some use on there.

One of these days I'll finally get all of the updates done and uploaded ... but in the meantime, keep reading Cheap and Sleazy!

--gdw

[Ellis Pratt]

Just bought a Stentura 8000xl, so I may need this information myself

INSTALLING A USB SERIAL ADAPTER ON MAC OS X - Plugable. com

http://plugable.com/2011/07/12/installing-a-usb-serial-adapter-on-mac-os-x

Usb To Serial DB9 Adapter - Apple Communities

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/4161121?tstart=0

[Valentin]

Hey,

On Sunday, May 31, 2015 at 6:05:06 PM UTC+2, Marnen Laibow-Koser wrote:

On Sunday, May 31, 2015, Roslyn Sim <rosly...@gmail.com> wrote:

Did you end up scanning the 400SRT manual? I would be interested in a copy.

Thanks for the reminder!  I still need to do both of these things.

I took care of that for you ;)

PDF: https://0au.de/~apo/stentura_200_400_srt_manual.pdf
Archive of images: https://0au.de/~apo/stentura_200_400_srt_manual.7z

--Valentin

[Gabriel Holmes]

We should totally compare notes at NEFFA, dude.

I'll bring my steno machine with me!

[Marnen Laibow-Koser]

On Thu, Apr 24, 2014 at 8:36 PM Marnen Laibow-Koser <mar...@marnen.org> wrote:

On Thursday, April 24, 2014, Fred James <fred...@fredjame.cnc.net> wrote:

[...]

(a) It is my understanding that you will need the realtime cable, and a the DB9-USB conversion cable ... other may disagree, and I have zero experience with MACs.

Well, in principle, the fact that I'm connecting to a Mac shouldn't make a difference; USB data is USB data, and the OS really doesn't come into it.  What has worked on USB connections in your experience?  Others have basically said that the realtime cable is nothing special, and that both cables should not be necessary.  

I know it’s been years, but I finally got this done (with some encouragement from Gabriel Holmes).  I followed the instructions on the wiki, and everything basically just worked on Mac OS 10.14 (Mojave).  Documenting for the next person who tries this:

* I used a DB-9-to-USB cable plus a DB-9 null modem adaptor of appropriate gender (total under $20 from Amazon). 

* The cable said it used the Prolific PL2303 chipset, so I downloaded the appropriate drivers from the Prolific website. 

* After a restart, the virtual serial port showed up as Prolific’s docs said it would. 

* Plover 3 and 4 recognized the Stentura with little problem.  The one catch was that I had to change the port speed from 9600 to 2400 baud. 

* As suggested in the wiki, I had to set the accessibility options in System Preferences to let Plover control the computer. 

And now it works!  So I have no further excuse for not learning machine steno. :)

Best,

[Gonzalo Escarate]

Hi, your post helped me get my Stentura 400 SRT recognized by my 2015 MacBook Pro. Thanks a bunch! Just had to look at the brand name on my serial-to-USB cable adapter, look up its info online, saw that its item info listed Prolific PL2303 just like you, and downloaded the Mac driver for my cable here.

[Eric Fernandez]

Hi Gonzalo! Thanks so much for taking the time to write to me. So happy my post helped. Thanks for sharing your story. :)

Sent from my iPhone

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