Maestro dictionary

[estherhays]

To follow up on the previous thread where you so kindly provided me with a chart of the Stentura 8000LX compatibility with Maestro:

Since the chart says that it will not realtime with Maestro, does that mean that there will be no English showing on the LCD screen? Or is it just referring to realtime through a cable to the computer?

If the English does not show on the LCD, will the steno still show?

How do I transfer my Maestro dictionary into the Stentura so it can translate?

I need these questions answered before I call your writer department to check availability. Thanks so much.

Esther

[Michael Smith]

Hi Esther,

Sorry about the delay, last week was an exceptionally busy one.

Since the chart says that it will not realtime with Maestro, does that mean that there will be no English showing on the LCD screen?
- The Stentura 8000 English Translation on the LCD is completely independent of Maestro (meaning Maestro doesn't need to be running in order to use the translation feature on the Stentura). In addition, realtime in Maestro is not goverened by the translation on the Stentura 8000 (hope that makes sense). In answer to your question, no.

Or is it just referring to realtime through a cable to the computer?
- Yes

If the English does not show on the LCD, will the steno still show?
- Yes; in fact you can enable/disable this feature on the writer.

How do I transfer my Maestro dictionary into the Stentura so it can translate?
- You will need the Dictionary Transfer program from Stenograph. You can obtain it here: support.stenograph.com/stentura/sten_8000.htm
You will need a ZIP utility to open and extract the files. I would recommend WinZip located here:
www.winzip.com
At this point I have no information on converting a Maestro dictionary to Stentura 8000. I will put this on my test list. If you do decide to purchase a Stentura 8000, I can do a one-time conversion of your Maestro and have it loaded on the Stentura 8000 for you when you get it.

Hope I answered all of your questions. I will let you know what I find regarding converting a Maestro dictionary to Stentura 8000.

[estherhays]

Michael -

Thanks for your reply. I've been gone a few days as well. I will look forward to hearing what you find out about converting the Maestro dictionary to the Stentura 8000LX since that will be a key factor in my decision.

Thanks -

Esther Hays

[Michael Smith]

Hi Esther,

Well I finally got some time to play around with Maestro and the dictionary conversion program. However thus far I have been unable to get a dictionary converted into Stentura 8000 format.

If you know someone who maybe went to the same school (or uses the same theory) and they are on a newer software then Maestro, then you can load that dictionary in.

Unless someone else out there has had success converting their Maestro dictionary to the Stentura 8000 format, then I would say your options are to either not use the English translation on the 8000, or purchase newer software that is capable of exporting the dictionary to the Stentura 8000.

Wish I had better news for you Esther. If I get some more time in the future I will play around with it and see if I can figure out a solution.

[estherhays]

Thanks for trying, Michael. That is not good news. That means that I more or less am stuck with the Stenoram Ultra, including the ribbon problems. New software would solve a lot of problems, I know, but I'm hoping to retire before too long.

Re Ribbons - I have a couple of ribbon cartridges that Top Cat Steno in Louisiana drilled the hole in the top. Re-inking is not working very well. I put a drop in, let it soak in (sometimes an hour or so), then another drop, etc., ten times or so. It doesn't seem to write much darker at all. Any suggestions?

Should I start a new thread for this?

Esther

[Michael Smith]

Hi Esther,

I wouldn't say you are stuck with your StenoRam Ultra.

One option is to have our writer department make the writer paperless (which we do with the yearly service). They send back the parts removed in case you need to convert it back to a paper writer in the future. Many customers have said it makes the touch much lighter as well.

If you must write to paper, then I would consider a SmartWriter. The ribbons are still being made for them. The writer is capable of doing realtime, and you can also read in the disks. If you are interested, check with our writer department at [e-mail].

As for re-inking the ribbons, we have had many customers complain about it. Since a hole has to be drilled, you have to cover it with tape to keep the ink from getting all over your case. The problem is (or at least the problems our customers have been experiencing) the tape normally doesn't stay on (since the ink gets on it) and then the ink gets all over the case. As for the ink not being as dark as you want, you need to turn the knob on the ribbon cartridge SEVERAL times. I recommend a motorized screw driver and let it turn a hundred times or so.

[Michael Smith]

Hi Esther,

Well I've completed testing on getting your Maestro dictionary converted to Stentura 8000.

You actually need Xscribe 2001 software in order to import a Maestro dictionary. Once it is imported into Xscribe 2001, it can then be exported to Stentura format using the 'XEC-2001 to Stentura Dictionary Conversion' program located on Stenograph's website www.stenograph.com.

If you purchase a Stentura 8000 through JM Steno, the dictionary conversion is free. Otherwise, we provide one-time dictionary conversions for $15.

Hope that helps!