I am an Optacon user since around 1980, and I have received Optacon service
from Richard Oehm. He has been quite busy of late, but he does excellent
work; I recommend that you check with him if you want something in the
Optacon family repaired.
His phone number is 408 971-6250.
Although I don't know anything about checking the visual display, I have a
few remarks for you about the Optacon itself. You say that the image on the
array does not change as you move your camera over a page known to have
print; but what happens as you rotate the threshold knob from its minimum to
its maximum with the unit on? By the way, what "note" is the Optacon
producing? It should "play" something around the pitch of the "B" just
below Middle-C. If the note is very far removed from that pitch, the
Optacon probably won't work well, if at all. If the normal/invert switch is
in the Normal position, the pins would normally stop vibrating when the knob
is turned fully counterclockwise, no matter where you had the intensity
control set (I suggest setting that Intensity control somewhere around the
1:00 position while checking as I am suggesting).
Now, if rotation of the threshold control produces normal array behavior
with respect to array vibration, I suggest that you find out for sure
whether the lights in the camera are working. If you have light-detection
software on an iPhone or if you have one of those handy "light probes"
available from a few places selling items for the blind, test for light when
the Optacon is turned on. One problem which sometimes prevents an Optacon
from working properly is that of those tiny contacts inside the camera
failing to make good contact with the two "pins" on the retina. Great care
is REQUIRED if you do what I am suggesting next: With the Optacon turned
on, press VERY GENTLY on the retina as if you were trying to push It a tiny
bit more into the camera module. DON'T PUSH ON THE CABLE! PRESS ONLY ON
THE "FLAT" PART OF THE RETINA CASE ABOVE THE CAMERA CABLE. If a contact in
the camera is not making good connection with the retina, this slight
pressure might cause the Optacon's lights to turn on and help achieve normal
behavior. If one of those tiny contacts is not making a good connection,
that contact can sometimes be bent out toward the retina's pin. THIS IS AN
EXTREMELY DELICATE PROCEDURE, AND I HESITATE TO MENTION IT BECAUSE I DON'T
WANT TO EMBOLDEN A PERSON NOT SKILLED IN DELICATE ELECTRONICS WORK TO DO A
PROCEDURE THAT WOULD DO FURTHER DAMAGE TO THE CAMERA! But if you have that
skill and want the associated risk, you should first turn off the Optacon,
then remove the retina as if you were going to turn it over. With the
retina removed, I have on a few occasions been able to insert a finger and
use a fingernail to pry very gently to "spring" one or both contacts outward
VERY SLIGHTLY. When I reconnected the camera to the retina, my Optacon
behaved normally again. The "diagnostic fact" which would lead me to
consider the very slight bending of a camera pin would be that slight
pressure inward on the retina causes the Optacon to behave normally, thus
indicating that one or both contacts in the camera module are not making
contact with their respective retina pins. Come to think of it, I've heard
of another approach to get better contact when the problem is lack of
contact, hence no light in the camera: the placement of a rubber band
horizontally around the camera so that the band is not pressing on the cable
but is applying a bit of inward pressure to move the retina ever so slightly
farther into the barrel of the camera but nowhere near enough to be far
enough for the retina to "turn out" as if you were trying to remove the
retina to turn it over in the camera barrel. You don't want the retina to
come out of the camera while the Optacon is on; but your rubber band
shouldn't be so tight that it pushed the retina that far end. In short, WE
ARE LOOKING FOR GREAT SUBTLETY HERE - no great amount of force here!
Finally, if you don't want to take any risk here, leave the Optacon alone
until you can get it repaired by a technician. What I have written above,
though, comes from my years of Optacon use; I wouldn't dare attempt anything
more in troubleshooting an Optacon than what I have said.
-----Original Message-----
From: optacon-l-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:optacon-l-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]
On Behalf Of Dan Tevelde
Sent: Monday, 11 September, 2017 9:24 PM
To: Optacon <optacon-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [optacon-l] Visual Display
Hello All,
I just received an optacon and visual display from a friend. Can Richard
Oehm repair the visual display? I know the optacon isn't working though the
tactile array is ok. It looks like the optacon isn't picking up anything
from the camera. The appearance of the tactile array isn't changing when I
move the camera on a page. All of the pins are vibrating at the same time.
In addition, I don't think I have Richard's latest contact information.
Could someone give me his contact information?
Thanks,
Dan
Sent from my iPhone
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