[Reader-users] Classic Reader: When Text Just Can't Be Found

[Pam Drake]

Alan,

The text is very standard, albeit small, and the fonts are standard.  I have 
determined this by using the Optacon.

I do wonder about the polarizers.  There was an incident I forgot to mention 
when a sighted person to whom I was showing the Reader said the image in the 
view finder was very blurry, and he couldn't make out any text.  The page 
was a randomly-chosen page from a computer manual.  Interestingly enough the 
reader did read some of that text.

I have tactually examined the lens a little but haven't been able to 
determine where the polarizers are, though I have read their description in 
the manual.  I wonder if I should try to remove and clean them, or could 
this make maters worse?


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Alan & Terrie Robbins" <arobbin1 at nycap.rr.com>
To: "Kurzweil National Federation of the Blind Reader user list" 
<reader-users at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Saturday, February 23, 2008 5:36 AM
Subject: Re: [Reader-users] Classic Reader: When Text Just Can't Be Found


em occasionally but not too frequently .  Couple of
thoughts I have would be is the font your taking a picture of standard size
and a recognizable one?  Is it real large or light in contrast to the
material it is on?  I realize you may not know the answers to this but
possibly a sighted person near you could let you know?

The other thing I would have checked is the condition of the polarizers.  If
they have gotten scratched, dirty or mis aligned it could reduce the ability
of the camera to pick up the image.  Hope this helps

Al

-----Original Message-----
From: reader-users-bounces at nfbnet.org
[mailto:reader-users-bounces at nfbnet.org]On Behalf Of Pam Drake
Sent: Friday, February 22, 2008 8:51 PM
To: Kurzweil National Federation of the Blind Reader user list
Subject: [Reader-users] Classic Reader: When Text Just Can't Be Found


I have a question for the more experienced users of the Classic Reader.

My skill with the Classic Reader has improved significantly; but I have
found certain documents on which existing text just can't be found.  I am an
Optacon user, and have verified that there is text on these pages.  The text
is sometimes rather difficult to read with the Optacon and so I can
understand why the Reader might have trouble, but this isn't always the
case, and I can't figure out why the text isn't being found, let alone,
read, after several tries at varying distances.

Sometimes after a "no text found" message appears I can locate the text with
the Optacon, hold the Reader very, very close to the approximate location,
and get part or all of the text; but sometimes this just isn't possible.

At such times I'm glad I have the Optacon; but even though I own three of
them there may come a time when they all become irreparable, and of course
the Reader is more portable than a standard scanner.

Continuing the scenario, I can see an envelope arriving at the address of a
Reader user with no convenient sighted help and apparently no text is found
on the document inside.

In those situations where there is no sighted reader and no other means of
determining the text of a document, is there any way of giving the reader a
better chance for access before taking it somewhere to be read?
 I have studied the manual, but this is a mystery to me.

Finally, will the upgraded Reader have an easier time reading the odd text,
now or in the future?  I'm still deciding whether to upgrade.

Thanks for any thoughts.

Pam