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Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!rutgers!ames!amdahl!dlb!sun!cmcmanis
From: cmcmanis@sun.UUCP
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc,comp.sys.misc,comp.periphs,sci.electronics
Subject: Re: Text to Speech on PCs
Message-ID: <12756@sun.uucp>
Date: Thu, 5-Feb-87 12:48:03 EST
Article-I.D.: sun.12756
Posted: Thu Feb  5 12:48:03 1987
Date-Received: Sat, 7-Feb-87 15:35:48 EST
References: <1879@ulysses.homer.nj.att.com> <968@valid.UUCP> <12635@sun.uucp>
Organization: Sun Microsystems, Inc. - Mtn View, CA
Lines: 26
Summary: Here is RFJ's address
Xref: watmath comp.sys.ibm.pc:1437 comp.sys.misc:311 comp.periphs:177 sci.electronics:204


Ok, I mentioned earlier a board that does this, here are the particulars :

The company is called RFJ Engineering and their phone number is 
(305) 323-9039, their address is P.O. Box 4166, Sanford, FL, 32772.

They sell a bare board for $24.95 that uses the radio shack (actually
General Instrument) Text-to-speech and speech synthesis chips. This
board has an RS-232C port on one side and an amplifier/speaker on the
other. What ever ascii text goes in one side, comes out the other as
spoken words. It also has a parallel port input which you could connect
to a centronics port (with appropriate connectors of course). After
collecting the parts it took me about an hour to assemble, your mileage
may vary. I suggest that anyone who builds this *not* use the on board
5V regulator, and instead buy a radio shack wall bug power supply that
supplies +5, +x and -y (where X and Y are greater then 3, these drive the
RS-232 chips) and hook it up directly. 

Of course I have no financial interest in anyone mentioned, I built one
I use and it was fairly simple. It cost *a lot* less than $1000. More
like $50 including snacks and beverages.

-- 
--Chuck McManis
uucp: {anywhere}!sun!cmcmanis   BIX: cmcmanis  ARPAnet: cmcmanis@sun.com
These opinions are my own and no one elses, but you knew that didn't you.