New Diamante Retrofitting - AWESOME!

[Kerry F]

Can anyone who has gotten this done tell me if it increases the stacking and splitting with such a short stroke?Thanks!

[Angie]

Thanks, Mary Ann.   I just bought my Diamante fairly recently and I thought this was something else I was suppose to get.

[Kerry F]

Mary Ann,

I think the reason you in particular get less stacking and splitting has something to do with your touch on the keys and how it syncs with the shorter stroke.  So I believe some people will have your experience and others may have more stacking and splitting with the shorter stroke.  But I'm going to try making the keys more sensitive and using a much lighter stroke with my fingers (I'm not a pounder, but not really light either).

[Mary Ann Payonk]

Kerry, one thing that I have done is made it the absolute lowest stroke depth, but the touch is just one tick up on the sensitivity wheel - not the absolute lightest, but one tick tighter.  That's the perfect setting for me.  And yes, I'm a light writer.  I sure hope you get it going!

M.A.

[Kerry F]

Mary Ann,

What sensitivity wheel are you talking about?  You mean the one on the right, the tension wheel?

[Mary Ann Payonk]

Yes, that one.  Tension.  Sorry!  Guess I need to take the baby's breath out of my hair ... M.A.

[Rosemary Schwartz & Associates]

Hi.  My Diamante is about 5 months old.  I started having stacking, and called tech support.  They did a few changes to some of my settings, and it seems I have no more stacking.  So maybe that's the answer.  At least it helped me.  I didn't know anything about the retrofit.  So does that mean you send your writer to them or can it be done at a place like Steno Doctor?

 

Thanks,

Rosemary

[Kerry F]

You need to send it in for retrofit.

You can adjust the writer to less stacking or less splitting instead of having it on balanced.

Seems I still get stacking or splitting however I set it.  But I just got it back from being retrofitted and

they recalibrated it and it is doing fine.  I really seems to me that the Diamante must somehow need to be recalibrated when it's stacking too much.  Always seems to do better for me when it's just come back from service and then it deteriorates..............maybe this time it will hold.

[Ann Crowe]

Would like to know if anyone else has found the Diamante a bit too springy or bouncy.  Even at the lightest settings and key sensitivity, I am finding the writer too bouncy compared to my old shimmed Xscribe Ultra.  Stenograph tech person advised that it would loosen up after use -- has that been your experience?  I did try the Passport and loved the touch, but the accuracy just wasn't there, and no amount of tinkering helped.  Any comment would be appreciated.

[Mary Ann Payonk]

Hi, Ann.  On neither of my Diamantes do I notice any spring or bounce.  It's very, very solid, especially at the lightest settings and key sensitivity.  The tech person may feel that it might loosen up after use, but I hope not.  I like the touch just as it is and I don't want it any lighter.  I believe when the Diamante first came out, it was said -- and I totally agree -- that the Diamante is not for a reporter who pounds the keys.  If you pound the keys as opposed to stroke the keys, any machine is going to bounce around.  I don't hold my fingers in that kind of crouched, fingers-bent position, I just lay my hands on the writer and write with basically the flat pads of my fingers.  No long fingernails - ever!  If you're flicking your fingers for each stroke (pounding) that might be why the touch is not right for you.  Ann, it's not a criticism, just a description of writing styles.  Did you try out the Diamante before you bought it?  Do you think it's just this particular machine is too springy, and the one you tried out was not bouncy?  Even though the Diamante is a writer that tons of reporters are clamoring for, the fact is it might not be for everyone and some reporters may prefer their current writers.  And that's okay!  If your current writers are working well for you, there's no need to get a writer that doesn't just because everyone else does - if you need a new writer, just get another writer of the current type you have.  Good luck, especially if it fixes itself with time, now that you have it, Ann.

M.A.

[Ann Crowe]

Thanks for your quick response.  I think I just need to give it longer to adjust to; my translastion is amazing on the Diamante, even when I feel I've hit the wrong keys.  I guess rather than bounce I should have described it as firm.  I think I was used to a looser touch with the Ultra; however, I have a better translation with the Diamante, so I I'm not ready to quit it just yet.  Ann.

[Mary Ann Payonk]

Ann, I finally found your post about bouncing.  As you can see from my post of August 5, I love, love, love the touch of the Diamante.  I have two of them and sent one in for retrofitting.  Perfection perfected!  It was g-r-e-a-t!  So I sent the 2nd one in - disaster.  The keys bounce, bounce, bounce.  As you said, it's hard to describe, but almost like a clicking feel when depressing the keys and also letting go, so it's awful, terrible, and I hate it.  I have gotten a call from Stenograph about it suggesting I tighten up the tension.  That's unacceptable.  Also, they thought it might be the tripod.  My god.  Really?  So I'm sending it back to see if they can fix it.  I'll keep everyone updated on what's happening with that.  Thank goodness I have a 2nd writer.  I absolutely hate this back-and-forth when something is not done right and/or causes problems.  I went through this with the Mira writer years ago, and the last thing I want to hear here is there is no such thing as a bouncing problem, Mary Ann. I beg to differ.  I'm hopefully optimistic that they will fix my Diamante and restore it to the heavenly light bounce-free touch!

M.A.

[Kelli Combs (admin)]

It is so frustrating for me because I contacted Stenograph about sending in my Diamante for the retrofitting about six months ago.  They told me they are not doing that yet and they will let me know when they do.  Well, here I am reading all these posts about having it done.  I haven't gotten my phone call/email that they are doing it yet. 

That's Stenograph for you; great on customer service as usual!!