TTY and macs

[DeafDucky]

Is it possible turn my macbook pro laptop into a TTY? Or my Windows desktop (if I ever hook it back up and figure out if the HDD is really dying or if it's salvageable).

Just wondering as I want to call a specific office but don't want to do voice or through VRS for security reasons; they have a TTY number. I do have a TTY and a compact TTY but both are in "storage" in this house somewhere and are not too compatible with today's cordless phones and cellphones. I don't know if there are TTY apps or not and am not sure how well vision wise I'd see a TTY app on my phone either.

Thanks!

 

[AlleyCat]

My iPhone’s phone has a built-in tty app. So when I need to “call” somebody, it gives me the option to call or use tty. I am pretty sure you’ve said you have an Android, so I’m not sure if your phone app has the same feature? Here is a snapshot - I blacked out the contact info but you can see the options. I know this doesn’t solve your computer-to-tty question.

 

[DeafDucky]

Yeah- I was passively looking at options for tty on android.. or borrow my niece's iPhone lol. I may look harder for that in the meantime til I can find a good solution for laptop/desktop.

 

[Jane B.]

You may want to look for what you have in storage. Most cell phones have a setting where you can connect a Compact TTY (if a late enough model to work with a digital cell phone) through the headphone jack. And, of course, a full size TTY can be connected to your landline with no need to use the phone you use for voice.

 

[gtanner]

Deaf Ducky,
installing the ACCESS Home software on your PC will give you TTY capabilities, as well as TRS, VCO, and HCO. Its 95 cents a month to subscribe to it and you can go month to month on your subscription, so if you need it for just a few calls, its 95 cents, then you can cancel your subscription.

Thanks,
Gary
www.nextalk.com

 

[zerocool]

Is it possible turn my macbook pro laptop into a TTY? Or my Windows desktop (if I ever hook it back up and figure out if the HDD is really dying or if it's salvageable).

Just wondering as I want to call a specific office but don't want to do voice or through VRS for security reasons; they have a TTY number. I do have a TTY and a compact TTY but both are in "storage" in this house somewhere and are not too compatible with today's cordless phones and cellphones. I don't know if there are TTY apps or not and am not sure how well vision wise I'd see a TTY app on my phone either.

Thanks!

FYI - Apple just released the latest IOS & MacOS version with one of few new features to use as "TTY".

https://9to5mac.com/2018/12/05/real-time-text-on-ios-and-macos/

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT209352

 

[DeafDucky]

You may want to look for what you have in storage. Most cell phones have a setting where you can connect a Compact TTY (if a late enough model to work with a digital cell phone) through the headphone jack. And, of course, a full size TTY can be connected to your landline with no need to use the phone you use for voice.

I did finally go "box diving" and searching all of them... and found my Compact TTY. Unfortunately it will not work with cell phones. My Galaxy phone does have TTY mode though. Tried looking for the Compact/C (a newer version of the Compact TTY) but could not find it as it apparently has been discontinued.

 

[Jane B.]

I did finally go "box diving" and searching all of them... and found my Compact TTY. Unfortunately it will not work with cell phones. My Galaxy phone does have TTY mode though. Tried looking for the Compact/C (a newer version of the Compact TTY) but could not find it as it apparently has been discontinued.

The Compact/C has been discontinued but keep looking on places like eBay. It has been longer than it feels like but I did find one that I keep in the car but would need to check the manual for some features because it has been long enough since I used it. I normally have no problems with the use of a captioning app (my preferred one is from InnoCaption) on my cell phone or the state relay reached by dialing 711 on my landline.

I did do some searching when commercials came on while watching TV. One of the things I came across was this which I thing the one review may be from someone that doesn't know what they are doing.
https://www.ebay.com/p/Ameriphone-Q...ng-Portable/1437390749?_trksid=p2047675.l2644

This is another discontinued item which shows up on ebay. I have used one and liked it until it would act up after being carried around in a women's purse. When it seemed to be the only thing out there I actually got a second one and rotated as they seemed to need repair about once a year. BUT you would not be treating it to the bumps etc. that mine got being carried daily in a purse. There is currently this listing on eBay.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Krown-PCM3...113340538718?_trksid=p2385738.m4383.l4275.c10

If course, if you have access to a landline and can find one of your old regular TTYs you don't need anything else.

Good Luck

 

[DeafDucky]

I do have access to a landline but the phones these days will not sit well in/on the couplers on the ttys I have so that's out (unless there's still a rotary/push button phone lurking around here somewhere).

I did check out eBay to see if there were any compact/C ttys listed... none so far. There is another brand - Ameritec I think? That's the one with the high prices. Amazingly Amazon has some TTYs listed but none so far for cell compatibility- surprisingly... urgh.

Looked into the Nextalk (or whatever that is..slipping my mind) package but the software is only for Windows PC... no mac/iOS yet. I suppose I should set my Windows PC back up again but lazy and tired most nights to do it.

As for using relay (tty or video)... for some things I would rather not use it...would rather have a way to directly speak with someone (currently government agency I'm trying to get in touch with).

 

[Jane B.]

I do have access to a landline but the phones these days will not sit well in/on the couplers on the ttys I have so that's out (unless there's still a rotary/push button phone lurking around here somewhere).

I did check out eBay to see if there were any compact/C ttys listed... none so far. There is another brand - Ameritec I think? That's the one with the high prices. Amazingly Amazon has some TTYs listed but none so far for cell compatibility- surprisingly... urgh.

Looked into the Nextalk (or whatever that is..slipping my mind) package but the software is only for Windows PC... no mac/iOS yet. I suppose I should set my Windows PC back up again but lazy and tired most nights to do it.

As for using relay (tty or video)... for some things I would rather not use it...would rather have a way to directly speak with someone (currently government agency I'm trying to get in touch with).

I am assuming that by "couplers" you mean the cups that you can place the part of a regular phone that you hold to your ear in. I do not use that but have the phone line that comes from the wall plugged in to the back of a Ameriphone Dialogue TTY from quite a number of years ago. Then a short length of phone cord is plugged in to the other port on the TTY and goes to a regular phone. I agree that the handset part of my modern landline phone would not fit well in the cups of the TTY but it does not need to with this setup.

I hope my way of doing things will solve your problem. I do use the relay all the time and in fact my TTY is in such a position that it is easy to read but hard to type on.,

 

[Pcryan55]

Deaf Ducky,
installing the ACCESS Home software on your PC will give you TTY capabilities, as well as TRS, VCO, and HCO. Its 95 cents a month to subscribe to it and you can go month to month on your subscription, so if you need it for just a few calls, its 95 cents, then you can cancel your subscription.

Thanks,
Gary
www.nextalk.com

Hi

Sorry for the lame question - Does the ACCESS HOME Software work on a MAC?

Thanks!
~Peter