Hi Bill,
There is omeone else on this list who has one of these rigs.

It is the Yaesu FT450.

I understand tha the speech chip is slow and doesn't give all the trailing 
numbers.

Then you get the typical inaccessability of the Yaesu menus unless of course 
you can program the rig with a computer.

Yaesu have done a half baked job. The have provided a speech chip but no 
keypad with which to enter the frequencies.

I have been in contact with a British company Bhi who make an external 
keypad that will work with the Yaesu FT817, FT857 and the FT897. But 
unfortunately, this keypad will not work with the Yaesu FT450.

For a toatlly accessible radio the Kenwood TS480 is the present best bet.

Best 73's,

Eric
KU3I