john vernaleken writes:
> Hello Martin,
> Thanks for the suggestion. My XYL was able to see a very dim display and
> change the settings which did not change the display. At this point I 
> guess
> it is a bad LCD.

	Yes. I don't know if the back light is an integrated
part of the display or not. LCD's have the actual display which
works like a matrix of light valves to either block or allow
through (transmit) light. Behind that is a pannel that emits
light and shines through the display. If you took away the
display, the back light would look like a glowing rectangle.

	Some Icom displays are not even LCD but are called
vacuum fluorescent. They look really neat when they are new but
the drivers like to die as they must generate high voltage to
ionize the gas in the display. I had 2 Icom receivers with VF
displays and both failed after several years. The displays
either dimmed out, generated RF noise or both. I am glad the
vacuum fluorescent display is a technology whose time came and
went.

Martin McCormick WB5AGZ  Stillwater, OK 
Systems Engineer
OSU Information Technology Department Telecommunications Services Group