Oh come on,  I guess this is why ham radio won't go anywhere 
either, because you have to hook an antenna to it!! I've had a 
Sony HD radio for several years which isn't even really 
accessible and have had to endure the terrible hardship of 
connecting both a straight wire FM antenna and a small loop for 
Am.  No problem! Jim WA6EKS

From: Harry Brown <[log in to unmask]
To: [log in to unmask]
Date sent: Fri, 6 Jul 2012 15:53:48 -0400
Subject: Re: Quick Review of Insignia Hd Radio, Not Very Good

This is why hd radio will never go anywhere! When you have to 
connect an =
antenna to an hd radio, forget it.
Trippy, ac8s
  ----- Original Message -----=20
  From: Anthony Vece=20
  To: [log in to unmask]
  Sent: Thursday, July 05, 2012 4:28 PM
  Subject: Re: Quick Review of Insignia Hd Radio, Not Very Good


  Wow!

  Steve, I didn't know you were so positive.


  73 De Anthony W2AJV



  -----Original Message-----
  From: For blind ham radio operators =
[mailto:[log in to unmask]]
  On Behalf Of Steve
  Sent: Tuesday, July 03, 2012 10:35 PM
  To: [log in to unmask]
  Subject: Quick Review of Insignia Hd Radio, Not Very Good

  For all the hoopla, and touting about its accessibility, I 
guess I was
  expecting more than a piece of below-average junk.  Here are my 
quick
  findings:

  1.  As with most Am sections, the radio is completely deaf 
without
  connecting its loop antenna.  I've only had the radio for a 
couple =
hours,
  and haven't figured out a way to attach the loop to the radio.  
It has
  enough wire that it could be placed on a wall.

  2.  Similarly the Fm dipole is a must.  Interestingly, instead 
of the =
F
  connectors that most tuners use these days, this has a cable 
type =
screw-on
  connector.  Sensitivity is good, selectivity and immunity to 
overload =
on
  mine is only fair.

  3.  Menu Accessibility:  It doesn't say this in the main radio 
manual =
so
  unless you look at the Quick-Start Guide for the Blind, you 
won't know =
that
  the Menu Mode is disabled when you are in accessibility mode.  
You =
enable
  accessibility mode by pressing the power button, the lefthand 
button =
on the
  top with the Select Button which is the lower-left button on 
the front =
of
  the radio.

  It appears that in this mode, you can set the time by holding 
the =
display
  button in for two seconds.  You can also set the alarm time for 
Alarm =
1 and
  Alarm 2.  You can press either alarm to be informed that it is 
on or =
off.=20
  What sighties can do is determine whether the alarm wakes you 
with =
radio or
  a tone, this doesn't seem to work in accessibility mode.  
Sighted =
people can
  also access the menu and make all sorts of other adjustments 
such as =
12 or
  24-hour time, tuning modes like U.S.  or International Am/Fm 
band =
limits and
  channel spacing,Lcd color and brightness, etc.  These are only 
=
available in
  the menu when the accessibility mode is turned off.

  There is an option in the menu under the regular non-accessible 
mode =
to see
  what the hardware/software version of this radio is.  However, 
there =
isn't a
  Usb or some other port to update the software, so even if a new 
=
version came
  out, I don't know if there is a way to update it.  The manual 
doesn't =
state
  that this is possible.

  Also, there is no way to control the radio's verbosity.  The 
buttons
  typically give you way too much feedback.  For example, if you 
press =
the
  volume up button, it says something like Volume Up.  That type 
of =
feedback
  is nice when you are familiarizing yourself with the radio, but 
I =
think
  after a day or so it would be too verbose.  It would be nice to 
be =
able to
  set it to advanced mode, where it wouldn't continue to be so 
verbose.

  Sound quality is better than a $29 off-the-shelf clock radio, 
but that =
isn't
  saying a whole lot for it.  Those of you who have had the Sony 
Dream
  Machine, this doesn't compare to it as far as sound quality.  I 
think =
the
  manual is written incorrectly.  It claims it has 4 two-inch 
speakers, =
but
  without ripping off the front grill or voiding my right to 
return the =
radio,
  it looks more like it has two four-inch speakers.

  I am not sure if I will keep this radio or not.  Since I don't 
need a =
clock
  radio with all sorts of other alarm options, it is one of those 
things =
that
  might be nice, but not sure it is worth the cost.  It can 
receive Hd
  stations, but not the radio reading service subcarriers.  In =
accessibility
  mode, you can't bookmark songs, read the Hd display for data, 
or other
  things that I would have thought would have been made available 
if the =
IAAIS
  was as involved with the design as they were.

  Take my advice, I don't use it anyway.

  Steve
  Lansing, MI