The biggest problem with no speech is going beyond your privileges, I 
suppose if you have the top license class for your country and the radio 
isn't modified to transmit out of band, that's not a huge concern but I 
wouldn't want to risk it and that's very possible on HF unless there's a 
work around which there usually is I suppose, but I hate having to depend on 
someone else to help setup a radio or tying it to a computer.
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "colin McDonald" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Sunday, November 07, 2010 6:56 PM
Subject: Re: ft-897d


> two things.
> Firstly, I understand the attitude.  I agree with it.  There is little to 
> no
> reason that I know of why Yaesu can't put speech synth capability into all
> their radios.  It's cheap, and exceedingly simple considering icom and
> kenwood both do it on their cheapest radios.
> Secondly, just because a radio doesn't speak some functions does not mean 
> it
> is "unaccessible" to use as a blind person.
> Perhaps one doesn't have the audio feedback, but that does not mean one
> cannot use the radio for what it is designed to do...IE talking on and
> listening to others talk.
> we can all memorize menu sequences, button presses, panel layouts all that
> stuff...we've all done it on one device or other weather it's a microwave,
> or a sell phone or some other operating system or menu driven device...we
> learn it and sometimes, if possible, get sighted help to do initial set
> up...or at least, to get the initial panel layout or help navigating until
> we remember what does what.
> We all tend to rely on audio feedback when it's availible to confirm what 
> we
> are doing or what button we've pressed or whatever.
> Once you figure out which buttons to press to perform the functions you
> want, then they're going to keep doing that everytime you press them...the
> radio isn't going to suddenly change on you and alter all it's button
> functions.
> Map it out, play with it, memorize it and off you go.
> I mean we do this with the Kenwood and Icom HT's..we learn them and use
> them.  Why can we not do this and be comfortable doing this on an HF rig?
> Yes, I know other rigs offer speech and so on, but to say a radio is
> unusable, or inaccessible just because it doesn't talk like other rigs is
> kind of strange to me.
> My preference too is to have a radio with a speech synth.  But, that 
> doesn't
> mean I would totally dismiss out of hand a radio that doesn't.
> Especially if it was given to me.
> However, all that said, you could probably still trade it in on a kenwood 
> or
> icom rig that does offer speech.  You could potentially trade it in on an
> Icom IC7000 that does offer speech and isn't a terribly difficult radio to
> learn if you play with it long enough.
> The FT450 has great reviews.  it is small and has an excellent receiver
> apparently.
> You could most definitely trade the 897 directly across for that rig since
> it is retailed cheaper than the 897.
> I've played with an ft450 and for the five mins I spent with it, I got the
> hang of it very quickly with little to no assistance.
> it's only HF plus 6 meters though.  There is a model with an antenna tuner
> as well.
> 73
> Colin V A6BKX
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Butch Bussen" <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Sunday, November 07, 2010 2:09 PM
> Subject: Re: ft-897d
>
>
>>I don't think we're saying they're not good radios, although even Yaesu
>> fans admit they have quality control problems, but the point I'm making 
>> is
>> accessibility.  I don't care if it is the best radio ever made and it 
>> only
>> costs two hundred dollars, if it isn't accessible to me, what good is it
>> to me?  I haven't seen the radio I won, but so far from what folks have
>> written, it won't do me much good which makes me sad as it covers 160
>> through 440 and has a lot of bang for the buck.  My main problem with
>> Yaesu is their attitude ow unwillingness to put in speech.  I guess the
>> 450 has it, but none before have and the technology is cheap and been
>> around for years.  My 440 I bought back in 85 had a speech option.  The
>> last Yaesu I owned, I think was a 980, not sure of the number, owned it
>> back in early 80s.  I owned it for a year and 6 months out of that year 
>> it
>> spent in the shop.  I just wish I'd won a radio that talked.
>> 73
>> Butch Bussen
>> wa0vjr
>> open Node 3148
>> Las Vegas