Well said.
Pat, K9JAuAt 05:56 PM 11/7/2010, you wrote:
>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