Most of the Kenwood radios, all now I believe actually will give you menu 
feedback, frequency, almost all you need. Icom radios do everything but the 
menus. Some even have the speech synth built in, others you have to add it 
but there's no need to have it tied to a computer, I've never liked that and 
refuse to get a radio that has to be tied to a computer all the time for me 
to use it.
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "David thurmond" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Monday, December 12, 2011 8:36 AM
Subject: Recommendations for Beginner HF Rig


> All,
>
> I expect that this topic has been discussed over and over, so my
> apologies in advance.  I am looking to buy my first HF rig, but I have
> no idea what the best way to access the equipment is, and what
> features on a particular model would be best.
>
> I have seen that speech processing is available on some higher-end
> models, but is this really the way to go?  Is it just as good to
> purchase a lower-end model that works with Ham Radio Deluxe, or will
> any software available to control the rig through the PC work with a
> screen reader?  I hate the thought that I am dependent on my PC to
> access my rig, but if that makes operating more enjoyable, then that's
> what I'll do!
>
> Lots of rigs seem to offer very basic speech capabilities, such as
> parroting back frequency selection, but I think I want something much
> more comprehensive than that.  So, what are experienced folks in the
> real world using to make their equipment accessible for a blind user,
> and how?
>
> Many thanks!
>
> David Thurmond, KK4ADV