I know exactly how you feel. I hate having to use this
stupid white cane everywhere I go because it ties up my right
arm. If my computer would just work out of the box without
having to spend blood money to add a fix to it that costs more
than the work station, itself, I would probably use Windows but
I refuse to get sucked in to that money pit but also respect you
if that is not a problem for you.

	I've yet to see US currency that is identifiable by
other means than an electronic device so I still have yet to see
a lawyer Olympic get us anything other than a big bill and lots
of circular arguing over discussion lists. At lease the
electronic devices are getting more affordable.

	I own a couple of Uniden scanners. One is 9 years old
and the other is about a year-and-a-half old. Of course, I wish
they talked or sent Morse Code but they don't. They do, however,
have a serial port on the back. The older scanner could actually
be operated in real time by typing rather cryptic commands in to
the serial port and reading the responses. The newer one uses
long comma-separated variable sequences so it is really worth
one's while to write helper programs to assemble those strings,
but I was able to set up our state's 800-MHZ trunking system
after much pain and suffering. Actually, I had a severe flaw in
my program that caused the scanner to not receive what I thought
I was sending, but my point is that after all that work, I can
use it and even read the display.

	You start by downloading the description of the
communications protocol and work from there.

	When I got in to ham radio, a lot of folks were building
their own gear. I haven't done that yet, but I do build a lot of
accessories and stuff that will never be sold anywhere because
of limited demand. Amateur radio is an exercise in making stuff
work for you. Beating the odds is 3/4 of the fun of it.

	I really don't know what else to say, but if you don't
want to use alternate means to make it work, that's your choice.
You'll probably have to wait a very long time before things
accidentally get the way you want them if they ever do.

Harry Brown writes 
> Hi Martin,
> I'll give ya one, currancy!
> Well my friend, I will never quit about getting things that talk, that's =
> for sure, whether hf rigs, you name it.
> Also, it's rediculous to control an hf rig with a computer, just =
> absolutely rediculous.
> I know the sighted use computers to control rigs, but what a waste. What =
> I mean by saying "what a waste" is, it's just one more piece of =
> equipment to drag around. I have no interest in controling an hf rig =
> through a computer, because I don't want to have 2 pieces of equipment =
> in my shack. I just want an hf rig that I don't have to hook up a =
> computer to.
> I don't want to have to use something in a backpack to control my hf =
> rig. Now controlling an hf rig remotely, awesome, but I don't want to =
> have to use a computer or smart phone to control my hf rig, which would =
> be sitting in my shack in front of me.
> If a rig doesn't talk out of the box, it's not accessible.
> Trippy, ac8s