Hi Martin,
So are you a Mac user?
You mentioned you didn't use windows, so that's why I asked.
Well folks, Windows 8 looks very much like Narater will be the best it's ever been, in its usefulness!
It will have 59 commands.
If that turns out to be the case, and it does what blind windows users want to do, then, we'll finally have an out of the box screen reader built into Windows!
73,
Trippy, ac8s
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Martin McCormick 
  To: [log in to unmask] 
  Sent: Friday, March 23, 2012 9:32 AM
  Subject: Re: Man O Man


  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