Well said Colin; many of us have had radios that were, "in a perfect 
world" inaccessible as can be, but we made do.  My maybe worst ever 
from an accessibility standpoint handheld was a Yaesu 727 
handheld.  But it was the first truly syntehsized, dual band handheld 
in town and damn it, I wanted ont!!  Eventually and overall we became 
friends!!  My current Kenwood is lots easier to work but I still had 
fun with my old Yaesu.
Isn't always a perfect world.
Pat, K9JAUAt 04:32 PM 11/22/2007, you wrote:
>well, I thought the ft101E was one of the most accessible radios, with the
>acception that you had no voice readout of frequency and S meter, but a good
>ear will tell you what an approximate signal is, and if you use the method
>of listening for the sqwak every 100KC, you could easily tune and get an
>approximate idea of where you were on any given band.
>Most of the older rigs were like that, many of them Yaesu's.
>Most of the modern Yaesu's can be used by a blind person just fine....so
>saying none of them are at all accessible is not correct.
>I have an FT2800M downstairs that I use on a daily basis and it works and
>functions just perfectly.  I have the manual in PDF format and when i want
>to make a menu change i simply look in the manual, count clicks and button
>presses, and away I go.
>If i get stuck, a simple partial reset to get menus back to default starts
>me out fresh again.
>It has direct frequency entry on the mike and one touch hot keys for any
>number of functions.
>Now tell me that most of yaesu's radios don't have all of these features and
>more.
>You guys wouldn't know because you hear yaesu and automatically discard
>anything about them instead of trying some and finding out that they can
>actually be made to work.  Are they accessible as they could be, of course
>not, but most things in this sighted world aren't as accessible as we would
>like or as they could be, and we get over it and find ways of getting around
>them.
>Sell phones only recently began to have the capability of screen readers,
>yet it certainly didn't stop blind folks from having and using sell phones
>as best they could....but as soon as something accessible comes out, all of
>a sudden any phone that can't support a screen reader becomes unaccessible
>and unusable by blind people...similar situation with amateur radios I
>think.
>should we purposely use less accessible radios? naturally not. we go for the
>most accessible as we should. but saying that perfectly accessible, though
>not as accessible as other radios, are unaccessible is bordering on
>ignorance and a lack of desire to enhance ones world by finding ways around
>lesser accessibility.
>
>73
>Colin, V A6BKX
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Anthony Vece" <[log in to unmask]>
>To: <[log in to unmask]>
>Sent: Thursday, November 22, 2007 12:02 PM
>Subject: Re: ReModern Radios and Accessibility
>
>
> > Hi Eric;
> >
> > I wouldn't even consider Yaesu.
> >
> > There radios are not accessible and they have no intentions of making them
> > accessible.
> >
> > 73 De Anthony W2AJV
> > [log in to unmask]
> > ECHOLINK NODE NUMBER: 74389
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Eric Clegg" <[log in to unmask]>
> > To: <[log in to unmask]>
> > Sent: Thursday, November 22, 2007 1:37 PM
> > Subject: ReModern Radios and Accessibility
> >
> >
> > > Hello listers,
> > > It seems that the more modern the rigs get the less accessible they get.
> > >
> > > For instance the little Yaesu ft817nd has to be accessorized with one of
> > > two
> > > keypads to make it workable. You still would have to get many of the
>fine
> > > options from w4rt to turn it into a real radio such as the two board
> > > filters, a better battery pack and a host of other accessories.
> > >
> > > Also if you use the keypad fromJohn Hansen or Radio Mate from BHI of
> > > England
> > > you can't use the accessory jack on the back.
> > >
> > > I understand that the box for the k2 that reads out in CW is pretty
> > > complete
> > > in the information it has to give.
> > >
> > > With respect to the Elecraft k3 now is the time to urge the manufacturer
> > > to
> > > make it accessible while it is the development stages. Not when they've
> > > shipped a thousand of them.
> > >
> > > Their comments about a small market is just junk.
> > >
> > > As a blind person I'd be willing to pay at least $300 additional if the
> > > rig
> > > could be made completely accessible.
> > >
> > > If I were to get a rig right now I'd probably get a Kenwood TS480SAT
>which
> > > is quite accessible out of the box.
> > >
> > > Or a Ten-Tec Argonaut V which I would propose to control with a computer
> > > program such as the n4PY program.
> > >
> > > For my needs right now I only require 20 watts or so and easily turn
>down
> > > the power on a Kenwood.
> > >
> > > Have a happy Thanksgiving everyone.
> > >
> > > Best 73's,
> > >
> > > Eric
> > > KU3I
> > >
> > >
> >
> >
> >
> > --
> > No virus found in this incoming message.
> > Checked by AVG Free Edition.
> > Version: 7.5.503 / Virus Database: 269.16.4/1145 - Release Date:
>11/22/2007 11:49 AM
> >
> >