[Boatanchors] Dead speech meter...reply and request

Fri, 12 Mar 2004 14:53:46 -0500

Steve,
As disappointed as I was to read what would seem to be an informed opinion 
about this situation, I also have to admit I am not entirely surprised.
Micronta/Radio Shack is of course, NOT out of business, and may be 
interested in trying to help.  Duane indicated that, after a great deal of 
homework on his part, he did get more assistance than most of us might have 
expected, even if it fell short of the mark.  Maybe it is time for round 
two...
>From several of the remarks you made, I would suspect that you have some 
expertise and abilities in the electronics field.  Pardon my ignorance, you 
mentioned ICOM...do you have any way to direct some technical assistance in 
Duane's direction?
As Duane pointed out, speech is a very inexpensive feature in modern IC 
technology, as far as ability to be able to provide it, even though this has 
not been the case as far as marketing...except in two cases, RS and Omega.  
Computer SAM programs have been around since ATARI.  I don' know why Duane 
dismissed that option, but is there a meter available with an output port? 
If this would solve the problem, Duane, could you find a way to utilize this 
solution?  Also, Duane's abilities to utilize the oversized board may be 
more limited than someone else's...just a thought.
I have already sent several other suggestions to Duane off-list to save a 
great deal of bandwidth, but with your expertise and whatever capabilities 
you have as regards your affiliation with ICOM, and perhaps others, if your 
ire and frustrations were channeled into helping a fellow radio amateur who 
shares your frustrations, eventually, something can be accomplished.  And 
not just by the two of you...there is a tremendous resource here in this 
reflector site.  Silent suffering or misplaced anger does nothing 
positive...not that I don't understand it...not that I haven't experienced 
it myself, both directly and indirectly.  I got involved in this because I 
have a gut instinct that there is a solution out there...I don't pretend to 
know the answer, but there is one out there, and if enough people get 
involved, and ask, or offer, or suggest SOMETHING...ANYTHING, then it will 
happen.
If the law is of no avail...so be it...your experience may not be the same 
as everyone else's...I don't pretend mine is the last word...and I have been 
actively involved in helping persons with all ranges of disabilities for 
most of my life, both professionally, and personally.  I was confined to a 
wheelchair for over a year more than thirty years ago.  At the time, I did 
not know if it would be permanent.  In comparison to many others, that was a 
minor inconvenience, but it opened my eyes...and my heart.  For the last 
twenty years, I have been a paramedic.  My father is a disabled WWII 
veteran.  I have two cousins who are deaf, and one who suffers from grand 
mal epilepsy.  Faith, commitment, even anger, AND effort can move mountains, 
and work miracles.
Steve, I hear your anger, have shared your pain, and feel your frustration.  
I am not directing this reply solely to you, because I believe that what you 
have expressed needs to be addressed by the other members of this group, not 
only for Duane, but...because that which diminishes any one of us, makes all 
of our lives smaller, and meaner in the process in the same fashion that 
shared successes enhance all of our lives.
My challenge to the group is for each of us to just make the time to find 
one possible suggestion, or offer to provide the necessary assistance to 
make this happen...it's not an impossible task.
Every day I get up, I try to think of everything that happens today as a 
training exercise for tomorrow...any one of us could be in Duane's position 
before the sun goes down...think about it.
73's
C. Fred Neff
KB9RMT
PS.  If RS needed to make 10,000 units to justify a production run...where 
are the rest of these talking meters?  I hate to belabor the obvious, but 
has anyone tried e-bay?  I am going to look as soon as I post this.

From: "Steve Uhrig" <[email protected]>
Reply-To: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: [Boatanchors] Dead speech meter
Date: Thu, 11 Mar 2004 21:15:34 -0500

On 11 Mar 2004 at 4:03, "Fred Neff" <[email protected]> wrote:

 > I don't know how long ago your meter was built, but by law, there has
 > to be a supply of spare parts kept aside for repairs, and it's
 > probably for longer than you  think.

This ONLY is true for manufacturers supplying the federal government.

I am one.

And it's not enforced. What are they going to do if the manufacturer
doesn't have parts? Fine him? Most likely, the manufacturer has gone
out of business.

ICOM has federal contracts. We were ICOM GSA dealers for 14 years,
selling almost exclusively to governments and I can assure you ICOM
didn't keep parts for equipment they sold to the federal government
for 10 years. Sometimes not 10 months. Nothing says the parts have to
be at reasonable prices either.

 > Check it out. If the problem with the board you were sent was that it
 > is too large, it may be easier to adapt what is  left of your meter and
 > the new board to another case that will fit it.

That may be true, but without our seeing it and having interface
info, we can't comment. Duane feels the new board is not compatible
and he's the one who owns it.

 > If the spare part just plain doesn't work, see the above suggestion.
 > They have a legal responsibility.

'They' have no responsibility. I sign the contracts with the
government, and I know precisely what responsibility I have. If the
government want 10 years' worth of logistics, I recommend they buy 10
years' worth of supplies along with the initial product and put them
into their supply system.

 > I have a feeling that the Americans with Disabilities Act may give you
 > some added leverage.

Not really. I also am handicapped, and all ADA does is gives you some
ammunition if YOU wish to spend YOUR time and money fighting it. Few
of us can. Tonight my wife and I got back from a local hospital where
we both go every week for treatment (we both are handicapped) and
every one of the handicapped parking slots was filled with police
cars or doctors. Since it's private property, no one other than the
local security guard wannabee 007s have jurisdiction, and they're not
going to put a ticket with no teeth on a police car or doctor's car.

If I was driving, which I don't anymore, I'd pull up and park on
their fancy manicured lawn, and God help anyone who touched our van.
And if I was alone, I'd key every police car and doctor's car parked
in handicapped slots. I keep meaning to take a camera, but forget.
Some day I may just wait for the drivers to come out and I'll teach
them the error of their ways. I may be handicapped but I'm not by any
means helpless.

ADA is a joke unless you're a member of some minority group with the
ACLU and a blank check to fight your battles for you.

Unfortunately Duane and me and some others live in a world where we
get shoved around with our handicaps. I've learned to live with it
except when I'm incensed like now from privileged rectums parking
wherever they please, and the devil with the guy who can't walk the
extra few hundred feet across the parking lot.

And then these doctors and cops get in their cars in the handicapped
spots and drive to their club to work out.

All these 'rights' are NOT to help people who are at some sort of
disadvantage. They are done to give the places a warm wet feeling for
implementing them. Any peripheral benefit to the poor disabled clown
is inconsequential.

Steve WA3SWS

And by God yes, I am pissed.

*******************************************************************
Steve Uhrig, SWS Security, Maryland (USA)
Mfrs of electronic surveillance equip
mailto:[email protected]  website http://www.swssec.com
tel +1+410-879-4035, fax +1+410-836-1190
"In God we trust, all others we monitor"
*******************************************************************

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C. Fred Neff
KB9RMT

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