[Elecraft] dual-input monitors...

[John Ragle]

Barry...

     (I am trying not to prolong this thread on the Elecraft 
reflector...this will be my last thrust) Your idea to use dual-input 
monitors has come up repeatedly in the form of an "A-B Switch" for 
monitors. It is an extension of the primitive idea that one would 
un-plug one video source from a monitor and plug the second source into it.

     On my work desk, which I feel is reasonably typical, I am using one 
large monitor for everyday business on my PC, and a second one to 
run/monitor my ham radio stuff. I simply don't have space to use a 3rd 
monitor, though I have several that could be scavenged...

     Moreover, I don't want to give up the "live" monitoring of the 
windows that are in use...email, QRZ.com, vhf_info, fldigi, etc. 
So...along with a number of others who write to the E'craft server...I 
feel it would have been much more convenient if the P3/SVGA output were 
"windowed" on one of one's present monitors.

     Technically, this would have been fairly easy...a small helper 
program (perhaps similar to flrig) would run on the PC and present the 
P3/SVGA output in a window. Instead, the person who made the design 
decision at Elecraft, chose to/*require */a dedicated monitor to present 
the P3/SVGA output.

     Recently, someone suggested use of frame-grabber or similar 
technology (e.g. http://rgb.com/) for this function. Unfortunately 
commercial units to do this are 10X more expensive than the price of the 
SVGA adapter + a small monitor to hook it to...

     So...there is no alternative to the "A-B" switch idea, or hanging a 
3rd monitor from the ceiling. Actually, the screen on the P3 is not a 
bad solution. In my case however, the P3 lives a fair stretch of the arm 
from the operating position, and I had hoped to add the SVGA to put the 
output more directly in front of me.

John Ragle -- W1ZI