[Elecraft] P3 for Alan: VFO A Cursor color in FixTrack Mode - for Alan

[Fred Jensen]

I may be the only Elecraft customer with this problem, monochromacy is 
extremely rare [poor choice of both Mom and Dad :-)], but other forms of 
defective color vision are much more common, mainly in males and most 
hams are male.  Consequently I'll reply to Alan on the list so everyone 
can help him.

On 1/6/2015 8:28 PM, Alan Bloom wrote:

> By the way, I also have typical male red-green color blindness but I
> have no trouble distinguishing the VFO A and VFO B cursors.  There are
> several types of red-green color blindness, so perhaps that's the
> difference.

There are actually multiple forms of colorblindness.  The most common 
types involve a shift in the absorption spectra on one or more of the 
photoreceptors.  Most are inherited and are sex-linked because the 
pigment genes are on the X chromosome and males have only one.  If it's 
bad, you're color blind.  For females with two X chromosomes, if one is 
good, it will prevent color vision defects.  Some forms are caused by a 
defective gene on a non-sex chromosome [#7 I think, but don't hold me to 
that].

I just physically don't have any color receptors at all.  This results 
in more luminance receptors in their place, I'm somewhat light 
sensitive, and I can see quite well in very dim light where those with 
normal color vision can't see at all.  Part of that effect is also 
psychological for "normies."**
>
> The VFO A cursor is green, the spectrum trace is yellow and the
> background color is dark blue.  If the yellow trace and green cursor are
> too similar I would think the problem is not being able to see the trace
> in the cursor area, rather than not being able to see the cursor
> (against the dark-blue background).  So I'm confused about that one.

On a quiet band such as 15 right now at 2350Z, I can tell that there is 
a difference between the VFO A cursor and the spectrum trace.  It's not 
a big difference, but I'm watching the intruder carrier at 21.003 right 
now on CW, the carrier trace shows up 500 Hz below the cursor [my 
sidetone frequency], and they're not exactly the same.  The DSP bandpass 
appears as a very slight brightening against the background.  The cursor 
stands out from that.

During the RTTY RU this last weekend, there were many signals, and the 
difference between the cursor and the spectrum trace isn't enough to 
allow me to pick it out.

Incidentally, on a moderately quiet band, if VFO A and VFO B cursors are 
both visible and close, I can usually distinguish them [A is a little 
bit brighter].  If they're not together, I can't tell you which is 
which, *however* there are other obvious ways to determine which one I'm 
looking at so this is not a problem at all.
>
> Anyway, is the solution to make the VFO A cursor bright white?  I think
> it would look nicer to make it gray, but then it might look too similar
> to the yellow trace for those who are totally color-blind.

When I first got the P3, the waterfall was of very limited usefulness to 
me.  Weaker signals were various shades of blue and they did not show up 
for me against the blue background.  Moderate signals were much brighter 
and did.  Very strong signals were deep red and faded into the 
background again.  When you added the monochrome WF option, it all 
changed.  I can discern any strength signal, even the weakest ones I 
might not even hear, and they just get brighter the stronger they are.

Based on that, I'm pretty sure a bright white VFO A cursor would allow 
me to find it in the spectrum trace when the band is full of signals. 
If the VFO B cursor was also bright white but dashed, I'd be totally 
home free :-)) ... that's a joke, NOT a request, as I said there are 
other ways to tell which is which, and the only time I use the VFO B 
cursor is working DX split and marking where I'm going to send stations 
to clear their traffic when I'm NCS.

Someone once told me I'm not color-blind, I'm color-ignorant. 
Technically, I can "see" any color you offer me, I just can't name it. 
It's a matter of contrast for me, two different colors, both of which I 
can see, may present no contrast difference.  That's why the monochrome 
WF works so well for me, it's *all* contrast, and thank you again for 
that!  I can't see the red numerals on the direct frequency entry keys 
on the K3 unless the sunlight is just right on them ... no contrast with 
the key itself.  That's just a fact, NOT a complaint. :-)

73,

Fred K6DGW
- Northern California Contest Club
- CU in the 50th Running of the Cal QSO Party 3-4 Oct 2015
- www.cqp.org

**The color receptors "normies" have are less sensitive than their 
luminance receptors, and everyone with normal color vision will lose it 
in dim light.  In infancy and very early childhood, the brain gets wired 
for a chromatic world, and when it disappears in dim light, the brain 
decides you can't see at all, even if you actually can, dimly, with a 
monochrome image.