[Elecraft] Touch-screen displays

[w7hd at msn.com]

There is yet another major problem with those touch-screen displays.  On 
mobile installations, they are very distracting, therefore very 
dangerous.  If there isn't a labeled button for it, it isn't easy to 
use.  Also, long presses to activate a function don't always work well 
when you are on a bumpy road, which describes a lot of our major highway 
and city streets these days, especially in southern Arizona.

Meanwhile, one of the big problems even on base-station rigs is that you 
are still faced with MENU choices that can be several levels deep and 
completely non-intuitive.  How much time do you want to spend just 
getting the radio ready to listen in your preferred mode?  There can be 
literally hundreds of choices, some labeled in someones tech-speak.  
(When was the last time you referred to mic input gain as multi/ch or 
digital mode input level as dAtA DT GaIN - menu item 65 of 178?)  Or 
worse yet, you select menu item 50, only to be told to press SUB to 
enable changing it.

The KX3 isn't immune to this, either.  It sometimes requires that you 
press and hold KHZ for 3 seconds to enable changing a setting.
I started operating FLDIGI in RIGCAT mode specifically so I could create 
macros that would :
     [1] change the mode,
     [2] set rig frequency,
     [3] set display freq,
     [4] change the bandwidth,
     [5] display a message to the user,  and
     [6] start auto-tune
and do all this with ONE click of a labeled button.

Ron W7HD

Harry Yingst via Elecraft wrote:
> I'm the same way, I work on complex stuff all day as well.
> In my other Expensive Hobby I keep a Reef Aquarium. I've seen a lot of gizmos and gadgets come and go over the yearsand even I fell for a few of them, but more and more I have come full circle and back to the tried methods and equipment.
> I think many at times fall for the latest gizmo or craze, then we realize that it's not all it's cracked up to be.
>
> Touchscreens do have their place, but not on an HF rig (at least mine) I prefer real buttons and knobs.
> I bought the K-Line is because it was straightforward and not overly (and unnecessarily complex) and somethingthat I could work on if it breaks. At the end of the day I want a radio that lets me hear the other guy, so I can talk to him.
>
>
>
>
>
>        From: Phil Hystad<phystad at mac.com>
>   To: Jerry Moore<jermo at carolinaheli.com>
> Cc: elecraft at mailman.qth.net; John Fritze<fritzejohn at gmail.com>
>   Sent: Thursday, September 3, 2015 10:43 AM
>   Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Icom IC-7300
>
>> Personally I'm surrounded and use fancy tech all day long. When it's time to
>> get on the air I want simple, straight up, and reliable.
>
> DITTO!
>
> 73, phil, K7PEH
>
>
>
>
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