[TenTec] Re: Contesting--Color displays

[Rob Atkinson, K5UJ]

When Orion was first coming out, I made the suggestion on this reflector, to 
have a monitor output jack on the rear panel, so that a user could plug in 
and operate with a bigger flat screen LCD color monitor if he desired.  This 
was a way to A. increase the size of the screen without making the cabinet 
huge, and B. get around the problem some saw in having a monochrome display. 
  As it turns out, there is room inside the cabinet to fit the extra 
circuitry to drive an outboard monitor.  Either my suggestion came too late, 
or Ten Tec just didn't want to deal with it, since it didn't happen.   I 
notice that the IC7800 has such a monitor jack on its rear panel.  Anyway, 
if you want a color screen, you have to run the rig with a pc and the N4PY 
software I guess.

Rob Atkinson
K5UJ


<<<Good Morning Gents...

First, a question or two...

a. Is the display information available externally..?

b. If it is, what format is it in..?

Can the display information be made available externally, and presented
in a standard format, such as NTSC, or, optionally as PAL, SECAM, or any
other format that is used around the world.....or possibly a computer
monitor format...?

If that were possible, then the monochrome front panel display could be
duplicated in color on an external monitor.  The main display in the
transceiver will remain in a reasonably priced monochrome format.  Since
the color display would be in the monitor, and not in the transceiver,
the additional cost of the color circuitry/logic would be comparatively
low (read that as a lot cheaper).  If the operator wanted color, all
that would be necessary is a conventional monitor of any size, CRT or
Flat-Panel, or, if the format was NTSC, a low cost TV receiver.

The development costs of a dedicated built-in color display have got to
be quite high. Color monitors & small color TV receivers are dropping in
price.  The development costs would provide the interface necessary to
pick off the front panel display information and send it to a rear panel
connector.

Does any of this sound feasible..?>>>

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