IC-R8600 and blind user

[IK2GNP]

Hello,
I'm looking for a wideband, general coverage Icom receiver.
The best choice would be the IC-R8600, but I'm totally stuck using front panel touch screen displays due to my visual impairment.
I attempted to find an older receiver like the IC-R9500 or IC-R9000 but it seems very difficult to find one in good shape.
So I'm trying to find a solution to use the IC-R8600.
The main point is: the IC-R8600 has USB and ethernet ports.
Knowing this, controlling the receiver via computer could be a solution, but I do not find a totally accessible software to control all the receiver features.
The Icom software is not accessible using screen readers, and most third-party software are limited to the main features only (frequency, mode, and few more).
So, my question is: is it possible to control the receiver connecting a PC keyboard to its USB port?
Or, what about the network protocol to control the receiver via the ethernet port, maybe with such terminal program or something like that?
Any idea? Thanks.

 

[Boas]

Hello,

i only know of one software, but not for ICOM receivers but for the AOR AR DV1. Here is the short report from AOR.

New receiver control software for the blind and visually impaired!
At the request of the members of the French UNARAF (National Union of the Blind Radio-Amateurs of France), AOR-France by PROSIC presented the first control software for the AR-DV1 receiver, dedicated to the blind and visually impaired. This software named DV1-UNARAF is translated into audio for suitable use. An English version is currently being tested as well.
We are very pleased by this honorable initiative from Prosic, and the consequent cooperation with the UNARAF. DV1-UNARAF will soon be available via UNARAF at www.unaraf.fr.

73, Josef

 

[IK2GNP]

This sounds very interesting!
It is a very bad luck they did not developed the same for Icom receivers too.
Recently I got one AOR receiver (it was the AR5700D), but it was totally disappointing for me.
Very complex usage and bad reception, particularly in the airband (just above the FM commercial band, 87-108MHz), so I sold it after just two months.
I know the Icom products very well. I used IC-R7100 and IC-R8500 in the past and tested IC-R7000 and IC-R9000, so the IC-R8600 would be great now.
Never tested the AOR DV1.
Anyway, thank you @Boas for your information.

 

[RFI-EMI-GUY]

Hello,
I'm looking for a wideband, general coverage Icom receiver.
The best choice would be the IC-R8600, but I'm totally stuck using front panel touch screen displays due to my visual impairment.
I attempted to find an older receiver like the IC-R9500 or IC-R9000 but it seems very difficult to find one in good shape.
So I'm trying to find a solution to use the IC-R8600.
The main point is: the IC-R8600 has USB and ethernet ports.
Knowing this, controlling the receiver via computer could be a solution, but I do not find a totally accessible software to control all the receiver features.
The Icom software is not accessible using screen readers, and most third-party software are limited to the main features only (frequency, mode, and few more).
So, my question is: is it possible to control the receiver connecting a PC keyboard to its USB port?
Or, what about the network protocol to control the receiver via the ethernet port, maybe with such terminal program or something like that?
Any idea? Thanks.

For the price difference of an IC-R9500 versus an IC-R8600 which is about $10K USD, you could hire someone to design a custom software program for you that meets your unique requirements . You might reach out to the wider amateur radio community to see what solutions exist for the visually impaired and see if a solution can be crafted that provide the knobs and buttons, and voice feedback which you desire. The IC-R8600 has LAN and CI-V interfaces for control.