SDS100 & SDS200 vision impaired

[n1chu]

With Uniden touting all kinds of good things we will be able to do with a software defined radio (SDR), I wonder about enhancements for the blind. I have a friend who is blind and just recently bought a SDS100. Identifying a system, dept or channel simply by listening to it-not looking at the display-is not too hard to do when it’s the FD, but when it’s a PD not so much. The fact that it’s a PD is not hard to determine without looking at the display but which PD... that’s the problem.
Has anyone heard of any planned enhancements for this particular handicap? An audible announce when the scanner stops on a busy freq, channel or TG and announces out loud whatever you may have programmed it to say would be nice.
That being said, I haven’t researched the topic so my knowledge on the subject is lacking. I am sure there are organizations that know if there have been radio mods done to achieve a friendly radio for the sight impaired. Hoping they could shed some light on upgrading the SDS series of radio.

 

[w2lie]

I covered this as a topic on my podcast. My guest explains how he has his BCD325P2 setup so that he knows what banks he is in and how software makes things a little easier for him, but it isn't a perfect solution.

Long are the days where you can navigate a scanner from your fingertips and know exactly what you scanner is doing. Many features and functions are screen driven.

You can listen to what it is like to use a scanner and the challenges here; https://www.scannerschool.com/overc..._in_the_scanner_radio_hobby_w__pete_de_vasto/

 

[bberns22]

I covered this as a topic on my podcast. My guest explains how he has his BCD325P2 setup so that he knows what banks he is in and how software makes things a little easier for him, but it isn't a perfect solution.

Long are the days where you can navigate a scanner from your fingertips and know exactly what you scanner is doing. Many features and functions are screen driven.

You can listen to what it is like to use a scanner and the challenges here; Overcoming the Challenges a Blind Operator Faces in the Scanner Radio Hobby w/ Pete De Vasto - Scanner School

Yes, I can not imagine how one could successfully navigate an SDS100 (or like) even with voice prompts. Due to the complexities of modern communication systems scanning is now as much a visual hobby as it is audible...

 

[ProScan]

The fact that it’s a PD is not hard to determine without looking at the display but which PD... that’s the problem.
Has anyone heard of any planned enhancements for this particular handicap? An audible announce when the scanner stops on a busy freq, channel or TG and announces out loud whatever you may have programmed it to say would be nice.

What about the Alert Tones at the channel level. With 9 different tones and many volume levels, each one can be assigned to a different PD. Would that work?

 

[Saint]

Is your friend completely blind or can he see a little and could use a virtual control to see his SDS100 screen on his computer.
Steve

 

[ofd8001]

I'd first recommend a combination of virtual control/channel alert tones and lights.

Second, and this is a challenge to do correctly, is get a used radio off e-bay and get someone who knows exactly what they are doing, is to set it up like a scanner. There are ways to keep them from trying to affiliate with systems, yet monitor those systems. Be sure to get the radio that has the option to do channel announcements.

 

[iMONITOR]

I wonder about enhancements for the blind. I have a friend who is blind and just recently bought a SDS100. Identifying a system, dept or channel simply by listening to it-not looking at the display-is not too hard to do when it’s the FD, but when it’s a PD not so much. The fact that it’s a PD is not hard to determine without looking at the display but which PD... that’s the problem.
Has anyone heard of any planned enhancements for this particular handicap?

If your friend is not completely blind and has some level of vision are they aware of software that can view the scanner screen in a much larger format as well as a large display of the keypad for controlling the scanner?

 

[dougjgray]

Probably the most feasible option for voice prompts would be through a remote connection to a pc and a good programmer to implement the text to speech from the pc.