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Aide for sight impaired, S meter, Power, SWR

Jan 7th 2012, 13:32

WB2RLI

Joined: Apr 4th 1998, 00:00
Total Topics: 0
Total Posts: 0
A ham is looking for a way to be able to read his S, POWER, SWR
meter on his 430. His sight has been going down so he can't see the meter on the radio. Has anyone found a larger external meter that can be hook some way to the Kenwood 430 so a person who needs a larger dial can read the out puts?
Duane, WB2RLI
Jan 8th 2012, 02:13

aa6e

Joined: Apr 4th 1998, 00:00
Total Topics: 0
Total Posts: 0
I'm sure it's possible to connect a remote meter in place of the internal meter, with some wiring hassle -- and you'd need to provide a custom scale to match the internal meter's. Alternatives to consider: Use an inexpensive video camera to image the meter and view it on a large monitor. Or, use the computer interface (CAT) to get the info into your computer (e.g. with Hamlib and then display values on a monitor or use text to speech. (Not all rigs provide all that info, however.)

73 Martin AA6E
Jan 8th 2012, 17:38

K0BG

Joined: Apr 4th 1998, 00:00
Total Topics: 0
Total Posts: 0
You might look for an LDG talking wattmeter (TW-1). They haven't been made for several years, but they do show up used occasionally.
Jan 9th 2012, 05:35

KM3F

Joined: Mar 6th 2008, 13:50
Total Topics: 0
Total Posts: 0
This may be out of consideration but the KENWOOD 480, 2000 and 590s has an audio taking option card for most every action done on the front panel as well as for cw.
For the KW 2000, 590s and the 480 sat/hx, KW has a free computer control program that may be helpfull as a display on a larger monitor and uses the computer mouse for control of nearly all functions.
This would also operate the talking options.
The computer displays a picture of the radio.
It can be color optioned for many functions such as background and readouts etc.
Then there is the HAM RADIO DELUX program to do much the same with different options for many makes of radios.
Good luck.

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