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Author Topic: Icom 7610 and color blindness.  (Read 326 times)

K0UA

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Icom 7610 and color blindness.
« on: September 21, 2022, 06:35:08 PM »

A friend sent me this, copied from an users group because I also have a 7610. I am not color blind so I never thought this might be a problem, but I guess it is.

> I am embarrassed to admit this - but here goes.
>
> I have used Icom radios on HF and 2m FM since the 1980’s, so I felt comfortable with the knobs and buttons on a new Icom 7610 a few years ago. I did NOT bother to read the instruction manual, but I did correctly download the usb drivers and installed them.
>
> I got on PHONE and CW and then the sound card digital modes.
> Everything was fantastic - I loved the new waterfall display, the TWO receivers.
>
> Then….. one day I ACCIDENTALLY pushed in the Main AF knob and I lost all audio on the Main Channel.
> I tried everything I could do get Main audio back to no avail….. bummer.
> I resorted to using the SUB channel for a few days (which worked fine) but I just caved in and read the manual.
>
> Oh, no. The VOL or AF gain knob has a MUTE function! What?
> No other Icom HF rig I had used has a “mute feature”.
> But there it was - I pressed the AF knob in (again) and the audio came right back.
>
> I can’t believe that this new “feature” does not come with a warning.
> Well, when I read the manual it said that the LED changes color when you press the MUTE feature.
>
> Great - I am color blind (like other males, the RED-GREEN sensor in my eye ain’t so good.
> So the color change from green to amber is totally useless for me.
> I would have recognized this MUTE if the color changed to BLUE.
> But RED, GREEN, AMBER all look the same for me.
>
> So I admit this to the IO Group to warn others (especially color-blind males) to watch out for that MUTE “feature”
> in the Icom 7610.
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73  James K0UA

AF5CC

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Re: Icom 7610 and color blindness.
« Reply #1 on: September 21, 2022, 10:36:01 PM »

Some of the older Yaesus like the FT1000MP and the FT920 had a mute function, kind of handy to have.  When it was turned on the RX LED would blink-guess that was nice for colorblind hams.

73 John AF5CC
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GRUMPY2021

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Re: Icom 7610 and color blindness.
« Reply #2 on: September 22, 2022, 04:37:38 AM »

Yep...RTFM.    Certainly not your grandparents radio.   Always amazed at people that don't have to read the manuals and all the intricate features they never know a product has.    Carry on.
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N2DTS

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Re: Icom 7610 and color blindness.
« Reply #3 on: September 23, 2022, 06:58:23 AM »

What a fantastic radio the 7610 is.
If it only had good audio...
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K0UA

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  • Posts: 9589
Re: Icom 7610 and color blindness.
« Reply #4 on: September 25, 2022, 10:46:26 AM »

By the way the mute function of each receiver only mutes the audio amplifier stages of the audio output, it does not mute the audio that is digitized and sent to the USB audio interface. In other words, and FT8 operator would not even notice whether it was muted or not.  Oh, by the way I get many favorable unsolicited transmit audio reports by other users when I am on my 7610. And the 7300's transmit audio is legendary good. Yes, I am an Icom fanboy, and for good reason. And when someone shows be a Yaesu radio with the feature set and ease of use at an Icom price point, I will sing it's praises too.
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73  James K0UA
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