P3 for Alan: VFO A Cursor color in FixTrack Mode - for Alan

[k6dgw]

ALAN:  Thank you for the monochrome WF option.

I don't want to get too greedy, and I may be the only Elecraft customer
with this problem, but during a contest [like RTTY RU on now], my wife
tells me the VFO A cursor is green.  The spectrum in which it is
embedded is yellow.  They look similar to me, not exactly, but the
cursor doesn't stand out.  I generally go for signals in the WF using
the cursor, which works just fine unless the band is totally full of
signals.  Then, I can't find the cursor in the spectrum display.

If there's any chance for an option for a bright white VFO A cursor on
the To-Do list, I'd appreciate it.  If not, I'll adapt.

73,

Fred K6DGW
- Northern California Contest Club
- CU in the 50th Running of the Cal QSO Party 3-4 Oct 2015
- www.cqp.org
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[Vic Rosenthal]

I have a similar, but different, problem. I see more colors than Fred,
but I am red/green colorblind and my problem is telling the difference
between the VFO A and VFO B cursors. So Fred's solution would work for
me too.

On 4 Jan 2015 03:12, Fred Jensen wrote:

> ALAN:  Thank you for the monochrome WF option.
>
> I don't want to get too greedy, and I may be the only Elecraft customer
> with this problem, but during a contest [like RTTY RU on now], my wife
> tells me the VFO A cursor is green.  The spectrum in which it is
> embedded is yellow.  They look similar to me, not exactly, but the
> cursor doesn't stand out.  I generally go for signals in the WF using
> the cursor, which works just fine unless the band is totally full of
> signals.  Then, I can't find the cursor in the spectrum display.
>
> If there's any chance for an option for a bright white VFO A cursor on
> the To-Do list, I'd appreciate it.  If not, I'll adapt.
>
> 73,
>
> Fred K6DGW
> - Northern California Contest Club
> - CU in the 50th Running of the Cal QSO Party 3-4 Oct 2015
> - www.cqp.org

--
73,
Vic, 4X6GP/K2VCO
Rehovot, Israel
http://www.qsl.net/k2vco/
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[k6dgw]

Technically, I can *see* all the colors ... I just can't name them.  I
suspected something was amiss when all the crayons in the box had
different names and many looked the same to me. :-)

I have a couple of friends with P3's who are "normies" and they use the
monochrome WF too so it may not be just for us outliers.

73,

Fred K6DGW
- Northern California Contest Club
- CU in the 50th Running of the Cal QSO Party 3-4 Oct 2015
- www.cqp.org

On 1/4/2015 1:39 AM, Vic Rosenthal 4X6GP/K2VCO wrote:
> I have a similar, but different, problem. I see more colors than Fred,
> but I am red/green colorblind and my problem is telling the difference
> between the VFO A and VFO B cursors. So Fred's solution would work for
> me too.

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[Alan Bloom-2]

Hi guys,

It wouldn't be hard to add an option to change the color of the VFO A
cursor.  But I want to make sure I understand the problem.

By the way, I also have typical male red-green color blindness but I
have no trouble distinguishing the VFO A and VFO B cursors.  There are
several types of red-green color blindness, so perhaps that's the
difference.

The VFO A cursor is green, the spectrum trace is yellow and the
background color is dark blue.  If the yellow trace and green cursor are
too similar I would think the problem is not being able to see the trace
in the cursor area, rather than not being able to see the cursor
(against the dark-blue background).  So I'm confused about that one.

Anyway, is the solution to make the VFO A cursor bright white?  I think
it would look nicer to make it gray, but then it might look too similar
to the yellow trace for those who are totally color-blind.

Alan N1AL


On 01/04/2015 01:39 AM, Vic Rosenthal 4X6GP/K2VCO wrote:

> I have a similar, but different, problem. I see more colors than Fred,
> but I am red/green colorblind and my problem is telling the difference
> between the VFO A and VFO B cursors. So Fred's solution would work for
> me too.
>
> On 4 Jan 2015 03:12, Fred Jensen wrote:
>> ALAN:  Thank you for the monochrome WF option.
>>
>> I don't want to get too greedy, and I may be the only Elecraft customer
>> with this problem, but during a contest [like RTTY RU on now], my wife
>> tells me the VFO A cursor is green.  The spectrum in which it is
>> embedded is yellow.  They look similar to me, not exactly, but the
>> cursor doesn't stand out.  I generally go for signals in the WF using
>> the cursor, which works just fine unless the band is totally full of
>> signals.  Then, I can't find the cursor in the spectrum display.
>>
>> If there's any chance for an option for a bright white VFO A cursor on
>> the To-Do list, I'd appreciate it.  If not, I'll adapt.
>>
>> 73,
>>
>> Fred K6DGW
>> - Northern California Contest Club
>> - CU in the 50th Running of the Cal QSO Party 3-4 Oct 2015
>> - www.cqp.org
>
>

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[k6dgw]

I may be the only Elecraft customer with this problem, monochromacy is
extremely rare [poor choice of both Mom and Dad :-)], but other forms of
defective color vision are much more common, mainly in males and most
hams are male.  Consequently I'll reply to Alan on the list so everyone
can help him.

On 1/6/2015 8:28 PM, Alan Bloom wrote:

> By the way, I also have typical male red-green color blindness but I
> have no trouble distinguishing the VFO A and VFO B cursors.  There are
> several types of red-green color blindness, so perhaps that's the
> difference.

There are actually multiple forms of colorblindness.  The most common
types involve a shift in the absorption spectra on one or more of the
photoreceptors.  Most are inherited and are sex-linked because the
pigment genes are on the X chromosome and males have only one.  If it's
bad, you're color blind.  For females with two X chromosomes, if one is
good, it will prevent color vision defects.  Some forms are caused by a
defective gene on a non-sex chromosome [#7 I think, but don't hold me to
that].

I just physically don't have any color receptors at all.  This results
in more luminance receptors in their place, I'm somewhat light
sensitive, and I can see quite well in very dim light where those with
normal color vision can't see at all.  Part of that effect is also
psychological for "normies."**
>
> The VFO A cursor is green, the spectrum trace is yellow and the
> background color is dark blue.  If the yellow trace and green cursor are
> too similar I would think the problem is not being able to see the trace
> in the cursor area, rather than not being able to see the cursor
> (against the dark-blue background).  So I'm confused about that one.

On a quiet band such as 15 right now at 2350Z, I can tell that there is
a difference between the VFO A cursor and the spectrum trace.  It's not
a big difference, but I'm watching the intruder carrier at 21.003 right
now on CW, the carrier trace shows up 500 Hz below the cursor [my
sidetone frequency], and they're not exactly the same.  The DSP bandpass
appears as a very slight brightening against the background.  The cursor
stands out from that.

During the RTTY RU this last weekend, there were many signals, and the
difference between the cursor and the spectrum trace isn't enough to
allow me to pick it out.

Incidentally, on a moderately quiet band, if VFO A and VFO B cursors are
both visible and close, I can usually distinguish them [A is a little
bit brighter].  If they're not together, I can't tell you which is
which, *however* there are other obvious ways to determine which one I'm
looking at so this is not a problem at all.
>
> Anyway, is the solution to make the VFO A cursor bright white?  I think
> it would look nicer to make it gray, but then it might look too similar
> to the yellow trace for those who are totally color-blind.

When I first got the P3, the waterfall was of very limited usefulness to
me.  Weaker signals were various shades of blue and they did not show up
for me against the blue background.  Moderate signals were much brighter
and did.  Very strong signals were deep red and faded into the
background again.  When you added the monochrome WF option, it all
changed.  I can discern any strength signal, even the weakest ones I
might not even hear, and they just get brighter the stronger they are.

Based on that, I'm pretty sure a bright white VFO A cursor would allow
me to find it in the spectrum trace when the band is full of signals.
If the VFO B cursor was also bright white but dashed, I'd be totally
home free :-)) ... that's a joke, NOT a request, as I said there are
other ways to tell which is which, and the only time I use the VFO B
cursor is working DX split and marking where I'm going to send stations
to clear their traffic when I'm NCS.

Someone once told me I'm not color-blind, I'm color-ignorant.
Technically, I can "see" any color you offer me, I just can't name it.
It's a matter of contrast for me, two different colors, both of which I
can see, may present no contrast difference.  That's why the monochrome
WF works so well for me, it's *all* contrast, and thank you again for
that!  I can't see the red numerals on the direct frequency entry keys
on the K3 unless the sunlight is just right on them ... no contrast with
the key itself.  That's just a fact, NOT a complaint. :-)

73,

Fred K6DGW
- Northern California Contest Club
- CU in the 50th Running of the Cal QSO Party 3-4 Oct 2015
- www.cqp.org

**The color receptors "normies" have are less sensitive than their
luminance receptors, and everyone with normal color vision will lose it
in dim light.  In infancy and very early childhood, the brain gets wired
for a chromatic world, and when it disappears in dim light, the brain
decides you can't see at all, even if you actually can, dimly, with a
monochrome image.

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[alorona]

Interesting. Would a straight monochrome spectrum take care of all of this?

Al. W6LX


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[GM4JJJ]

Fred,

Thanks for the fascinating description of your monochromacy.

I have never come across anyone with this, though did know the condition existed.

As a photographer I am conscious of colours and had an amusing incident when I had a faulty iPad display where the colours were posterised in certain shades of yellow and took it back to the shop to get it replaced under warranty. The young gentleman that looked at it declared he could not see anything wrong with it when I compared the same photo on the faulty one with another in the shop. I almost gave up then asked if I could get a female assistant to have a look and she immediately saw what I was complaining about. Of course being male he suffered from colour blindness of some kind and didn't realise it until then.

It occurred to me as I wrote that, I assume that like the days of monochrome film photography when we used yellow colour filters to emphasise the contrast of things like clouds and blue sky, that you will be see similar effects if you place different colour filters in front of the colour display of the waterfall on the P3 with your monochrome vision?

Glad that Elecraft are able to do something to make the P3 as useable as possible for those with similar conditions.


73

David Anderson GM4JJJ

> On 8 Jan 2015, at 00:35, Fred Jensen <[hidden email]> wrote:
>
> I may be the only Elecraft customer with this problem, monochromacy is extremely rare [poor choice of both Mom and Dad :-)], but other forms of defective color vision are much more common, mainly in males and most hams are male.
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[k6dgw]

Hmmm ... don't know, but generally speaking anything monochrome works
for me.  Ansel Adams photos look great to me, monochrome TV is fine too.
  My wife tells me the P3 spectrum display background is deep blue,
which is just barely distinguishable for me from the black WF background
in monochrome mode.  When information is conveyed on a display, graph,
Power Point slide, or whatever using different colors, I do fine if:

1.  The various colors look different to me; and

2.  They are identified somewhere in text denoting what each means.

Scientific American [lots of graphs and color coded diagrams] can often
be incomprehensible to me.  Well, sometimes the text is incomprehensible
for me even without the graphs. :-)

Finding the VFO A cursor [green] in the spectrum display [yellow] when
the band is full of signals is my real goal.  I don't really look much
at the spectrum half of the display much except to see what the level of
a signal is in dBm and find the cursor, the monochrome WF is much more
useful for me.  Anything that would make the cursor stand out would be fine.

Let us also not forget, this may affect exactly one Elecraft customer,
hardly worth a lot of engineering effort. :-)

73,

Fred K6DGW
- Northern California Contest Club
- CU in the 50th Running of the Cal QSO Party 3-4 Oct 2015
- www.cqp.org

On 1/7/2015 7:17 PM, a******@sbcglobal wrote:
> Interesting. Would a straight monochrome spectrum take care of all of this?
>
> Al. W6LX

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