Why Black
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On 8/30/18 at 5:31 AM, [hidden email] (IK4EWX) wrote:
>... Here the problem is the black face of KPOD. I have had problems reading the labels on my K3 in dark rooms and tents. I wonder why most radio available today are black. In the old days, the Collins and Heathkit radios weren't black. It would seem that black letters on a light background would be more visible under low light conditions. It would also liven up the shack. 73 Bill AE6JV ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Bill Frantz | Concurrency is hard. 12 out | Periwinkle (408)356-8506 | 10 programmers get it wrong. | 16345 Englewood Ave www.pwpconsult.com | - Jeff Frantz | Los Gatos, CA 95032 ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[hidden email] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message delivered to [hidden email] |
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I think it was a trend started in the Consumer Electronics market. Audio
stuff was never black. Except the black glass McIntosh equip. Others began emulating the high end of the market to instill a "touch of class". Sony, Yamaha, Denton, etc all followed suit. Most were always bright face prior. Curt KU8L On 08/31/18 9:44 AM, Bill Frantz wrote: > On 8/30/18 at 5:31 AM, [hidden email] (IK4EWX) wrote: > >> ... Here the problem is the black face of KPOD. > > I have had problems reading the labels on my K3 in dark rooms and > tents. I wonder why most radio available today are black. In the old > days, the Collins and Heathkit radios weren't black. It would seem > that black letters on a light background would be more visible under > low light conditions. It would also liven up the shack. > > 73 Bill AE6JV > > ----------------------------------------------------------------------- > Bill Frantz | Concurrency is hard. 12 out | Periwinkle > (408)356-8506 | 10 programmers get it wrong. | 16345 Englewood Ave > www.pwpconsult.com | - Jeff Frantz | Los Gatos, CA 95032 > > ______________________________________________________________ > Elecraft mailing list > Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft > Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm > Post: mailto:[hidden email] > > This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net > Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html > Message delivered to [hidden email] ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[hidden email] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message delivered to [hidden email] |
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Black is easier to touch up if necessary. And it looks uniform with other brands of items which are also black.
Chuck KE9UW [hidden email] Sent from my iPad > On Aug 31, 2018, at 8:51 AM, Curt Nixon <[hidden email]> wrote: > > I think it was a trend started in the Consumer Electronics market. Audio stuff was never black. Except the black glass McIntosh equip. Others began emulating the high end of the market to instill a "touch of class". Sony, Yamaha, Denton, etc all followed suit. Most were always bright face prior. > > Curt > KU8L > >> On 08/31/18 9:44 AM, Bill Frantz wrote: >>> On 8/30/18 at 5:31 AM, [hidden email] (IK4EWX) wrote: >>> >>> ... Here the problem is the black face of KPOD. >> >> I have had problems reading the labels on my K3 in dark rooms and tents. I wonder why most radio available today are black. In the old days, the Collins and Heathkit radios weren't black. It would seem that black letters on a light background would be more visible under low light conditions. It would also liven up the shack. >> >> 73 Bill AE6JV >> >> ----------------------------------------------------------------------- >> Bill Frantz | Concurrency is hard. 12 out | Periwinkle >> (408)356-8506 | 10 programmers get it wrong. | 16345 Englewood Ave >> www.pwpconsult.com | - Jeff Frantz | Los Gatos, CA 95032 >> >> ______________________________________________________________ >> Elecraft mailing list >> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft >> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm >> Post: mailto:[hidden email] >> >> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net >> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html >> Message delivered to [hidden email] > > ______________________________________________________________ > Elecraft mailing list > Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft > Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm > Post: mailto:[hidden email] > > This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net > Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html > Message delivered to [hidden email] Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[hidden email] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message delivered to [hidden email]
Chuck, KE9UW
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I started the trend of black :-).
Back in the early 1960s, my home-brew dual-811 linear and its power supply both had black wrinkle 19 inch rack cabinet front panels. Also, I built a SSB exciter that also had black wrinkle 19 inch rack front panel. I even had the black wrinkle rack cabinet to go with these rigs. A big black tower of equipment -- well 48 inches high. 73, phil, K7PEH > On Aug 31, 2018, at 9:38 AM, hawley, charles j jr <[hidden email]> wrote: > > Black is easier to touch up if necessary. And it looks uniform with other brands of items which are also black. > > Chuck KE9UW > [hidden email] > > Sent from my iPad > >> On Aug 31, 2018, at 8:51 AM, Curt Nixon <[hidden email]> wrote: >> >> I think it was a trend started in the Consumer Electronics market. Audio stuff was never black. Except the black glass McIntosh equip. Others began emulating the high end of the market to instill a "touch of class". Sony, Yamaha, Denton, etc all followed suit. Most were always bright face prior. >> >> Curt >> KU8L >> >>> On 08/31/18 9:44 AM, Bill Frantz wrote: >>>> On 8/30/18 at 5:31 AM, [hidden email] (IK4EWX) wrote: >>>> >>>> ... Here the problem is the black face of KPOD. >>> >>> I have had problems reading the labels on my K3 in dark rooms and tents. I wonder why most radio available today are black. In the old days, the Collins and Heathkit radios weren't black. It would seem that black letters on a light background would be more visible under low light conditions. It would also liven up the shack. >>> >>> 73 Bill AE6JV >>> >>> ----------------------------------------------------------------------- >>> Bill Frantz | Concurrency is hard. 12 out | Periwinkle >>> (408)356-8506 | 10 programmers get it wrong. | 16345 Englewood Ave >>> www.pwpconsult.com | - Jeff Frantz | Los Gatos, CA 95032 >>> >>> ______________________________________________________________ >>> Elecraft mailing list >>> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft >>> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm >>> Post: mailto:[hidden email] >>> >>> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net >>> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html >>> Message delivered to [hidden email] >> >> ______________________________________________________________ >> Elecraft mailing list >> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft >> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm >> Post: mailto:[hidden email] >> >> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net >> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html >> Message delivered to [hidden email] > ______________________________________________________________ > Elecraft mailing list > Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft > Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm > Post: mailto:[hidden email] > > This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net > Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html > Message delivered to [hidden email] ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[hidden email] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message delivered to [hidden email] |
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In reply to this post by ke9uw
Almost everything was black (mostly wrinkle) at one time. The A-line Collins radios, while technically not black, were black enough.
One of the problems with “decorator colors” is matching paint from batch to batch. Heathkit SB-line radios were “Heath green”, but they were not terribly careful about matching. So if you got two cabinets painted in different lots, odds are the greens weren’t quite the same. I think WRL “gray” was also a variety of shades, some tending towards greenish. It wouldn’t necessarily be obvious in a standalone situation, but when you lined up the cabinets the color differences could really stick out. I remember that my 1970’s SB-640 external VFO was way off from the SB-102 I’d built a couple of years earlier — both front panel color and cabinet color. You can always pay the price for a Hilberling, since the PT-8000A is available in quite a few different colors, and the Sienna from DZKit, too :-) Grant NQ5T K3 #2091 KX3 #8342 > On Aug 31, 2018, at 12:38 PM, hawley, charles j jr <[hidden email]> wrote: > > Black is easier to touch up if necessary. And it looks uniform with other brands of items which are also black. > > Chuck KE9UW > [hidden email] > > Sent from my iPad > ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[hidden email] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message delivered to [hidden email] |
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It's for heat radiation. Basic thermodynamics ... black body
radiation. Just took awhile to figure it out. [:=) I've wondered when the black crackle finish fell out of fashion. 73, Fred ["Skip"] K6DGW Sparks NV DM09dn Washoe County K3 #642 On 8/31/2018 10:07 AM, Grant Youngman wrote: > Almost everything was black (mostly wrinkle) at one time. The A-line Collins radios, while technically not black, were black enough. > > One of the problems with “decorator colors” is matching paint from batch to batch. Heathkit SB-line radios were “Heath green”, but they were not terribly careful about matching. So if you got two cabinets painted in different lots, odds are the greens weren’t quite the same. I think WRL “gray” was also a variety of shades, some tending towards greenish. It wouldn’t necessarily be obvious in a standalone situation, but when you lined up the cabinets the color differences could really stick out. I remember that my 1970’s SB-640 external VFO was way off from the SB-102 I’d built a couple of years earlier — both front panel color and cabinet color. > > You can always pay the price for a Hilberling, since the PT-8000A is available in quite a few different colors, and the Sienna from DZKit, too :-) > > Grant NQ5T > K3 #2091 KX3 #8342 > ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[hidden email] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message delivered to [hidden email] |
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Remember when computers were mostly all a shade of beige ? VHT makes black
krinkle paint available in auto parts stores. Three coat process by spraying in different directions. Looks great. -- Rick Genesis 1-29 ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[hidden email] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message delivered to [hidden email] |
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Administrator
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Let's end the expanding 'why black' thread now in the interest of relieving
email overload for others. 73, Eric Moderator /elecraft.com/ On 8/31/2018 11:47 AM, Rick Robinson wrote: > Remember when computers were mostly all a shade of beige ? VHT makes black > krinkle paint available in auto parts stores. Three coat process by > spraying in different directions. Looks great. ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[hidden email] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message delivered to [hidden email] |
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In reply to this post by Bill Frantz
For those of us who are visually challenged black on anything is very tough.
The one exception to the rule is computer screens. A black or dark background with light text really helps with the eye strain. I think Elecraft should seriously consider changing the color of the display. Orange background with black text isn't high contrast enough. A black background ala just about everybody else makes the radio easier to see. R. Kevin Stover AC0H ARRL, FISTS, SKCC, NAQCC. "If it doesn't work the first time you push the button it won't work the 20th.Just stop." -----Original Message----- From: [hidden email] <[hidden email]> On Behalf Of Bill Frantz Sent: Friday, August 31, 2018 8:45 AM To: [hidden email] Subject: [Elecraft] Why Black On 8/30/18 at 5:31 AM, [hidden email] (IK4EWX) wrote: >... Here the problem is the black face of KPOD. I have had problems reading the labels on my K3 in dark rooms and tents. I wonder why most radio available today are black. In the old days, the Collins and Heathkit radios weren't black. It would seem that black letters on a light background would be more visible under low light conditions. It would also liven up the shack. 73 Bill AE6JV ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Bill Frantz | Concurrency is hard. 12 out | Periwinkle (408)356-8506 | 10 programmers get it wrong. | 16345 Englewood Ave www.pwpconsult.com | - Jeff Frantz | Los Gatos, CA 95032 ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[hidden email] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message delivered to [hidden email] ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[hidden email] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message delivered to [hidden email] |
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The issue I have with black items is that EVERYTHING is black these days.
Cables are black. Cases are black. Bags are black. Boxes are black. Microphones are black. Handhelds are black (except for Baofeng :P). Rubber duckies are black. When you get a pile of black things it's impossible to find one SPECIFIC shapeless black object among them. Thankfully someone got the idea regarding USB cables, and now they're starting to make them in more visible colors. I'd be able to find the nice bright electric green USB cable, if I could only find the shapeless black bag I put it in because the bag came with the package of cables... 73, Gwen NG3P On Fri, Aug 31, 2018 at 7:18 PM <[hidden email]> wrote: > For those of us who are visually challenged black on anything is very > tough. > The one exception to the rule is computer screens. A black or dark > background with light text really helps with the eye strain. > I think Elecraft should seriously consider changing the color of the > display. Orange background with black text isn't high contrast enough. A > black background ala just about everybody else makes the radio easier to > see. > > R. Kevin Stover AC0H > > ARRL, FISTS, SKCC, NAQCC. > "If it doesn't work the first time you push the button it won't work the > 20th.Just stop." > > -----Original Message----- > From: [hidden email] <[hidden email]> > On > Behalf Of Bill Frantz > Sent: Friday, August 31, 2018 8:45 AM > To: [hidden email] > Subject: [Elecraft] Why Black > > On 8/30/18 at 5:31 AM, [hidden email] (IK4EWX) wrote: > > >... Here the problem is the black face of KPOD. > > I have had problems reading the labels on my K3 in dark rooms and tents. I > wonder why most radio available today are black. In the old days, the > Collins and Heathkit radios weren't black. It would seem that black letters > on a light background would be more visible under low light conditions. It > would also liven up the shack. > > 73 Bill AE6JV > > ----------------------------------------------------------------------- > Bill Frantz | Concurrency is hard. 12 out | Periwinkle > (408)356-8506 | 10 programmers get it wrong. | 16345 > Englewood Ave > www.pwpconsult.com | - Jeff Frantz | Los Gatos, > CA 95032 > > ______________________________________________________________ > Elecraft mailing list > Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft > Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm > Post: mailto:[hidden email] > > This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net > Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html > Message > delivered to [hidden email] > > ______________________________________________________________ > Elecraft mailing list > Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft > Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm > Post: mailto:[hidden email] > > This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net > Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html > Message delivered to [hidden email] > -- -+-+-+-+- Jenny Everywhere's Infinite: Quark Time http://quarktime.net ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[hidden email] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message delivered to [hidden email] |
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Administrator
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Folks, this thread was closed over a day ago in the interest of limiting list reader email overload.
Please refrain from further posts on this topic. 73, Eric Moderator, and chief bottle washer. elecraft.com --- Sent from my iPhone 6S > On Aug 31, 2018, at 8:53 PM, Gwen Patton <[hidden email]> wrote: > > The issue I have with black items is that EVERYTHING is black these days. > Cables are black. Cases are black. Bags are black. Boxes are black. > Microphones are black. Handhelds are black (except for Baofeng :P). Rubber > duckies are black. When you get a pile of black things it's impossible to > find one SPECIFIC shapeless black object among them. Thankfully someone got > the idea regarding USB cables, and now they're starting to make them in > more visible colors. I'd be able to find the nice bright electric green USB > cable, if I could only find the shapeless black bag I put it in because the > bag came with the package of cables... > > 73, > Gwen NG3P > >> On Fri, Aug 31, 2018 at 7:18 PM <[hidden email]> wrote: >> >> For those of us who are visually challenged black on anything is very >> tough. >> The one exception to the rule is computer screens. A black or dark >> background with light text really helps with the eye strain. >> I think Elecraft should seriously consider changing the color of the >> display. Orange background with black text isn't high contrast enough. A >> black background ala just about everybody else makes the radio easier to >> see. >> >> R. Kevin Stover AC0H >> >> ARRL, FISTS, SKCC, NAQCC. >> "If it doesn't work the first time you push the button it won't work the >> 20th.Just stop." >> >> -----Original Message----- >> From: [hidden email] <[hidden email]> >> On >> Behalf Of Bill Frantz >> Sent: Friday, August 31, 2018 8:45 AM >> To: [hidden email] >> Subject: [Elecraft] Why Black >> >>> On 8/30/18 at 5:31 AM, [hidden email] (IK4EWX) wrote: >>> >>> ... Here the problem is the black face of KPOD. >> >> I have had problems reading the labels on my K3 in dark rooms and tents. I >> wonder why most radio available today are black. In the old days, the >> Collins and Heathkit radios weren't black. It would seem that black letters >> on a light background would be more visible under low light conditions. It >> would also liven up the shack. >> >> 73 Bill AE6JV >> >> ----------------------------------------------------------------------- >> Bill Frantz | Concurrency is hard. 12 out | Periwinkle >> (408)356-8506 | 10 programmers get it wrong. | 16345 >> Englewood Ave >> www.pwpconsult.com | - Jeff Frantz | Los Gatos, >> CA 95032 >> >> ______________________________________________________________ >> Elecraft mailing list >> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft >> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm >> Post: mailto:[hidden email] >> >> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net >> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html >> Message >> delivered to [hidden email] >> >> ______________________________________________________________ >> Elecraft mailing list >> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft >> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm >> Post: mailto:[hidden email] >> >> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net >> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html >> Message delivered to [hidden email] >> > > > -- > > -+-+-+-+- > Jenny Everywhere's Infinite: Quark Time > http://quarktime.net > ______________________________________________________________ > Elecraft mailing list > Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft > Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm > Post: mailto:[hidden email] > > This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net > Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html > Message delivered to [hidden email] Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[hidden email] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message delivered to [hidden email] |
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