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N8YX
10-31-2014, 12:21 PM
Aesthetics question for y'all:

I have an Omni V, a couple of Paragon IIs and an Omni VI/Opt3. The astute readers among you will immediately spot the differences in the various displays used in the rigs.

Though it's not shown, the top 4 digits of the bandwidth/clock readout are yellow:

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Let's say an enterprising individual was able to source another display board to play around with and said individual managed to locate a source of the 0.56" frequency readout LEDs in blue. Rohm, Forge Europa and Light-Bo all make a suitable 0.3" blue single-digit readout which could be used in the clock/bandwidth section but no one has them in stock at present.

Thus, the question: Convert that portion of the display to all green or to all yellow? I have enough donor LED displays to do either.

The VFO and Op Mode LEDs can also be changed to blue, yellow or both (parts inbound). Which color schemes would be most pleasing?

KK4AMI
10-31-2014, 01:04 PM
When I got my little Argonaut V, I liked the green display! I guess the eye is most sensitive to green, so maybe that is what old eyes see the sharpest?

PA5COR
10-31-2014, 01:39 PM
Personally I like the blue read out on the FT 2000 - D the best.... but them I'm a certified nutcase ;)

N8YX
10-31-2014, 01:54 PM
Personally I like the blue read out on the FT 2000 - D the best.... but them I'm a certified nutcase ;)

That and the other blue display rigs are what prompted me to look for parts to make this happen.

Here's an Omni V. The display is easy on the eyes:

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NQ6U
10-31-2014, 01:55 PM
LED readouts. How quaint.

N8YX
10-31-2014, 01:57 PM
LED readouts. How quaint.

TFT readouts. How prone to burnout, especially with the IC-756 Pro. :lol:

W3WN
10-31-2014, 02:59 PM
I think for a direct replacement, I would most likely go for yellow, as opposed to green, digits.

Blue would be different though. (Yes, I "got" that they're not in stock at present)

I'm not sure if the LED color is critical. Blue instead of red would be interesting.

I take it that the display board that will be populated was an acquisition from a rig being parted out?

W3WN
10-31-2014, 03:02 PM
BTW Fred, any chance you'll be stopping by the WACOM hamfest on Sunday? If so, stop over at my table (wherever it ends up being) and say "hi"

N8YX
10-31-2014, 03:06 PM
I think for a direct replacement, I would most likely go for yellow, as opposed to green, digits.

Blue would be different though. (Yes, I "got" that they're not in stock at present)

I'm not sure if the LED color is critical. Blue instead of red would be interesting.

I take it that the display board that will be populated was an acquisition from a rig being parted out?

Ebay's yer buddy. I got hold of a spare Omni VI board and it has its full OEM complement of LEDs installed.

The Paragon II's readout is blue VFD for both the frequency and clock/memory functions. It also features green annunciators for VFO selection, split, RIT/XIT and so forth. I'm leaning towards blue/green until the small blue readouts come back in stock at less-than-solid-gold prices, and I'll always have two (or more) of the readout boards to experiment with,

WØTKX
10-31-2014, 03:09 PM
Depending on the rig, the numbers to the right of the decimal point had a different color. I think that's pretty cool, even it it's not stock, such as the earlier Omni and Corsair rigs... Red on the left, green on the right.

BTW, I put pale blue LED's in the meter for my old Omni D Series B.

This is a series C. Classy lookin' rig IMHO, eh?

http://rigreference.com/img/rigs/70/4170/Ten-Tec-Omni-C.jpg


So, any color scheme would be neato... Maybe orange on the left, blue on the right...

Oh wait... blue on the left, red on the right? :lol:

K7SGJ
10-31-2014, 07:23 PM
LED readouts. How quaint.

I would think he would be a bit more modern and go for the direct cerebral interface.

N8YX
11-01-2014, 04:23 PM
Got the PPS-85A fired up this afternoon, extracted all the large LED displays along with the four small yellow ones and soldered in some new blue Kingbright readouts.

Was hoping my shipment of 2mm LEDs for the VFO A/B indicators would arrive today but it wasn't to be...so I'll hold off on the readout board swap in the Omni VI until I get them and finish the rework.

K7SGJ
11-01-2014, 06:26 PM
Instead of the common red, blue, amber, or green display, I'd probably go with a mauve or a paisley. Just sayin.....................

KG4CGC
11-01-2014, 08:48 PM
Blue looks more modern but 4500K white is nice too.

N8YX
11-01-2014, 10:31 PM
Blue looks more modern but 4500K white is nice too.
I'm having enough trouble sourcing blue!

N8YX
11-09-2014, 07:31 PM
Here's the completed display. I was hoping to make both the RIT offset and clock sub-displays both green, blue or green and blue, but an HDSP7403 (yellow RIT readout display) isn't interchangeable with the HDSP7804 used in the clock portion - and no one is stocking a 0.3" common-cathode version of this readout in blue. But I'm patient and have another board to experiment with.

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KG4CGC
11-09-2014, 07:33 PM
drool ... :clap:

K7SGJ
11-09-2014, 07:46 PM
Here's the completed display. I was hoping to make both the RIT offset and clock sub-displays both green, blue or green and blue, but an HDSP7403 (yellow RIT readout display) isn't interchangeable with the HDSP7804 used in the clock portion - and no one is stocking a 0.3" common-cathode version of this readout in blue. But I'm patient and have another board to experiment with.

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I think I just had an organism.

WØTKX
11-09-2014, 10:54 PM
If you listen carefully to the picture above, you'll hear "Dance Monkey Dance".

:monkeydance: :monkeydance: :monkeydance: :monkeydance: :monkeydance:

W3WN
11-11-2014, 11:54 AM
Here's the completed display. I was hoping to make both the RIT offset and clock sub-displays both green, blue or green and blue, but an HDSP7403 (yellow RIT readout display) isn't interchangeable with the HDSP7804 used in the clock portion - and no one is stocking a 0.3" common-cathode version of this readout in blue. But I'm patient and have another board to experiment with.

13336
The display is quite impressive.

The frequency displayed... selected for dramatic purposes, I presume?

N8YX
11-11-2014, 06:18 PM
The display is quite impressive.

The frequency displayed... selected for dramatic purposes, I presume?
Yeah, because that Omni won't tune to 27.025.00 ... :whistle:

KG4CGC
11-12-2014, 12:13 AM
Yeah, because that Omni won't tune to 27.025.00 ... :whistle:

Nation wide and on the side, break break ... rah-jo!

KC2UGV
11-12-2014, 07:17 AM
TFT readouts. How prone to burnout, especially with the IC-756 Pro. :lol:

Can you swap them for nixies?

N8YX
11-12-2014, 08:34 AM
Can you swap them for nixies?
Might as well buy an NCX-5 at that point. Or an FR-101D/FL-101 pair...

W3WN
11-12-2014, 10:05 AM
Can you swap them for nixies?Ah, well, I don't think so. Might have a problem fitting the nixies in there...

NQ6U
11-12-2014, 10:19 AM
Ah, well, I don't think so. Might have a problem fitting the nixies in there...

And for the price of the required number of nixie tubs tubes, you could practically buy yourself a new rig. Those things don't come cheap.

K7SGJ
11-12-2014, 02:03 PM
And for the price of the required number of nixie tubs, you could practically buy yourself a new rig. Those things don't come cheap.

I think I took a bath in one of those once.

NQ6U
11-12-2014, 02:41 PM
I think I took a bath in one of those once.

No, you're thinking of the Nixon Tub. Every American took a bath in that one.

K7SGJ
11-12-2014, 05:17 PM
No, you're thinking of the Nixon Tub. Every American took a bath in that one.

As always, I stand erected.

WØTKX
11-12-2014, 07:42 PM
http://www.arduinix.com/Main/About.htm


http://www.nonentity.com/New/Images/Robotpirate/ArduiNIX_TubeBoard_Test2.jpg

N8YX
11-12-2014, 08:35 PM
http://www.arduinix.com/Main/About.htm


http://www.nonentity.com/New/Images/Robotpirate/ArduiNIX_TubeBoard_Test2.jpg

That is neat. :yes: