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BAD design (VHF)
I believe that most modern gadgets from digital watches to cell phones
suffer from poor design so that they are not intuitive in their use. The only people who can easily operate them are people like kids who have the time to go through all the menus. Unfortunately, this tendency has now come to the handheld VHF world. I had two Uniden "Atlantis" VHF units and each broke in exactly the same way. They were dropped and the volume/power knob broke off. Other than that, I liked them as they were simple and intuitive. When looking at new models, I avoided any units that had vulnerable knobs. I found the WEST Marine model 55 that has no knobs and bought it. Unfortunately, its operation is modelled after cell phones with an "up/ down" toggle that serves for volume, squelch level, channel selection, etc depending on what other button is pressed. BAD DESIGN. This counterintuitive design will cause problems for people who are trying to use it under adverse conditions. I will probably return it to West Marine and continue looking. I wish Uniden or others would simply re-design the knobs on their units to be protected by the case as this would really solve the problems. |
BAD design (VHF)
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BAD design (VHF)
On Feb 18, 12:26 pm, Capt John wrote:
On Feb 16, 7:31 pm, wrote: I believe that most modern gadgets from digital watches to cell phones suffer from poor design so that they are not intuitive in their use. The only people who can easily operate them are people like kids who have the time to go through all the menus. Unfortunately, this tendency has now come to the handheld VHF world. I had two Uniden "Atlantis" VHF units and each broke in exactly the same way. They were dropped and the volume/power knob broke off. Other than that, I liked them as they were simple and intuitive. When looking at new models, I avoided any units that had vulnerable knobs. I found the WEST Marine model 55 that has no knobs and bought it. Unfortunately, its operation is modelled after cell phones with an "up/ down" toggle that serves for volume, squelch level, channel selection, etc depending on what other button is pressed. BAD DESIGN. This counterintuitive design will cause problems for people who are trying to use it under adverse conditions. I will probably return it to West Marine and continue looking. I wish Uniden or others would simply re-design the knobs on their units to be protected by the case as this would really solve the problems. How can you classify something as a bad design simply because you don't like it. Something is a bad design if it doesn't work, or hold up under normal usage. Dropping a radio, and expecting nothing to happen, is a silly expectation. It's a complicated piece of electronic equipment, not a bowling ball. As far as designing them to work like a cell phone, that's just common sense. Millions of people have cell phones, if they know how to work them, they will probably have few problems learning how to use a VHF modeled after a cell phone. If you like a certian type of radio, then you should go to a store that stocks many differant brands, and try them out before buying one, so you get what you want. But don't expect to drop them and get away with it for very long. Being a boater and knowing that things will get dropped on a boat that moves around a lot enables me to use my vast powers of perception to realize that "Dang, a VHF is gonna get dropped" and to make the enormous leap to "Why dont they protect these buttons better". Now, it took a whole lotta thinkin to figger out that people who wuz kinda scaired when theys boat is sinking wont wanna page through menus to lissen fer the Coast Guard. |
BAD design (VHF)
On Feb 19, 8:51*am, wrote:
On Feb 18, 12:26 pm, Capt John wrote: On Feb 16, 7:31 pm, wrote: I believe that most modern gadgets from digital watches to cell phones suffer from poor design so that they are not intuitive in their use. The only people who can easily operate them are people like kids who have the time to go through all the menus. *Unfortunately, this tendency has now come to the handheld VHF world. I had two Uniden "Atlantis" VHF units and each broke in exactly the same way. *They were dropped and the volume/power knob broke off. Other than that, I liked them as they were simple and intuitive. *When looking at new models, I avoided any units that had vulnerable knobs. I found the WEST Marine model 55 that has no knobs and bought it. Unfortunately, its operation is modelled after cell phones with an "up/ down" toggle that serves for volume, squelch level, channel selection, etc depending on what other button is pressed. *BAD DESIGN. *This counterintuitive design will cause problems for people who are trying to use it under adverse conditions. *I will probably return it to West Marine and continue looking. I wish Uniden or others would simply re-design the knobs on their units to be protected by the case as this would really solve the problems. How can you classify something as a bad design simply because you don't like it. Something is a bad design if it doesn't work, or hold up under normal usage. Dropping a radio, and expecting nothing to happen, is a silly expectation. It's a complicated piece of electronic equipment, not a bowling ball. As far as designing them to work like a cell phone, that's just common sense. Millions of people have cell phones, if they know how to work them, they will probably have few problems learning how to use a VHF modeled after a cell phone. If you like a certian type of radio, then you should go to a store that stocks many differant brands, and try them out before buying one, so you get what you want. But don't expect to drop them and get away with it for very long. Being a boater and knowing that things will get dropped on a boat that moves around a lot enables me to use my vast powers of perception to realize that "Dang, a VHF is gonna get dropped" and to make the enormous leap to "Why dont they protect these buttons better". Now, it took a whole lotta thinkin to figger out that people who wuz kinda scaired when theys boat is sinking wont wanna page through menus to lissen fer the Coast Guard.- Hide quoted text - - Show quoted text - Your simply one of those people that blame others for your own mistakes, it's everyone elses fault but your own. I've never dropped a VHF in my life, if I did, it's my fault. If the unit doesn't work, I get it repaired, or replaced, that's called common sense. Those who wait until their boat is almost sunk before calling for help don't get much sympathy. And the first thing you reach for isn't a hand held, they don't have much range. So when your boat sinks, because you waited too long to call for help, using a 5 watt hand held you've dropped a few times, rather than a fixed 25 watt unit in good working order, and the boat sinks. But it's not your fault, the radio was poorly designed, the boat was a poor design, sank too fast, and the Coast Guard wasn't listening with sensitive enough equipment to pick up a hand held from miles away. Your an accident waiting to happen. |
BAD design (VHF)
I've had a Standard HX150S for 10-12 years. All buttons and no knobs
so it's one handed operation leaving the other hand completely free at all times. Mine's led a rough life and I've bought other radios since I've owned this one that haven't lasted. I've dropped it on occasion and it just goes "clunk" but so far it's still working fine. Most of the time when I drop something on a boat, instead of going "clunk".... it goes "Kersploosh!". And this radio will not float. It operates under water though ;-) Another feature I like: if the Standard rechargable Ni-Cad battery goes Kaput, the battery tray will hold AA batteries. Works with either alkaline or NiMH rechargable AAs just fine. Here's a link to a description: http://www.comline.com.sg/standardhorizon/hx150s.htm Rick On Sat, 16 Feb 08, ohara5.0 wrote: I believe that most modern gadgets from digital watches to cell phones suffer from poor design so that they are not intuitive in their use. The only people who can easily operate them are people like kids who have the time to go through all the menus. Unfortunately, this tendency has now come to the handheld VHF world. I had two Uniden "Atlantis" VHF units and each broke in exactly the same way. They were dropped and the volume/power knob broke off. Other than that, I liked them as they were simple and intuitive. When looking at new models, I avoided any units that had vulnerable knobs. I found the WEST Marine model 55 that has no knobs and bought it. Unfortunately, its operation is modelled after cell phones with an "up/ down" toggle that serves for volume, squelch level, channel selection, etc depending on what other button is pressed. BAD DESIGN. This counterintuitive design will cause problems for people who are trying to use it under adverse conditions. I will probably return it to West Marine and continue looking. I wish Uniden or others would simply re-design the knobs on their units to be protected by the case as this would really solve the problems. |
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