Which LCD display is best compromise?

[VK4GHZ]

Just wondering what colour LCD might be the best compromise for indoor and outdoor use?


Blue negative


Black on Green


White negative

None have backlight, and are around the $24 mark (4 line x 20 char).
I'm leaning towards the blue negative.
This will be the display for a Thunderbolt display project, mounted on the front panel of a transverter.

Your experiences and thoughts?

[VK3RX]

My Codan 2110 manpack has black on green which works fine in bright direct sunlight, but indoors the backlight is essential, unless you have reasonable external light shining on the display eg. panel aimed up towards a ceiling light.

[VK4APN]

Well, the "Yellow Pages" design was premised on the fact that black on a yellow background was the most readable combination!!

For indoor and outdoor use I would stay with that combination i.e. black on yellow/greenish - with back light option if at all possible. The best visibility display I have is an OLED display bright yellow/green on black, I got it from surelectronics (eBay) - sadly they seem to have stopped suppliying them.

Good Luck

[VK4GHZ]

Thanks for the comments.

You can get some really nice LCDs, backlit an all, but to keep costs down, I was going to design in a non-backlit display.
I think one of the inverted displays might be better in that case?

[VK3RX]

August PW has a review of a Chinese manufacturered QRP TXRX that has a white text on blue background (link below).

The review said

The bright 16x2 line display has a blue background with white text, which gives a high contrast and wide viewing angle

and

During periods of outdoor operation the display could be seen easily, even when the sun was shining birghtly

Sounds like that version might be the go.

http://www.youkits.com/HB-1A%203%20BAND ... EIVER.html

[VK2EM]

There are also three types for sale here...

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll ... K:MEWAX:IT

There are Green on Black background, Red on Black blackground, and White on a Blue background.

Even with postage, they are very reasonably priced.

73... Bruce... VK2EM