SteveShannon

I’ll check and see as soon as I can. 
Thank you for helping your friend. 

The only voice prompts on the 805 are the channels and pressing the menu button.  For instance channel 10 is spoken “one, zero”. Pressing the menu button results in “function select”, but going to a specific menu isn’t reflected in any voice prompt. 

Thank you VERY MUCH for checking that. I've passed that info along. Maybe that much is enough, he may have someone who can set the menu items for him and all he'll need is channels, volume and power.

I tried my Wouxun and Baofeng radios and I'm sorry to report they all behave the same. The channels only give you a number, when you press on menu it says menu but there are no prompts once in menu. Halfway just doesn't seem like enough, I'm not sure what it's good for if it isn't complete. 
 
I doubt this is any different but I'd be happy to find that it was. You need the promts to work for everything not just channel numbers. Imagine trying to set up a repeater with no audio and no sight. I imagine computer programming might be helpful. It would be nice if the channel names were spoken. At least with GMRS you have potentially less to memorize. 

The only voice prompts on the 805 are the channels and pressing the menu button.  For instance channel 10 is spoken “one, zero”. Pressing the menu button results in “function select”, but going to a specific menu isn’t reflected in any voice prompt. 

I’ll start by saying that I do not know of a 95E certified radio with voice prompts.  My ham Baofeng UV5R has voice prompts for the menu and a 95E lookalike exists, but I have no idea if it includes voice prompts.  I suspect it does. I do have two 95E certified radios, a Wouxun kg805 and a Garmin Rhino.  I’ll check to see if either can have voice prompts turned on, but as much as I love the Garmin, it uses a context sensitive touch screen and for that reason I could not recommend it. Maybe I’ll be surprised by the Wouxun.
Edited to add: the manual says the KG-805G, which is a pretty good 95E certified radio, has voice prompts which are enabled in menu #7.  I’ll try it sometime today and let you know how it works.

I have a friend who’s a blind-deaf ham.  He holds a General license. His name is Maurice and he’s also the president of the blind-deaf division of the National Federation of the Blind. His deafness is aided by hearing aids. He has several handheld ham radios.  If it would be helpful I would be happy to see if Maurice would be interested in talking to your enthusiast.  Maurice is a true advocate for ham radio for the blind.  He’ll be coming to Washington DC next week for NFB activities there.  The hq for NFB is in Baltimore I believe.

I took the neighbor lady to the eye doctor so I haven’t tried it yet but once I get home and have lunch with my wife I’ll check it out. 

About Yagis or Omnis? 😉

I’ll start by saying that I do not know of a 95E certified radio with voice prompts.  My ham Baofeng UV5R has voice prompts for the menu and a 95E lookalike exists, but I have no idea if it includes voice prompts.  I suspect it does. I do have two 95E certified radios, a Wouxun kg805 and a Garmin Rhino.  I’ll check to see if either can have voice prompts turned on, but as much as I love the Garmin, it uses a context sensitive touch screen and for that reason I could not recommend it. Maybe I’ll be surprised by the Wouxun.
Edited to add: the manual says the KG-805G, which is a pretty good 95E certified radio, has voice prompts which are enabled in menu #7.  I’ll try it sometime today and let you know how it works.

I have a friend who’s a blind-deaf ham.  He holds a General license. His name is Maurice and he’s also the president of the blind-deaf division of the National Federation of the Blind. His deafness is aided by hearing aids. He has several handheld ham radios.  If it would be helpful I would be happy to see if Maurice would be interested in talking to your enthusiast.  Maurice is a true advocate for ham radio for the blind.  He’ll be coming to Washington DC next week for NFB activities there.  The hq for NFB is in Baltimore I believe.

That's pretty succinct, @SteveShannon. thanks
 

About the only way is to reference both:  “I programmed GMRS channel 16 into slot 100 on my radio, but it won’t work without setting a CTCSS tone.”

Most GMRS users use them in pursuit of other activities rather than listening and hoping to talk to other, unknown, GMRS users.   They usually just use their call sign occasionally to comply with the regulations and their first name or position in a family “This is grandpa.  There’s a huge grizzly in the area. I want you to come back to the cabin. I’m sorry I let you play with the salmon guts before going into the woods.  Make a lot of noise while you’re walking. Scream if you need me. WROM258.”
But some GMRS users do listen for others on local repeaters, hoping to strike up a conversation. That’s much more of a ham thing, but it definitely does happen in GMRS as well.
I have never heard someone use a handle on GMRS.  Even calling them “walkie talkies” rather than “handhelds” could be fodder for some good natured ribbing.  
Get your license and jump right in.

Thank you for your help with this Steve, it is very much appreciated! I'll look into the KG-805G.

“Only?”  That’s one of the best and most rugged handheld radios around.  Nice choice! 
I’m sorry you have encountered some hams who are poor ambassadors of amateur radio.  I hope you run into some others who are encouraging and welcoming.

I’ll start by saying that I do not know of a 95E certified radio with voice prompts.  My ham Baofeng UV5R has voice prompts for the menu and a 95E lookalike exists, but I have no idea if it includes voice prompts.  I suspect it does. I do have two 95E certified radios, a Wouxun kg805 and a Garmin Rhino.  I’ll check to see if either can have voice prompts turned on, but as much as I love the Garmin, it uses a context sensitive touch screen and for that reason I could not recommend it. Maybe I’ll be surprised by the Wouxun.
Edited to add: the manual says the KG-805G, which is a pretty good 95E certified radio, has voice prompts which are enabled in menu #7.  I’ll try it sometime today and let you know how it works.

I have a friend who’s a blind-deaf ham.  He holds a General license. His name is Maurice and he’s also the president of the blind-deaf division of the National Federation of the Blind. His deafness is aided by hearing aids. He has several handheld ham radios.  If it would be helpful I would be happy to see if Maurice would be interested in talking to your enthusiast.  Maurice is a true advocate for ham radio for the blind.  He’ll be coming to Washington DC next week for NFB activities there.  The hq for NFB is in Baltimore I believe.

About the only way is to reference both:  “I programmed GMRS channel 16 into slot 100 on my radio, but it won’t work without setting a CTCSS tone.”

Bear encounters:
Black, Attack!
Brown, Lie Down!
Polar, you're lunch!

Most GMRS users use them in pursuit of other activities rather than listening and hoping to talk to other, unknown, GMRS users.   They usually just use their call sign occasionally to comply with the regulations and their first name or position in a family “This is grandpa.  There’s a huge grizzly in the area. I want you to come back to the cabin. I’m sorry I let you play with the salmon guts before going into the woods.  Make a lot of noise while you’re walking. Scream if you need me. WROM258.”
But some GMRS users do listen for others on local repeaters, hoping to strike up a conversation. That’s much more of a ham thing, but it definitely does happen in GMRS as well.
I have never heard someone use a handle on GMRS.  Even calling them “walkie talkies” rather than “handhelds” could be fodder for some good natured ribbing.  
Get your license and jump right in.

I’ll start by saying that I do not know of a 95E certified radio with voice prompts.  My ham Baofeng UV5R has voice prompts for the menu and a 95E lookalike exists, but I have no idea if it includes voice prompts.  I suspect it does. I do have two 95E certified radios, a Wouxun kg805 and a Garmin Rhino.  I’ll check to see if either can have voice prompts turned on, but as much as I love the Garmin, it uses a context sensitive touch screen and for that reason I could not recommend it. Maybe I’ll be surprised by the Wouxun.
Edited to add: the manual says the KG-805G, which is a pretty good 95E certified radio, has voice prompts which are enabled in menu #7.  I’ll try it sometime today and let you know how it works.

I have a friend who’s a blind-deaf ham.  He holds a General license. His name is Maurice and he’s also the president of the blind-deaf division of the National Federation of the Blind. His deafness is aided by hearing aids. He has several handheld ham radios.  If it would be helpful I would be happy to see if Maurice would be interested in talking to your enthusiast.  Maurice is a true advocate for ham radio for the blind.  He’ll be coming to Washington DC next week for NFB activities there.  The hq for NFB is in Baltimore I believe.

LIke CB GMRS starts out having to submit to the FCC because they want to ID/control the users per say by keeping the airways limited to proper people that submitted to their standards.  I believe it is in the hopes it continues that way as we look back into what CB has become.
I believe people that inadvertently purchase these radios (GMRS) will do as likewise, and just talk friends in the beginnings' w/o the licenses, and the whole system will revert to what the CB airways have become.  Websites like we have here can only manage so much behavior of the general citizenship.  

You're not a dummy!
Users of GMRS should never feel that they are somehow inferior to hams.  I've seen some really stupid hams and I know some really smart GMRS people.  There's shouldn't be a comparison.  The two services were created for different reasons.  GMRS is for facilitating activities.  Amateur Radio is for learning about and extending the use of radio. Both are valuable for emergencies.
The stated purpose for GMRS is as follows:
§ 95.1703 Definitions, GMRS.
General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS). A mobile two-way voice communication service, with limited data applications, for facilitating activities of individual licensees and their family members, including, but not limited to, voluntary provision of assistance to the public during emergencies and natural disasters.
The stated purpose for the Amateur Radio Service is as follows:
97.1 Basis and purpose. (Of Amateur Radio)
The rules and regulations in this part are designed to provide an amateur radio service having a fundamental purpose as expressed in the following principles:
(a) Recognition and enhancement of the value of the amateur service to the public as a voluntary noncommercial communication service, particularly with respect to providing emergency communications.
(b) Continuation and extension of the amateur's proven ability to contribute to the advancement of the radio art.
(c) Encouragement and improvement of the amateur service through rules which provide for advancing skills in both the communication and technical phases of the art.
(d) Expansion of the existing reservoir within the amateur radio service of trained operators, technicians, and electronics experts.
(e) Continuation and extension of the amateur's unique ability to enhance international goodwill.

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

Most GMRS users use them in pursuit of other activities rather than listening and hoping to talk to other, unknown, GMRS users.   They usually just use their call sign occasionally to comply with the regulations and their first name or position in a family “This is grandpa.  There’s a huge grizzly in the area. I want you to come back to the cabin. I’m sorry I let you play with the salmon guts before going into the woods.  Make a lot of noise while you’re walking. Scream if you need me. WROM258.”
But some GMRS users do listen for others on local repeaters, hoping to strike up a conversation. That’s much more of a ham thing, but it definitely does happen in GMRS as well.
I have never heard someone use a handle on GMRS.  Even calling them “walkie talkies” rather than “handhelds” could be fodder for some good natured ribbing.  
Get your license and jump right in.

Most GMRS users use them in pursuit of other activities rather than listening and hoping to talk to other, unknown, GMRS users.   They usually just use their call sign occasionally to comply with the regulations and their first name or position in a family “This is grandpa.  There’s a huge grizzly in the area. I want you to come back to the cabin. I’m sorry I let you play with the salmon guts before going into the woods.  Make a lot of noise while you’re walking. Scream if you need me. WROM258.”
But some GMRS users do listen for others on local repeaters, hoping to strike up a conversation. That’s much more of a ham thing, but it definitely does happen in GMRS as well.
I have never heard someone use a handle on GMRS.  Even calling them “walkie talkies” rather than “handhelds” could be fodder for some good natured ribbing.  
Get your license and jump right in.

So the difference between one S-unit and the next is 6 db. So an S9 signal is 6 db or four times the power of an S8 signal, yet makes little audible difference. S7 would be 1/16 the power of an S9 and you’d be able to easily tell the difference. 
I think (hope) putting it on your roof will help, but be sure you get it at least a half wavelength above your roof. For GMRS that’s not very much distance.