This is only a preview of the August 1994 issue of Silicon Chip. You can view 29 of the 96 pages in the full issue, including the advertisments. For full access, purchase the issue for $10.00 or subscribe for access to the latest issues. Articles in this series:
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PRODUCT SHOWCASE
Review: Philips P65 UHF CB radio
Radios of all kinds continue to get smaller & CB
radios are too, as is shown by this latest offering
from Philips. Small enough to fit in your pocket,
it has plenty of power & more features than most
people will ever use.
The first thing that strikes you
about the new Philips P65 UHF CB
transceiver is its size. At only 300
grams, it is tiny and very comfortable
to hold but has features you would
expect from larger radios. Styled in
black with a stubby "rubber ducky"
antenna, it has two scanning modes,
a facility for repeater operation and
a back-lit LCD.
It has two knobs on the top, on/off
volume and channel selection. The
squelch control is also on the top but
does not protrude, to avoid accidental
adjustment. The digital display shows
the current channel number and
function settings, while a 14-segment
bargraph serves as both a transmit and
receive signal strength indicator.
The push-to-talk switch is on the
lefthand side of the case, making it
easy for right or left-handed operation.
The FUNC switch immediately above
the push-to-talk switch accesses the
control settings. The triangular buttons
to the left of the display are pressed in
conjunction with FUNC to adjust the
output power, the scanning options
and the backlight for the LCD.
The radio covers all 40 channels of
the UHF CB band from 476.425MHz
to 477.400MHz in 25kHz steps. There
are a further eight channels (41-48)
that operate with offsets for repeater
use. Scanning modes can either toggle
between all 48 channels or a group
of user programmed channels. While
scanning, the unit can also be instructed to stop at busy channels until the
carrier disappears or to pause for five
seconds before resuming. Scan
ning
modes are indicated on the LCD by a
80 Silicon Chip
flashing hyphen between the
CH and the channel number.
Four different battery packs
are available for the P65. The
battery packs slide into the
bottom of the case and lock into
place. A 7.2V 700mAh nicad
pack is standard while a 12V
600mAh nicad pack, for higher
power, is optional. There are
also two other optional packs
that accept indi
vidual cells;
a dry cell pack (six AA cells)
and a pack that takes six AA
nicad cells. The last pack has
a charging socket to charge the
individual cells in situ.
The radio comes with a
trickle charger plug pack for the
7.2V pack. This will fully recharge the battery in 14 hours,
with the battery still connected
to the radio or separately, via
a small socket in the bottom of
the pack. The optional 12V nicad pack
has a separate matching trickle charger
that will also recharge it in 14 hours.
A desktop fast charger is also
available that will recharge nicad
battery packs in one hour and shut
off automatically. It has dual slots to
allow charging of two batteries simultaneously.
Another worthwhile accessory is a
speaker-microphone that plugs into a
socket adjacent to the antenna. This
allows you to leave the radio in your
pocket or clipped onto your belt while
it is in use.
Nominal output power with a 12V
pack is 5 watts for the high power
setting and 1 watt for the low. This
reduces to 2.5 watts (high) and 1 watt
(low) using the 7.2V pack. When you
power up, the output power is always
initially set to low, to conserve the
battery.
The P65's size (60 x 32 x 142mm)
and smoothly sculpted edges make it
very comfortable to hold and operate.
The LCD is large enough to read at a
glance and in low light conditions, the
greenish backlight is very effective.
To save power, the backlight turns
off after five seconds, giving you just
enough time to find out what channel you're on and the power setting
you're using.
If you want to use the various scanning modes and functions, you must
read the manual first, as they certainly are not self-evident.
The need to press the FUNC button to access each feature
is a double-edged sword. It does mean that you can't accidentally change any of the settings whilst handling but
means you have to go through a complicated set of steps
to modify any function.
This aside, the P65 performs well and from signal
reports, has good audio quality. It a comes with a vinyl
case that has a clear window for the display. With its neat
styling, transmitter capable of 5 watts output, a receiver
that is surprisingly sensitive and a price tag of $599, it is
an attractive package. (M.C.)
PC-mount toroidal transformers
now available
PC-mount transformers have been widely used in
industry for many years but up till now, toroidal transformers have not been available in PC-mounting form.
Now they are.
This new range of toroidal transformers is fully encapsulated and each has a threaded 4mm insert for securing
it to the PC board. They are available in seven power
ratings – 1.6, 3.2, 5, 7, 10, 15 and 25VA – and all have
class A insulation (105°C). There is a choice of secondary
voltages – 2 x 7V, 2 x 9V, 2 x 12V, 2 x 15V, 2 x 18V and 2 x
22V – and the two secondary windings may be connected
in series or parallel.
For further information, contact the Australian distributors, Tortech Pty Ltd, 24/31 Wentworth Street,
Greenacre, NSW 2190. Phone (OZ) 642 6003 or Fax (OZ)
642 6127.
Universal drill has
collet chuck
Pictured is one of two
drills available for a range
of hobby work. The Model
O400 has coilets to take drills ranging from 0.3 to 3.2mm.
The unit can be powered from a model train controller or
battery charger with an output of 12-18V DC and a current
capacity of at least one amp. Depending on the input
voltage, the no-load chuck speed ranges from 12,000 to
20,000 RPM. It is priced at $56.00.
Also available is the larger model 0600 which has a
quick change chuck and thrust ball bearing for long life.
PC COMPUTERS (08) 364 0902 (08) 332 6513
36 Regent St, Kensington, South Australia
High Power 2.5 Watt Transmitter Kit FMTX1
$69
This kit uses a single transistor to provide up to 2.5 watts into a 50-ohm load. It can be
set on the FM band from 88-108MHz. Audio is 500mV P-P with Australian pre-emphasis.
Power supply from 12-24 volts DC. Range up to 100 miles. Leaky coax distribution can
be used with any of our transmitters, terminate up to 2km of coax with a 50-ohm resistor
and no radiation occurs. Use a 150-ohm WW pot and you can set the level of radiation up
to 300 metres from the coax. You can use this method to comply with DOTC schedule 3.
XTAL Locked 30mW Transmitter (The best quality kit transmitter
in Australia) FMTX2B
$49
This transmitter is XTAL-locked on 100MHz (XTAL supplied) and is the most stable kit
transmitter on the market. It features a 3-stage design with only two tuned circuits and
a clean output. This design can be used as the basis of a station exciter.
Digital Stereo Coder (All Digital Design With Australian
Pre-emphasis) FMTX2A
$49
This is a universal stereo coder able to be used with all of our transmitter designs and
many others. Its performance is superior to domestic encoder single chip designs.
Dozens have been sold to FM stations as a standby stereo coder or with the FMTX2B
as an exciter.
Both FMTX2A and FMTX2B on 1 PCB as a complete stereo transmitter FMTX5
$99
MAX I/O Board for PCs (Talk To The Outside World)
$169
This kit features 7 relays, ADC, DAC, stepper motor driver with sample software in
Basic and connects to a PC’s parallel port. Now also available I/O bits software for
MS Windows so you can program functions without being a programmer. Call relays
by a name like stop relay, assign its own icon - uses a simple VISUAL interface to
make your own PLC. Full developer’s version has DOS runtime so you do not require
Windows and optional support for LCD displays. Data logging ADC and DAC boards
and more. MAX version $169.
FM Band Linear Amplifier Kits (All Imported Kits)
New 30mW to 1 watt linear coming in September 1994 (advance orders taken)
500mW to 5 or 10 watts
$199
250mW to 25 watts
15 watts to 110 watts
$599
40 watts to 300 watts
Power supplies and heatsinks not included in short form kit price.
$99
$249
$999
Other kits available. Call for a list or see Silicon Chip April-June 1994 or the
Silicon Chip Model Railway Book.
August 1994 81
SATELLITE
SUPPLIES
Aussat systems
from under $850
SATELLITE RECEIVERS FROM .$280
LNB’s Ku FROM ..............................$229
LNB’s C FROM .................................$330
FEEDHORNS Ku BAND FROM ......$45
FEEDHORNS C.BAND FROM .........$95
DISHES 60m to 3.7m FROM ...........$130
Baby stereo mixer
from Jaycar
This little mixer is designed to
mix up to four stereo sources and
a microphone input. The stereo
inputs all accept line levels with
two switchable to accept phono
signals from turntables. A crossfader permits fading between these
two channels.
A talkover switch adjacent to the
microphone input drops the music
level to allow announcements to
be made. With the aid of a set of
headphones, individual channels
may be cued, prior to being added
to the output mix. Headphone
LOTS OF OTHER ITEMS
FROM COAXIAL CABLE,
DECODERS, ANGLE
METERS, IN-LINE COAX
AMPS, PAY-TV DECODER
FOR JAPANESE, NTSC TO
PAL TRANSCODERS, E-PAL
DECODERS, PLUS MANY
MORE
For a free catalogue, fill in & mail
or fax this coupon.
✍
Please send me a free catalog
on your satellite systems.
Name:____________________________
Street:____________________________
Suburb:_________________________
P/code________Phone_____________
L&M Satellite Supplies
33-35 Wickham Rd, Moorabin 3189
Ph (03) 553 1763; Fax (03) 532 2957
82 Silicon Chip
levels are adjustable too.
Two 5-segment LED VU meters
above the input sliders display the
output levels of the mixer. RCA
sockets are used for all inputs and
outputs except for the microphone
input and record output which use
6.5mm jack sockets.
The case is steel finished in black
crinkle enamel and with moulded
plastic side panels. Power to the
unit is via a 3.5mm jack socket on
the rear panel and a 12V AC plugpack is supplied.
Priced at $159, themixer is available from all Jaycar Electronics
stores and dealers. (Cat AM-4212).
The chuck will take drills from 0.4 to
3.5mm and has a no-load speed the
same as above. It is priced at $77.00.
Both drills are available in carrying cases with 11 tool bits. For
further information, contact Anton's
Trains, Cnr Prince & Mary Sts, North
Parramatta, NSW 2151. Phone (02)
683 3858.
Micron soldering
station from Altronics
This temperature controlled soldering station has a 40 watt ceramic
heater element and a stainless steel
barrel.
The iron-clad tip is chrome plated
and has a large thermal inertia to
improve temperature stability. The
temperature dial on the front panel
selects tip temperatures from 250430°C while a LED indicates when the
heating element is on.
Instead of the usual step-down
transformer, this soldering station
uses zero voltage switching circuitry
to cycle the element on and off. At the
same time, the insulation between the
heating element and the grounded tip
is quoted at greater than 100MW, so tip
voltages are very low.
The soldering station is priced at
$129 and is available from Altronics,
174 Roe St, Perth, WA 6000. Phone
1800 999 007 (toll free).
Tiny B/W CCD camera
on a PC board
Now available: the complete index to
all SILICON CHIP articles since the first issue in November 1987. The Floppy Index
comes with a handy file viewer that lets
you look at the index line by line or page
by page for quick browsing, or you can
use the search function. All commands
are listed on the screen, so you’ll always
know what to do next.
Notes & Errata also now available:
this file lets you quickly check out the
Notes & Errata (if any) for all articles published in SILICON CHIP. Not an index
but a complete copy of all Notes & Errata text (diagrams not included). The file
viewer is included in the price, so that you can quickly locate the item of interest.
The Floppy Index and Notes & Errata files are supplied in ASCII format on a
3.5-inch or 5.25-inch floppy disc to suit PC-compatible computers. Note: the File
Viewer requires MSDOS 3.3 or above.
ORDER FORM
PRICE
❏
Floppy Index (incl. file viewer): $A7
❏
Notes & Errata (incl. file viewer): $A7
❏
Alphanumeric LCD Demo Board Software (May 1993): $A7
❏
Stepper Motor Controller Software (January 1994): $A7
❏
Gamesbvm.bas /obj /exe (Nicad Battery Monitor, June 1994): $A7
❏
Diskinfo.exe (Identifies IDE Hard Disc Parameters, August 1995): $A7
❏
Computer Controlled Power Supply Software (Jan/Feb. 1997): $A7
❏
Spacewri.exe & Spacewri.bas (for Spacewriter, May 1997): $A7
❏
I/O Card (July 1997) + Stepper Motor Software (1997 series): $A7
POSTAGE & PACKING: Aust. & NZ add $A3 per order; elsewhere $A5
Disc size required: ❏ 3.5-inch disc
❏ 5.25-inch disc
TOTAL $A
Enclosed is my cheque/money order for $A__________ or please debit my
❏
Bankcard
❏
Visa Card
❏
MasterCard
Card No.
Signature_______________________________ Card expiry date______/______
Name ___________________________________________________________
PLEASE PRINT
Street ___________________________________________________________
Suburb/town ________________________________ Postcode______________
Send your order to: SILICON CHIP, PO Box 139, Collaroy, NSW 2097; or fax your
order to (02) 9979 6503; or ring (02) 9979 5644 and quote your credit card number
(Bankcard, Visa Card or MasterCard).
✂
It's amazing what you can find
on a PC board these days. This tiny
PC board, which measures just 70 x
46mm, is actually a complete black
and white (B&W) CCIR video camera.
It has only three connections: +12VDC,
video out and ground. The video
output is CCIR 50Hz standard, which
means that it's compatible with any
PAL VCR. All you do is hook up the
power supply and connect the video
output from the camera to the video
input of th,e VCR, and you are ready
to record.
The charge-coupled device (CCD)
image sensor has 320,000 pixels (picture elements) and 400 TV lines and
the picture is excellent for something
so small. It also has auto-iris control
so that you don't need to set the light
level. The automatic shutter can vary
between 1/50th to 1/32,000th second
speed.
The wide-angle lens has a lens cover
and a grub screw to lock the current
focus into place. This can be loosened
and the lens focused either on infinity
or as close as 4mm! Minimum required
luminance is quoted as 0.1 Lux. Six
infrared LEDs provide extra light for
low-light applications. The output
signal is composite video with 1V p-p
amplitude and 750 impedance.
Power requirements are 11V to
15VDC but it will run down to around
9VDC. The supply current requirement is quoted at less than 200mA (the
supply current for the sample pictured
above measured 130mA).
The price of this camera is just
$239 and it is available from Oatley
Electronics, PO Box 89, Oatley, NSW
2223. Phone (02) 579 4985 or fax (02)
570 7910. (D.Y.)
SILICON CHIP SOFTWARE
August 1994 83
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