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PRODUCT SHOWCASE Barcode-based inventory control Digital Thermometer reads to 1370°C Need to read very high or very low temperatures? Dick Smith Electronics have a compact, handheld dual input digital thermometer with a range of –200 to +1370 degrees Celsius. Temperature limits can be pre-set with an alarm beeper sounding if the temperature exceeds those limits. Other features include auto power off, data hold, dual temperature and temperature differential displays and minimum/maximum temperature and time recording. An attached protective holster is supplied, as are K-type thermocouples which have a range of –40 to 260°C. (Other thermocouples are required for the maximum instrument range). The instrument sells for $155 at all Dick Smith Electronics stores (cat Q-1437). For further information contact Dick Smith Electronics, Lane Cove & Waterloo Rds, North Ryde NSW 2113. Tel (02) 9937 3200, Fax (02) 9888 1507. Desk-mount magnifier Lamp Jaycar Electronics have available a metal frame magnifier with inbuilt 22watt circular fluoro lamp. It is intended to assist hobbyists, PCB assembly/inspection, jewellers, stamp/ coin traders, etc. The magnifier itself is a 3-diopter lens, mounted on a flexible extension arm assembly extending to 990mm. The base can be screwed onto the side Snap-on Tools has introduced an inventory and tool control system for industry which it says will cut down on lost or missing tools, reduce hoarding of tools and equipment, increase staff and contractor productivity and reduce equipment downtime. The Tool Hound system is intended for large organisations and controls the issue and return of inventory items in which large companies, government departments and the like have millions of dollars invested. Tools, consumables, parts and equipment can all be controlled by the laser-based barcode scanning system incorporated in Tool Hound. The system is said to virtually eliminate the paper trail and delays of a manual system. This ensures nothing "falls through the cracks" because the system knows where everything is at any time. The Windows-based system can track an unlimited number of inventory items, people and locations. It gives up-to the-minute status reports and can incorporate radio frequency communications to provide "real time" inventory control. For more information, contact Snapon Tools (Aust) Pty Ltd, 6/100 Station Road, Seven Hills, NSW 2147. Phone (02) 9837 9130; fax (02) 9620 9145 TOROIDAL POWER TRANSFORMERS Manufactured in Australia Comprehensive data available Harbuch Electronics Pty Ltd 9/40 Leighton Pl. HORNSBY 2077 Ph (02) 9476-5854 Fx (02) 9476-3231 of any desk or workbench (approximate allowable table top thickness is 45mm. The fluoro can be turned on or off by a head-mounted switch connected to a 2metre length mains cord and plug. Replacement tubes are readily available from most lighting stores. For more details on the Desk Mount Magnifier Lamp (QM-3525) contact any Jaycar Electronics store or call Jaycar Electronics 8-10 Leeds Street Rhodes, NSW 2138 Ph: (02) 9743 5222 Fax: (02) 9743 2066 February 1999  53 Portable colour oscilloscopes from Yokogawa Not many of us put up with monochrome TV these days – so why put up with a monochrome oscilloscope? Yokogawa has two lightweight portable scopes which have a DC-150MHz analog bandwidth, four input channels, a maximum sampling rate of 200MS/second ... and 6.4-inch colour TFT displays. There are two models, the DL1540C and the DL1540CL, the latter being a long-memory model. The “C” model can capture signals using a record length of 120Kword, while the “CL” stores signals up to 2Mword. Both feature a zoom function which can display up to eight traces simultaneously with the captured trace and zoomed trace able to be displayed at the same time. They also have a “history” function which allows the last 100 displays to be recalled. A built-in floppy disk drive allows waveform data, panel setting information and screen dumps to be saved for later use. Screen images can be output in HPGL, PostScript, TIFF and BMP formats. Printing of colour screen images is also possible using an external colour printer connected via a GPIB/Centronics adaptor. Also available is an optional built-in thermal printer. For further information, contact Yokogawa Australia on (02) 9805 0699; fax (02) 9888 1844 or e-mail measurement<at>yokogawa.com.au Central Coast Amateur Radio Field Day Just a reminder: Australia’s largest field day, with new and used radio and communications equipment for sale, is on Sunday, February 28 at Wyong Race Course, Howarth Street. Wyong. Wyong station is an easy walk away. For further information, contact the Central Coast Amateur Radio Club’s website, www.ccarc.org.au, or call the club on (02) 4340 2500. Free EMC wall chart for labs and test centres A highly informative wallchart covering emission standards and methods for RF radiated electromagnetic compatibility is now available free of charge from Westek Industrial Products. Westek is the Australian distributor of Schaffner-Chase EMC Instrumentation. This is the first in a series which will cover all aspects of testing to EMC standards. The chart is intended for laboratories or test offices where EMC testing is carried out. Along with the scope and required tests and equpment for the common, worldwide commercial standards, the chart covers emission limits and technical data such as field strength conversion tables. For your copy, or more information, contact Westek Industrial Products Pty Ltd, Unit 2, 6-10 Maria Street, Laverton North, Vic 3026. Phone (03) 9369 8802; fax (03) 9369 8006. What a rat! World of Robotics, the people who supply a range of robotic kits to build (see Silicon Chip December 1998) have available another rather interesting robot product called “The Duct Rat”. It is a highly manoeuverable visual inspection robot equipped with a high resolution colour video camera feeding back to a control unit which also incorporates a Sony colour monitor and VHS video recorder. As its name suggests, the Duct Rat is intended for inspecting ducts and pipes, detecting faults and damage. It can 54  Silicon Chip also be fitted with “dual-wip” (as shown) or “tri-wip” cleaning heads to clean out material and build-ups in ducts and pipes. Other applications suggested include law enforcement and investigation of hazardous areas or materials. Fitted with tank-track (belt-type) drive, the Duct Rat is “driven” from the control panel via a 22-metre cable. It is operated by low voltage for operator safety, with low voltage halogen lights providing illumination for the video camera. Designed and made in Australia by Stanton Robotics, the basic vehicle is 264mm long, 166mm wide and 145mm high and weighs 5kg. For further information, contact World of Robotics, 110 Mt Pleasant Rd, Belmont, Vic 3216. Phone (03) 5241 9581; fax (03) 5241 9089; e-mail frances<at>mail.austasia.net Yamaha’s new home theatre A/V receiver Yamaha’s new “flagship” receiver, the RX-V2095, has no less than seven channels of amplification – five at 100W each for home theatre and 2 x 25W for effects channels. Intended for state-of-the-art home theatre applications, the receiver features Tri-Field/Duo-Field Cinema DSP, HiFi DSP, DTS Digital Surround and Dolby Digital processing. It incorporates 36 surround sound field programs that handle everything from movies, music videos and sports programs along with six hifi DSP programs based on data from actual performance venues. Analog inputs are provided for phono, CD, tape/MD, DVD/LD, TV/ DBS, 2x VCRs and Video Aux. Digital inputs are provided for CD (both coax and optical) and Tape, DVD/LD and TV/DBS (all optical). Composite video and S-video inputs are catered for with DVD/LD, TV/DBS, 2 x VCRs and Video Aux. Outputs include extensive speaker configurations, preamp outputs, a Compact JBL home theatre speakers With a size of just 140 x 254 x 156mm (w x h x d), the new HLS410 2-way compact speakers from JBL are the smallest members of the JBL HLS range. Rated at 8 ohms, and with a frequency response (±3dB) of 75Hz to 20kHz, the speakers suit amplifiers in the 15-100W power range. Sensitivity is 86dB/W <at> 1m (driven with 2.83V RMS). The woofer is a 100mm co-injection moulded model while the tweeter is a 10mm polycarbonate dome type attached to a constant-directivity horn. Crossover is at 3kHz. The speakers are claimed to be suited for use as rear speakers in a home theatre system or as the front left and right speakers. Shielding allows the speakers to be safely placed near a TV set in an A/V system. For more information, contact the Australian distributor for JBL speakers, Convoy International Pty Ltd, Phone (02) 9700 0111; fax (02) 9700 0000, e-mail hifi<at>convoy.com. au, or visit the Convoy website, www.convoy.com.au composite video monitor output and a mono sub-woofer output. The RX-V2095 also has an impressive range of system connection options. Two remote contols are included: a multi-command learning-capable remote control for the main listening area plus one for a second zone. The main zone and second zone can simultaneously access different audio sources. The RX-V2095 is available in two finishes: black, with a recommended retail price of $2999 and gold at $3299. Both have similarly-styled cases and feature on-screen displays. For further information, contact Yamaha Music Australia, 17-33 Market St, South Melbourne Vic 3205. Phone (03) 9693 5111; fax (03) 9699 2332. Information is also available at www.yamaha.com Jaycar distributes Vulkan gas soldering tools Jaycar Electronics has been appointed the exclusive Australian distributor for the professional “Vulkan” range of gas-powered soldering tools. The Vulkan cordless gas soldering iron can deliver the equivalent of a 135W electric iron. It is made in Ireland from a lightweight plastic and weighs just 110 grams. The iron uses catalytic conversion for most of its applications. Fuel is standard butane gas, stored in the tool’s translucent handle for level indication. Each refill provides three hours continuous use at a typical setting for electronics soldering. Gas flow is adjustable for a tip temperature of 400°C to 1,200°C. T h e Vu l k a n iron has a 12 month warranty and is available in two forms – a stand-alone version (tool, cap and 2.4mm chisel tip), cat no TS1200 selling for $89.00, or as a $129 professional tool kit (quality plastic case, stand, soldering tool, flame tip, hot blow tip, deflector for hot blow, hot knife tip, cleaning sponge, 2 metal storage trays, cap and 2.4mm soldering tip), Cat No TS-1205. A range of tips and accessories is also available. For more information, contact Jaycar Electronics, 8-10 Leeds St Rhodes NSW 2138. Phone (02) 9743 5222; fax: (02) 9743 2066. February 1999  55