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PRODUCT SHOWCASE Weighty MCSE tomes from DSE Heavy in both senses of the word – content as well as mass – are these three Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE) certification textbooks available through Dick Smith Electronics stores. The MCSE is a globally-recognised examination and certification system in which the candidate has demonstrated proficiency in a variety of Microsoft’s software and firm-ware. Such qualifications are often a pre-requisite to employment in the technical computer areas and successful candidates are much sought-after. Candidates must pass four required and two elective exams to attain MCSE status. While the books are not written by Microsoft they are certified as “approved study guides” by the juggernaut. The three books on offer from DSE are the Cat B-7300 720-page Windows NT Workstation 4.0 study guide (leading to exam 70-73), the Cat B-7302 550-page Networking Essentials study guide (exam 70-58) and the Cat B-7301 700-page Windows NT Server 4.0 study guide (exam 70-67). Each of the titles also includes a 4-decade RF probe CD-ROM containing over 1000 sample exam questions, interactive exams and even the option of studying the entire book on screen using your web browser. The books are all priced at $79.95 (pre-GST) which is very good value for money – and not just for the content. When you take into account the US price of $49.99 – on exchange rates alone, without freight or other import costs, this should make the price in Australia well over $85.00. Contact: Dick Smith Electronics (all stores) Website: www.dse.com.au For more information on the MCSE, visit www.microsoft.com/train_cert/ Aptly-named RF Probes Pty Ltd have introduced a passive RF probe, the RFP 5401A, for the measurement of in-circuit RF voltages. It has a sensitivity of 10mV and a frequency response of 100kHz to 750MHz (or to 1GHz or more with reduced sensitivity). Linearity is 500mV out for 500mV in <at> 1MHz (typical) while the maximum input permissible is 70V RMS (100V pk). With a fine, high tensile steel probe tip the RFP5401A is suitable for probing surface mount components or fine PC board tracks and pads with no blunting after repeated applications. It has a ground lead (mandatory for high frequencies) and output leads with standard banana plugs for direct connection to any standard digital multimeter on a DC volts range (with an input impedance of 10MΩ or greater). Contact: RF Probes Pty Ltd PO Box 6, Greensborough Vic 3088 Phone: (03) 9432 1936 Fax: (03) 9444 7750 Email: sales<at>rfprobes.com.au Website: www.rfprobes.com.au Oops! “When there's a bargain, word soon gets around…” We said that back in the July issue of SILICON CHIP, where we featured the $50 home satellite TV system from Av-Comm. Their switchboard went into meltdown mode microseconds after the magazine went on sale. All 400 systems that Garry Cratt had managed to get hold of were sold out in just four days! Yes, 400! He left a message on his answering machine telling customers this – but was still receiving faxed orders at the rate of about 50 a day as this issue went to press. We realise, of course, that means there are many disappointed readers – we all dramatically underestimated the incredible demand the article would produce. 80  Silicon Chip While there are no more $50 systems left, to try to keep faith with readers Garry searched hard and found some much newer, recently decomissioned analog systems. The price is a lot higher – $250 each inc GST, plus p&p – but this gets you a much more modern analog receiver (as pictured) in as-new condition and a brand new 85cm offset dish. The receiver, by the way, offers stereo audio, RF output as well as video/audio and has a remote control. You’d have to agree that’s pretty good value for money – not quite as good as $50, but good nevertheless! Once again, stocks are quite limited so if you missed out last time, you know what to do. Run, don’t walk to your fax machine or computer and order your system(s) – fax number is (02) 9939 4376 or email (cgarry <at>avcomm.com.au). No phone orders will be accepted – they’re too busy sending out satellite systems to talk on the phone! Of course, you can also order by snail mail (Av-Comm Pty Ltd, PO Box 225, Balgowlah NSW 2093). Good luck! New range of pro video batteries, chargers Premier Batteries has released a range of “NPI” high performance batteries intended to replace the manufacturer’s cells in professional broadcast cameras and similar demanding equipment – at a much lower cost than the original. Higher levels of performance are also achieved. The packs are 12V or 13.2V and range in capacity from 1.8Ah in Nickel Cadmium to 3.8Ah in Nickel Metal Hydride. Extended running times are achieved using packs fitted with the latest high-capacity cells. For safety and performance, all high capacity packs are fitted with excess temperature or current protection. The NPI Professional range are compatible with the range of video application chargers – System 90, IQfive and 10 Charger/Ananlysers. Premier Batteries offer a broad range of replacement batteries and cells to suit a huge variety of equipment. Contact: Premier Batteries Unit 19, 15 Childs Rd, Chipping Norton NSW 2170. Phone: (02) 9755 1845 Fax: (02) 9755 1354 Email: premierbat<at>one.net.au website: www.livenet.com.au/premier Mini worker works – cheaply! Most hobbyists and workshops have a reasonable selection of power tools. But there are times when the power drill or angle grinder simply isn’t appropriate – either because their use would be overkill or just because small size matters. Drilling PC boards is one example which springs to mind. This tiny tool from Jaycar could be exactly the right tool for a wide variety of small jobs – drilling, shaping, smoothing, grinding – and more. It’s just the right shape and weight to hold in one hand, gripped like an oversize pen. Its powerful motor spins at around 14,000 rpm from a 12-18V DC supply (nominally 12V <at> 500mA). A 3.5mm socket is provided at the back end for power which could come from a car battery, a workshop or lab bench supply or even a plug-pack with TOROIDAL TRANSFORMERS FOR SILICON CHIP AMPLIFIERS 15W CLASS A AMPLIFIER 80VA for single channel monoblock 240:2x21V/1.9A 160VA for amplifier as published 240:2x21V/3.8A 160VA low flux design + flux band 240:2x21V/3.8A 160VA low flux design + flux band 240:2x42Vct/1.9A ULTRA LOW THD 100W AMPLIFIER 160VA for single channel monoblock 240:2x35V/2.25A + 2x50V/0.1A 300VA for dual channel amplifier 240:2x35V/4.5A + 2x50V/0.1A $35.45 $42.50 $65.90 $74.40 $50.70 $60.45 500W MONO AMPLIFIER, as published 800VA 240:2x57V/7A $134.50 All prices include WST. Freight extra. HARBUCH ELECTRONICS PTY LTD Ph 02 9476 5854 Fx 02 9476 3231 enough “grunt”. The supplied grinding bit is said to be ideal for rust cleaning, sharpening, mould making and other types of metal grinding. It is supplied with two collettype chucks which accommodate shafts to 2.5mm. The best part of all is the low price – just $14.95 inc GST. Contact: Jaycar Electronics (all stores) Phone: (02) 9743 5222 Fax: (02) 9743 2066 email: techstore<at>jaycar.com.au website: www.jaycar.com.au PropMan HF Propagation Forecaster Program on CD The newly updated Propman 2000 HF Propagation Resource Manager program from Rockwell Collins identifies and displays the best channels for an HF communications link to and from virtually any points on the globe. Operating in a graphical Windows environment (95/98/NT/2000), it dramatically improves communications quality and reliability and is ideal for any HF radio operation. Features include a real-time plot update to user-changed HF link parameters (simplifies complex HF propagation predictions), display of current frequency summaries and recommendations, the ability to track, analyse and store HF propagation for multiple user radio site pairs and the ability to link degradation warnings. The software, on CD-ROM, is available direct from Rockwell Collins in the US for $US99 (about $AU165 at press time). You can find out much more about PropMan 2000 and its features by visiting the PropMan website. Contact: Rockwell Collins PropMan Dept 120-130, 400 Collins Road NE, Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52498 USA. Phone: (0011) 319 295 5100 Fax: (0011) 319 295 4777 Email: collins<at>collins.rockwell.com Website: www.collins.rockwell. com/gs/products/ August 2000  81 Hitachi’s “next-generation” DVD ROM and RAM drives Hitachi claim their new DVD ROM and RAM drives, due for release this month, will revolutionise the way video and data is stored and could spell the end of tape for storage and video. The new GF-2000 DVD-RAM drive offers up to 9.4GB capacity and 22.16Mbps data transfer rate (2.77Mbytes/ sec). According to Hitachi, this drive can double as a data recorder and storage system, or as a video replay device, as well as having full backward compatibility with older generation RAM, ROM and CD drives. Of particular note is the new drive which can read either the standard 12cm DVD disks (same size as “normal” CDs) as well as the new mini 8cm video DVD disk recently announced by Maxell. Hitachi have also released a DVD ROM (read only) which has a read capability of up to 12 times (depending on format) and at forty times CD speed. It is also compatible with single and double layered DVD ROM media, DVD-R, CD-R, CD-RW and standard CD-ROM. PICO data logging EnviroMon, distributed by Emona Instruments, is an extremely versatile, expandable data logging and alarm system, ideal for real time monitoring of a wide range of parameters such as temperature, humidity, pressure and energy usage over large areas. Applications include food storage & preparation, medical sample storage, document archive/art storage, horticulture, climatic monitoring, computer rooms and energy management. The logger that can store up to 15,000 readings taken at intervals from one minute to four hours. It automatically displays the reading from each sensor in turn and sounds an internal alarm should a problem arise. Detailed or summary reports can be sent to a computer for long-term storage and graphical analysis. Back-up batteries continues recording for up to 24 hours if the mains power fails. An optional telephone auto dialler can be programmed with a list of emergency numbers that it will call when there is a problem. Each logger is supplied with EnviroMon for Windows software, which is used to configure the system, download data to a computer, store data and provide graphical analysis of data. Contact: Emona Instruments Phone: (02) 9519-3933 Fax: (02) 9550-1378 e-mail testinst<at>emona.com.au 82  Silicon Chip LE Contact: Hitachi Australia Ltd 13-15 Lyonpark Rd, North Ryde NSW 2113 Phone: (02) 9888 4100 Fax: (02) 9888 4188 Website: www.hitachi.com.au Mitsubishi’s “no tape” time-lapse video recorder Most time-lapse video recorders on the market are simply adaptations of conventional VCRs, with all their limitations. Not so the new Mitsubishi DX-TL900E: it’s all digital. Not just digital recording: no tapes! Some of the most advanced digital recording features have been incorporated into the new recorder. High resolution playback (over 400 horizontal lines) is possible thanks to the digital technology using JPEG compression. When close-ups of crucial areas of security are required (cash registers, for example) the recorder has an electronic zoom function. It also has a watermarking feature designed to safeguard images. The unit also incorporates a nine camera input multiplexer which can display all inputs in split screen for non-simultaneous throughput and camera feeds from 1, 4 or 9 cameras on split screen sequential playback. A 10GB hard disk is included for high reliability and high speed operation, with another three external hard drives as options giving a massive 106GB total recording medium. Different cameras can be programmed to record at various times of the day using the Timer Program Link, and the unit can perform backup and copy operation without interrupting recording. DDS, DVD-RAM or MO can be used as the backup media. Contact: Mitsubishi Electric Australia Phone: (02) 9684 7777 Fax: (02 9898 0484 Website: www.mitsubishi electric.com.au Tiny, high pressure 12V liquid pump Dick Smith Electronics have one of those items which many people have wanted over the years but have never known where to go to get one! It’s a high pressure, 12V DC pump which can be used for anything from water to thin oil. With a flow rate of three litres per minute and a head of around two metres, the pump is also ideal for garden water features and other d-i-y applications. The motor speed is 16,000 rpm and the pump draws about 2A at 12V DC. Data and application notes are supplied with each unit. They’re available at all Dick Smith Electronics stores and DSE PowerHouse stores and DSE Mail Order for $19.95 inc GST. ECTRONICSHOWCASELECT 3990 FULL RANGE $ ELECTROSTATIC Now you can afford the legendary clarity, transparency, depth and precision of an electrostatic speaker. The new Vass ELS-5 is a full range electrostatic speaker, able to faithfully reproduce frequencies from 40Hz-20kHz. • 5 Year Warranty • Wide range of custom finishes. • Individually hand built & tested. 1/42-44 Garden Bvde, Dingley 3172 Pyramid subwoofer Ph 03 9558 0970 Fax 03 9558 0082 separately available email: vass<at>hotkey.net.au Do you want YOUR product or service showcased to Australasia's most important electronics marketplace? CALL ME: RICK WINKLER on (02) 9979 5644 and let me explain how cost effective the SILICON CHIP ELECTRONICS SHOWCASE can be for YOU! EMC Technologies' internationally recognised Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) test facilities are fully accredited for emissions, immunity and safety standards. EMC Technologies Melbourne: (03) 9335 3333 Sydney: (02) 9899 4599 MicroZed Computers GENUINE STAMP PRODUCTS FROM Scott Edwards Electronics microEngineering Labs & others Easy to learn, easy to use, sophisticated CPU based controllers & peripherals. PO Box 634, ARMIDALE 2350 (296 Cook’s Rd) Ph (02) 6772 2777 – may time out to Mobile 0409 036 775 Fax (02) 6772 8987 http://www.microzed.com.au Most Credit Cards OK M croGram Computers August 2000  83