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PRODUCT SHOWCASE
Another Av-Comm enthusiast satellite receiver bargain!
SILICON CHIP readers will recall the
last time Av-Comm’s Garry Cratt got
his hands on a disposals shipment of
analog satellite receivers and dishes
(July 2000) – and sold them out in just
a few days (much to many people’s
angst!).
Well, he’s done it again. This time,
there are no dishes – it’s strictly receivers only – but the receivers are
in either brand new or as-new condition.
He has several hundred, 19-inch
rack mount analog satellite receivers,
suitable for analog satellite and amateur TV applications. These receivers
were made in Japan by DX Antenna
and feature pushbutton PLL synthesised tuning, with transponder /audio
subcarrier frequency display.
They have a signal strength
meter, video and audio line level
adjustments, IF bandwidth and
frequency programming controls (including lock) accessible
from the front panel.
Frequency increments are in
100, 10 and 1 MHz steps, in the
range 950-1450MHz.
The rear panel has composite video,
baseband and balanced audio outputs, as well as LNB power ON/OFF,
and video de-emphasis switching.
National Instruments moves Aust. HQ to Sydney
National Instruments plans to
relocate their Australian headquarters from its present location in
Melbourne to new offices in Sydney.
The move, scheduled for completion
by February 2003, helps NI Australia
meet the needs of its growing customer base in the New South Wales
region.
The move to Sydney reflects National Instruments continued growth
and long-term investment in their operations in Australia, New Zealand,
and around the world.
NI Australia will continue to op-
erate a sales office in Melbourne but
the new Sydney headquarters will
include a convenient technical support and repair center and the largest
NI training center in Australia.
In addition to the move, the Australian office has appointed a new
branch manager, Jeremy Carter, an
eight-year veteran of NI Australia.
Contact:
National Instruments Australia
PO Box 466, Ringwood Vic 3143
Ph (03) 9879 5166 Fax (03) 9879 6277
Website: www.ni.com/australia
NEW!
HC-5 hi-res Vid
eo
Distribution
Amplifier
DVS5
Video & Audio
Distribution
Amplifier
Five identical Video and Stereo outputs
plus h/phone & monitor out. S-Video &
Composite versions available.
Professional quality.
For broadcast, audiovisual and film
industries. Wide bandwidth, high output and
unconditional stability with hum-cancelling
circuitry, front-panel video gain and cable eq
adjustments. 240V AC, 120V AC or 24V DC.
VGS2
Graphics
Splitter
High resolution 1in/2out VGA splitter.
Comes with 1.5m HQ cable and 12V
supply. Custom-length HQ VGA
cables also available.
Check our NEW website for latest prices and MONTHLY SPECIALS
www.questronix.com.au
Email: questav<at>questronix.com.au
Video Processors, Colour Correctors, Stabilisers, TBC’s, Converters, etc.
QUESTRONIX
www.siliconchip.com.au
All mail: PO Box 348, Woy Woy NSW 2256
Ph (02) 4343 1970 Fax (02) 4341 2795
Visitors by appointment only
There is also a baseband drive level
control, and a switchable 10dB input
attenuator.
If required, Av-Comm can also
supply the user manual and circuit
diagrams for these receivers. And
needless to say, if you do need a dish
and mounting hardware, Av-Comm can
help you out there – at the right price.
Once again it’s strictly while stocks
last (remember the rush last time!).
These receivers are available for $55ea,
including GST. Freight is extra and
depends on the number ordered, the
freight method and the destination.
Contact:
Av-Comm
PO Box 225, Brookvale NSW 2100
Ph: (02) 9939 4377 Fax: (02) 9939 4376
Website: www.avcomm.com.au
World’s first siliconbased RF capacitors
Vishay Intertechnology, Inc has
released the first silicon-based RF
capacitors, a technology breakthrough
that boosts electrical performance
while greatly reducing the board space
required for circuitry in cell phones
and other wireless communication
systems.
The new HPC0402A capacitors
provide the same broad range of
capacitance values as conventional
capacitors (0.6pF up to 180pF with
tolerance to ±1% or 0.05pF) while
delivering superior stability over a
wide frequency range, high Q factors,
low ESR values and highly accurate
dimensions. They are available in 6-V,
10-V, 16-V, and 25-V options.
Typical applications for the new
devices will include wireless communications, GPS, VCO, filter and
matching networking, and power amplifiers.
Contact:
Vishay Intertechnology Inc.
Malvern, Pennsylvania, USA
Ph: 0011 1 610 251-5287
Website: www.vishay.com
November 2002 53
TFT LCD industrial monitors
models, with or without touchscreens.
Enclosure styles include Panelmount
IP65, Panelmount IP65 Stainless, Panelmount IP54, Rackmount and Wallmount. Touchscreen options include
capacitive, resistive and SAW in both
RS-232 and USB interfaces.
The Vector range is manufactured by
Aydin Displays in the United States.
For more the 25 years, Aydin Displays
have been the leading supplier of
Industrial and Military Touchscreen
Displays in the US. Their web site is
at www.aydin-industrial.com
Intelligent Systems Australia has
announced the release of the Vector
range of industrial TFT LCD monitors
in Australia.
They are available in 15" and 18"
Contact:
Intelligent Systems Australia
PO Box 27, Cockatoo Vic 3781
Ph: (03) 5968 0117 Fax: (03) 5868 0119
Web: www.intelligentsystems.com.au
LCD projector remote controller
JED Microprocessors have released
a dedicated, microprocessor-powered
controller for LCD Data and Video
Projectors. The fully programmable
controller can handle more than 75
of the most popular projectors on the
market, including Hitachi, NEC, Mitsu-bishi, Epson, Sanyo, Proxima and
ASK – and can also be programmed to
handle less popular models.
It is housed on a plastic plate the
size of a standard power outlet and in
fact uses a power outlet mounting box
for fixing in permanent or semi-permanent positions. It operates from
9-15V DC.
The T460 communicates with the
projector via a 3-wire RS232 link
(a future model is planned to have
infrared control). It is designed to be
mounted in a convenient position
(eg, on the speaker’s lectern) to give
complete “remote control” to the projector. The simplicity of operation of
the T460 means that presenters who
are unfamiliar with A/V equipment
do not need an audio/visual assistant/
operator to run a “show”.
Four push-buttons handle all the
controller’s functions with an LCD
screen to tell you what’s happening. At the heart of the controller
is the Wilke Tiger CPU, running
multi-tasking compiled BASIC in
a 20MHz CPU, with 512Kbyte of
FLASH memory. It can easily be reprogrammed in-situ via a serial cable.
Future software upgrades (from the
54 Silicon Chip
Personal alcohol
breathalyser
JED website) are planned to handle
even more projectors.
Up to eight sources of signal can be
selected, simply by stepping through
a menu displayed on the LCD screen.
Audio can also be controlled with audio control signals sent to the projector
along with the video source and power
control signals. If a companion T461
audio attenuator/mixer is installed,
audio levels can be controlled and
selected in step with source select
signals sent to the video projector.
Relay outputs in this box can also
be used for such things as motorised
screens, curtains, light dimmers and
so on.
Contact:
JED Microprocessors
PO Box 30, Boronia Vic 3155
Ph: (03) 9762 3588 Fax: (03) 9762 5499
Website: www.jedmicro.com.au
Drinking and driving continues
to be a major social problem within
Australia. One of the key reasons is
that people find it virtually impossible to identify if they are over the
limit or not. In many instances, it can
only take a few drinks to put someone
over the limit and often without them
realising it.
But now there is a product that takes
the guesswork out of this process.
It is called the Sober Check SC3000
Personal Alcohol Breathalyser and it
accurately measures the user’s blood
alcohol concentration (BAC), allowing
them to make an informed decision
about driving or not.
There are many factors that determine a person’s blood alcohol level,
but the SC3000 is claimed to be the
only personal device that can accurately measure it. The Sober Check SC3000
has been specifically calibrated to the
Australian legal limit.
At a lightweight 200 grams, it is
pocket-sized and easy to have on you
when you need it. Its accuracy level,
using the latest oxide sensor technology, is the highest available for a
consumer breathalyser (.01% at the
.10% BAC level). It is also reusable
time and time again – friends, family
and colleagues can use it by simply
changing the mouthpiece.
Recommended retail price is
$279.95
Contact:
Sober Check International
Suite 126, 184 Blues Pt Rd
McMahons Point NSW 2060
Ph: 1800 151 208
Website: www.sobercheck.com.au
www.siliconchip.com.au
“evolution” speakers: with extruded tubular
enclosures
Sydney-based Austube
Tubular Speaker Systems
have released their range
of “evolution” speakers
featuring extruded aluminium enclosures.
The extrusion is one
piece, with internal fins
and an acoustically optimised shape said to give
minimum internal reflections and colourations.
Included in the range are
the EVO3TW main tower
speakers which stand some
1.5 metres tall yet occupy
a footprint of just 320 x
320mm. These speakers
have four high-complinace
3-inch mid-range/woofers
with polypropylene/mica
cones, cast magnesium
baskets and fully magnetically shielded neodymium
magnet assemblies.
They are rated at 80W RMS with a
frequency response of 65 -20,000Hz.
The EVO3SUB2 and EVO3SUB2P
subwoofers are an integral part of the
setup. The difference between the
two is that the “SUB2” is self-powered (with a 100W amplifier) while
the SUB2P is not.
With a double-braced MDF bass
reflex enclusore, the SUB2 has a
frequency response of 35-200Hz
(adustable on the rear panel). The
size is 310 x 410 x 315mm.
Also shown in the system pictured
above are the EVO3AVR rear-channel speakers. Again, these are
based on the one-piece aluminium
extrusion and contain one 3-inch
midrange/woofer in a 300mm high
AUDIO MODULES
broadcast quality
Manufactured in Australia
Harbuch Electronics Pty Ltd
9/40 Leighton Pl. HORNSBY 2077
Ph (02) 9476-5854 Fx (02) 9476-3231
“Tradestart” sparks
electrical exporters
enclosure. A larger rear-channel
box, the EVO3AVR2 (not pictured),
contains four similar speakers in its
600mm height.
Rounding out the system is the
EVO3AVC centre-channel speaker.
Again, this is based on the aluminium extrusion and is 600mm wide,
100mm deep and 100mm high.
Standard body colours are red,
blue, pearl white, anodised and
black, while the grille colours are
white, silver and black. Other colours for both body and grille are
available on request.
Contact:
Austube Tubular Speaker Systems
Ph: (02) 9766 5588 Fax: (02) 9767 5577
Web: www.austube.com.au/evolution
Australian electrical, electronic and
information communications technology industries now have access to a
new national TradeStart office to assist
them break into overseas markets.
Trade Minister Mark Vaile said that
Austrade had signed a partnership
agreement with Australian Electrical
and Electronic Manufacturers’ Association (AEEMA) to establish the
new TradeStart office to help drive the
Government’s commitment to double
the number of Australian exporters in
five years.
The Australian electrical and electronic industry is a major generator of
jobs and export revenue for Australia.
Export revenue exceeded $4.9 billion
in 2000-01, some 3% of Australia’s
total exports.
Companies can contact the TradeStart office (operating out of Brisbane
but with a national focus) by telephoning (07) 3831 0993.
SC
Oatley’s ultrabrite ultrabrite LEDs
We used to think that 1000mCd
was pretty neat. And expensive. Now
Oatley Electronics have a range of
LEDs which are very, very bright – and
much cheaper!
All are 8-10Cd (yes, 800010,000mCd!) and the most you’ll pay
is $2.50 each for white ones. If you
want garden-variety yellow or red,
they’re only 70c and 80c each respectively!
Green ones sell for $2.10 each, Blue
www.siliconchip.com.au
for $2.20 each and UV are $1.60.
For more info, see Oatley’s website.
Contact:
Oatley Electronics
PO Box 89, Oatley NSW 2223
Ph: (02) 9485 3563 Fax: (02) 9584 3564
Website: www.oatleyelectronics.com
November 2002 55
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