Silicon ChipMarket Centre - February 2015 SILICON CHIP
  1. Outer Front Cover
  2. Contents
  3. Publisher's Letter: Electronics affects every area of society - why not debate it?
  4. Feature: Look Mum, No Hands: It’s The AirWheel by Ross Tester
  5. Feature: Reach For The Sky . . . And Way, Way Beyond, Pt.1 by Dr David Maddison
  6. Project: 6-Digit Retro Nixie Clock Mk.2, Pt.1 by Nicholas Vinen
  7. Feature: What’s In A Spark? – Measuring The Energy by Dr Hugo Holden
  8. Project: Spark Energy Meter For Ignition Checks, Pt.1 by Dr Hugo Holden
  9. PartShop
  10. Review: 3-Way USB Scope Shoot-out by Jim Rowe
  11. Project: CGA-To-VGA Video Converter by Ewan Wordsworth
  12. Subscriptions
  13. Vintage Radio: The Philco T7 transistor portable radio by Ian Batty
  14. Market Centre
  15. Advertising Index
  16. Outer Back Cover

This is only a preview of the February 2015 issue of Silicon Chip.

You can view 36 of the 104 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:
  • Reach For The Sky . . . And Way, Way Beyond, Pt.1 (February 2015)
  • Reach For The Sky... And Way, Way Beyond, Pt.2 (March 2015)
Items relevant to "6-Digit Retro Nixie Clock Mk.2, Pt.1":
  • Nixie Clock Mk2 PCBs [19102151/2] (AUD $20.00)
  • PIC32MX170F256B-I/SP programmed for the Nixie Clock Mk2 [1910215G.HEX] (Programmed Microcontroller, AUD $15.00)
  • VK2828U7G5LF TTL GPS/GLONASS/GALILEO module with antenna and cable (Component, AUD $25.00)
  • Firmware (HEX) file and C source code for the Nixie Clock Mk2 [1910215G.HEX] (Software, Free)
Articles in this series:
  • 6-Digit Retro Nixie Clock Mk.2, Pt.1 (February 2015)
  • 6-Digit Retro Nixie Clock Mk.2, Pt.2 (March 2015)
Items relevant to "What’s In A Spark? – Measuring The Energy":
  • Spark Energy Meter PCBs [05101151/2] (AUD $20.00)
  • Spark Energy Meter calibrator PCB [05101153] (AUD $5.00)
  • Spark Energy Meter PCB patterns (PDF download) [05101151/2] (Free)
  • Spark Energy Meter panel artwork (PDF download) (Free)
Articles in this series:
  • What’s In A Spark? – Measuring The Energy (February 2015)
  • Spark Energy Meter For Ignition Checks, Pt.1 (February 2015)
  • Spark Energy Meter For Ignition Checks, Pt.2 (March 2015)
Items relevant to "Spark Energy Meter For Ignition Checks, Pt.1":
  • Spark Energy Meter PCBs [05101151/2] (AUD $20.00)
  • Spark Energy Meter calibrator PCB [05101153] (AUD $5.00)
  • Spark Energy Meter PCB patterns (PDF download) [05101151/2] (Free)
  • Spark Energy Meter panel artwork (PDF download) (Free)
Articles in this series:
  • What’s In A Spark? – Measuring The Energy (February 2015)
  • Spark Energy Meter For Ignition Checks, Pt.1 (February 2015)
  • Spark Energy Meter For Ignition Checks, Pt.2 (March 2015)

Purchase a printed copy of this issue for $10.00.
MARKET CENTRE Cash in your surplus gear. Advertise it here in SILICON CHIP KIT ASSEMBLY & REPAIR VINTAGE RADIO REPAIRS: electrical mechanical fitter with 36 years ex­ perience and extensive knowledge of valve and transistor radios. Professional and reliable repairs. All workmanship guaranteed. $10 inspection fee plus charges for parts and labour as required. Labour fees $35 p/h. Pensioner discounts available on application. Contact Alan on 0425 122 415 or email bigal radioshack<at>gmail.com KEITH RIPPON KIT ASSEMBLY & REPAIR: * Australia & New Zealand; * Small production runs. Phone Keith 0409 662 794. keith.rippon<at>gmail.com FOR SALE MOVING SALE: bargains galore on our new website. We have to reduce our stock. Audio & video equipment, cables, components, mag’s, books, etc. www.questronix.com.au PCBs & Micros: SILICON CHIP can supply PCBs and programmed microcontrollers for recent projects: www. siliconchip.com.au or (02) 9939 3295. PCBs MADE, ONE OR MANY. Any format, hobbyists welcome. Sesame Electronics Phone 0434 781 191. sesame<at>sesame.com.au www.sesame.com.au VALVE EQUIPMENT/RESOURCES: Free but you pay freight. Bases, chokes, capacitors, books, etc. Three boxes worth (each 40 x 40 x 30cm). List on request. robertd052<at>gmail.com PCB MANUFACTURE: single to multi­ layer. Bare board tested. One-offs to any quantity. 48 hour service. Artwork design. Excellent prices. Check out our specials: www.ldelectronics.com.au tronixlabs.com - Australia’s best value for hobbyist and enthusiast electronics from adafruit, DFRobot, Freetronics, Raspberry Pi, Seeedstudio and more, with same-day shipping. LEDs: BRAND NAME and generic LEDs. Heatsinks, fans, LED drivers, power supplies, LED ribbon, kits, com- WORLDWIDE ELECTRONIC COMPONENTS After 30 years am closing down, so massive price reductions to clear stock. 1/4 Watt Resistors $0.55 per 100; 0.6W 1% Metal Film Resistors $1.10 per 100; Batteries & PCB Products – Perth Metro or Pick Up Only. All other items 50% off Catalogue Price. Minimum Purchase $11.00 + Freight. www.iinet.net.au/~worcom SURPLUS TECHNOLOGY • Video Cameras • Video Lenses • Test & Measurement Equipment • Power Supplies • Diodes • Resistors • Valves • Workbenches • Desoldering Machines • Gold Plated Nails for bed of nails PCB testing • Hydrogen Fuel Cell and Gas Bottle www.electronicsurplus.technology ponents, hardware, tritium markers. We can order almost anything in! www. ledsales.com.au WANTED WANTED: EARLY HIFIs, AMPLIFIERS, Speakers, Turntables, Valves, Books, Quad, Leak, Pye, Lowther, Ortofon, SME, Western Electric, Altec, Marantz, McIntosh, Tannoy, Goodmans, Wharfe­ dale, radio and wireless. Collector/ Hobbyist will pay cash. (07) 5471 1062. johnmurt<at>highprofile.com.au ADVERTISING IN MARKET CENTRE Classified Ad Rates: $32.00 for up to 20 words plus 95 cents for each additional word. Display ads in Market Centre (minimum 2cm deep, maximum 10cm deep): $82.50 per column centimetre per insertion. All prices include GST. Closing date: 5 weeks prior to month of sale. To book, email the text to silicon<at>siliconchip.com.au and include your name, address & credit card details, or phone Glyn (02) 9939 3295 or 0431 792 293. Ask SILICON CHIP . . . continued from page 102 honestly, I’m looking for something a little more sophisticated. Is there a Dev environment for the PIC that uses, for example, C? Would you recommend one that wasn’t BASIC? (T. B. Belconnen, ACT). • We asked the designer, Geoff Graham, to reply: If you are looking for a C programming environment for the PIC, you cannot beat the Microchip siliconchip.com.au MPLAB X Integrated Development Environment and their XC series of compilers. They are full-functioned and there are free versions available. However, be warned. Programming in the C language can be complex and difficult – that is why we developed MMBasic which is much easier to use. Reducing the gain of the headphone amplifier Is there a way to make the 2005 Studio Series Headphone Amplifier have zero gain? I love running it with the SILICON CHIP valve preamp however there is simply too much gain and volume. Still on the subject of valves, is there any chance a valve headphone amplifier will be published? As much as I’d like to try the Currawong I simply can’t afford the kit cost even though it’s cheap for a valve amplifier; $700 is simply too much for me (R. K., via email). • You can reduce the gain of the Nocontinued page 104 February 2015  103