Contents
Vol.33, No.6
June 2020
SILICON
CHIP
www.siliconchip.com.au
Features & Reviews
12 Open Source Ventilators
It was predicted that COVID-19 would create a world shortage in ventilators. But
all sorts of organisations, and even enthusiastic amateurs, jumped in to fill the
void – many in ingenious ways – by Dr David Maddison
32 Vintage Workbench
The Tektronix T130 LC Meter, Part 1 – by Alan Hampel
42 New w-i-d-e-b-a-n-d RTL-SDR modules, Part II
This month we’re looking at some of the GHz range SDR modules which also have
inbuilt upconverters for improved performance below 25MHz – by Jim Rowe
80 Review: Keysight’s N9918B “FieldFox” 26.5GHz Analyser
This new Network Spectrum Analyser adds the 100MHz real-time bandwidth
necessary to work with the 5G mobile technology – by Tim Blythman
92 Follow up: Arduino Day at Jaycar’s maker hub!
Social Distancing forced wide separation of participants but SILICON CHIP’s Nicholas
Vinen and Tim Blythman report very enthusiastic Arduino devotees.
Constructional Projects
24 Our new RCL Subsitution Box has touchscreen control
It offers really wide range, micro touchscreen control and can even scan through its
resistance, capacitance and inductance ranges – by Tim Blythman
46 Dead easy “Concreto” loudspeakers
Dead easy? We mean it: these high performing speakers (midrange and woofer) are
built in standard concrete construction blocks! – by Allan Linton-Smith
68 Tough Roadies’ Test Oscillator
Here’s a really handy and easy way to test and set up balanced and unbalanced
audio lines for PA, band and sound reinforcement use – by John Clarke
84 H-Field AM Radio Receiver Transanalyser, Part II
We introduced this AM radio test/alignment aid last month – now we put it together,
test it and show how to put it to use – by Dr Hugo Holden
Your Favourite Columns
61 Serviceman’s Log
Treadmill trials over trails – by Dave Thompson
94 Circuit Notebook
(1) Efficiently converting 12V AC/DC to 24V, 5V & 3.3V
(2) Simple I 2 C serial bus snooper
(3) Frequency divider with 50% duty cycle output
99 Vintage Radio
Tecnico 1259A – “The Pacemaker” – by Associate Professor Graham Parslow
Everything Else
2 Editorial Viewpoint
4 Mailbag – Your Feedback
79 Product Showcase
siliconchip.com.au
104 SILICON CHIP ONLINE SHOP
106
111
112
112
Ask SILICON CHIP
Market Centre
Advertising Index
Notes and Errata
Organisations and individuals all
around the world are turning their
attention to producing life saving
ventilators – such as this
AmboVent from Israel – Page 12
Our new
Micromite
BackPackbased RCL
Box is like
no other
you’ve ever
seen. Individual controlled
outputs for R, C and L – Page 24
A new column:
Vintage Workbench –
we start off with
the Venerable
Tektronics T130 LC
Meter, and how it
was brought back to
life – Page 32
These “Concreto”
loudspeakers are built
into standard concrete
construction blocks!
You won’t
believe how
good they
sound –
Page 46
Made tough to
stand up to
roadie abuse!
Generates a
440Hz tone to
test or set
up pro
sound
systems
– Page 68
With a bandwidth of
26.5GHz, Keysight’s
new N9918B Network
Spectrum Analyser is
aimed at professional
users, especially those
working in 5G – Page 80
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