Electronics Now articles from July 1999

Electronics Now archives from July 1999

Monitor high voltage problems.
July 1, 1999... In addition to the obvious "monitor screen is as black as a coal mine" symptom, problems in the high-voltage power supply can result in a variety of brightness, raster geometry, and other picture problems as well as arcing corona, or other...

Hello, again!(listening to shortwave radio broadcasts)
July 1, 1999... Don Jensen may be new to electronics now but he's been around shortwave listening since 1947, when at age 11, he tuned his first SW stations on an old "all-band" console radio. For a number of years, his "DX Listening" column has been a regular...

Tiny pill monitors vital signs from the inside.
July 1, 1999... By the end of this year, a NASA-developed "pill transmitter" is expected to begin monitoring mothers and their babies following corrective fetal surgery. The "pill" will monitor body temperature, pressure and other vital signs in the womb,...

Ultracapacitors charge ahead.(new single-cell ultracapacitors)
July 1, 1999... Building upon an existing research patent in conducting polymers, Los Alamos scientists have created a new single-cell ultracapacitor with high-energy density - meaning it can hold a lot of energy in a small volume. The prototype...

Eyes in the sky.(new satellite instrument)
July 1, 1999... A new satellite instrument was recently rolled out of its calibration vacuum tank after almost five months of pre-launch instrument calibration work at Los Alamos National Laboratory. The Multispectral Thermal Imager (MTI) carries instruments...

Restoring a classic Philco cathedral.
July 1, 1999... In the last column, we concluded a discussion of the impact, on radio set design, of the great depression of the 1930s. With the advent of super-efficient pentode tubes and the increase in the number and size of broadcast stations, it was now...

Digital audio and MP3.
July 1, 1999... Multimedia files are large - really large. A half-hour of full-motion, full-screen video could consume over a gigabyte of storage space. CD-quality audio, while not as bandwidth intensive, still manages to fill up a little over half a gig per...

Matrix Multimedia PICtutor CD-ROM.(programmable integrated circuits)
July 1, 1999... PICs, or Programmable Integrated Circuits, are unique little microcontrollers that are used in all types of circuitry. Their economy and scale is perfect for controlling circuits that are not too involved. Most readers of this magazine are...

Become the "life of the party" with the DJ MixMaster: this portable mixing board is equally at home at a party, in the studio, or anywhere that you need to work with audio.
July 1, 1999... If, like the author, you've done much work with audio in a studio or with live sound, you've probably been asked by friends or clients at one time or another if you could do some "on-site" work at a remote location or if you could "DJ" their...

Measuring inductors and capacitors at RF frequencies.
July 1, 1999... At low frequencies, measuring inductance and/or capacitance is no big deal, but get to RF frequencies and things get a lot more interesting. The techniques needed to measure the values of inductors (L) and capacitors (C) at radio...

"Sniff" out transmitters with the RF informant.(radio frequencies)
July 1, 1999... Do more than search for transmitters with this pocket-sized RF-strength meter. Mention the phrase "transmitter detector" and the first image that comes to mind is probably one of searching for hidden surveillance microphones, or "bugs"....

A super-safe smart crosswalk: here's a new safety system that can keep you from getting that "run-down" feeling when crossing a busy street.
July 1, 1999... Crossing a busy street, especially at night, can be a dangerous affair, but it is also one that could soon be a lot safer. That's because the new "LightGuard System Smart Crosswalk" warning system makes it much easier for drivers to know when...

How to succeed in soldering: using the right soldering tools along with tried and proven techniques are the keys to getting great solder joints every time.
July 1, 1999... With proper techniques and just basic equipment, an individual should be able to achieve a perfect solder joint each and every time. What's more, that joint should be formed in about three to four seconds after applying the iron. That said,...

EIS impedance spectroscopy, new current sensors, and more.(electrochemical impedance spectroscopy)
July 1, 1999... This month, we might look at an Arcane new field known as EIS (electrochemical impedance spectroscopy), which just might lead to a few fascinating papers and lots of exciting opportunities. But before we do, perhaps we should once again go...