Send announcements and press releases of your radio- related products,
books, and accessories for mention or review in the radio hobby's hottest
magazine. Send to: What's New? P.O. Box 98, Brasstown, NC 28902; fax 828-837-2216;
e-mail mteditor@grove-ent.com What's
New is edited by Rachel Baughn.
Cool Stuff for the Radio Buff
You may remember the ANC-4 RF Noise Canceller which was
regrettably discontinued a couple of years ago when JPS closed their amateur
radio division. Well, it's back! If you have problems with noise from power
lines, electric motors, TVs, or other home electronics interfering with your
radio reception, you'll be glad to know Timewave has put the product back on the
market. This digital noise canceller connects right to the antenna connector of
the receiver or transceiver to cancel locally generated noise before it gets
into the receiver and affects the receiver AGC circuits.
To cancel locally generated interference such as power line
or computer noise up to 40 dB, a short wire antenna or collapsible whip picks up
the local noise. The ANC-4 detects the interfering signal and adjusts its phase
and magnitude so that it matches the offending interference at the receiver
input, but is 180 degrees out of phase, effectively canceling the interference.
The front panel controls allow adjustment of both the phase and magnitude of the
local interference. For noises generated outside the home, it's better to use an
external antenna as the noise pick-up.
The ANC-4 operates as an active antenna by using the noise
antenna and the noise gain control to amplify the antenna output. The unit can
also be used as a diversity combiner to peak weak signals or null interfering
signals. Its effective frequency range is 500 kHz to 80 MHz, though it's usable
down to 100 kHz.
The Timewave ANC-4 Noise Canceller is available from Grove
Enterprises and other Timewave dealers for $199.95. For shipping and further
information call Grove Enterprises 1-800-438-8155, write 7540 Hwy 64 West,
Brasstown, NC 28902, or visit http://www.grove-ent.com.
For ham and commercial handie-talkies as well as hand-held
scanners, the Grove ANT-6 features a swivel BNC base, allowing the whip to be
used straight or turned to a right angle for those special applications.
Adjustable length from 6" to 16" allows frequency optimization. The
whip shows quarter-wave resonance at VHF hi band, and 3 dB gain or more over
rubber duckies at UHF. (Collapsed to 6" and straight, or extended to
16" and swiveled 90 degrees)
This
inexpensive but universally-appreciated accessory is only $19.95 from Grove
(contact info above).
Fun
Kits from Ramsey Electronics
For
education or just plain fun, here's the ideal gift for a budding scientist or
the hobbyist who already has everything. Although the VanDeGraff generator
produces up to 250,000 volts, it's perfectly safe. Create your own lightning and
have fun demonstrating all the effects of high voltage.
The
informative manual gives plenty of insight on high voltage theory and lots of
interesting experiments to try out for yourself. Perform the classic "hair
raising" demonstration where your hair will literally stand out on end!
Turn out the lights and amaze everyone by safely drawing up to one foot sparks
right to your hand!
Cleverly
constructed from precut PVC pipe, this kit is perfect for the classroom or
science fair, easily dissassembled and reassembled to show the components of its
operation. The DC operated motor runs quietly and efficiently from the
included12 VDC plug-in wall adapter. Size: 13" x 24" x 10 1/2".
The Van DeGraff Generator kit is $99.95 from Ramsey.
Christmas
is the season of lights, and Ramsey Electronics has a little kit to make them
even livelier. Their Music Lights Kit contains three channels which respond
individually to the lows, mids, and highs from music audio. Each channel
controls up to300 watts, so you can run Christmas lights or even spotlights from
your control box. Music Lights is available for only $19.95.
To
order these or any of the delightful kits from Ramsey Electronics, contact them
at 793
Canning Parkway, Victor, NY14564;
800-446-2295
or visit http://www.ramseyelectronics.com.
Need that CW identification, but you don't know Morse Code?
Or just rusty and want to follow a CW ragchew? Just place this tiny pocket size
MFJ Morse Code Reader near your receiver's speaker and watch Morse code signals
turn into solid text messages as they scroll across an easy-to-read LCD display
-- No cables to hook-up, no computer, no interface, no other equipment needed!
The reader automatically tracks the correct speed. Its
phase locked loop (PLL) augments weak signals and even tracks slightly drifting
signals. The two-line LCD display has 32 large 1/4 inch high-contrast
characters. You can display decoded CW as text and speed or switch to all text
on both lines. The reader can instantly replay the most recent 140 characters --
a great feature if you're using the reader to practice your own copy skills.
Better yet, if you need to store the decoded text, a serial
port lets you display CW text on a monitor using a computer and terminal
program. The MFJ-4612 can also be connected to your receiver with a cable, in
case it's too noisy for microphone pickup or you don't want to listen to the
signal. The pocket-sized reader operates on a 9-volt battery and defaults to
sleep mode during periods of inactivity.
The MFJ-4612 is $79.95 from MFJ Enterprises (P.O. Box 494,
Mississippi State, MS 39762; 800-647-1800; http://www.mfjenterprises.com)
Alinco has announced the FCC Type-acceptance and imminent
release and of its new DJ-X3 scanning receiver, a pocket-sized unit that can
receive from 100 kHz to 1.3 GHz in AM and wide or narrow FM modes.
The DJ-X3 places the speaker behind the display, so that
audio is heard from ports on either side of the display window. The DJ-X3
can reproduce FM stereo when optional stereo headphones are connected to the
unit. The DJ-X3 features 700 memory channels (10 banks of 70 channels), is
powered by a rechargeable Ni-MH battery and also comes with a dry cell (three
AAs) battery pack. The triple conversion IF stage provides excellent reception.
The operator also has four selectable antenna choices: an
internal AM bar antenna, a shortwave bar antenna, the earphone cable may be used
as an antenna or the SMA whip antenna terminal can be activated. The unit is
supplied with a removable whip antenna but an external antenna can also be
connected to the SMA port. An attenuator function is available to reduce very
strong signals. The receiver also has a “bug” detector, useful in searching
for hidden transmitters.
The DJ-X3 has three operating profiles: VFO, Preset AM,
FM and TV frequencies, and the Memory mode. The operator can make manual
selections or scan in any of those modes. In the memory scan mode, the operator
can choose one specified bank, certain banks can be linked for scanning, or one
can choose to scan all banks. There are 20 program and memory scan options.
The DJ-X3 is capable of tuning in eleven user-defined
steps or an auto-step mode that selects the appropriate step for the band
currently in use.
The illuminated display is large and easy to read. In
addition to frequency information, it will also show the operating mode, memory
channel, battery strength, signal strength, and a number of other user-selected
operating parameters. A charger, belt clip and strap are also included. The
DJ-X3 can also “clone” to other DJ-X3 units, sharing its programmed
parameters through a wire connection.
The DJ-X3 is expected to be available in stores soon.
Suggested retail price is $302.95.
Grove Enterprises notes that the Millennium 800 shortwave
receiver has received some upgrades over the past year. "Although there
have been gradual improvements in shielding to reduce the 'birdies' and 'spurs'
in the receiver, the biggest change was a complete redesign of the tuning
mechanism. The old wobbly shaft and hollow knob have been replaced by a solid
brass shaft with ball-bearing stability and a solid knob as well, giving the
tuning dial a heft that is quite reassuring."
For more information, or to request a copy of Grove
Enterprises' new printed catalog, visit http://www.grove-ent.com
or call 800-438-8155.
Gene Hughes' Police Call Frequency Guide is the de
facto standard for scanner listeners. Painstakingly updated each year, and
containing frequencies, locations, call signs, and base/mobile/portable counts
for land mobile users across the country, Police Call is a
"must" for every scanner enthusiast's bookshelf.
Licensees listed include police, fire, rescue, ambulance,
aircraft, hospitals, military bases, schools, hotels, railroads, highway
departments, forestry, security agencies, amusement parks, racing and sports,
and more.
An excellent
trunking guide for major cities reveals talk groups and system providers.
Introductory chapters explain repeater systems, analog and digital
transmissions, antennas, automated tracking systems, and much more.
And this year for the first time, the Police Call CD-ROM
is included at no extra charge! Quite a listening package. Choose your state and
order the appropriate volume.
$19.95 plus $3 book rate shipping from Grove Enterprises;
also available from other MT advertisers.
Just released is the 2002 edition of Passport to World
Band Radio. Edited by former MT reviewer Lawrence Magne, Passport
continues to be a "must-have" reference for the shortwave broadcast
listener. When we get our hands on the 2002 edition, we'll give it a review, but
if you're looking for a Christmas gift, you can't go wrong with this one. The
perfect package is a Passport in the hand for a world-wide, all-language
overview of SW broadcasting, plus a one-year subscription to Monitoring Times
to keep the English language schedules up to date!
Of course, Passport has more than just its famous
"Blue Pages" which visually displays world broadcasters by frequency,
time, language, and station power. It also carries receiver reviews and ratings,
program profiles, listening post tips, Internet Web radio, clandestine listings,
and more. Passport is $19.95 plus $3 shipping in U.S. from Grove
Enterprises and other MT advertisers. (Grove Enterprises 1-800-438-8155,
write 7540 Hwy 64 West, Brasstown, NC 28902, or visit http://www.grove-ent.com)
In an effort to help promote computer literacy, Gold
Standard Press of Reno, Nevada is offering their latest publication, The User
Friendly Guide to Internet & Computer Terms by Charles Steed for FREE.
Simply log onto their Website, http://www.userfriendlybooks.com/
and download the book. The book is also available at Amazon.com and other
bookstores.
The 340 page reference defines more than 1250 contemporary
computer and Internet terms in easy to understand language. The book contains
articles on shopping for a computer, online shopping and travel, investing
online, how to avoid frauds and scams on the Web, the history of the Internet,
how to get the most from search engines, and much more.
Link To:
