Don Lancaster’s RESOURCE BIN

number twenty-five

Essential homebrew test equipment.

ur usual reminder here that the power is connected, or for any quick current and thus multiplies the meter Resource Bin is now a two-way check of primary fuses, switches, line reading. Any perfect ammeter should O column. You can get tech help, cords and such. offer a zero resistance to your outside consultant referrals and off-the-wall Hint: If you place your neon tester circuit under test. networking on nearly any electronic, across a fuse in a powered circuit, the To measure voltage, a high value tinaja questing, personal publishing, lamp will light if the fuse is blown, and resistor gets placed in series with the money machine, or computer topic by vice versa. Similarly, the lamp lights meter terminals. This resistor makes calling me at (520) 428-4073 weekdays on any open switch and does nothing use of Ohm’s law to convert voltage 8-5 MST. I’ve got a free pair of insider on a closed one. to a current. The microammeter then secret resources brochures waiting for Another tip: Some older electronic measures your current. A voltmeter you when you call or write. gear (especially tube table radios) tied should present a very high resistance A portion of my PSRT RoundTable one side of their chassis to the power to your circuit. Ideally infinite. on GEnie has also been set aside for line. Which can create a deadly shock It’s just not possible for you to ever you Nuts & Volts readers. This is the hazard for the unwary. Simply hold measure anything without disturbing place to go for instant tech answers. on to one terminal of your neon tester what is being measured. For even if Among the many files in our library, and touch the other one to the chassis. you could reduce any power removed you will find complete reprints and If the lamp dimly lights, you’ve got a from your test to a bare minimum, the preprints for all of my Resource Bin hot chassis. very fact that information is getting columns. I’ve just added a new "fast extracted from an environment means access" feature for you. Have your Multimeters that the entropy is unavoidably modem dial (800) 638-8369, followed The second most important piece of getting altered. Thus, all measuring by HHH. Then XTX99005,SCRIPT. homebrew test gear is some method systems must in some manner both By the way, be sure to enter your to measure ac or dc voltage, current, disturb and distort what’s being HHH immediately after your modem or resistance. The traditional way to measured. software reports a connection. This is do this is with any meter-style VOM The trick is to make your errors as how GEnie recognizes your baud rate. analog multimeter. The newer way is to low as possible. Traditional analog If you get gibberish on the screen, you use a DMM or digital multimeter. multimeters are usually said to have a were too slow with your HHH. Yeah, digital multimeters are more voltmeter sensitivity of so many Ohms A free GEnie brochure if you voice accurate and load your circuits a lot per volt. One popular value here is call (800) 638-9636. less. And they don’t really cost that 50,000 Ohms per volt. A reminder that all of the previous much more. But I still feel you should To find the actual loading on any Resource Bin columns are offered both start off with a plain Jane analog VOM scale, you multiply the Ohms per volt online and as bound volumes. I have instead. Analog can put you closer to times your full scale setting selected. also just done a major update to my Ferinstance, if you are on a 5 volt DC free insider secrets mailer. Give me a range and have a 50,000 Ohms per helpline call or see my Synergetics ad NEXT MONTH: Don looks at volt sensitivity, you’ll end up with a for more details. ongoing happenings in the resistance of 250,000 Ohms loading This month, I’d thought we might pseudoscience industry. your circuit being measured. take a close look at what is and is not The loading of analog multimeters useful in the area of electronic test was first eased by going to external equipment. Let’s start off with… what you’re actually doing. The meter amplifiers, first as VTVM’s, and later pointer position is more ergometric. as FET voltmeters. Typical premium Neon Test Lamps And there’s fewer rude surprises in multimeter circuits include amplifiers At one time, this was by far your not really measuring what you think that produce extremely light circuit most important piece of homebrew you are. Especially at first. loading. A fixed value of 10 megohms test gear. I’ll still call it number one At any rate, the heart of any analog or higher is common. because of its cost and utility. multimeter is a microammeter. To Resistance is usually measured by A neon test lamp lights to verify the measure higher currents, a low value setting a current and then measuring presence of higher voltages. Which is shunt resistor gets placed across the the voltage drop that current creates great to find out whether 110 volt ac meter. This shunt diverts most of the in your resistor being tested. Older

February 1994 / Nuts & Volts Magazine 24 multimeters applied a battery and a adjustments or meters that let you see new from series resistor to give you the needed your current being used. current. This is why the Ohms scales Be sure to read all the fine print on DON LANCASTER are so cramped on many meters. By these. Some are simply transformers. ACTIVE FILTER COOKBOOK the way, the series resistance will be Some are unregulated. And others do The sixteenth (!) printing of Don’s bible on analog op-amp lowpass, bandpass, and highpass active the resistance value at the exact middle offer full regulation. Very few can be filters. De-mystified instant designs. $24.50 of the scale being used. used beyond their ratings. The currents used to measure low For quick and dirty work, several CMOS AND TTL COOKBOOKS Ohms can end up quite high. So high plain old batteries can be handy. Only Millions of copies in print worldwide. THE two books for digital integrated circuit fundamentals. that they can cause damage. A good these are not at all regulated and not About as hands-on as you can get. $24.50 each. rule is to never test a solid state device on protected against overloads. They also the lowest Ohms scale! run down when you least want them INCREDIBLE SECRET Always use the next higher range. to. Maxim does sell some interesting MONEY MACHINE II Better multimeters use true current regulator kits that work well with low Updated 2nd edition of Don’s classic on setting sources and internal amplification to voltage battery supplies. up your own technical or craft venture. $18.50 linearly measure the resistance values. Do not forget that a shorted Nicad This ends up safer and much lower in battery can explode! LANCASTER CLASSICS LIBRARY Don’s best early stuff at a bargain price. Includes power. For low resistances, brief pulse Another ploy is to combine a plastic the CMOS Cookbook, The TTL Cookbook, Active Filter Cookbook, PostScript video, Case Against techniques get used. case with several power supplies and Patents, Incredible Secret Money Machine II, and Once again, I suggest you start off a breadboarding area. Again, you’ll Hardware Hacker II reprints. $119.50 with an analog multimeter. You can find ads for these here in Nuts & Volts. always add a DMM later as the need Your classic supplier for this sort of LOTS OF OTHER GOODIES ...... Ask the Guru I or II or III $24.50 arises. Avoid the junkiest of low end thing, of course, is Heathkit. Who do Hardware...... Hacker II or III $24.50 meters since they are both inaccurate continue to supply these and similar Micro...... Cookbook I $19.50 PostScript...... Beginner Stuff $39.50 and rather unpleasant to use. Those industrial education products. By the PostScript...... Show and Tell $39.50 Intro...... to PostScript Video $39.50 medium quality ones from Radio Shack way, one great source for precut wires PostScript...... Reference II $29.50 PostScript...... Tutorial/Cookbook $18.50 (such as a #22-214) seem a good deal, is Squires Electronics. PostScript...... by Example $29.50 especially when they go on sale. Understanding...... PS Programming $29.50 PostScript:...... A Visual Approach $22.50 My first choice in an analog meter An Oscilloscope PostScript...... Program Design $24.50 Thinking...... in PostScript $22.50 is still that good old Triplett 310. This A decent oscilloscope is absolutely LaserWriter...... Reference $19.50 one is quite compact and has lots of essential for more serious electronic Type...... 1 Font Format $15.50 Acrobat...... Reference $24.50 accessories such as belt pouches and work. A scope lets you see the actual Whole...... works (all PostScript) $350.00 ...... PostScript Secrets Brochure FREE clamp-on-ammeters. waveforms as they happen...... Hacking Secrets Brochure FREE In its most common setup, a scope Power Supplies graphically plots one or more varying POSTSCRIPT SECRETS Next, you will need several power voltages vertically, while showing A Book/Disk combination crammed full of free fonts, insider resources, utilities, publications, supplies for your experiments. Most time along its horizontal axis. You can workarounds, fontgrabbing, more. For most any digital projects need +5 volts dc. But usually change the time scale from PostScript printer. Mac or PC format. $39.50 the latest designs are now moving on tens of seconds clear down to tens of BOOK-ON-DEMAND PUB KIT down to 3.3 volts. Those older analog nanoseconds. Your viewed waveform Ongoing details on Book-on-demand publishing, a new method of producing books only when and op-amp projects typically used a pair will usually be a mix of your desired as ordered. Reprints, sources, samples. $39.50 of supplies of +12 and -12 volts. signal and a circuit bias level. Choices Any test power source should be of AC or DC coupling are offered. THE CASE AGAINST PATENTS regulated, meaning that it tightly holds To make a stable display, the scope For most individuals, patents are virtually certain to result in a net loss of sanity, energy, time, and a fixed or selected voltage output. It timing gets synchronized to something money. This two volume set shows you tested should also be current limited, so it can by using its triggered sweep. In this and proven real-world alternatives. 24.50 both protect itself from output shorts case, the sync source can be the signal BLATANT OPPORTUNIST I and prevent damage to your project itself, some other signal, an external The reprints from all Don’s Midnight Engineering that is under test. input, the power line, or a tv frame or columns. Includes the case against patents, book on demand publishing, toner secrets, paradigm Even fancier is the foldback limiting line reference. Scopes usually offer stalking, insider research, lots more. $24.50 that snaps down to a very low current auto-triggering so you always have a value on any overload. display. But note that auto-triggering RESOURCE BIN I A complete collection of all Don’s Nuts & Volts I’d start out with a fixed 5 volt, 3 should definitely not be used when columns to date, including a new index and his amp dc supply, along with a pair of viewing very slow waveforms. master names and numbers list. $24.50 positive and negative supplies that There are other less popular, but could get varied from 0-15 volts or equally useful, ways of arranging an FREE SAMPLES Well, nearly free anyway. Almost. Do join us on higher. Then add some heavier stuff, oscilloscope’s display. For instance, GEnie PSRT to sample all of the Guru’s goodies. The downloading cost on a typical Guru file is 21 say an auto battery fast charger. Or, you can display one signal on the X cents. Modem access: (800) 638-8369, then a for ac work, a variac and an isolation axis against a second signal on the Y HHH. On prompt, XTX99005,SCRIPT. transformer. At least 300 watts. axis. You might do this to run tests on FREE VOICE HELPLINE VISA/MC The simplest and cheapest way to circuit elements, or to curvetrace the SYNERGETICS get started here is with those plug-in responses of solid state devices. Or Box 809-NV Thatcher, AZ 85552 wall mount supplies. Offered by the just to measure audio phase shifts or (520) 428-4073 zillions right here in Nuts & Volts ads. distortion. Or to view color tv chroma While simple and cheap, these do lack vectors. Or (very rarely anymore) for Write in 146 on Reader Service Card.

25 February 1994/Nuts & Volts Magazine sweep ten times wider than it was and TEST EQUIPMENT RESOURCES lets you view any tenth of it. While certainly useful, magnification is not as powerful as sweep delay. Circuit Cellar Ink Heathkit Parallax Ah yes. Scope probes. If you just 4 Park Street Ste 20 PO Box 1288 6359 Auburn Blvd, Ste C hook up any old cable between your Vernon, CT 06066 Benton Harbor, MI 49022 Citrus Heights, CA 95621 (203) 875-2751 (616) 982-3200 (916) 721-8217 scope and your circuit, the cable and scope input might load your circuit ComputerBoards Industrial Computer Pro-Log badly. Instead, special scope probes are 44 Wood Avenue 10180 Scripps Ranch Blvd 2555 Garden Road Mansfield, MA 02048 San Diego, CA 92131 Monterey, CA 93940 normally used. Your most popular (508) 261-1123 (619) 271-9340 (800) 538-0095 probe offers a 10X attenuation as a tradeoff to limit circuit loading. Data Translation Keithley Squires Electronics 100 Locke Drive 440 Myles Standish Blvd 503 North 13th Avenue VERY IMPORTANT: Scope probes Marlboro, MA 01752 Taunton, MA 02780 Cornelius, OR 97113 must always be carefully matched to (617) 481-3700 (508) 880-3000 (503) 357-7132 one particular scope input at any one GEnie Maxim Tektronix time. You cannot simply grab any old 401 N Washington Street 120 San Garbiel Dr PO Box 500 probe and then glomp it onto just any Rockville, MD 20850 Sunnyvale, CA 94086 Beaverton, OR 97077 old scope input. If you try this, your (800) 638-9636 (408) 737-7600 (800) 835-9433 probe will lie like a rug. Stan Griffiths National Instruments Triplett Instead, you will have to carefully 18955 SW Blanton 6504 Bridge Point Pkwy One Triplett Drive Aloha, OR 97007 Austin, TX 78730 Bluffton, OH 45817 calibrate the response of your probe to (503) 649-0837 (800) IEEE-488 (419) 358-5015 match that of the scope. Calibration is simple and easy to do. There’ll be some test waveform jack somewhere use as stroked vector graphics. Normally, you will ask for a vertical on the scope. You can then adjust a You can also scan your oscilloscope frequency response of 50 Megahertz. trimmer or twist the probe barrel until at a fixed rate and then modulate the And much more for serious rf work. square waves end up as truly square brightness, producing video in pretty At least two vertical channels. Usually without any distortion. much the same way you would a tv or you’ll have your choice of alternate Never change a scope probe without personal computer monitor display. sweeps where you rapidly view one recalibrating it! Don’t even think of it. Brightness (or "Z-axis") modulation is and then the other, or chopped sweeps It is also extremely important to use also used for emphasis of portions of where your scope can quickly switch the shortest possible ground wire lead waveforms. Especially when using between the two channels. directly at your scope probe. Fail to any sweep delay features. Generally you use chopped sweeps do this, and you are certain to create Finally, you can plot Y amplitude for lower frequencies. Note that when all sorts of on-screen artifacts. versus X frequency for a spectrum you use alternate sweep, you are not You’ll find lots of different probes analyzer. Or do really weird stuff like comparing identical waveforms. One and accessories. There are 1X probes Smith Charts or quadrature art. is always behind the other, The exact for any direct small signal work that As with multimeters, there are two phasing will be unknown. demands higher sensitivities (watch different types of scopes today. These Two important scope features that the loading on these!), high voltage are traditional analog scopes and digital confuse newcomers are vertical delay 100X or even 1000X probes, and lots of storage oscilloscopes. With an analog and sweep delay. On any decent analog specialized stuff to directly access rf scope, what you see is what you get – scope, a delay line gets added to the or ultra-tiny circuits. a real-time picture of what is coming vertical channel, so that you can view down. With a digital scope, the input the waveform that you just triggered on. Which Scope? gets A/D converted and stored into a Your triggered sweep thus will start I very strongly feel that there are computer’s memory. running before the signal arrives. only three brands of oscilloscope you Analog scopes remain the best for Sweep delay is totally different. Say should ever consider using under any high frequency work. But a digital you want to examine a detail in the circumstances: Tektronix, Tektronix, or scope has several advantages. Firstoff, middle of your waveform. Perhaps a Tektronix. Anything else is pretty near it lets you use a much cheaper and chosen line of mid-screen video. guaranteed to cause you more trouble simpler CRT video display. Hard copy Instead of triggering your sweep by than it is worth. output and data acquisition is greatly using your main sync circuit, you’ll Above all, don’t get sucked into any simplified. Digital storage scopes also instead start a precision time delay. At of those truly ancient Heath, EICO, or can easily let you view negative time the end of that time delay, you start DuMont scopes. These scopes all lack events which took place before your your actual sweep. This can let you everything. They lack a dc response, a trigger point, simply by looking back expand a complex waveform so you decent bandwidth, a triggered sweep, at stuff previously stored. can inspect a tiny detail. or the ability to measure time. On the other hand, many digital Usually you’ll have your choice of These scopes are totally useless and scopes are limited to low frequencies starting the sweep after the delay, or have zero value. Except to a collector. and to sampled data intervals. Thus else resynchronizing to some other If you find one of these for $7.50 at a crucial glitches and such can be easily internal or external event. hamfest, you are being ripped off. missed. A big problem. There’s a simpler and cheaper way Tektronix does offer one excellent I do think I’d still recommend an to do this that is called magnification. XYZ’s of Using an Oscilloscope student analog scope as your first instrument. All magnification does is make your manual, along with some fine videos.

February 1994/Nuts & Volts Magazine 26 These are usually free in singles. Oscilloscopes: Selecting and Restoring a some caller-id projects and the service Yeah, Tek scopes are expensive. But Classic. Stan also offers user support is not yet available in your area. A few cost and value end up as two totally in the way of tech info and parts. minutes using a microcontroller or a different things. And today, they offer I’d guess that a Tek 545 for around personal computer, and you have a ridiculously more bang-for-the-buck $165 and with a dual trace plug in for complete suite of test signals all ready than they once did. $40 or so might be a good buy. Watch to go. Or otherwise are able to grab, As I see it, there are three different your shipping charges on these. save, display, print, or communicate routes towards getting yourself a real Be sure to try for cash-and-carry. measured data. Tek scope. You can go new or nearly These older scopes are also seeing Naturally, the more familiar you new, select a middle-aged 565, or go new interest as collectibles. are with machine language and other to a classic Tek boat anchor. "bare metal" techniques, the more a Tek’s newest instruments are very Scope Cards? microcontroller can do for you. cost effective. So your first method is There is also yet another interesting Once again, if you are not using a to simply bite the bullet and go get option emerging: Using plug-in cards microcontoller, you’ll end up doing yourself a new one. They offer a low on personal computers to substitute something the hard way. And costing end 2205 at $700 list or so, but their for a digital oscilloscope. Many units you time, money, and market share. best buys appear to be their TAS455 have been offered, but so far there is I’ll leave it up to you just how you analog or their 2212 combined analog no really clear cut winner. handle this. But the key point is to and digital beastie. One obvious problem here is that always keep something handy that can One step down from new Tek, see if the market is so new and fragmented immediately be programmed to do you can’t find a used 2235A analog or that the costs are still out of line. A useful stuff for you. a 2201 combo. These are ideal student second is that you might have other Your most obvious selection here lab scopes, and can be an outstanding things you want to use your computer would be a $30 Commodore64 from a choice for everyday uses. for at the same time you are testing yard sale or hamfest. An older Apple The all-time numero uno Tek scope waveforms. And a third is potential II+ or (better yet) a IIe can also be an was the 565. At one time found wall- problems with the system noise and excellent choice. I have still got a few to-wall at any aerospace shop. These ground loops in most computers. And old KIM-1’s left over from way back are fairly compact and only painfully a fourth is that we still don’t have any when, so these are my usual choice for heavy. These workhorses offer solid cheap and fast A/D converters. dedicated lashups. state circuits, 65 Mhz bandwidth, dual Then again, traditional scopes have Another possibility is the great $30 channel, vertical and sweep delay. real hassles with storage, hard copy, Basic Stamp from Parallax. Or any of Thus, your second choice in a Tek or comm of measured waveforms. But the many microcontroller projects that scope should be a used 565. these get solved in one swell foop if appear in Circuit Cellar Ink. These are rapidly being dumped to you are computer based. surplus markets. Because of the big At any rate, several quality sources This Month’s Contest aerospace dryup, community colleges of instrumentation plug-ins include For this month’s contest, just tell me stupidly cancelling their electronics National Instruments, Keithley, Data about an unusual and cost effective programs, and a lack of demand from Translation, those Industrial Computer piece of test equipment that you have leasing houses. folks, Pro-Log, or Computer Boards. found handy for homebrew work. You should find lots of these right Let me know your experiences with There will be a largish pile of my here in Nuts & Volts or at any hamfest. these types of products. new Incredible Secret Money Machine II I’d guess a good street price would be books going to the dozen or so better around $600, but I’d be suspicious of A Programmable Microcontroller entries, plus an all-expense-paid (FOB anything much lower than that. What next? A few years back, I’d Thatcher, AZ) tinaja quest for two that My own scope is still Tek’s old 455 pick something like a logic probe, a will go to the very best of all. plastic version of their 565. Allowing function generator or a counter as Let’s hear from you. ✦ for inflation, I paid around five times next in line after a scope. But no more. what a lot more scope costs today. These days, you simply must have a Microcomputer pioneer and guru Don Your third option is to go for one of new programmable microcontroller Lancaster is the author of 32 books and those classic Tek boat anchors. These on hand and immediately available to countless tech articles. Don maintains his vacuum tube instruments end up both do anything you ask of it. no-charge tech helpline found at (520) unbelievably heavy and humongous. No matter what your project, if you 428-4073, besides offering all of his own They’ll normally sit on a private scope do omit your microcontroller, you are books, reprints, and all of his consulting cart rather than your bench. They can almost certain to (A) raise its cost, (B) services. He also has a free brochure full of totally dominate your work area. sharply reduce its performance, and his resource secrets waiting for you. Your Because of their size and weight, (C) make it insanely harder for you to best calling times are 8-5 on weekdays, the popularity and the street prices of do your design and debug. Mountain Standard Time. these instruments has really dropped. Similarly, mockups and simulations Don is now the sysop of GEnie PSRT, Yet a properly calibrated unit is now on personal computers can greatly where a special Resource Bin topic has and always was a first rate scope. On reduce your development costs. been reserved for Nuts & Volts readers. the other hand, certain parts may be Thus, you always want to go out of For fast modem access, use (800) 638-8369 virtually impossible to get. your way to include a microcontroller and enter HHH. When prompted, enter There is a brand new resource that in all your projects. To not do so these XTX99005,SCRIPT. makes these older beasties worth a days is sheer folly. You can also reach Don at Synergetics, new look. Stan Griffiths has written an Ferinstance, you want to develop Box 809, Thatcher, AZ 85552.

27 February 1994/Nuts & Volts Magazine Don Lancaster’s RESOURCE BIN

number twenty-six

Ongoing pseudoscience industry happenings.

ur usual reminder here that the Usually with an excessive dose of observed effects can get measured in Resource Bin is now a two-way conspiracy and paranoia thrown in. one manner or another; that low loss O column. You can get tech help, It turns out there is a rather well action at a distance is extremely rare; consultant referrals and off-the-wall developed pseudoscience industry. It that statistical laws for large numbers networking on nearly any electronic, is made up of a number of individuals are to be believed in; and that, more tinaja questing, personal publishing, and smaller firms which offer a wide often than not, lab measurements end money machine, or computer topic by range of fascinating products. So, this up just plain wrong. calling me at (520) 428-4073 weekdays month I thought we’d look at some of Or not even wrong. 8-5 MST. I’ve got a free pair of insider the major players here. And see just But I would also freely admit that secret resources brochures waiting for what they have to offer. science is a religion just like any other. you when you call or write. I do like pseudoscience for several And that any establishment certainly A portion of my PSRT RoundTable reasons. First, pseudoscience fiction tends to villify anything which looks on GEnie has also been set aside for can be a wondrously bizarre read. Or even remotely threatening. you Nuts & Volts readers. This is the superbly entertaining. Second, open Paraphrased, your thermodynamic place to go for instant tech answers. forums definitely should exist for all laws are (A) You cannot win, (B) You Among the many files in our library, controversial or oddball thoughts. cannot break even; and (C) Sure, the you will find complete reprints and Third, most pseudoscience gives us dice are crooked, but this is the only preprints for all of my Resource Bin mesermizingly awful samples of how game in town. columns. I’ve just added a new "fast not to do research, how not to desktop There are simple tests you can use access" feature for you. Have your publish and how not to technically to quickly separate real science from modem dial (800) 638-8369, followed communicate. pseudoscience. The objective test asks by HHH. Then XTX99005,SCRIPT. Fourth, some of the weirdest and two questions: "Is there some simple By the way, be sure to enter your even dead wrong concepts sometimes experiment which some disinterested HHH immediately after your modem may have the germ of a useful idea in third party might perform which will software reports a connection. This is them. Or simply some fresh way of make their claimed effect show up?" how GEnie recognizes your baud rate. looking at the world. Yeah, this is a Along with "Are the claims the most If you get gibberish on the screen, you needle-in-the-haystack type of thing. reasonable and logical explanation for were too slow with your HHH. But it sure is fun to look at. And hope the observed effects?" A free GEnie brochure if you voice does spring eternal. I also use subjective pseudoscience call (800) 638-9636. And finally, lots of pseudoscience filters. Does it like water, look like a A reminder that all of the previous demands an aura of "mystery" and duck, quack like a duck? Is it about to Resource Bin columns are offered both "supression" and "lone underdog" or lay some eggs? online and as bound volumes. I have "lost technology" or similar hogwash. In mild cases, I use a "Tain’t likely also just done a major update to my McGee" test. For medium severity, a free insider secrets catalog. Give me a "Boy, a whole flock of ’em flew over helpline call or see my Synergetics ad NEXT MONTH: Don looks at that time" measure. And for really far for more details. opportunities and resources off pseudoscience, there’s always the I have long been fascinated with for servicing electronics. "What are they on, and where can we pseudoscience. The ongoing "technical" get some of it?" ploy. developments that the Houyhnhnms Some pseudoscience is an outright would have very politely called "that If we gather up all the pseudoscience scam. Other variants are hoaxes that which is not so". Things like perpetual info, stack it together on center stage, got out of hand. Yet others are urban motion, zero point scalar energy, 400 and shine a bright light on it, many folklore. Pseudoscience often results MPG carburetors, the earth resonance people just might end up concluding when the lab work is missing, poorly power, antigravity, dowsing, UFO’s, "Yup, that’s a big pile all right." done, or just plain wrong. instant AIDS and cancer cures, happy Now, I come to all of this from a Ferinstance, say you build a motors face crop circles, Orgone blankets, the traditional engineering background. I and magnets style perpetual motion area 51 enigmas, telepathy, the Tesla strongly believe in the experimental machine and connect it to the 110 volt mania, magnet motors, channelling, scientific method and in all the laws ac power line. You then measure the or even antimatter propulsion. of thermodynamics. I also believe that current at 5 amperes. What is the real

March 1994 / Nuts & Volts Magazine 24 power being consumed? Why doesn’t some real technology new from Well, there is no way to tell with the see the light of day? Often because of information I just gave you. But you the hidden gotchas. DON LANCASTER can safely bet the answer is nowhere Such as embrittlement in hydrogen ACTIVE FILTER COOKBOOK near 550 watts. power. Or those commutation hassles The sixteenth (!) printing of Don’s bible on analog op-amp lowpass, bandpass, and highpass active Citations and peer review both form over ultra high currents in homopolar filters. De-mystified instant designs. $24.50 important parts of real science. Does generators. Or that need in a Stirling the new development build on what engine for a regenerator that is short CMOS AND TTL COOKBOOKS already has been studied and learned? and fat. And is long and thin. Or that Millions of copies in print worldwide. THE two books for digital integrated circuit fundamentals. Do others feel that what is coming intolerably poor efficiency for higher About as hands-on as you can get. $24.50 each. down is reasonable and verifiable? power thermoelectric coolers. Much of pseudoscience does appear Borderland Research INCREDIBLE SECRET to choose slow-day stories in rather MONEY MACHINE II obscure rural newspapers for all their This is one of the oldest members of Updated 2nd edition of Don’s classic on setting primary references. Or else will badly the pseudoscience establishment. For up your own technical or craft venture. $18.50 misquote seemingly authentic real many years they have published their papers and researchers. Journal of Borderlands Research. This LANCASTER CLASSICS LIBRARY Don’s best early stuff at a bargain price. Includes As anywhere, interesting patterns one is a bizarre mix of pseudoscience the CMOS Cookbook, The TTL Cookbook, Active Filter Cookbook, PostScript video, Case Against emerge when you follow the cash flow. and new age topics, covering healing Patents, Incredible Secret Money Machine II, and Who benefits and why? Which egos energy, alien communications, brain Hardware Hacker II reprints. $119.50 are reinforced? Which magazines get waves, perpetual motion machines, sold? Who goes on tv? Who gets the and nether world channeling. Along LOTS OF OTHER GOODIES ...... Ask the Guru I or II or III $24.50 attention? Who gets paid? with heaping bunches more. Hardware...... Hacker II or III $24.50 Let’s take a look at who is offering They also have an extensive direct Micro...... Cookbook I $19.50 PostScript...... Beginner Stuff $39.50 what these days… mail bookstore that carries hundreds PostScript...... Show and Tell $39.50 Intro...... to PostScript Video $39.50 of pseudoscience, Tesla, and new age PostScript...... Reference II $31.50 Rex Research PostScript...... Tutorial/Cookbook $19.50 titles. Many of them difficult to find PostScript...... by Example $29.50 Robert Nelson is a researcher up in elsewhere. Understanding...... PS Programming $29.50 PostScript:...... A Visual Approach $22.50 Jean, Nevada. Who has now carefully PostScript...... Program Design $24.50 Colorado Highs Thinking...... in PostScript $22.50 gathered together scads of reprints on LaserWriter...... Reference $19.50 pseudoscience, weird science, oddball High Energy Enterprises is a group of Type...... 1 Font Format $15.50 Acrobat...... Reference $24.50 technology, and similar off-the-wall related Colorado services. They offer Whole...... works (all PostScript) $350.00 ...... PostScript Secrets Brochure FREE topics. He filters and assembles these a direct mail bookstore having many ...... Hacking Secrets Brochure FREE into Infolios available by way of his titles involving Tesla, free energy, or Rex Research tech venture. perpetual motion. They run a walk-in POSTSCRIPT SECRETS The typical Infolio covers a subject Tesla Museum. And they maintain a A Book/Disk combination crammed full of free fonts, insider resources, utilities, publications, such as anti-gravity, magnet motors, foundation or two. They also put on workarounds, fontgrabbing, more. For most any free energy generators, Tesla, Hall yearly conferences. Tesla in one year, PostScript printer. Mac or PC format. $39.50 devices, vortex coolers, or whatever. free energy the next. Reprints are also BOOK-ON-DEMAND PUB KIT The collection will usually include a published and stocked. Ongoing details on Book-on-demand publishing, a new method of producing books only when and few tech papers, some patent copies, Apparently, there are some really as ordered. Reprints, sources, samples. $39.50 and the related news stories. Costs are high spirited pseudoscience people in typically in the $6 to $12 range. central Colorado. One spinoff here is THE CASE AGAINST PATENTS To keep the costs down, the Infolios that International Association for New For most individuals, patents are virtually certain to result in a net loss of sanity, energy, time, and are simply unbound Xerox copies that Science. These folks do run an annual money. This two volume set shows you tested are stapled together. International New Energy Symposium and proven real-world alternatives. 24.50 While there are several copy-of-a- and publish thick sets of conference BLATANT OPPORTUNIST I copy legibility problems, the service reprints. Typical subjects include zero The reprints from all Don’s Midnight Engineering can often be your fastest and cheapest point energy, cancer cures, the Reed columns. Includes the case against patents, book on demand publishing, toner secrets, paradigm way to pick up background on hard to magnetic motors, new electrogravitic stalking, insider research, lots more. $24.50 research nontraditional topics. propulsion, element transmutation, or vortex extraction. RESOURCE BIN I Untapped Technology In Review A complete collection of all Don’s Nuts & Volts Two similar groups elsewhere are columns to date, including a new index and his Here is a brand new magazine out California’s Tesla Bookstore and that master names and numbers list. $24.50 of Mesa, Arizona. This straddles the Planetary Association for Clean Energy boundary between pseudoscience and in Canada. And there are a few more FREE SAMPLES Well, nearly free anyway. Almost. Do join us on real technology. Real technology that, where these came from. GEnie PSRT to sample all of the Guru’s goodies. The downloading cost on a typical Guru file is 21 for one reason or another, hasn’t yet cents. Modem access: (800) 638-8369, then a seen the light of day. They try to keep Phaedra Enterprises HHH. On prompt, XTX99005,SCRIPT. a semblance of scientific objectivity David Blevins has just reissued the FREE VOICE HELPLINE VISA/MC while treating pseudoscience and real third printing of his Almanac of UFO SYNERGETICS science on an equal footing. Organizations & Publications. This one Box 809-NV Thatcher, AZ 85552 They are also strong in abstracting is offered by Phaedra Enterprises. It’s a (520) 428-4073 unusual energy related patents and in combined Michelin Guide and Thomas reviewing obscure books. Registry to the UFO industry. Write in 146 on Reader Service Card.

25 March 1994/Nuts & Volts Magazine provided for your needs as a serious PSEUDOSCIENCE RESOURCES pseudoscience researcher and are not in any manner intended for anyone seeking an instant cure for anything: Borderland Research Lor'd Industries Super Science One resource for highly questionable PO Box 429 Box 156 101 East Stroop Roat medical stuff is Lor’d Industries. A Garberville, CA 95440 Hancock, WI 54943 Kettering, OH 45429 (707) 986-7211 (715) 249-5611 (513) 298-7116 second is Super Science who is big into Rife Resonators, Orgone Blankets, and GEnie Phaedra Enterprises Synergetics new methods to electronically amplify 401 N Washington St David Blevins Box 809 Rockville, MD 20850 PO Box 1241 Thatcher, AZ 85552 your telepathic communications. Run by, (800) 638-9636 San Bruno, CA 94066 (520) 428-4073 of all people, Klark Kent. H&A Industries Planetary Clean Energy Tesla Book Company More Miles Per Gallon Rt 2 Box 35E 191 Promenade du portage Box 121873 Bowling Green, MO 63334 Hull, PQ, CANADA J8X 2K6 Chula Vista, CA 91912 Miracle carburetors have beguiled (819) 777-9696 (805) 646-3371 the public for generations. Needless to High Energy Enterprises Rex Research Untapped Tech Review say, there has been an awful lot of PO Box 5636 Robert Nelson PO Box 5185 legitimate research into improved gas Security, CO 80931 PO Box 19250 Mesa, AZ 85211 mileage. It’s real unlikely that instant (719) 475-0918 Jean, NV 89019 miracle fixes that use nothing but cow Intl Assn New Science Skeptical Enquirer JC Whitney magnets or similar low tech parts are 1305 S College Avenue PO Box 703 1917-19 Archer Avenue Fort Collins, CO 80524 Buffalo, NY 14226 Chicago, IL 60680 going to work out very well. (303) 482-3731 (716) 636-1425 (312) 431-6102 A unique source for pseudoscience improved mileage stuff these days is H & A Industries. Plus, of course, the Listed are many hundreds of UFO reduction. The fact that the document usual items from J. C. Whitney. resources. These include lots of clubs, was typed on a machine that did not Something really cute did happen clipping services, videos, bookstores, exist until over twelve years later did once over one super mileage product magazines, newsletters, and the other not help the cause much. that is worth repeating. Long ago, an publications. "obvious" scam offered to sell "magic Even services that are provided by Alternate Medicine tablets" that let you run your car on the aliens themselves! I’m hesitant to include sources for water. Just drop a few of these tablets Popular topics these days seem to any highly questionable medical info into a gallon of water and drive away. include the extraterrestrial technology in a popular publication. On the other Well, yes, it was a scam. And yes, all our government has stashed away in hand, some of what was yesterday’s those establishment scientific people Nevada’s Area 51, those Swiss UFO quackery becomes tomorrow’s clinical insisted it was absolutely impossible for photographs, crop circles, channeling, procedures. It has become painfully it to ever work. cattle mutilations, contactees, and obvious to me that some of the most The only little kicker here is that antimatter propulsion. horrendously inexcusable quackery of these tablets were real! Yup, there are It’s really unlikely that you will see all time is now coming from within the definitely magic tablets you can drop spacecraft antimatter propulsion any medical establishment. into a gallon of water and then power time soon. Although there was one After studying on this topic for a an internal combustion engine using incident just last week when an Italian while, I’ve concluded that (A) Many them. Er, there were a few tiny side restaurant exploded when they put medical problems are your own dumb effects like only getting 200 miles per the pasta and their antipasta on the fault and are either directly caused by engine instead of 200 miles per gallon. same plate. or made worse by lifestyle, excercise, And their economics were not all that emotional, and nutritional factors. (B) great. But let us not quibble. There Skeptical Enquirer A patient that wants to get better and really are drop-in tablets that convert This quarterly journal attempts to thinks they are taking positive steps tap water into a motor fuel. debunk pseudoscience and offbeat towards that end is more likely to do So much for the experts. And yes, science topics. It is written mainly by so. (C) Without exception all medical you can still buy these. Fairly cheap name brand mainstream science and personnel have a hidden agenda that too. Ask any caver for details. technical authors. Aided by a first rate might not be in your best interests. stage magician or two. And, (D) Accurate information from Opportunities Passed By They recently successfully rebuffed multiple sources is the key to solving There certainly are more technical a major liability lawsuit from a world most medical problems. nooks and crannies to explore these class spoon bending mentalist. They In particular, I have found that the days. My own feelings are "Why get also thoroughly trashed that MJIC-12 Dialog Information Service gives you involved with pseudoscience when so document which proportedly showed the latest and best medical info from much more happens so much better if where the government was hiding the exactly the same sources the medical you use real science instead?" aliens they salvaged from the Roswell pros use. Your goal here should be to Beyond, of course, pseudoscience’s flying saucer demolition derby. explore options that let you become a superb entertainment value. It appears the key signature came more fully informed patient. Dialog If you want to accomplish anything from the Harry Truman library. They can be reached via GEnie or through positive, the odds are overwhelming even could tell which Xerox machine your local library. that you’ll do better by staying within got used by measuring the percentage The following pair of resources are the laws of physical science. And use

March 1994/Nuts & Volts Magazine 26 the scientific goals of experiments that the books are still offered. Obviously, part of the load current as narrow and can be duplicated, that have credible it hasn’t gotten anywhere. high power current spikes. explanations, and that include careful Yet, there were true believers who Conceivably, this could lead to a research of previous work. genuinely felt that something unusual snap-on cap that may increase battery If there was a simple and easy way was happening to cause the batteries life. Reusable, of course. to beat all those thermodynamic laws, to self-recharge. Why don’t you try it and tell me beginning power lab students would Instead, could something totally whether it works? This might make an have found it years ago. If there was different be coming down? Something interesting student lab project or a something weird coming down with both within the bounds of real science science fair entry. If it really works, Tesla coils, this should have become and possibly useful? there are big bucks to be made. One apparent to all those EHV power line Uh, it seems that while perpetual safety tip, though: Do use a "bomb experiments and to those color tv set motion was claimed, the real effect shelter" consisting of a paint can full horizontal oscillator designers a long, seemed to dissapear when you used a of sand. Just in case. And work only long time ago. power supply instead of batteries. Or with plain old carbon-zinc cells. Every obvious connection of motors even placed a diode in series with the At first, you wouldn’t have to really and magnets and coils has now gotten batteries. Also, as our second clue, the recycle the power, just keep track of explored a zillion times over. With motor did tend to spark a lot while power out versus power in and see if zero over-unity results that ever could generating high current spikes. there is any net change in overall life. be reliably duplicated. Now, let’s turn to some real science. Any old power MOSFET could do the All of this ground has now gotten Carbon-zinc batteries do not exhaust pulse switching. thoroughly plowed. Many times. themselves because they’ve run out of Your snap-on cap could include a Yet, sometimes I wonder. I certainly chemical energy. Instead, their series step-up inverter and capacitor storage know what it is to scream and shout resistance keeps increasing until they system. A timing circuit would then about a new or unpopular idea only can no longer deliver useful power. discharge the stored energy back into to be ridiculed and ignored. And then This process is called polarization. In the cell as a brief pulse. have the plans stolen when the time theory, so long as even a tiny scrap of the If anything promising shows up, was ripe for a ripoff. zinc case remains, there still is some the next steps are to find out which Even personal computers were once recoverable chemical energy remaining. currents and duty cycles perform the that way. Nobody ever asked a model A second observation is that most best. And how well they’ll behave on railroader why he played with his toy carbon-zinc batteries last much longer different brands of cells. trains. But everbody used to ask what when used intermittently. The curves personal computers were good for. clearly show more deliverable power This Month’s Contests You’d answer just for fun, to compute if you discharge them four hours per For our contests this month, just tell or to get filthy rich. And they’d come day instead of continuously. me your favorite pseudoscience story. back with "Yeah, but what are they What happens if we recycle some of Or put me on to any pseudoscience good for?" Over and over again. our battery power in the form of large resource that I don’t know about yet. I dunno. I’ve waded through most but brief high current spikes? Could Or see if you can get a measurable net of the UFO stuff pretty thoroughly. we slow down how fast your internal battery life gain by continuous pulse And have personally written most of resistance goes up this way? energy recycling. it off. Nearly all of it, in fact. Except Any battery uses electrochemistry. There will be a largish pile of my possibly for Roswell. Which I feel at Electroplaters routinely reverse their new Incredible Secret Money Machine II least remotely approaches the bounds supply current every now and then to books going to the dozen or so better of potential credibility and possibly purposely unplate. They will do this to entries, plus an all-expense-paid (FOB might be worth a closer look. smooth out the finish and prevent any Thatcher, AZ) tinaja quest for two that Much of UFO lore is single sourced, jaggies and blemishes. will go to the very best of all. coming from a lone individual. Who So what happens if we, say, draw Let’s hear from you. ✦ could simply be lying or stoned out of 200 mils out of our D cell all the time. their gourd. Or a few chips shy of a But return, perhaps 10 amps for five Microcomputer pioneer and guru Don full board. There are hundreds of bit milliseconds per second. One quarter Lancaster is the author of 32 books and players in that Rosewell story. Each of our power would go right back into countless tech articles. Don maintains his seems to offer credible factoids. the battery. Now, normally, this will no-charge tech helpline found at (520) As an electronic engineer, I flat out not accomplish much. But maybe, just 428-4073, besides offering all of his own do not buy perpetual motion. At least maybe, it could delay the onset of the books, reprints, and all of his consulting not on a normal everyday scale. But increasing cell resistance and increase services. He also has a free catalog full of then again, maybe, just maybe some the apparent life. his resource secrets waiting for you. Your perpetual motion attempt might mask The evidence from the perpetual best calling times are 8-5 on weekdays, something else useful that might be motion machine, from the life curves, Mountain Standard Time. coming down. and from the electroplaters says this Don is now the sysop of GEnie PSRT, So, let’s go and build us… just may work. Naturally, whether it where a special Resource Bin topic has would be useful and cost effective is been reserved for Nuts & Volts readers. A Perpetual Motion Machine another matter entirely. For fast modem access, use (800) 638-8369 There was quite a flap a decade ago The battery people have made all and enter HHH. When prompted, enter over a magic motor which seemed to sorts of recharging tests. But as far as I XTX99005,SCRIPT. run forever on batteries. This one still know they never have tried to find You can also reach Don at Synergetics, shows up on late night tv shows, and out what happens when you recycle Box 809, Thatcher, AZ 85552.

27 March 1994/Nuts & Volts Magazine Don Lancaster’s RESOURCE BIN

number twenty-seven

Electronic servicing opportunities.

ur usual reminder here that the more. Repairs were vastly simpler. because of overload, tuning, or a lack Resource Bin is now a two-way Less skill was needed to understand of drive. Replacing obviously "bad" O column. You can get tech help, what was coming down. Firms were parts with new ones will only burn up consultant referrals and off-the-wall far more open with their tech manuals the new parts. networking on nearly any electronic, and their replacement parts. And, of Cause the patient no harm– On any tinaja questing, personal publishing, course, most service problems these larger, older, or antique electronics money machine, or computer topic by days are software related. (especially anything that has not been calling me at (520) 428-4073 weekdays On the other hand, most electronic turned on for years), do not ever apply 8-5 Mountain Standard time. gear is infinitely more reliable today. power until passive resistance checks A portion of my PSRT RoundTable It just doesn’t break in the first place. clear the way! on GEnie has also been set aside for Unless it gets hit with lightning. you Nuts & Volts readers. This is the Yet there are bucks to be made in a Supplies. Then signals, Then loads– If place to go for instant tech answers. scant few specific areas. VCR repairs, you are dealing with any modern Among the many files in our library, microwave ovens, and laser printers piece of electronic gear whose power you will find complete reprints and seem to be your best ongoing bets. supplies are self protecting, check first preprints for all of my Resource Bin to find line power or source current columns. I’ve just added a new "fast Some First Principles present. Then test for correct voltages access" feature for you. Have your Before we look at some places to go in appropriate places. Next, look for modem dial (800) 638-8369, followed for electronic service help, let’s check proper signals at suitable points in the by HHH. Then XTX99005,SCRIPT. into some seldom-discussed ideas that circuit. Finally make sure loads are By the way, be sure to enter your I’ve found useful to handle most any reasonable and well behaved. Along HHH immediately after your modem servicing problem… the way, touch, feel, and smell. software reports a connection. This is Make sure the problem is real– Be sure Think twice, measure once– There’s no how GEnie recognizes your baud rate. that the actual difficulty and what you point in measuring anything that ain’t If you get gibberish on the screen, you think the problem is are the same. An broke. Think out what you are going were too slow with your HHH. intermittent cannot be fixed until you to do ahead of time. Try to zero in on A free GEnie brochure if you voice can make it appear on command. the one test that tells you the most. call (800) 638-9636. A reminder that all of the previous Look before you leap– More often than Divide and conquer– If you find out Resource Bin columns are offered both not, a careful visual inspection and a where the problem is not, you can online and as bound volumes. I have long talk with the owner will pinpoint divide the remaining places to look in also just done a major update to my the problem. When you jump right in, half. Repeating this several times will free insider secrets catalog. Give me a you’ll miss the obvious every time. isolate the problem. For instance, on a helpline call or see my Synergetics ad radio, touch the volume control with for more details. your finger (after making sure you I have gotten a lot of requests lately NEXT MONTH: Don looks at have a cold chassis, of course!). If you for info on where to go to get info for several insider secrets for produce hum, your audio and supply doing your own electronic servicing electronic breadboarding power is ok, and you’ve got a rf, if, or and repair. Sadly, the opportunities antenna problem. for home based repair setups have On any mechanical engine problem, gotten rather ugly over the years. And determine both fuel and spark. Ask Use the right tools– These days a decent aren’t likely to improve any. what nutrient is missing. oscilloscope can be had for as little as Starting your up own home repair On a computer interface problem, $50. It is totally unthinkable to ever try service for, say, computer monitors, use the simplest possible tests done at any electronic repair without one. simply is not realistic these days. And your lowest possible software levels most consumer electronics warranties Find the cause, not the symptom– Most first. There is no way an applications apply only to properly authorized and electronic systems fail for a reason. package will work if the comm wires trained dealer networks. Fuses blow because of circuit faults. are crossed. Or if the baud rate or stop Very simply, it used to be cheaper Resistors burn up because of way too bits are wrong. Printer handshaking to fix things than replace them. No much current. Power stages can fail doesn’t usually get to be a problem till

April 1994 / Nuts & Volts Magazine 24 after a page or so. So, no printing at low cost reference manuals available. new from all is a more fundamental problem So does Radio Shack, who also offer an than a delayed handshake. extensive parts locator service and a DON LANCASTER few cross reference directories. Substitute and simplify– These are your ACTIVE FILTER COOKBOOK Info on who makes what in the way The sixteenth (!) printing of Don’s bible on analog two most powerful weapons. If you of semiconductors is available by way op-amp lowpass, bandpass, and highpass active can compare a good unit against a bad filters. De-mystified instant designs. $24.50 of the pricey EEM Master. one, always do so. But never put any A number of companies specialize potentially bad parts on back into the CMOS AND TTL COOKBOOKS in foreign transistors, with the real Millions of copies in print worldwide. THE two good unit. The plague can spread. books for digital integrated circuit fundamentals. biggie being MCM Electronics. Three About as hands-on as you can get. $24.50 each. Make the problem worse– If all else fails, outfits having lots of VCR parts and find the simplest possible setup in support are MAT Electronics, Premium INCREDIBLE SECRET which only the problem exists. Get rid Parts, and Parts Express. MONEY MACHINE II of all extra side effects, of all fancy One specialized VCR tool source is Updated 2nd edition of Don’s classic on setting software, all possible places to hide. Tentel. A source of television repair up your own technical or craft venture. $18.50 Eliminate everything extraneous. modules is PTS Electronics. Several ic distributors specialize in LANCASTER CLASSICS LIBRARY Don’s best early stuff at a bargain price. Includes MSM and Electronic Servicing stocking ancient or otherwise obsolete the CMOS Cookbook, The TTL Cookbook, Active Filter Cookbook, PostScript video, Case Against There are very few magazines that parts. Two of the leading firms here Patents, Incredible Secret Money Machine II, and target electronic service work. I have appear to be Rochester Electronics and Hardware Hacker II reprints. $119.50 only been able to find two so far. Sunset Silicon. One of these is Electronic Servicing, For really old radio parts, there’s an LOTS OF OTHER GOODIES ...... Ask the Guru I or II or III $24.50 which is big on consumer electronic entire separate world of electronic ...... Hardware Hacker II or III $24.50 repairs. Especially tv sets and VCR’s. collectibles. We looked at lots of these Micro...... Cookbook I $19.50 PostScript...... Beginner Stuff $39.50 Their ads include some major supply last fall. Two useful starting points PostScript...... Show and Tell $39.50 Intro...... to PostScript Video $39.50 sources for repair parts and exchange here are Antique Radio Classified and PostScript...... Reference II $31.50 PostScript...... Tutorial/Cookbook $19.50 modules. They also supply a ProFact Antique Electronic Supply. PostScript...... by Example $31.50 centerfold each month, and often do Understanding...... PS Programming $29.50 PostScript:...... A Visual Approach $22.50 include useful directories. Laser Printers PostScript...... Program Design $24.50 Thinking...... in PostScript $22.50 MSM is also called the Magazine of Desktop publishing laser printers, LaserWriter...... Reference $19.50 Service Management. This one is more especially those speaking PostScript, Type...... 1 Font Format $15.50 Acrobat...... Reference $24.50 aimed at computer peripheral repairs, are one of the few areas where there Whole...... works (all PostScript) $350.00 PostScript...... Secrets Brochure FREE especially larger dot matrix printers are genuine opportunities for smaller Hacking...... Secrets Brochure FREE and hard disks. scale custom services. Besides repairs, There’s a few electronic technician there’s toner cartridge reloading, hard POSTSCRIPT SECRETS associations which do offer member drum refitting, upgrades, and used A Book/Disk combination crammed full of free fonts, insider resources, utilities, publications, newsletters and similar services. Not machine sales. workarounds, fontgrabbing, more. For most any being much of a joiner, I’ve personally Most leading printer manufacturers PostScript printer. Mac or PC format. $39.50 found these outfits to be of very little (especially Apple Computer) are real BOOK-ON-DEMAND PUB KIT use. It is also unclear to me just what snotty when it comes to providing Ongoing details on Book-on-demand publishing, a new method of producing books only when and real benefits they offer. As with most any service or repair info. Fortunately, as ordered. Reprints, sources, samples. $39.50 other fields, "certification" programs most of the major laser printers use simply do not work. identical mechanical engines. Which THE CASE AGAINST PATENTS Still, you might like to check into means that the info from one supplier For most individuals, patents are virtually certain to result in a net loss of sanity, energy, time, and the ETA Technician Association News is largely good for another. money. This two volume set shows you tested and the ISCET Update. Or the Servicer Hewlett Packard Manuals offer some and proven real-world alternatives. 24.50 Newsletter from the United Servicers outstanding repair manuals. These BLATANT OPPORTUNIST I Association. Or the NESDA, short for may also be quickly and conveniently The reprints from all Don’s Midnight Engineering the National Electronic Service Dealers used on Apple, QMS, and other Canon columns. Includes the case against patents, book on demand publishing, toner secrets, paradigm Association. engine based systems. Sadly, all the stalking, insider research, lots more. $24.50 Your traditional source for service prices are rather steep at $120 or so info has been SAMS PhotoFacts, who each. But the first use will usually pay RESOURCE BIN I A complete collection of all Don’s Nuts & Volts are now only the faintest shadow of for the manual many times over. columns to date, including a new index and his their former selves. They do offer an Some laser printer repair schools master names and numbers list. $24.50 excellent directory. Full collections of are outright scams, and a few others older Photofact sets often are offered have really bad reputations. But one FREE SAMPLES Well, nearly free anyway. Almost. Do join us on here in Nuts and Volts. that I have found a major exception is GEnie PSRT to sample all of the Guru’s goodies. The downloading cost on a typical Guru file is 21 More obscure service and schematic Don Thompson. Who offers top quality cents. Modem access: (800) 638-8369, then a info is sometimes offered by Bomarc training seminars, videos, parts, and HHH. On prompt, XTX99005,SCRIPT. Services. module exchanges. FREE VOICE HELPLINE VISA /MC Your first test for any school is to SYNERGETICS ECG and NTE ask for a list of satisfied customers in Box 809-NV Thatcher, AZ 85552 The two leading sources for repair your area. If they do not immediately (520) 428-4073 and replacement semiconductors are comply, run away from them. ECG and NTE. These folks both have The center of the laser printer repair Write in 146 on Reader Service Card.

25 April 1994/Nuts & Volts Magazine ELECTRONIC SERVICING RESOURCES

Antique Electronic Supply Electronic Servicing MSM Magazine Premium Parts+ SAMS PhotoFacts 6221 South Maple Avenue PO Box 12487 PO Box 12901 PO Box 28 2647 Waterfront East Tempe, AZ 85283 Overland Park, KS 66212 Overland Park, KS 66282 Whitewater, WI 53190 Indianapolis, IN 46209 (602) 820-5411 (913) 492-4857 (913) 341-1300 (800) 558-9572 (800) 428-7267

Antique Radio Classified ETA Technical Assn News MAT Electronics PTS Electronics STAR Tech Journal PO Box 2 602 N Jackson Street 975 Jaymor Road 5233 Hwy 37 South Box 1065 Carlisle, MA 01741 Greencastle, IN 46135 Southampton, PA 18966 Bloomington, IN 47401 Merchantville, NJ 08109 (508) 371-0512 (317) 653-8262 (800) 628-1118 (800) 844-7871 (609) 662-1080

Bomarc Services Fistells Microelectronics MCM Electronics Recharger Sunset Silicon Box 1113 7023 E Colfax 650 Congress Park Drive 4218 W Charleston Blvd 402A Ridgefield Circle Casper, WY 82602 Denver, CO 80220 Centerville, OH 45459 Las Vegas, NV 89102 Clinton, MA 01510 (307) 237-3361 (303) 393-6000 (800) 543-4330 (702) 438-5557 (508) 365-6108

Steve Campbell's Pages Randy Fromm NESDA Redmond Cable Synergetics 24309 4th Place West 1944 Falmouth Drive 2708 W Berry Street 17371-A1 NE 67th Court Box 809 Bothell, WA 98021 El Cajon, CA 92020 Ft. Worth, TX 76109 Redmond, WA 98052 Thatcher, AZ 85552 (206) 483-1249 (619) 593-6131 (817) 921-9061 (206) 882-2009 (520) 428-4073

Copier Imaging & Tech GEnie NTE RePlay Tantel 1680 SW Bayshore Blvd 401 N Washington Street 44 Farrand Street PO Box 2550 4475 Golden Foothill Pky Port St Lucie, FL 34984 Rockville, MD 20850 Bloomfield, NJ 07003 Woodland Hills, CA 91365 El Dorado Hills, CA 95762 (407) 879-6666 (800) 638-9636 (201) 748-5089 (818) 347-3820 (800) 336-8277

ECG Hewlett-Packard Manuals Parts Express Rochester Electronics Don Thompson PO Box 3277 19310 Pruneridge Avenue 340 E First Street 10 Malcolm Hoyt Drive 6 Morgan, Ste 112 Williamsport, PA 17701 Cupertino, CA 94014 Dayton, OH 45402 Newburyport, MA 01950 Irvine, CA 92718 (717) 323-4691 (800) 752-0900 (800) 338-0531 (508) 462-9332 (800) 457-5776

EEM Master ISCET Update Play Meter SAE Library United Servicers Assn 645 Stewart Avenue 2708 W Berry, Ste 3 PO Box 24970 400 Commonwealth Drive PO Box 626 Garden City, NY 11530 Ft Worth, TX 76109 New Orleans, LA 70184 Warrendale, PA 15096 Westmont, IL 60559 (516) 227-1300 (817) 921-9101 (504) 488-7003 (412) 776-4814 (800) 432-0972 industry is Recharger magazine. This electronic organ chips are no longer Campbell’s Pinball Pages. Much more one has hundreds of ads for supplies, manufactured. on pinball resources in general in my training, and related materials. Plus One possible source for original file HACK75.PS which I have recently tech and service info. electronic organ top octave generators uploaded to my GEnie PSRT. One good source for special laser and keyers is Fistells Microelectronics. printer cables and most interconnects They specialize in stocking what few Auto Computers is Redmond Cable. devices remain, along with modular Useful information on automobile Copier repairs are generally a bad workarounds. computers is extremely hard to come scene, owing to previous ugly vibes by. First because much of it is treated within a sick industry. But there is a Arcade Video Games as insider trade secrets. And secondly, Copier & Imaging Technology mag. There is a lively market in older because there are severe EPA penalties We also have a lot more info on arcade video games. Their electronics for modifying any car computer in laser printing opportunities up on my is rather crude and simple, and most any way. Ferinstance, if you modify a GEnie PSRT. You can start out with of the service problems relate to plain car computer such that it dramatically our TONERTRX.PS file. old abuse. The usual complaint is a reduces your pollution and increases big lack of interest in anyone putting your mileage, you have committed a Microwave Ovens quarters in them anymore. felony. The feds will lock you in jail Microwave ovens are yet another You’ll find two major trade journals and throw away the key. consumer electronics item that’s fairly here, namely Play Meter and RePlay Some info on car computers does easy to fix. Besides the maggie itself, magazines. There’s also supposedly a appear here in Nuts & Volts ads. You you’ve got a power supply, a timer, techie pub known as the STAR Tech can also try to use the SAE Library for and some safety interlocks. Journal. But I was unable to get further background info. I’ve also found Pact Sources of replacement magnetrons info on this one by press time. So this Services to be a useful resource here. are once again MCM Electronics and one is only a maybe. You might also check the ads in the MAT Electronics. Typical costs are in One source of video game repair performance mags. the $36 range or so. info is Randy Fromm. Who has books, videos, hands-on training schools, A Service Yarn or Two Electronic Organs repair parts, restoration services, and The all time classic tv service story I’m amazed that any interest at all exchange modules. involved a technician dealing with a remains in electronic organs, since a Some really good stuff. problem customer. What he finally modern synth gives you a thousand Tech info on older electromagnetic did was adjust their tv set to a slow times the instrument for far less than pinball machines is surprisingly easy vertical roll. Then told the customer to one tenth the cost. At any rate, most to get. One superb source is Steve pick the picture they wanted.

April 1994/Nuts & Volts Magazine 26 My own toughest electronic service documentation for the system was to cause the guy wire to saw its way job ever? It involved an intermittent largely missing or illegible and had through the alarm wire insulation. mid air short circuit, and boy, was it gone through several upgrades over Causing an intermittent mid-air ever hard to find. the years. The original thought was dead short! This one was on a fire alarm system that there was some loose connection In retrospect, it probably would’ve for a small Arizona town. Known as a somewhere in the decades old system. been faster and simpler to physically Gamewell Fire Alarm Telegraph. What And would I please find it? inspect the entire 36 miles an inch at a you basically had was a single wire The problem with blaming an open time. When we did this after the fact, about 36 miles or so long that wound circuit is that the honker would also we found three more problem areas. up one alley and down another to the have tripped. That would have been But there was no guaranteeing that it little red boxes on each street corner. easy to find and would have promptly was a wire problem in the first place. Inside of each box was an incredibly gotten everyone’s attention. Whether And, as with any service hassle, you sophisticated spring mechanism the they liked it or not. Thus, you never usually don’t know what you really size of your fist. knew when the problem was going to have until after you fully solve the When tripped, a box would spell appear. You just had to wait till the problem once and for all. out its location by a cam breaking the middle of a dark and windy night and But this one certainly was a good line circuit in a certain pattern. As I then go down to the firehall and hope example of how divide-and-conquer recall, 2-3-1 was the station itself, and to catch the culprit in action. can be a useful service technique. And other codes led to specific areas in the Which got old in a hurry. Finally, how most forgone conclusions (a town. What you have here, of course, on one exceptionally windy night, I mid-air "ground" can’t happen) can is a local area network. did manage to catch our gnome in lead you to ongoing grief. Amazingly, this 1880’s technology action. I watched the tape spitting out I also never picked up on the fact (yeah – the EIGHTEEN eighties!) was on the floor, ran out across our town, that the cause had to be some high smart enough to avoid all its packet shorted out half of the alarm system, frequency event, when compared to collisions by making sure the line was and came back. The tape stopped. I the intended baud rate. not in use before sending its own repeated the process three times just code! Obviously, two pulled boxes to be sure. Now, instead of having 36 This month’s contest would generate garbage without miles of problem, I had narrowed it As usual, I suspect I have missed packet collision avoidance. down to a mere 18. several important electronic servicing The box was also smart enough to Naturally, the wind died down by resources. So, just tell me about any test the line’s signal quality! If the fire then, preventing further tests. other resources. Or share an unusual ever burned through the alarm line, At least we had now proven that servicing story with us. an alternate circuit through ground the problem was real and not some There will be a largish pile of my was selected by way of a balanced sort of a bizarre hoax. new Incredible Secret Money Machine II relay. There were self-test provisions Yeah, I thought of some kind of books going to the dozen or so better and a method at each box to short out recording time domain reflectometry entries, plus an all-expense-paid (FOB part of the system for debugging. setup. And of putting a transmitter on Thatcher, AZ) tinaja quest for two that You want a baud rate? You got it. the tape punch to let me know when will go to the very best of all. One baud! That was the rate the box the problem was coming down. But More on resources for electronic number got spelled out, repeating five this was a low budget and low time servicing appears in our collected times and then quitting. Back at the operation. And I still wasn’t sure Resource Bin reprints. Available in station, a relay at the top of the wet exactly what we had. book form per my nearby Synergetics cell battery supply tripped a honker This excruciating process of wait ad, or on line from GEnie PSRT. made from three Santa Fe diesel air for the wind, short-unshort-short- Let’s hear from you. ✦ horns. A separate relay at the bottom unshort went on for months. The only of the battery supply tripped a paper bright spot was that the symptoms Microcomputer pioneer and guru Don tape printout device. were gradually getting worse. At long Lancaster is the author of 32 books and And therein lay the problem. The last, I narrowed the problem down to countless tech articles. Don maintains his tape device was something of a great two boxes one block apart. The wire no-charge tech helpline found at (520) grandfather to a teletype punch. The went out one box, twenty feet straight 428-4073, besides offering all of his own theory was that you could read this up in the air, around the block, and books, reprints, and all of his consulting tape if you were late responding to finally twenty feet straight back down services. He also has a free catalog full of the fire station. to the other box. Mid-air short or no, his resource secrets waiting for you. Your The symptom was obvious enough: the problem had to be in this wire! best calling times are 8-5 on weekdays, very late on certain very rare dark and The next morning, I hopped on my Mountain Standard Time. windy nights, there would be all sorts bicycle and inspected every inch of Don is now the sysop of GEnie PSRT, of tape punched out on the floor. And the offending wire. where a special Resource Bin topic has the punched numbers simply didn’t Nothing. Again. Nada. been reserved for Nuts & Volts readers. make sense at all. In fact, most of the But wait! Near the alarm wire but For fast modem access, use (800) 638-8369 time, there was a total rip down the not in contact with it was a residental and enter HHH. When prompted, enter middle of the tape, rather than being house drop that consisted of three XTX99005,SCRIPT. any identifiable numbers. twisted power wires and a grounded You can also reach Don at Synergetics, Now the tape wasn’t used all that (!) supporting guy wire. What was Box 809, Thatcher, AZ 85552. Or send much, but any reliability problem in a happening was that the power poles any messages to his Internet address of fire alarm system is bad news. Their would flex enough in very high winds [email protected].

27 April 1994/Nuts & Volts Magazine Don Lancaster’s RESOURCE BIN

number twenty-eight

Secrets of electronic breadboarding.

ur usual reminder here that the is free and is sponsored by Vangard called Fahnstock clips were often used Resource Bin is now a two-way Sciences. They also have files on disk. for those portions of the circuit where O column. You can get tech help, Be sure to watch closely for their you wanted to add or remove wires. consultant referrals and off-the-wall sign-off screen. It lists a dozen other Amazingly, Fahnstock clips still get networking on nearly any electronic, pseudoscience boards. sold by Antique Electronic Supply. tinaja questing, personal publishing, One caller got rather upset when he money machine, or computer topic by found I did not believe in dowsing. Is Breadboarding Needed? calling me at (520) 428-4073 weekdays Well, yeah, I do see our local utility The purpose of a breadboard is to 8-5 Mountain Standard time. company routinely using these. find the problems and flaws. Between A portion of my PSRT RoundTable I also think I know one reason why where you really are and where you on GEnie has also been set aside for my utility bills are so high. want to go. Especially rude surprises you Nuts & Volts readers. This is the Actually, many years ago, I was and stuff you’ve overlooked. At one place you go for instant tech answers. given some dowsing rods for a story I time, breadboards were the be-all and Among the many files in our library, was doing for Electronics World. After end-all of project development. These you will find complete reprints and repeated and careful attempts, I was days, they are only one of several preprints for all of my Resource Bin unable to get them to work. So were useful tools. And a quite costly and columns. For quick access, just have several dowsing fans I loaned them time-consuming one at that. your modem dial (800) 638-8369, and to. At that time, I was unable to find Ferinstance, a computer model can type HHH. Then JOINGENIE,DMD524. so much as one scientifically credible often tell you bunches more than any I did manage to wrangle a super paper which was able to convincingly breadboard can. Faster and cheaper. I special signup deal for you Resource support dowsing. once worked on an intelligent tap for a Bin readers. Ten free hours and zero As far as I know, there still aren’t cable tv system. This let you connect first month minimums. any. One free Incredible Secret Money and disconnect service from the head By the way, be sure to enter your Machine if you can prove me wrong. end to eliminate any need to dispatch HHH immediately after your modem But don’t load me down with third a truck for routine service calls. software reports a connection. This is hand anecdotal mythology. We first modeled this system with a how GEnie recognizes your baud rate. large pile of Apple computers. All of If you get gibberish on the screen, you Electronic Breadboards their game paddle ports were strung were too slow with your HHH. To create a new technical product, together in a simple network, with I’ve also now got a brand new free you have to go through a number of one Apple being the front end, and catalog for you that includes a greatly distinct steps. Steps which take you the others serving as ersatz customer expanded insider secrets section. Call from an initial idea up through a final taps. From this simulation, we learned or write for your copy. Or grab it off product. One traditional method was what was really important and what PSRT as SYNCAT1.PS. was not for the ultimate hardware. Many thanks for the dozens of calls Computer simulations can also do a I got over our pseudoscience column. NEXT MONTH: Don looks at lot in the way of conventional circuit So here are a few updates: Lindsay little known supply sources design. The real biggie here is SPICE, Publications somehow just missed the for the cable tv industry. but there are lots of other options. final cut of the story. But these folks SPICE disks are often free from the ic do stock several pseudoscience titles. houses. You will also find computer They are also very strong on earlier called an electronic breadboard. Which virtual breadboard systems. These can radio books and turn of the century today means any old lashup that gets let you verify your component values machine shop lore. Free catalogs. most of your hardware working more before you select them. I also found an absolute gem called or less in the way you pretty much One obvious method for computer the KEELYNET BBS that is up at (214) intended it to. Without any regard for simulation is a Commodore C-64 picked 324-3501. This one covers free energy, durability or compactness. up for $30 at a yard sale. Sometimes a antigravity, sympathetic vibrations, At one time, electronic breadboards beast like this can completely eliminate strange medicine, UFO’s, paranormal were just that. Flat and wide pieces of any need for your circuit in the first experiences, the whole nine yards. wood onto which you nailed or bolted place. A careful and thoughtful use of Even a urine powered car. The service your components. Snap-in connectors computers might dramatically reduce

May 1994 / Nuts & Volts Magazine 24 any need for breadboarding. breadboarding materials are Keystone new from Another question to ask is whether and Vector Electronics. Naturally, you a traditional electronic circuit is the will also find lots of breadboarding DON LANCASTER best way to go at all. These days, you stuff right here in our Nuts & Volts ACTIVE FILTER COOKBOOK are almost always going to be much ads, and in just about any surplus or The sixteenth (!) printing of Don’s bible on analog op-amp lowpass, bandpass, and highpass active better off by going to a programmable electronic distributor catalog. filters. De-mystified instant designs. $24.50 method of some sort. Or to a plug-in Nearly all of those electronic trade personal computer card. journals have breadboarding product CMOS AND TTL COOKBOOKS The advantages of programmable info in them. The two with the most Millions of copies in print worldwide. THE two books for digital integrated circuit fundamentals. solutions are that they are very easy are Electronic Component News and EE About as hands-on as you can get. $24.50 each. to change, much faster and simpler to Product News. use, are almost always cheaper in the Much more on trade journals in the INCREDIBLE SECRET long run, and can be reused. Resource Bin reprints. MONEY MACHINE II As an example, one caller recently Vector did have a useful perfboard Updated 2nd edition of Don’s classic on setting wanted a circuit that counts to twenty tool a long time ago that I really liked up your own technical or craft venture. $18.50 and then provides his output. Well, and used a lot. Sadly, this one seems you might grab my CMOS Cookbook to be long gone. This was their Vector LANCASTER CLASSICS LIBRARY Don’s best early stuff at a bargain price. Includes and whump a breadboard up out of Wiring Pencil. Which was really a the CMOS Cookbook, The TTL Cookbook, Active Filter Cookbook, PostScript video, Case Against four or five chips. Or, you could do pencil shaped carrier for a small roll Patents, Incredible Secret Money Machine II, and the entire job in a single chip EPROM, of solderable magnet wire. Solderable Hardware Hacker II reprints. $119.50 just by feeding some of the outputs magnet wire has a special insulation back on its own inputs. on it that vaporizes when raised to LOTS OF OTHER GOODIES ...... Ask the Guru I or II or III $24.50 Better yet, a $2 PLA or PLD logic soldering temperatures. Its intended ...... Hardware Hacker II or III $24.50 device might give you an even lower use is to eliminate any stripping when Micro...... Cookbook I $19.50 PostScript...... Beginner Stuff $39.50 cost and simpler solution. My vote winding electrical coils. Most any PostScript...... Show and Tell $39.50 Intro...... to PostScript Video $39.50 here is to use a microcontroller, such large wire source should have this as PostScript...... Reference II $31.50 PostScript...... Tutorial/Cookbook $19.50 as that low cost Basic Stamp from a specialty item. PostScript...... by Example $31.50 Parallax. More information on low end You can try MWS Wire Industries. Understanding...... PS Programming $29.50 PostScript:...... A Visual Approach $22.50 microcontroller designs show up in PostScript...... Program Design $24.50 Solderless Breadboards Thinking...... in PostScript $22.50 such magazines as Circuit Cellar Ink LaserWriter...... Reference $19.50 and Embedded Systems Programming. Perfboard can quickly turn into a Type...... 1 Font Format $15.50 Acrobat...... Reference $24.50 Is breadboarding needed? Yes, if nightmare kluge. A few decades back, Whole...... works (all PostScript) $380.00 PostScript...... Secrets Brochure FREE you want to learn something about solderless breadboards were introduced Hacking...... Secrets Brochure FREE electronics. Yes, if you have to have that were much quicker, cleaner, and solid proof that your concept works. more convenient. These are just big POSTSCRIPT SECRETS Yes, if you are up to something tricky blocks of white plastic that have short A Book/Disk combination crammed full of free fonts, insider resources, utilities, publications, or far out. But outside of these, you connector strips in them. You plug workarounds, fontgrabbing, more. For most any should aggressively minimize the need your components in, and then add all PostScript printer. Mac or PC format. $39.50 to do breadboards by creative use of your plug-in wire jumpers. BOOK-ON-DEMAND PUB KIT computers, microcontrollers, and the Solderless breadboards are useful Ongoing details on Book-on-demand publishing, a new method of producing books only when and other programmable solutions. for learning electronics and for quick as ordered. Reprints, sources, samples. $39.50 checks of small and simple circuits. Perf Board You can easily find these, with 3-M THE CASE AGAINST PATENTS One obvious way to build things is being a leading manufacturer. Start For most individuals, patents are virtually certain to result in a net loss of sanity, energy, time, and often called rat’s nest wiring. Because with Radio Shack, our Nuts&Volts ads, money. This two volume set shows you tested today’s integrated circuits are higher or your favorite electronic distributor. and proven real-world alternatives. 28.50 frequency devices that demand clean The best source for the wire jumpers BLATANT OPPORTUNIST I and well bypassed supply lines, most is Squires Electronics, who offer some The reprints from all Don’s Midnight Engineering rat’s nest circuits simply do not work. handy low cost kits. These will often columns. Includes the case against patents, book on demand publishing, toner secrets, paradigm And are likely to end up as a total have color coded wire lengths. Bulk stalking, insider research, lots more. $24.50 waste of your time and effort. wire packs are also available. But this route could sometimes be Solderless breadboards are usually RESOURCE BIN I A complete collection of all Don’s Nuts & Volts handy to test simple control, alarm, or offered as minis, singles, three-wide, columns to date, including a new index and his audio circuits. But only when you are and five-wide. They are sometimes master names and numbers list. $24.50 exceptionally neat, keep all the leads mounted on a metal chassis that can sensibly short, and thoroughly bypass support the power connectors. Some FREE SAMPLES Well, nearly free anyway. Almost. Do join us on all your supplies. The obvious biggie fancier units may include built-in GEnie PSRT to sample all of the Guru’s goodies. The downloading cost on a typical Guru file is 21 here is Radio Shack, who offer a wide power supplies. And fancier ones still cents. Modem access: (800) 638-8369, then a selection of perfboard stuff. are intended as student workstations HHH. On prompt, XTX99005,SCRIPT. You simply shove the components and as total breadboarding systems. FREE VOICE HELPLINE VISA /MC through their holes and then solder Heath is one good source. SYNERGETICS them to the pad areas. Ordinary wire Yeah, Heathkit is still in business. Box 809-NV Thatcher, AZ 85552 of one sort or another is then used to Only they are much smaller and have (520) 428-4073 interconnect the pads. tightly focused themselves on their Your two big supply houses for industrial education products. Write in 146 on Reader Service Card.

25 May 1994/Nuts & Volts Magazine Wirewrap ELECTRONIC BREADBOARDING RESOURCES Wirewrapping is an old aerospace technique for creating one or more copies of a complex circuit that may Antique Electronic Supply Heathkit Printron need extensive debugging. 6221 South Maple Avenue PO Box 1288 8917 Adams Street NE Tempe, AZ 85283 Benton Harbor, MI 49022 Albuquerque, NM 87113 Unlike regular sockets, wirewrap (602) 820-5411 (616) 982-3200 (505) 823-1990 sockets have long square-pinned tails on them. Special manual or automatic Aptix Kepro Quality Semiconductor 2890 N First Street 630 Axminister Dr 851 Martin Avenue tools are used to twist prestripped San Jose, Ca 95134 Fenton, MO 63026 Santa Clara, CA 95050 wires onto these tails. #30 Kynar wire (408) 428-6200 (800) 325-3878 (408) 450-8063 is normally specified. Augat Keystone Squires Electronics One leading supplier for wirewrap 452 John Dietsch Blvd 31-07 20th Road 503 N 13th Avenue tools and the prestripped wires is OK Attleboro Falls, MA 02763 Astoria, NY 11105 Cornelius, OR 97113 Machine. Once again, Radio Shack also (508) 699-7646 (718) 956-8900 (503) 357-7132 offers the essentials. One two-ended Circuit Cellar Ink Lindsay Publications Synergetics manual tool is all you’ll often need. 4 Park Street, Ste 20 PO Box 538 Box 809 One end wraps. One end unwraps. Vernon, CT 06066 Bradley, IL 60915 Thatcher, AZ 85552 (203) 875-2751 (815) 935-5353 (520) 428-4073 The middle strips. Augat is one leading (but pricey) DynaArt Designs MWS Wire Industries Techniks supplier for wirewrap boards. 3535 Stillmeadow Lane 31200 Cedar Valley Drive 45 J Ringo Road Lancaster, CA 93536 Westlake Village, CA 91362 Ringoes, NJ 08551 Bought new, wirewrap assemblies (805) 943-4746 (818) 991-8553 (908) 788-8249 can be obscenely expensive. Most are literally gold plated. But if you look EE Product News NASA Tech Briefs 3M 707 Westchester Avenue 41 E 42nd Street, Ste 921 3M Center around surplus, you might be able to White Plains, NY 10604 New York, NY 10017 St Paul, MN 55144 locate prewrapped wirewrap bays at (914) 949-8500 (212) 490-3999 (800) 328-1303 astoundingly low prices. Electronic Component News OK Industries Vangard Services Vector does produce a variant on 1 Chilton Way 4 Executive Plaza Box 1031 wirewrap called Slit-n-wrap. This one Radnor, PA 19089 Yonkers, NY 10701 Mesquite TX 75149 uses roll feed and a slitter to eliminate (215) 964-4345 (914) 969-6800 (214) 324-8741 the need for prestripped wires. Embedded Systems Pgrm. Parallax Vector Electronics One of your foremost rules when 600 Harrison Street 6359 Auburn Blvd, Ste C 12460 Gladstone Avenue wirewrapping is to never daisy chain! If San Francisco, CA 94107 Citrus Heights, CA 95621 Sylmar, CA 91342 (415) 905-2200 (916) 721-8217 (818) 365-9661 several points are to get connected together, wrap the first pair low, the GEnie Pioneer Vero Electronics second pair high, the third pair low, 401 N Washington Street Box 1720 1000 Sherman Avenue Rockville, MD 20850 Long Beach, CA 90801 Hamden, CT 06514 and so on. If you use the obvious high (800) 638-9636 (213) 835-6177 (203) 288-8001 to low, high to low, high to low, etc, you might have to undo your entire chain for a minor fix. the "old way" routes, there are crude cleaned copper is not copper colored Wirewrap pins normally support direct techniques (cut or paint), silk at all. It is instead a hot pink. And will up to three wraps. Another very good screen, and photo methods. allow an unbroken stream of water to rule is to reserve any third wraps for With either the silk screen or the freely flow over it. Any clorine based emergencies. Restrict yourself to two photo method, you create a 1:1 photo kitchen cleanser (Comet, etc.) does a wraps per pin. Besides not boxing image from your artwork, and then good cleaning job. yourself into corners, it is much easier expose a photoemulsion. The coating Special cleaners are also available. to slide a test connector over a single then decides what board copper will The longer the etch time, the worse wrap or a double wrap pin. get removed by etching, or which the performance, and the greater the Because it is ungainly and costly, holes are to appear in the silk screen. odds of undercutting and pinholes. wirewrap is no longer popular. There The leading supplier of traditional The activity of most etch processes is no economy of scale in wirewrap, printed circuit materials and supplies doubles with each twelve degrees or which will pretty much restrict it to is Kepro. Of the photomethods, I very so increase in temperature. The best one-off uses. Your second copy takes much do prefer the dry film laminate, etching temperature is 120 degrees. as much time and effort as the first. since it is fast, easy, and pinhole free. One easy way to hit this temperature You usually get printed circuit boards is with a yard sale warming tray. Prototype Printed Circuits with the dry film preapplied. A hint: If you are doing a simple No point-to-point wiring system For etchants, ammonium persulfate slosh etching, etch your board upside can compete with a printed circuit or a sodium persulfate is infinitely down and supported a quarter inch or when it comes to cheap copies, repeat preferable to messy and opaque old more off the bottom of the tray. Use a accuracy, total control of strays, and ferric chloride. Etching can be done by plastic clip or standoff to provide the high frequency performance. So, it is sloshing, bubbling, or spray. spacing. With upside down etching, real hard to beat a printed circuit for The two big beginner mistakes on grundge will tend to fall off the board most breadboards. printed circuit boards are not using instead of on to it. We looked at printed circuit board squeaky clean copper or trying to etch There has been some newer work options back in previous columns. Of with too low a temperature. Properly where conductors get directly printed

May 1994/Nuts & Volts Magazine 26 onto an insulating base, eliminating to transfer toner onto nearly anything. room for dozens of your own devices. all of the etching steps. Some of these Such as dialplates, panels, or awards. Around 1700 interconnections are are inkjet compatible. Time will tell If you want to make up your own fully programmable, which is more whether direct print will ever become transfer sheets, just get an archival than enough for most jobs. That’s over a useful prototyping tool. One outfit quality grade of premium white glue a hundred 16 pin chips. Development working on this is Printron. from a large art store, dilute it with and support software is included. Additional info also appears in the water, and apply it to a heavier sheet Each programmed interconnect is NASA Tech Briefs for August 1989. of paper with a windshield wiper. less than 150 Ohms. Which is useful A second supplier of direct toner for circuit interconnects up to fairly The Direct Toner Method systems is Techniks. Their approach is high frequencies. Supply and ground There is now an exciting alternate to provide a release coating on their connections and any higher current method to making prototype printed backing sheets. A coating that toner outputs are directly hardwired on the circuit boards. This is called the direct only loosely sticks to. After thermal breadboarding area. toner method. Only recently has this transfer to your printed circuit board, We can shortly expect lower prices, process gotten really reliable. the backing is peeled off. The release more hacker friendly devices, and A laser printer toner is mostly a coating minimizes transfer hassles. new non-volatile connection storage. polyethylene plastic. It makes a fine If you find the Aptix products are etch resist. To apply the direct toner A Better Way to Breadboard still too pricey for your tastes, you can method, you use a PostScript laser There’s a brand new breadboarding conjure up your own programmable printer to create a reversed 1:1 toner method that’s taken the industry by interconnects, using the ridiculously image. That image then gets bonded storm. Sadly, the price is still a tad too cheaper bus switch integrated circuits directly to the printed circuit board high for many personal uses. But this by Pioneer and Quality Semiconductor. and becomes your etch resist. All of is about to change in a big hurry. These also do offer significantly lower the intermediate steps of those older It’s called programmable interconnect. resistances in the 5 Ohm range. But methods get eliminated. You can now For years now, we have been able to you are talking dozens of gates per easily make your own printed circuit rearrange the apparent wiring inside package instead of tens of thousands. prototypes on your kitchen table in of EPROM’s and other popular chips. More on this topic in HACK75.PS on minutes for pennies. With programmable interconnect, we GEnie PSRT. Nearly all the earlier direct toner can now also rearrange the apparent offerings suffered grievously from wiring between any collection of chips This Month’s Contest partial transfers. Some of your toner on a printed circuit board. For our contest this month, just tell would transfer and some would not, Wouldn’t it be great if you could me about a breadboarding resource or leading to bad dropouts. More people have a magic software programmable technique I don’t know about. swore at these early attempts, rather robot that would tirelessly wire up all There will be a largish pile of my than by them. your prototypes for you? Sorta like new Incredible Secret Money Machine II But this is now ancient history. having a giant automated patchboard books going to the dozen or so better Your leading supplier for second where lots of wires could instantly be entries, plus an all-expense-paid (FOB generation direct toner materials and combined in any pattern? Thatcher, AZ) tinaja quest for two that supplies is DynaArt Designs. They do You are probably familiar with the will go to the very best of all. offer total systems of suitable toner, CMOS 4016 or 4066 chips. These hold Lots more on breadboarding in our reliable transfer materials and presses, four transmission gates that can behave Resource Bin reprints and also in my and a gentle and toner-friendly wave as plain old analog or digital switches. Incredible Secret Money Machine. Plus, etching system. Picture instead a package having one of course, the thousands of files now The transfer material has a water thousand pins and enough gates that up on GEnie PSRT. ✦ soluble release coating. You print it on you could connect each and every pin your PostScript printer. It is totally to each and every other one in nearly Microcomputer pioneer and guru Don unthinkable to not use PostScript here. any pattern. On power up, serial data Lancaster is the author of 32 books and Microsizing for media stretch is one of is fed into an internal RAM memory countless tech articles. Don maintains his many important reasons. area that holds the wire patterns. no-charge tech helpline found at (520) Your transfer material then gets The chip that I am describing is the 428-4073, besides offering all of his own bonded to the printed circuit using a Aptix AX1024R. They also do offer a books, reprints, and all of his consulting heat press. A few people sometimes slightly pricier APX1024D version that services. He also has a free catalog full of have luck using an iron, but the heat splits out 64 of the pins into a separate his resource secrets waiting for you. Your press does a much better job much I/O connector. This is dandy for test best calling times are 8-5 on weekdays, more of the time. After bonding, the and debug, for you can connect any Mountain Standard Time. board is soaked in water, dissolving a test point anywhere in your circuit Don is now the sysop of GEnie PSRT, release coating and letting the backing under software control. where a special Resource Bin topic has sheet float away. Differential transfer Aptix has a free video on their new been reserved for Nuts & Volts readers. problems are eliminated since none of programmable interconnect devices For fast modem access, use (800) 638-8369 the toner stays on the sheet. available, along with the usual data and enter HHH. When prompted, enter As before, ultra clean copper and a sheets and ap notes. They also offer JOINGENIE,DMD524. higher etch temperature is absolutely complete breadboarding systems. You can also reach Don at Synergetics, essential. So is PostScript. So is using Ferinstance, the FPCB AXB-AT2 is Box 809, Thatcher, AZ 85552. Or send a printer rather than a copier. an IBM PC compatible card that holds any messages to his Internet address of This same process can also be used two programmable interconnects and [email protected].

27 May 1994/Nuts & Volts Magazine Don Lancaster’s RESOURCE BIN

number twenty-nine

Cable and video insider sources.

ur usual reminder here that the SCTE for short. Membership is $40 per Dialog Information Service on GEnie. Resource Bin is now a two-way year. Their main goals are standards, A few of these are technical, some O column. You can get tech help, training, and certification. Despite the are for the advertisers and marketers, consultant referrals and off-the-wall name, most members are not degreed some for cable pirates, and some are networking on nearly any electronic, engineers. There are also lots of the intended for end users. Let’s sample a tinaja questing, personal publishing, usual regional chapters and meeting few of them here… money machine, or computer topic by groups. These can be useful for local Communications Technology is the calling me at (520) 428-4073 weekdays professional contacts. trade journal published by the SCTE. 8-5 Mountain Standard time. Another organization is the National It has solid tech details on operating A portion of my PSRT RoundTable Cable Television Association or NCTA. cable systems, excellent tutorials on on GEnie has also been set aside for These folks also publish the Techline fundamentals, and plenty of ads for you Nuts & Volts readers. This is the and Linking Up magazines. equipment and services. place you go for instant tech answers. That Cable Television Contractor’s They also publish the Video Services Among the many files in our library, Council is apparently a sub-branch of News. The focus is on FCC regulations, you will find complete reprints and the Power Communication Contractor’s emerging technology, industry gossip, preprints for all of my Resource Bin Association. This is mainly a national and customer relations. Free sample columns. For quick access, just have organization for independent CATV mini-subscriptions are offered. your modem dial (800) 638-8369, and operators. They also do seminars and Cable Vision deals with the business type HHH. On the password prompt, conventions, publications, insurance, end of operating a commercial cable enter JOINGENIE. On the keyword and offer safety services. service. They’re big on programming prompt, enter DMD524. Several other organizations also do features, pay-per-view developments, I did manage to wrangle a super involve themselves with cable in one marketing and promotion. special signup deal for you Resource way or another. A pair of leading end user satellite Bin readers. Ten free hours and zero The IEEE or Institute of Electrical and guides appear to be Onsat and Satellite first month minimums. Electronic Engineers publishes papers Orbit. These are both TV Guide type of By the way, be sure to enter your and issues standards. beasties which list most of the major HHH immediately after your modem The Electronic Industries Association, networks, superstations, and variety software reports a connection. This is or EIA issues standards, especially for offerings. They are also big on NBA how GEnie recognizes your baud rate. communications and interconnects. schedules and other sports info. If you get gibberish on the screen, you And that Society for Motion Picture The cable pirate newsletters tend to were too slow with your HHH. and Television Engineers, or SMPTE is come and go. These are available in I’ve also now got a brand new free varying shades of gray. At any rate, catalog for you that includes a greatly five more or less typical examples are expanded insider secrets section. Call NEXT MONTH: Don looks at Satellite Watch News, Scrambling News, or write for your copy. Or grab it off doing independent research Cable Theft Newsletter, Secure Signals, PSRT as SYNCAT1.PS. You can also of your own choosing. and the North Star Gazer. get it via the Internet. There are many more of these mags This month, I thought I’d gather in Ulricht’s. A few promising ones I together a few of the more obscure really big on time codes and related have yet to review are Broadcasting & and harder-to-find resources in and production standards. Cable, The Bullet, Cable Guide, Cable around the cable tv industry. Plus a World, Electronic Media, Private Cable few "pretty nigh but not plumb" tv, Cable Magazines and Satellite Week. radio, and video sources. Ulricht’s Periodicals Dictionary lists I guess I’m probably the last person nearly one thousand cable and video Cable Networks who should be doing this, since I magazines worldwide. Some of which There are an amazing number of never watch any cable or television. are free to qualified readers. And that cable networks out there these days. count excludes local newsletters and Paid, public, and user supported. Organizations and Standards the underground stuff. You can access Regional and national. As our first One professional organization is the this list on the reference shelf of your sidebar this month, I’ve shown a Society of Cable Television Engineers, or local library, or else by way of that bunch of the high profile commercial

June 1994 / Nuts & Volts Magazine 24 cable networks. These hard-to-locate new from addresses got summarized from the Fiber Optics and Wireless recent special compilation by Cable Many newer cable systems are now DON LANCASTER Vision, called their Upfront Market. going fiber. A single optical fiber can ACTIVE FILTER COOKBOOK handle many more channels than can The sixteenth (!) printing of Don’s bible on analog Cable Suppliers op-amp lowpass, bandpass, and highpass active traditional coax. As usual, your best filters. De-mystified instant designs. $24.50 The leading old-line distributor of method to get up to date on this is to cable tv products is a chain known as check out the trade journals. CMOS AND TTL COOKBOOKS Anixter, who has warehouses in most Two leaders here are Lightwave and Millions of copies in print worldwide. THE two books for digital integrated circuit fundamentals. larger cities. Competitors advertise in Fiber Optic Product News. About as hands-on as you can get. $24.50 each. Communications Technology and other There’s also lots of exciting things similar trade journals. happening with new wireless bands INCREDIBLE SECRET Several of the more obvious cable tv that are opening up. You will also be MONEY MACHINE II suppliers include Coast CATV, ESE, seeing direct broadcast satellites and Updated 2nd edition of Don’s classic on setting and Spectrum. similar user services expanding at an up your own technical or craft venture. $18.50 I have found these suppliers to be explosive rate. One real winner trade particularly handy for helping solve a journal here is Wireless Design and LANCASTER CLASSICS LIBRARY Don’s best early stuff at a bargain price. Includes problem I’ve had with ultra-fringe FM Development. the CMOS Cookbook, The TTL Cookbook, Active Filter Cookbook, PostScript video, Case Against reception. Our local cable company Patents, Incredible Secret Money Machine II, and stupidly dropped their FM coverage, Radio World and TV Technology Hardware Hacker II reprints. $119.50 so I dropped them. I live in a deep These are both free and oversize valley over 146 miles from KDKB, the "throwaway" tabloids for the techies LOTS OF OTHER GOODIES ...... Ask the Guru I or II or III $24.50 nearest listenable FM station. There’s involved in radio, cable and television Hardware...... Hacker II or III $24.50 also a 50KW FM random noise source broadcasting. Both of these are very Micro...... Cookbook I $19.50 PostScript...... Beginner Stuff $29.50 a very few blocks away. And the next interesting and highly readable. Intro...... to PostScript Video $29.50 PostScript...... Reference II $31.50 nearest station insists on splattering Radio World is mostly on AM and PostScript...... Tutorial/Cookbook $19.50 PostScript...... by Example $31.50 ugly and obviously out-of-spec spurs FM transmitters, production facilities, Understanding...... PS Programming $29.50 all over the band. studio links, older analog, and new PostScript:...... A Visual Approach $22.50 PostScript...... Program Design $24.50 To beat this, I’ve found high quality digital audio stuff. I got a helpline call Thinking...... in PostScript $22.50 LaserWriter...... Reference $19.50 antennas, traps, boosters, filters, and the other day for someone seeking a Type...... 1 Font Format $15.50 equalizers are available from many "de-esser". I’ve never heard of one of Acrobat...... Reference $24.50 Prog...... display PS in X $29.50 cable sources. One good summary of these before, but it turns out that a Whole...... works (all PostScript) $380.00 ...... Insider Secrets & Catalog FREE distant FM solutions now appears as de-esser is an essential filter to keep ...... HACK76.PS on GEnie PSRT. Also see non-professionals from spitting into POSTSCRIPT SECRETS HACK57.PS and HACK67.PS. the microphone and sounding awful. A Book/Disk combination crammed full of free Sure enough, Radio World has several fonts, insider resources, utilities, publications, workarounds, fontgrabbing, more. For most any Cable Shows advertisers who sell de-essers. PostScript printer. Mac or PC format. $29.50 There’s quite a few cable-specific These folks are also big on RBDS, a seminars and trade shows. A seminar tremendous new hacker opportunity. BOOK-ON-DEMAND PUB KIT Ongoing details on Book-on-demand publishing, that you just missed was offered by RBDS is a special new subcarrier data a new method of producing books only when and the Professional Encounter Forums. You service. Its obvious uses are to display as ordered. Reprints, sources, samples. $39.50 might contact them for a list of future the station name and format, the song events. One that you still just might and singer. Plus weather and traffic THE CASE AGAINST PATENTS For most individuals, patents are virtually certain catch is Cable-Tec Expo 94 to be held in and emergency messages. Emerging to result in a net loss of sanity, energy, time, and money. This two volume set shows you tested the Cervantes Convention Center in and hackable commercial uses include and proven real-world alternatives. 28.50 St. Louis MO, from June 15-18. new paging services, "coupon radio" Competing shows are announced in bargains that tightly target only those BLATANT OPPORTUNIST I The reprints from all Don’s Midnight Engineering Communication Technology and similar listening at any given time, and for columns. Includes the case against patents, book trade journals. making GPS navigation more accurate on demand publishing, toner secrets, paradigm stalking, insider research, lots more. $24.50 by broadcasting real time differential Books and videos corrections. RESOURCE BIN I Baylin Publications is an outfit who More background and user circuits A complete collection of all Don’s Nuts & Volts columns to date, including a new index and his claim they are now the world’s largest for RBDS appear in HACK73.PS and master names and numbers list. $24.50 supplier for the books, software, and EMERGOP3.PS on GEnie PSRT. videos about cable, satellites, and TV Technology is a similar mag for FREE SAMPLES wireless products. Meanwhile, good cable and television stations. Lots of Well, nearly free anyway. Almost. Do join us on GEnie PSRT to sample all of the Guru’s goodies. old MIX Bookshelf has lots of books stuff on cameras, studio links, effects The downloading cost on a typical Guru file is 21 cents. Modem access: (800) 638-8369, then a and tapes on all of those audio and generators, and related oddments. HHH. On prompt, JOINGENIE. After the keyword video fundamentals from beginner Free to qualified subscribers. prompt, DMD524. through advanced. And several fine FREE VOICE HELPLINE VISA/MC videos on production techniques are Video Toaster User SYNERGETICS sold by First Light Video Publishing. Video production has literally been Box 809-NV Thatcher, AZ 85552 And, of course, you’ll find many revolutionized by the Video Toaster (520) 428-4073 ads for fine cable products right here from NewTek. You can now produce in Nuts & Volts magazine. broadcast quality videos at home at a Write in 146 on Reader Service Card.

25 June 1994/Nuts & Volts Magazine SOME MAJOR CABLE NETWORKS

Amer Disability Chnl CNN Galavision New Inspirational Network The Travel Channel 1777 NE Loop 410, #1401 One CNN Center 605 Third Avenue, 12th Fl 9700 Southern Pine Blvd 2690 Cumberland #500 San Antonio, TX 78217 Atlanta, Ga 30348 New York, NY 10158 Charlotte, NC 28273 Atlanta, GA 30339 (210) 824-7446 (404) 827-1700 (212) 455-5200 (704) 525-9800 (404) 801-2400

Arts & Entertainment Net Comedy Central Headline News Nickelodean/Nick At Nite Turner Network TV 2325 E 45th Street 1775 Broadway One CNN Center 1515 Broadway One CNN Center New York, NY 10017 New York, NY 10019 Atlanta, GA 30348 New York, NY 10036 Atlanta, GA 30348 (212) 661-4500 (212) 767-8600 (404) 827-1700 (212) 258-8000 (404) 827-1700

Black Entertainment TV Country Music Television The International Channel Nostalgia Television Univision 1231 31st Street NW 2806 Opryland Drive 12401 W Olympic Blvd 3575 Cahuenga BW, #495 605 Third Avenue, F12 Washington, DC 20007 Nashville, TN 37214 Los Angeles, CA 90064 Los Angeles, CA 90068 New York, Ny 10158 (202) 337-5260 (615) 871-5830 (310) 826-2429 (213) 850-3000 (212) 455-5308

The Box Courtroom TV Ntwk The Learning Channel Prevue Channel USA Network 12000 Biscayne Blvd, 6F 600 Third Avenue 7700 Wisconsin Avenue 3801 S Sheridan Road 1230 Americas Ave Miami, FL 33181 New York, NY 10016 Bethesda, MD 20814 Tulsa, OK 74145 New York, NY 10020 (305) 899-9000 (212) 973-2800 (301) 986-0444 (800) 447-7388 (212) 408-8895

Bravo The Discovery Channel Lifetime Prime Sports Channel VH-1 150 Crossways Park West 7700 Wisconsin Avenue 36-12 35th Avenue 5251 Gulfton Street 1515 Broadway Woodbury, NY 11797 Bethesda, MD 20814 Astoria, NY 11106 Houston, TX 77081 New York, NY 10036 (516) 364-2222 (301) 986-0444 (718) 482-4000 (713) 661-0078 (212) 258-8000

The Cartoon Network E! Entertainment TV Mind Extension University The Sci-Fi Channel VISN/ACTS One CNN Center 5670 Wilshire Blvd 9697 E Mineral Avenue 1230 Ave of the Americas 5619 DTC Pkwy Atlanta, GA 30348 Los Angeles, CA 90036 Englewood, CO 80155 New York, NY 10020 Englewood, CO 80111 (404) 827-1700 (213) 954-2400 (303) 792-3111 (212) 408-9100 (303) 779-1161

Channel America ESPN MTV TBS Superstation The Weather Channel 19 W 21st Street, #204 ESPN Plaza 1515 Broadway One CNN Center 2600 Cumberland Pkwy New York, NY 10010 Bristol, CT 06010 New York, NY 10036 Atlanta, Ga 30348 Atlanta, GA 30339 (212) 366-9880 (203) 585-2000 (212) 258-8000 (404) 827-1700 (404) 434-6800

CNBC The Family Channel The Nashville Network Telemundo WWOR/ EMI Service 2200 Fletcher Avenue 1000 Centerville Tpke 2806 Opryland Drive 1740 Broadway 5015 Campuswood Drive Fort Lee, NJ 07024 Virginia Beach, VA 23463 Nashville, TN 37214 New York, NY 10019 E Syracuse, NY 13507 (201) 585-2622 (804) 523-7301 (615) 889-6840 (212) 492-5500 (315) 433-0022 tiny fraction of the original cost. Full This one makes King Kong look like There will be a largish pile of my ongoing details often appear in Video a giant gorilla. new Incredible Secret Money Machine II Toaster User magazine. Two traditional film production books going to the dozen or so better NewTek has just added two unique mags I’ve found of interest are Film & entries, plus an all-expense-paid (FOB new products. One is their Screamer Video, and Cinema FX. The latter gem Thatcher, AZ) tinaja quest for two that which speeds up computer animation covers special effects in depth. More will go to the very best of all. rendering to nearly real time, thus on special effects in HACK72.PS. Let’s hear from you. ✦ blowing away the fancy workstations. I have posted a large group of other And the other is their new Video Flyer, multimedia magazines to HACK71.PS Microcomputer pioneer and guru Don a hard disk based non-linear editing on GEnie PSRT. Lancaster is the author of 32 books and system that completely eliminates any And, of course, to find any really countless tech articles. Don maintains his need for most of the horribly priced obscure labor-of-love publications, no-charge tech helpline found at (520) video production tools. that Factsheet Five will honestly and 428-4073, besides offering all of his own Free demo videos are now available fairly review stuff that is guaranteed books, reprints, and all of his consulting directly from NewTek. to offend pretty near anyone. Their services. He also has a free catalog full of latest issue reviews over 1300 of the his resource secrets waiting for you. Your Random Wonderments alternate press zines. best calling times are 8-5 on weekdays, Just to round things out, Morph’s Finally, the best cable resource of Mountain Standard Time. Outpost On The Digital Frontier is a all: SET Free is also The Newsletter Don is now the sysop of GEnie PSRT, bleeding edge tabloid for multimedia Against Television. Cost is $5 for ten where a special Resource Bin topic has developers. And Wired, of course is a issues. It is published by the Society for been reserved for Nuts & Volts readers. stunning new…. Er, then again, its the Eradication of Television. For fast modem access, use (800) 638-8369 really a superb… Or maybe a really and enter HHH. When prompted, enter outstanding …. Well, it definitely is a This Month’s Contest JOINGENIE. When asked for a keyword, must read. Fer sure. For our contest this month, just tell enter DMD524. Whatever it is, they are really good me about a cable resource or idea I You can also reach Don at Synergetics, at it. Definitely the foremost magazine don’t know about. Or else tell me in Box 809, Thatcher, AZ 85552. Or send of its type in the world. Er, in the 175,000 words or less precisely what any messages to his Internet address of universe? The galaxy? Wired magazine is all about. [email protected].

June 1994/Nuts & Volts Magazine 26 CABLE AND VIDEO RESOURCES

Anixter CableVision Film & Video Onsat Soc Cable TV Engineers 8101 E Prentice #210 825 Seventh Avenue 8455 Beverly Blvd, Ste 508 PO Box 2347 669 Exton Commons Englewood, CO 80111 New York, NY 10019 Los Angeles, CA 90048 Shelby, NC 28151 Exton, PA 19341 (303) 740-8949 (212) 887-8400 (213) 653-8053 (704) 482-9673 (215) 363-6888

Baylin Publications Cinema FX First Light Video Private Cable Soc MoPic/TV Engineers 1905 Mariposa 13120-B Saticoy Street 8536 Venice Blvd 1909 Avenue G 595 W Hartsdale Avenue Boulder, CO 80302 N. Hollywood, CA 91605 Los Angeles, CA 90034 Rosenberg, TX 77471 White Plains, NY 10607 (303) 449-4551 (818) 765-4995 (800) 777-1576 (713) 342-9826 (914) 761-1100

Black Range Films Coast CATV Supply GEnie Professional Encounters Spectrum Route 2 Box 119 314 Elizabeth Lane 401 N Washington Street 303 E Wacker Drive, #740 803 Forest Ridge, Ste 108 Kingston, NM 88042 Corona, CA 91720 Rockville, MD 20850 Chicago, IL 60601 Bedford, TX 76022 (505) 895-5562 (909) 272-2360 (800) 638-9636 (312) 938-3500 (800) 628-0088

Broadcasting & Cable Comm Technology IEEE Radio World Synergetics 1705 DeSales Street, NW 1900 Grant Street, Ste 720 445 Hoes Lane 5827 Columbia Pike #310 Box 809 Washington, DC 20036 Denver, CO 80203 Piscataway, NJ 08855 Falls Church, VA 22041 Thatcher, AZ 85552 (202) 659-2340 (303) 839-1565 (908) 981-0060 (703) 998-7600 (520) 428-4073

The Bullet Dialog Lightwave Satellite Orbit TV Technology 42 Music Square W, Ste 146 3460 Hillview Avenue PO Box 2139 PO Box 607 5827 Columbia Pike, #310 Nashville, TN 37203 Palo Alto, CA 94304 Tulsa, OK 74101 Vienna, VA 22183 Falls, Church, VA 22041 (415) 858-2700 (918) 835-3161 (703) 827-0511 (703) 998-7600

Cable Guide Electronic Media MIX Bookshelf Satellite Watch News Ulricht's Periodicals 309 Lakeside Drive 740 Rush Street 6400 Hollis Street, Ste 12 6599 Commerce #103 121 Chanlon Road Horsham, PA 19044 Chicago, IL 60611 Emeryville, CA 94608 Gainesville, VA 22065 New Providence, NJ 07974 (215) 443-9300 (312) 649-5200 (800) 233-9604 (703) 347-7926 (908) 771-7714

Cable-Tec Expo 94 Electronic Indust Assn Morph's Digital Outpost Satellite Week Video Services News 669 Exton Commons 2001 Penna. Ave, NW PO Box 578 2115 Ward Court, NW 1201 Seven Locks Road Exton, PA 19341 Washington, DC 20006 Orinda, CA 94563 Washington, DC 20037 Potomac, MD 20854 (610) 363-6888 (202) 457-4900 (510) 238-4545 (202) 872-9200 (301) 424-3338

Cable TV Contractor ESE National Cable TV Assn Scrambling News Video Toaster User 6301 Stevenson Ave, Ste 1 142 Sierra Street 1724 Mass. Ave, NW 1552 Hertel Avenue 21611 Stevens Creek Blvd Alexandria, VA 22304 El Segundo, CA 90245 Washington, DC 20036 Buffalo, NY 14216 Cupertino, CA 95014 (800) 542-7222 (310) 322-2136 (202) 775-3550 (716) 874-2088 (408) 525-0508

Cable Theft Newsletter Factsheet Five NewTek Secure Signals Wired 9 Frontier Road PO Box 170099 215 SE 8th Avenue 1724 Mass. Ave, NW 544 Second Street Cos Cob, CT 06807 San Francisco, CA 94117 Topeka, KS 66603 Washington, DC 20036 San Francisco, CA 94107 (800) 765-3406 (202) 775-3684 (415) 904-0664

Cable World FiberOptic Product News North Star Gazer SET Free Wireless Design & Dev 1905 Sherman Street 301 Gibraltar Drive PO Box 1023 Box 10491 301 Gibraltar Drive Denver, CO 80203 Morris Plains, NJ 07950 Lapeer, MI 48446 Oakland, CA 94610 Morris Plains, NJ 07950 (303) 837-0900 (201) 292-5100 (810) 664-4022 (510) 763-8712 (201) 292-5100

27 June 1994/Nuts & Volts Magazine Don Lancaster’s RESOURCE BIN

number thirty

Conducting your own personal research.

ur usual reminder here that the Well, their ain’t no "remote" no mo, in this era. Really great stuff. Resource Bin is now a two-way no mo. No way. No how. I have found most of the ultra-slick O column. You can get tech help, Thanks to the magic of any decent computer magazines to be less than consultant referrals and off-the-wall modem installed with your personal useless. These are all overwhelmingly networking on nearly any electronic, computer, you can easily do first rate, advertiser driven. They rarely show tinaja questing, personal publishing, world-class research from anywhere you how to accomplish anything on money machine, or computer topic by you want to. Instantly. At any time of the cheap. One big exception is Jeff calling me at (520) 428-4073 weekdays day or night. On, beneath, or above Duntemann’s PC Techniques. About 8-5 Mountain Standard Time. ground. So, this month, I thought we the only one that values their readers A portion of my PSRT RoundTable might review the main tools needed highly enough to give them bunches on GEnie has also been set aside for to find answers to any question or the of really useful material. you Nuts & Volts readers. This is the solutions to any problem. Of the computer news magazines, I place you go for instant tech answers. subscribe to InfoWorld, and MacWeek. Among the many files in our library, The Electronic Hobby Press There is also a PCWeek for PC users. I you will find complete reprints and Nuts & Volts is obviously a good find the daily technology page of the preprints for all of my Resource Bin choice here, but there certainly are a Wall Street Journal to be useful. columns. For quick access, just have few other good ones. The highest tech your modem dial (800) 638-8369, and pub and the one having the longest Trade Journals type HHH. On the password prompt, history is Electronics Now. Traceable It still amazes me how many people enter JOINGENIE. On the keyword clear back to Hugo Gernsback’s Radio never heard of the trade journals. Yet, prompt, enter DMD524. World from the early 1900’s. these remain your first and foremost I did manage to wrangle a super They also print Popular Electronics. route to becoming literate in most any special signup deal for you Resource While a fine magazine, this is clearly technical area. There’s over 150,000 Bin readers. Ten free hours and zero not the original PE of Carl and Jerry different magazines and trade journals first month minimums. fame. The original one got Ziffed out worldwide. Many of these are free to By the way, be sure to enter your of existance long ago. "qualified" subscribers. HHH immediately after your modem Probably your finest source for Of the electronic trade journals, the software reports a connection. This is computer-oriented projects is Steve most important four are E.E. Times, how GEnie recognizes your baud rate. Ciracia’s Circuit Cellar Ink. Plenty of Elecronic Design, EDN, and Electronic If you get gibberish on the screen, you solidly designed and supported kits Component News. A complete list is were too slow with your HHH. here. Another magazine now coming shown in NUTS8.PS on GEnie PSRT. I’ve also now got a brand new free In any field, your first and foremost catalog for you that includes a greatly pry bar into any tech area lies in using expanded insider secrets section. Call NEXT MONTH: Don looks at the trade journals. From the journals, or write for your copy. Or grab it off emerging opportunities you use the bingo cards to get data PSRT as SYNCAT1.PS. You can also in laser publishing. books, ap notes, directories, and trade get it via the Internet. shows. The trade journals are useful to show you what is important and Self-Directed Research on strong is Home Power. A quality what is not. As well as showing you I sure do get lots of calls and letters labor-of-love publication by Richard the mainstream ways of doing things. from you Nuts & Volts readers asking and Kathy Perez. Or the latest industry trends. technical questions. After a while, it For the business aspects of running The best listings appear in Ulricht’s gets obvious that at least some of you your own small tech venture, there’s Periodicals Distionary. You should find don’t have the foggiest notion what Midnight Engineering. And the best Ulricht’s on your library’s reference personal research is all about. foreign electronics magazine is still shelf, as well as being offered on-line Some claim that they have "looked Britian’s Wireless World. by many services. everywhere" and were totally unable One important rule: Be sure you go The Standard Periodical’s Dictionary to find anything at all on their subject back far enough! The golden age of is a close second. And one that does topic. Or complain about how hard it electronic hobby kits lasted from 1966 not quite overlap. is to do things in a "remote" area. to 1973. Incredible products appeared One trick: Ask any trade journal

June 1994 / Nuts & Volts Magazine 24 that carries ads for a media kit or else a access is by way of a commercial BBS. new from Sample Copy and Ad Rates. I call this Most of them are now scrambling to my SCAR technique. Sometimes it greatly expand their Internet services. DON LANCASTER gets you a freebie sub. At the least, it Of the major commercial services, ACTIVE FILTER COOKBOOK gets you a recent copy. For the price CompuServe is the largest and America The sixteenth (!) printing of Don’s bible on analog op-amp lowpass, bandpass, and highpass active of a phone call or stamp. On Line is the friendliest. But my own filters. De-mystified instant designs. $24.50 preference is GEnie. Other Library Stuff GEnie is widely regarded as having CMOS AND TTL COOKBOOKS There’s lots more available in the the widest selections of tech library Millions of copies in print worldwide. THE two books for digital integrated circuit fundamentals. way of traditional library references. downloads. Around 145,000 library About as hands-on as you can get. $24.50 each. These are also fast becoming available files at last count. They also are well on-line in one form or another. regarded for competent and caring INCREDIBLE SECRET Ferinstance, there’s the Encyclopedia sysops. And are the primary board of MONEY MACHINE II of Associations. And the real ancient choice for fiction writers and sci-fi Updated 2nd edition of Don’s classic on setting Thomas Registry of Manufacturers that enthuasists. Among many others. up your own technical or craft venture. $18.50 shows you who makes what. But They are also the lowest priced rarely has any up-to-date and useful national BBS at $3 per hour. LANCASTER CLASSICS LIBRARY Don’s best early stuff at a bargain price. Includes stuff on smaller hi-tech firms. Yes, GEnie has now upgraded their the CMOS Cookbook, The TTL Cookbook, Active Filter Cookbook, PostScript video, Case Against My favorite obscure reference work ancient interfaces, with new Mac and Patents, Incredible Secret Money Machine II, and is the Science Citation Index. This is the PC versions now available. They also Hardware Hacker II reprints. $119.50 only source I know of which lets you offer ten free trial hours. continually find newer material! There are many tens of thousands LOTS OF OTHER GOODIES ...... Ask the Guru I or II or III $24.50 Here is how it works: Every time of BBS boards up today. Some local; ...... Hardware Hacker II or III $24.50 someone references somebody else in some national. Some are open to all; Micro...... Cookbook I $19.50 PostScript...... Beginner Stuff $29.50 their bibliography, it ends up in this others members only. Some fee; some PostScript...... Show and Tell $29.50 Intro...... to PostScript Video $29.50 directory. For instance, the horse’s free. Many of the larger fee systems PostScript...... Reference II $31.50 PostScript...... Tutorial/Cookbook $19.50 mouth paper on active filters is Sallen have thousands of trunk lines across PostScript...... by Example $31.50 and Key. Anything newer in the field the country. Fee systems can often be Understanding...... PS Programming $29.50 PostScript:...... A Visual Approach $22.50 must reference this paper or its own cheaper than distant free ones. PostScript...... Program Design $24.50 Thinking...... in PostScript $22.50 credibility will be sorely lacking. Just Listings of available BBS systems go LaserWriter...... Reference $19.50 chase their names forward through out of date faster than they can be Type...... 1 Font Format $15.50 Acrobat...... Reference $24.50 time. Then use the avalanche effect on printed. You could start with on-line Whole...... works (all PostScript) $380.00 PostScript...... Insider Secrets FREE repeat quotes from later authors and listings on the commercial boards. Or Hacking...... Insider Secrets FREE researchers. Forward through time! else find any local board, and they The leading publishers for library may list several others. POSTSCRIPT SECRETS reference research material are Gale If you haven’t the foggiest how to A Book/Disk combination crammed full of free fonts, insider resources, utilities, publications, Research, Bowker, and Oxbridge. reach any board in your area, try a workarounds, fontgrabbing, more. For most any Libraries are starting to go to CD local school or computer store. PostScript printer. Mac or PC format. $29.50 ROM "jukebox" data bases. You can Of all those BBS services available BOOK-ON-DEMAND PUB KIT easily do fancy referencing and apply anywhere ever, one seems head and Ongoing details on Book-on-demand publishing, a new method of producing books only when and keywords six ways from Sunday. shoulders above all the others for as ordered. Reprints, sources, samples. $39.50 serious research. This is the… On-line Resources THE CASE AGAINST PATENTS To me, it does seems foolish to run Dialog Information Service For most individuals, patents are virtually certain to result in a net loss of sanity, energy, time, and around to libaries only to find they do Which is the ultimate source for all money. This two volume set shows you tested not have what you need. information on anything. There are and proven real-world alternatives. 28.50 Virtually all serious research these hundreds of commercial information BLATANT OPPORTUNIST I days can get done on-line by modem. providers who offer fee based on-line The reprints from all Don’s Midnight Engineering The libraries themselves are on to this, research services. Dialog is a broker or columns. Includes a broad range of real world, proven coverage on small scale technical startup so most of them now offer their own a supergroup that handily gathers all ventures. Stuff you can use right now. $24.50 free local BBS service. At the least, a of these services together. complete card catalog is included in Services such as Inspec, Compendex, RESOURCE BIN I A complete collection of all Don’s Nuts & Volts their menu selections. Computer Database, SciSearch, and the columns to date, including a new index and his Library BBS numbers are not often MathSci for computers, technology, master names and numbers list. $24.50 advertised. You may have to call the science and electronics. Conference library and ask them for info on their Papers holding over 100,000 technical FREE SAMPLES Well, nearly free anyway. Almost. Do join us on BBS access numbers and rules. entries. The Geobase on geography, GEnie PSRT to sample all of the Guru’s goodies. The downloading cost on a typical Guru file is 21 As far as any serious research goes, geology and ecology. Just about every cents. Modem access: (800) 638-8369, then a today’s on-line services are by far your major newspaper as well. HHH. On prompt, XTX99005,SCRIPT. most important resource. The same Medline medical info that FREE VOICE HELPLINE VISA/MC The real big one, of course, is the doctors use. Stock quotes in real time. SYNERGETICS Internet. Now twenty million users Ten million chem abstracts in C. A. Box 809-NV Thatcher, AZ 85552 and growing. Sources of info and Search. And Dissertation Abstracts that (520) 428-4073 support on virtually any subject. The include every thesis of every graduate easiest method to pick up Internet school. Clear on back to 1861. Write in 146 on Reader Service Card.

25 June 1994/Nuts & Volts Magazine PERSONAL RESEARCH RESOURCES

America On-Line Electronic Comp. News High Energy Enterprises MIX Bookshelf Science Citation Index 8619 Westwood Center Dr 1 Chilton Way PO Box 5636 6400 Hollis St #12 3501 Market Street Vienna VA 22182 Radnor PA 19089 Security CO 80931 Emeryville CA 94608 Philadelphia PA 19104 (800) 827-6364 (215) 964-4345 (719) 475-0918 (800) 233-9604 (215) 386-0100

Am. Soc. of Dowsers Electronic Design Home Power Nuts & Volts Singing Wind Bookshop Brainers St Box 24 611 Rt #46 W PO Box 520 430 Princeland Ct Ocotillo Rd Box 2197 Danville VT 05828 Hasbrouck Hgt. NJ 07604 Ashland OR 97520 Corona CA 91719 Benson AZ 85602 (802) 881-7165 (201) 393-6060 (916) 475-3179 (714) 371-8497 (520) 586-2425

RR Bowker Electronics Now InfoWorld Oxbridge Tesla Book Co 121 Chanlon Rd 500-B Bi-County Blvd 155 Bovet Rd #800 150 5th Ave #202 Box 121873 New Providence NJ 07974 Farmingdale NY 11735 San Mateo CA 94402 New York NY 10011 Chula Vista CA 91912 (908) 464-6800 (516) 293-3000 (800) 227-8365 (212) 741-0231 (805) 646-3371

CompuServe Encyc. of Associations Intl Assn New Science PC Techniques Ulrichts Dictionary 5000 Arlington Center Blvd 835 Penobscot Bldg 1304 S College Ave 7721 E Gray Rd #204 121 Chanlon Rd Columbus OH 43220 Detroit MI 48226 Fort Collins CO 80524 Scottsdale AZ 85260 New Providence NJ 07974 (800) 848-8199 (313) 961-2242 (303) 482-3731 (602) 483-0192 (908) 771-7714

Dialog Information Svcs Factsheet Five KeelyNet BBS Phaedra Enterprises UMI 3460 Hillview Ave R Seth Friedman Box 1031 PO Box 1241 300 N Zeeb Rd Palo Alto CA 94304 PO Box 170099 Mesquite TX 75149 San Bruno CA 94066 Ann Arbor MI 48106 (415) 858-2700 San Francisco CA 94117 (214) 324-3501 BBS (415) 359-0432 (800) 521-3044

EDN Magazine Gale Research MacWeek Rex Research Whole Earth Review 275 Washington St 835 Penobscot Blvd One Park Ave Robert Nelson 27 Gate Five Rd Newton MA 02158 Detroit MI 48226 New York NY 10016 PO Box 19250 Sausalito CA 94965 (617) 964-3030 (313) 961-2242 (212) 503-4433 Jean NV 89019 (415) 332-1716

EE Times GEnie Midnight Engineering SAE Library Wireless World 600 Community Dr 401 N Washington St 1700 Washington Ave 400 Commonwealth Dr The Quadrant, Sutton Manhassat NY 11030 Rockville MD 20850 Rocky Ford CO 81067 Warrendale PA 15096 Surrey, SM2 5AS (516) 365-4600 (800) 638-9636 (719) 254-4558 (412) 776-4841 ENGLAND 01-652-3128

Even the Foundation Directory which found GEnie cheaper for searching, waste of time. Leading you to what lists 33,000 organizations which give but my local library is cheaper for the flat out does not work or is not at all money away. Employment directories actual abstracting. economically viable. and guides. Business stats. And patenteeze is guaranteed to rot Dialog offers both a free brochure UMI your mind. Fer sure. and directory. To cop this directory, More often than not, if you simply I have never found anything really you’ll have to pretend like you are know a paper exists, you are home useful when I’ve read patents. There going to directly subscribe to their big free. Other times, the abstract may are vastly more effective places to do annual service. This directory details give you enough extra info. research. Lots of them. hundreds of available data bases. But sometimes you just gotta have Nonetheless, if you think viewing At first glance, those direct Dialog the horse’s mouth paper. patents may help your quest, you’ll charges of $2 per minute might seem One method was Interlibrary Loan, find collections of patents in libraries, steep. Until you factor in that "Uh, once available through most libraries. on CD ROM, and from Dialog’s Patent compared to what?" of wasting a day But this service is slow and unreliable. Abstracts data base service. or more at a distant library. It is also getting dropped by many Much more on all this in my Case Dialog charges are now dropping. libraries as a cost cutting move. Against Patents package. With practice, you can easily reduce The handiest place to get the actual your charges. Dialog is sometimes reprint is at UMI, who used to call Alternate Research available cheaper at some libraries or themselves University Microfilms. Who Usually, if you cannot find info on schools or on company accounts. stock one each of everything. your subject, you are not asking the Dialog is also offered on CD ROM. But UMI is definitely not a research right questions in the right way. Or Giving you free use of older info. But service. To order from them, you must are not digging deep enough. Or are at a high front end cost. know the exact journal name, author, searching on the wrong keywords. The You can play with Dialog on GEnie. volume, and page. insiders have a lingo of their own. It is Free of any surcharges. They have a Charges vary with instant, fast, or super important to find the keywords special practice area with limited data routine service. they use as early as possible. base coverage. Which is superb for There are lots of non-traditional practice or to get the flavor of what Patents? research sources. My favorite of these serious on-line research is all about. What about patents? Less than one is that quarterly Whole Earth Review GEnie uses a "cash and carry" rate patent in 200 ever shows any net and their Whole Earth Catalogs. Which structure. You pay a surcharge by the positive cash flow. Thus, the majority focus on honestly reviewed tools. search and by the abstract. Rather of patents end up not even remotely One interesting alternative is that than a flat hourly fee. useful for anything. I’ve found patent FactSheet Five. A review magazine that A typical search costs $2.50. I’ve searches to be a mesmerizingly awful covers thousands of the labor-of-love

June 1994/Nuts & Volts Magazine 26 self-published info sources. Mostly on on audio and video production, the important. It pays to generate a list of a mind-boggling spectrum of unusual Tesla Bookstore, or the SAE Library on contacts you can call. Contacts who or controversial subjects. These folks automotive subjects. either can give you your answer. Or have also previously published their Here at Synergetics, I try to stock the know someone who does. World of ’Zines volume. There is stuff best and most useful of the PostScript here guaranteed to offend just about books and videos by all authors. If I Hands on is Everything everyone. Truly bizarre. don’t like it, I don’t carry it. No matter what your source, the Most traditional journals shy away My favorite specialty bookstore is finest and best research will end up as from pseudoscience topics. Recently, I the world-class Singing Wind, who do any you can personally verify. Just do was amazed that Dialog had over 8300 focus on southwestern literature and not get in over your head and keep references on solitons, a legit and an history. This is the only bookstore I any bias out of your way. exciting yet obscure new technology. know of with an unlisted address. To With any circuit diagram or most They now do have nearly a full billion visit them, you may have to walk on software routines, it is essential that references on line. But in all of Dialog, through a pasture of Brahma bulls. you step into the lab and check things I was only able to find a mere seven Well, maybe one hint. Just follow out. By yourself. papers on dowsing. Ocotillo Road north out of Benson, More often than not, there will be But digging deep enough into the Arizona till it feels about right. Then hidden gotchas which will nail you Encyclopedia of Associations, I did hang right just past the fourth cow. every time. Should you blindly use or find American Dowser magazine. Don’t wear red. pass on info without verification. More on solitons in HACK77.PS and Besides, your own research can on dowsing in HACK78.PS. Insider Helplines often be the most fun of all. And the Several outfits target pseudoscience A number of outfits offer technical most rewarding. topics. For instance, Rex Research now helplines for one reason or another. publishes Infolios on most any wierd These may not be advertised. So ask This Month’s Contest science subject. These are all low cost for "tech assistance" or "applications For our contest this month, just tell stapled Xerox reprint collections. And engineering" when you call. me about an unusual resource you the KeelyNet BBS has to be seen to be I offer a tech helpline at no added have found helpful for doing all your believed. Everything from perpetual charge over your phone expenses. We own research. Or about your worst motion to psychic stuff to UFO’s. also have a Synergetics Consultant’s personal research fiasco. Speaking of which, your best guide Network in which you can be referred Such as the time I found out that to the UFO industry is the Almanac of to service providers. thermoelectric coolers simply do not UFO Organizations and Publications Give me a call if you need info on work. They heat, rather than cool! published by Phaedra. Fat volumes on these. US calls only, please. Because of heatsink temperatures. perpetual motion are now published Others offer developer programs. I There will be a largish pile of my by that International Association for am personally a developer for Adobe, new Incredible Secret Money Machine II New Science. One competitor is High Apple, H-P, and a few others. These books going to the dozen or so better Energy Enterprises. can offer you insider tech info, loaner entries, plus an all-expense-paid (FOB machines, and product discounts. Thatcher, AZ) tinaja quest for two that Specialty Bookstores Some are free. Some are bargains. will go to the very best of all. In any rapidly changing field, the Others are way overpriced. But most For lots more on doing your own books tend to be highly overrated. are certainly worth the time and effort personal research, see my Resource Bin Your primary choice in info sources to persue them. and Blatant Opportunist reprints, the should be in the on-line services, the Local and national user groups are hundreds of files on GEnie PSRT. ✦ trade journals and industry ap notes. another worthwhile source. Again, Books place a distant fourth. you get contacts, discounts, and tech Microcomputer pioneer and guru Don As you undoubtedly have found expertise at low cost. You also get the Lancaster is the author of 32 books and out, most bookstores only carry stuff straight story from real product users. countless tech articles. Don maintains his they know sells. Rather than genuine Warts and all. Good and bad. no-charge tech helpline found at (520) useful books. And library budgets are Many years ago, my students and I 428-4073, besides offering all of his own severely limited these days. started up a "just barely real" user books, reprints, and all of his consulting The place to find out if a book exists group we called the Gila Valley Apple services. He also has a free catalog full of at all is in Books in Print. Either at your Grower’s Association. We didn’t have his resource secrets waiting for you. Your local library, a local bookstore, or on any dues or meetings or publications best calling times are 8-5 on weekdays, line. They also publish the quarterly or anything like that. But everybody Mountain Standard Time. Forthcoming Books in Print. definitely knew whether they were a Don is now the sysop of GEnie PSRT, Your best place to buy books is in a member or not. Officer selection was where a special Resource Bin topic has specialty bookstore. An organization by dictatorial edict. Over the years, been reserved for Nuts & Volts readers. that stocks every title in a narrow field. we have received all sorts of wildly For fast modem access, use (800) 638-8369 And tells you which ones do what. wonderful benefits. Demos, tech info, and enter HHH. When prompted, enter Your foremost source for the older discounts, videos, conference invites, JOINGENIE. When asked for a keyword, technical and machine shop books has and bunches more. Not the least was enter DMD524. to be Lindsay Publications. Who offers the VIP treatment Steve Wozniak gave You can also reach Don at Synergetics, a free pair of fascinating catalogs. A us at the first US Festival. Which was Box 809, Thatcher, AZ 85552. Or send few random samples of the specialty California’s answer to Woodstock. any messages to his Internet address of bookstores include the MIX Bookshelf Personal networking can be super [email protected].

27 June 1994/Nuts & Volts Magazine Don Lancaster’s RESOURCE BIN

number thirty-one

A “Magic Machine” for desktop publishing.

ur usual reminder here that the prove to be the magic machine for all much replace any $240,000 DocuTech Resource Bin is now a two-way desktop publishing. The first machine from Xerox. At well under four percent O column. You can get tech help, which clearly is cheaper, higher quality, of the cost! And minus the hassles. consultant referrals and off-the-wall faster, and simpler than any B&W jiffy Let’s look at some current resources networking on nearly any electronic, printing. Besides offering incredibly for desktop laser publishing. We’ll see tinaja questing, personal publishing, better photo halftones. how tech advances make the 4M+ a money machine, or computer topic by At least for 5000 or fewer identical landmark magic machine. calling me at (520) 428-4073 weekdays copies. With "internal" economics. 8-5 Mountain Standard Time. At first glance, the improvements in Resolution A portion of my PSRT RoundTable the 4M+ over earlier machines do not How much resolution is "enough"? on GEnie has also been set aside for seem that big a deal. But they occur at Early laser printers offered a 300 dots you Nuts & Volts readers. This is the a magic time when everything else is per inch resolution. While clearly place you go for instant tech answers. also finally falling into place. better than the dot matrix or inkjet of Among the many files in our library, The 4M+ starts with a proven and its time, there were problems with you will find complete reprints for all well supported Canon scanning laser "jaggies", with photo halftones, and the Resource Bin columns. engine. Authentic Adobe PostScript with smaller text. On photo halftones, I did manage to wrangle a super level 2, version 2013. An underlying you were severely limited to 37 gray special signup deal for you Resource resolution of 600 x 600 over which a levels at 53 spots per inch, down to a Bin readers. Ten free hours and zero resolution enhancement technology is mere 10 photograys at 106 SPI . first month minimums. See the trailer placed that gives a superb final print Which just barely missed being "car blurb for details. quality that clearly exceeds nearly all shopper tabloid" quality. ink-based jiffy printing. Absolutely But plain old 300 DPI certainly can The "Magic Machine" outstanding photo halftones. be improved. Simply by working with Just about any field has a legendary Print speed is 12 pages per minute. the media, rather than fighting it. For magic machine. A device that, while A bolt-on duplexer option. Multi trays instance, most users still insist upon only slightly improved over previous hold nearly a thousand sheets. using the seventeenth most putrid gray stuff, literally turned the corner for an Page device memory compression available at 300 DPI. You can also pick entire industry. Obvious examples are to greatly ease the amount of memory resolution-friendly fonts (Stone) over the Model T Ford, the DC-3 aircraft, a needed. Full service manuals readily resolution-hostile fonts (Optima). And RCA 630 color tv, or an Apple IIe. available. So are parts and training. matching your layout style to what What really came down is that each Easily refillable toner cartridges with your resolution can handle. of these just happened to be in the The best phototypesetters offer 2600 right place at the right time. Much of DPI. But because jiffy printing is an their success was blind luck. All they NEXT MONTH: Don looks at analog procedure sensitive to such really did was find a parade and get new developments in direct things as dot gain, operator skill, ink in front of it. All of the needed bits toner printed circuits. balance, humidity, plate quality, run and pieces already just barely existed life, and the phase of the moon, the in klutzy previous products. But these effective perceived resolution of jiffy magic machines just happened to get very good third-party economics. Fast printing often varies all over the lot. it all together. network options. Auto switching. Typically, your final results will only At precisely the time the rest of the As near as I can tell, there’s only end up around 600 DPI. technology crossed thresholds that made it one glaring 4M+ defect. A total lack of The resolution problem is this: For all possible. hard disk or other SCSI support. But any given technology, doubling your At long last, the power of the press that one seems so dumb to me that it resolution demands four times as lies in owning one. PostScript desktop surely will be soon corrected. much memory. Your page makup laser printers have long promised to A cost around $1690 street. What is takes four times longer. You’ll also completely blow away traditional jiffy even neater is that you can now double need tighter machine tolerances. And printing. A dream until recently. your printer speed simply by buying potentially explosive ultra-fine toners. Hewlett Packard has introduced their another one! Get five of these dudes Upping to 600 DPI certainly makes LaserJet 4M+. Which I do feel time will for, say $8500 and you could pretty sense. The quality improvement over

August 1994 / Nuts & Volts Magazine I-25 300 DPI is stunning. You now can get excel at dirtying up otherwise clean new from 37 gray levels at a dense 106 spots per sheets of paper. PostScript is the best inch. Which makes up the difference method for self publishing. DON LANCASTER between bad photos and good ones. Most users prefer such PostScript ACTIVE FILTER COOKBOOK But further "brute force" increases generating application packages as The sixteenth (!) printing of Don's bible on analog op-amp lowpass, bandpass, and highpass active in resolution may not be at all cost or Pagemaker or Illustrator. But my own filters. De-mystified instant designs. $24.50 time effective. Instead, you watch out preference is to work directly in raw for simple and cheap stunts that can PostScript, which gives me far more CMOS AND TTL COOKBOOKS create the illusion of higher res. The flexibility and control. Even if you Millions of copies in print worldwide. THE two books for digital integrated circuit fundamentals. 4M+ offers several of these. stick to the mainstream packages, the About as hands-on as you can get. $24.50 each. One is called resolution enhancement more you understand PostScript, the technology. This is simply a magic and better your final results. INCREDIBLE SECRET cheap post-processing which smooths The 4M+ is not really a printer. It is MONEY MACHINE II out the jaggies by permitting partial really a powerful PostScript general Updated 2nd edition of Don's classic on setting sized final dots. With zero speed or purpose computer that, as an almost up your own technical or craft venture. $18.50 memory penalty. Very few people can inconsequential afterthought, just spot any difference at all between a happens to have this attached print LANCASTER CLASSICS LIBRARY Don's best early stuff at a bargain price. Includes resolution enhanced 600 DPI and a full engine. Your 4M+ internal PostScript the CMOS Cookbook, The TTL Cookbook, Active Filter Cookbook, PostScript video, Case Against and true 1200 DPI. computer is an outstanding device. It Patents, Incredible Secret Money Machine II, and The next one is called spot dithering. is as powerful or even more powerful Hardware Hacker II reprints. $119.50 Traditional printer’s halftone spots than your host machine. consist of one dot that builds as you go And far more fun to program. LOTS OF OTHER GOODIES .Ask . . . the. . . Guru. . . . .I .or . . II. .or . .III ...... $24.50. . . . . darker into your grays. Instead, you There always appears to be "turf .Hardware ...... Hacker...... II. .or . . III...... $24.50. . . . . could create multiple dots per halftone fights" going on over who is to be in Micro...... Cookbook ...... I...... $19.50...... PostScript ...... Beginner...... Stuff...... $29.50. . . . . cell. You get the full gray range of a control. The host computer always PostScript...... Show...... and . . . Tell...... $29.50...... Intro . . . .to . .PostScript ...... Video ...... $29.50. . . . . larger halftone cell, but the virtual wants to be boss. And the network .PostScript ...... Reference...... II ...... $31.50. . . . . PostScript...... Tutorial/Cookbook...... $19.50. . . . . grain of a smaller one. This is a 4M+ supervisor always wants to have total .PostScript ...... by. . .Example ...... $31.50. . . . . option that creates the illusion of 120 say in comm matters. But to me it Understanding...... PS. . . Programming...... $29.50...... PostScript: ...... A . .Visual . . . . . Approach...... $22.50. . . . . corrected grays at 106 SPI. makes the most sense to do as many .PostScript ...... Program...... Design...... $24.50. . . . . Thinking...... in. . PostScript...... $22.50. . . . . Properly preprocessing your photo printer related tasks inside of the 4M+ .LaserWriter ...... Reference ...... $19.50. . . . . images can also add value. Two tricks PostScript computer as you possibly can. Type. . . . . 1. .Font . . . .Format ...... $15.50...... Acrobat ...... Reference...... $24.50. . . . . known as histogram equalization and Whenever possible, use your printer .Whole . . . . . works...... (all . . .PostScript) ...... $380.00...... PostScript...... Insider...... Secrets ...... FREE . . . . gamma correction make sure that you as a standalone device. .Hacking ...... Insider ...... Secrets ...... FREE . . . . use as many of the available grays as Some PostScript aps generate very are available. And evenly distribute slow code. The way to deal with these POSTSCRIPT SECRETS them over your entire range between is to compile the PostScript output. The A Book/Disk combination crammed full of free fonts, insider resources, utilities, publications, black and white. Adobe Photoshop is distiller in Adobe’s Acrobat package is workarounds, fontgrabbing, more. For most any one of many packages which offer one good solution. Another replaces PostScript printer. Mac or PC format. $29.50 image improvement utilities. You can slow code with page forms. BOOK-ON-DEMAND PUB KIT also easily write your own. In any self-collating or on-demand Ongoing details on Book-on-demand publishing, a new method of producing books only when and Another limitation of not enough printing, each page gets made up, as ordered. Reprints, sources, samples. $39.50 grays can be the presence of steps in used once, and then erased. On the fly. any gray gradient. A new technique It is super important to minimize all THE CASE AGAINST PATENTS called error diffusion easily cures this the page makeup speeds. On the 4M+, For most individuals, patents are virtually certain to result in a net loss of sanity, energy, time, and with some pre-processing. typical properly compiled PostScript money. This two volume set shows you tested There’s also a true spotless halftone files will make up and print at the full and proven real-world alternatives. 28.50 technique waiting in the wings. That mechanical speed of the printer. Put BLATANT OPPORTUNIST I uses random fine dots. But these have another way, the page feeding time is The reprints from all Don's Midnight Engineering poor dot gain that tends to favor the longer than the page makeup time. columns. Includes a broad range of real world, proven coverage on small scale technical startup darker shades on the 4M+. But you More compiling details appear in ventures. Stuff you can use right now. $24.50 can expect this to be solved. SPEEDUP.PS and ACRO2EPS.PS. One trick: If you ever need more RESOURCE BIN I Hard Disk Options A complete collection of all Don's Nuts & Volts res, run everything double size and columns to date, including a new index and his then photoreduce it. This quadruples A local hard disk for a PostScript master names and numbers list. $24.50 your effective resolution. laser printer is extremely valuable. I The bottom line: Before the 4M+, would personally say it is absolutely FREE SAMPLES Well, nearly free anyway. Almost. Do join us on ordinary 600 x 600 DPI printing was essential. These have been routinely GEnie PSRT to sample all of the Guru's goodies. The downloading cost on a typical Guru file is 21 "as good as" most jiffy printing. But sold by Apple and QMS for years. cents. Modem access: (800) 638-8369, then a the 4M+ is clearly better on photos. One or more hard disks let you HHH. On prompt, JOINGENIE, then DMD524. operate largely unattended by either a FREE VOICE HELPLINE VISA/MC PostScript user or a host computer. It very much SYNERGETICS As we’ve seen a number of times in speeds things up, since 99% of your Box 809-NV Thatcher, AZ 85552 the past, PostScript is a totally device comm can get eliminated. It lets you (520) 428-4073 independent and fully general purpose store hundreds of fonts. computer language that happens to All document pages can be stored Write in 146 on Reader Service Card.

I-26 August 1994/Nuts & Volts Magazine DESKTOP PUBLISHING "MAGIC MACHINE" RESOURCES

Adobe Systems Buddy Products GEnie HP/Peripherals Group Recharger PO Box 7900 117A Commercial Dr 401 N Washington St 16399 W Bernardo Dr 3340 Sunrise Ave #102 Mountain View CA 94039 Thomasville GA 31792 Rockville MD 20850 San Diego CA 92127 Las Vegas NV 89101 (800) 833-6687 (800) 873-9758 (800) 638-9636 (619) 592-8333 (702) 438-5557

Aldus Pagemaker Computer Reseller Hewlett-Packard Kroy Color Don Thompson 411 1st Ave S #200 600 Community Dr PO Box 10301 14555 N Hayden Rd 6 Morgan, #112 Seattle WA 98104 Manhasset NY 11030 Palo Alto CA 94303 Scottsdale AZ 85260 Irvine CA 92718 (800) 685-3614 (516) 365-4600 (415) 857-1501 (602) 951-1593 (714) 855-3838

Apple Computer DynaArt Designs Hewlett-Packard Manuals QMS Unibind/Pentabind 20525 Mariani Ave 3535 Stillmeadow Ln 19310 Pruneridge Ave PO Box 81250 4125 Prospect Dr Cupertino CA 95014 Lancaster CA 93536 Cupertino CA 94014 Mobile AL 36689 Carmichael CA 95608 (408) 996-1010 (805) 943-4746 (800) 752-0900 (205) 633-4300 (916) 967-6401 on hard disk for instant access. Which files. Level II also has a strong forms drum lubricant poweder coating. turns out to be insanely faster than capability. For multiple runs, you can The toner wars continue. The latest resending your files over and over just download forms and then reuse bad-guys trick is to provide postpaid again. Disk files can also be used for them. There was a bad bug in early "recycling packages" whose real goal executive or programmable control of level II machines that prevented you is to get all their carts back and thus the printer. And CD-ROM drives can from using forms and multiple trays prevent cheap and convenient local be added for instant access to images at the same time. This has apparently third party recycling. This is blatant and clip art. Eventually, you’ll put all been eased in the 4M+. ecopornography of the vilest sort. To of your demand printing items on a More info in FORMSBUG.PS. which the hardware hackers respond write-your-own CD ROM. As with a duplexer, the hard disks by shipping bricks back in the prepaid Tricky-to-print pages or images can should be a snap-on option added to a recycling packs. be converted into instant-print forms standard machine. At long last, the 4M+ uses a fairly and stashed to a disk. Disks are also easy-to-recycle cartridge. Sometimes extremely handy for input logging, Recharging Economics you can get away by just pouring new file manipulation, and countless other The original idea on desktop laser toner in through a convenient cap. At PostScript-as-lanugage uses. printers was that all the stuff that goes least for your first refill. Otherwise Whenever a PostScript printer first bad gets put into one "throwaway" two screws and two plastic dogs field gets turned on, each of the characters cartridge. The cart would hold a fresh strip the cartridge, letting you access used in each and every size has to get toner supply, mag transfer rollers, a the imaging drum and the spent toner converted into a bitmap. This file of charging scheme, an imaging drum, holding tank. With care and a third bitmaps is called a font cache. Font and a spent toner holding tank. Most party hard drum, you can easily get caching is very slow, compared to the maintenance problems would vanish. dozens of refills per cartridge. actual character reuse. And the manufacturers would make a You do have to use fine grain toner With a hard disk, the font cache is fortune since they’d retain control. in the 4M+ if you are to achieve full more or less permanent. Thus, hard The only little oint in the flyment resolution. Picking the wrong or an disks can eliminate any speed penalty was that playing "by the rules" turned inefficient toner may also quickly fill every time you turn your printer on out to be outrageously expensive. the spent toner holding tank. or off. Hard disk caches can also be Your per-sheet toner costs could Ads for recharging materials and used for forms and patterns. easily exceed a nickel per page side. supplies appear in Recharger. A great You also end up with much more And completely dominate your long source for laser printer rebuild kits, useful memory in the printer, since term economics. training, and parts is Don Thompson. you do not have to stash downloaded It did not take hardware hackers Recharging info on the EX cartridge fonts and other VM-gobbling code long to discover that you could refill used in the 4M+ does show up in the directly in the printer. This extra free these carts, dramatically and forever August 1994 Electronics Now and also memory lets you run fancier jobs (or changing laser printer economics. A as HACK79.PS on GEnie PSRT. more poorly written ones!), improves $115 cart can often be refilled for as network comm, prevents most odd little as $4.50 in a simple two-minute Duplex Printing VM blowups, and lets you run full process. And getting the toner costs A duplex printer prints on both sides duplex and auto jam recovery even at down around 0.2 cents per page side. of the page. Duplex printers can be full legal page sizes. Cheaper than jiffy print ink. automatically self-collating. Just what And, of course, network traffic is And the crucial key to profitable you’ll want for either newsletters or dramatically slashed when you use a small scale or home printing. Book-on-demand publishing. They local hard disk. The manufacturers responded to also use much less paper. There are several workarounds to a this by making the drum wear out Duplex throughput can be vastly hard disk. PostScript level II permits shortly after one cycle. One trick was higher. They are far more operator strings as file objects. So you could to use excessively abrasive toner. To friendly, and there is ridiculously less persistently download the strings in which hardware hackers added third scrap. Any error on a duplex book main memory as a way of faking disk party hard drums. And a "pixie dust" trashes one easily replaced page. The

August 1994/Nuts & Volts Magazine I-27 same backside error done on a regular inserts in a slot underneath the main a can. You spray it on, and the toner printer destroys most of the book. printing path. Switchback gets done gets blacker and more glossy. About Once you’ve used duplex printing, as the page goes out the front under $8 per can. I routinely use this great you will never want to go back to a the paper trays and then reverses. stuff for all camera-ready work. simplex only printer. Ever. While not quite as fast, rugged, or Three tips: Be certain to use Laser A true duplex printer would need as easily maintained, the 4M+ offers Buddy outdoors in a well ventilated two imaging stations. Instead, a laser most of the performance of an older area. And avoid thumbprints while printer will print one side, route the 4SiMX at less than half the price. For drying. Wait at least an hour before page back down through a switchback self-collating BOD printing, the 4M+ using page protectors. mechanism and then print the other faster PostScript page makeready time What about color? You could get side. The trick is to interchange your largely negates the 5 PPM feeding color toner carts for such things as leading and trailing page edges. advantage of the 4SiMX. spot color or special effects. But they To speed things up while the page More on the 4SiMX in HP4SIMX.TXT don’t really look that great, they are is going back around, pipelining gets on GEnie PSRT. hard to find, and are expensive. used on longer jobs. Thus, a typical The 4M+ has promised a low cost There are bunches of new full color duplex page printing sequence is 2 - 4 bolt-on duplexer "real soon now". I laser printers coming on line, with - 1 - 3 - 6 - 8 - 5 - 7. Surprisingly, duplex have yet to see one. It will snap onto prices in the $6000 to $9000 range. But printing can be just about as fast as the back of the machine. this whole field is still up for grabs. I simplex printing. don’t expect the color magic machine Extra memory is needed in duplex Toner Durability to arrive for a few years yet. modes, especially when using auto No, toner is not yet as durable or as jam recovery. This is greatly eased in flexible as ink. But it is more than For More Info the 4M+ which uses a new hardware good enough for typical users. And More info on the 4M+ is available page device compression scheme. specialty third party toners exist for from Hewlett-Packard. The separately There are two ways you might like such things as ultra-black graphics, purchased repair manuals come from to print a duplex page, called normal printed circuit direct etching, MICR HP Manuals. And info on becoming a and tumble. Normal mode is used for magnetic check printing, the direct printer developer is available through ordinary full size portrait books and transfer decals, and T-shirt thermal HP Peripherals Group. newsletters. Tumble mode is used for transfer printing. Other exciting new The best street pricing on HP laser calendars or folded pages. toners wait in the wings. printers usually shows up in Computer Duplexing laser printers are not yet Two nasty toner habits: vinyl may Reseller magazine. You can also check common. The usual chicken-and-egg leach toner. So a toner image might InfoWorld and MacWeek. problem of way too few of the end stick or transfer to a premium page More on durability solutions and users knowing how great they are. protector or your new white couch. If unusual toners from Recharger, from And to some apparent industrial you ever get toner on your clothes, be Frank Miller’s DynaArt Designs, or in politics and machine use restrictions. sure to wash them in cold water. TONERTRX.PS on GEnie PSRT. Ferinstance, the older QMS Turbo 820 Heat permanently sets the toner. For more on PostScript, start with printer has all the empty space and There’s several ways to increase the Adobe’s red and blue books, and my brackets and bolts for an internal toner’s durability. One is Bakerizing STARTUP.PS and SPEEDUP.PS files on duplexer. But no duplexer was ever where you place toner in contact with GEnie PSRT. More on BOD publishing offered for sale. a thin sheet of mylar and apply heat appears in my Book-on-demand kit, per Two common early duplexing laser and pressure. The toner will calender, my nearby Synergetics ad. printers were the Hewlett-Packard 2D and turn into a durable jet black of a Let’s hear from you. ✦ and 3D. Because these were different very high gloss. from their higher volume LJ2 and LJ3 You have to see this to believe the Microcomputer pioneer and guru Don parents, a fairly stiff cost premium results. Especially on business cards. Lancaster is the author of 32 books and was involved. And very few sold. Kroy Color or the other hot stamp countless tech articles. Don maintains his The obvious solution was to make effects can also improve appearance no-charge tech helpline found at (520) the parent printer support a bolt-on or and durability. But products remain 428-4073, besides offering all of his own a slide-in duplexing mechanism. This outrageously overpriced here. books, reprints, and all of his consulting way duplexing can be cheaply added Another route is lamination, where services. He also has a free catalog full of to a high volume, low cost parent you lock in your toner underneath a his resource secrets waiting for you. Your machine. At current costs around $600 plastic sheet. This is especially useful best calling times are 8-5 on weekdays, list and $400 street. Third-generation for menus and book covers. One low Mountain Standard Time. duplexers should be much cheaper. cost source is USI. Another possibility Don is now the sysop of GEnie PSRT, They are really nothing but some is a hybrid route that jiffy prints your where a special Resource Bin topic has power rollers, a one-turn clutch or covers or high wear areas and uses been reserved for Nuts & Volts readers. two, some bent metal, and a small BOD for the rest. The best and most For fast modem access, use (800) 638-8369 brain-dead microcontroller. flexible binding scheme I’ve found is and enter HHH. When prompted, enter The Hewlett Packard 4SiMX was one the Pentabind from Unibind. JOINGENIE. When asked for a keyword, of the first higher volume mid-range Artists fixative sprays aren’t that enter DMD524. lasers to use a slide-in duplexer. HP great, since they tend to diffuse the You can also reach Don at Synergetics, has graciously loaned me one of these, toner and smear badly. But there’s an Box 809, Thatcher, AZ 85552. Or send and their duplexing performs nearly absolutely wonderful new Laser Buddy any messages to his Internet address of flawlessly. The slide-in mechanism product that literally is Bakerizing in [email protected].

I-28 August 1994/Nuts & Volts Magazine Don Lancaster’s RESOURCE BIN

number thirty-two

Direct toner homebrew printed circuits.

ur usual reminder here that the The main trade journals for printed to short pins on long edge connectors Resource Bin is now a two-way circuit production do include Circuits and such. And because you’ll have O column. You can get tech help, Assembly, Printed Circuit Fabrication, limited control of toner density and consultant referrals and off-the-wall Circuitree, the Printed Circuit Network, quality. Or of the amount of fuser oil networking on nearly any electronic, Electronic Packaging and Production, ending up on the film. tinaja questing, personal publishing, Printer Circuit Design, and Electronics Instead, you want to use a known money machine, or computer topic by Manufacturing. PostScript laser printer, preferably calling me at (602) 428-4073 weekdays Shears useful for cutting pc boards based on a Canon SX engine and with 8-5 Mountain Standard Time. are ridiculously expensive. Be sure to a temporarily dry fuser wand. Full of A portion of my PSRT RoundTable analyze your "cost per cut" before you carefully chosen toner. on GEnie has also been set aside for buy one. Alternatives include barter Ads for suitable toners appear in you Nuts & Volts readers. This is the at your local sheet metal shop or a Recharger. My current favorite toner place you go for instant tech answers. table mounted router. source is Static Control Components. Among the many files in our library, Kepro does sell the most popular For SX machine servicing and repair you will find complete reprints for all board shear. One tip on using it: Glue parts, try Don Thompson. the Resource Bin columns. two small mirrors on the top of your Second, the bare boards have to be I did manage to wrangle a super workbench and do your cutting upside squeaky clean. Any properly cleaned special signup deal for you Resource down for best accuracy. copper is not copper color at all; it is Bin readers. Ten free hours and zero Two high profile sources for the silk instead a hot pink. And will support a first month minimums. See the trailer screen method supplies now include freely flowing and unbroken water blurb for details. Advance Process Supply and Southern film. At the very least, half an hour of Prototype printed circuit boards Sign Supply. The leading trade journal scrubbing using Comet or a similar from traditional service bureaus have here is Screen Printing. chlorine-based cleanser is needed. gotten outrageously expensive. It’s Third, a plain old iron also won’t not uncommon to have to pay $300 for TEC-200 Film hack it. The hot transfer of toner must a few copies of even simple designs. The first direct toner product was take place briefly and precisely at 375 As an alternative, there have been the TEC-200 film from Meadowlake. A degrees F under high pressure. The some dramatic improvements in the pioneer transfer scheme now largely best way to do this is with contact direct toner printed circuit prototyping obsolete. More people swore at this pressure from a hot roller device such method. Schemes all based on the fact product than by it. Even though many as a Kroy Color machine or clone. Or a that laser printer toner makes a fairly problems were their own fault. reworked laser fuser assembly. Other decent etch resist when it is properly This one was apparently something possibilities are T-Shirt heat presses bonded to bare pc material. Giving similar to a slip-coated type-D mylar and modified laminators. you prototype circuits done at home polyester film. Toner was transferred Fourth, even the best of properly in minutes for pennies. transferred toner is somewhat brittle Besides incremental improvements, and fragile. A fairly gentle etching is the big news is the new total direct NEXT MONTH: Don looks at required. Most users tried to use low toner system from DynaArt Designs useful optoelectronic and temps and the ferric chloride etchant. that includes everything you’ll need. fiber optic resources. Which ridiculously lengthened your etch times and undercut. Traditional Suppliers The only reasonable etchant to use We looked at photographic and silk to the film and then heat transferred is ammonium persulfate; the proper screen printed circuit boards back in from film to the pc board. The crucial etching temperature is around 118 those Resource Bin reprints and up in problem was differential transfer. Only degrees. You can easily hit this with a NUTS3.PS on GEnie PSRT. a portion of the toner ever made it all yard sale warming tray. As a brief summary, Kepro is your the way. Dropouts were endemic. leading source of traditional materials This early film did prove several DynaArt Designs and supplies. Including etchers and things. Plain old copy machines just Two firms have recently attacked etchants, precoated boards, shears, won’t hack it. Why? because few the differential transfer problem, and drills, and even plating setups. copiers are exactly 1:1. You are likely both came out with second generation

August 1994 / Nuts & Volts Magazine 24 direct toner transfer films. the backing carrier or to itself. new from Frank Miller of DynaArt Designs has As before, a negative image is put elected to go the water soluble route, down and then thermally transferred. DON LANCASTER similar to ordinary decals. His film Your backing sheet gets peeled away, ACTIVE FILTER COOKBOOK has a coat of a high temperature but transferring the toner and the polymer The sixteenth (!) printing of Don's bible on analog op-amp lowpass, bandpass, and highpass active water soluble glue. to the pc board. The polymer acts as a filters. De-mystified instant designs. $24.50 You can fake his material by using second defense against pinholes. premium art store white glue applied In a competitive response to the CMOS AND TTL COOKBOOKS with a windshield wiper blade. But it DynaArt system, Techniks now also Millions of copies in print worldwide. THE two books for digital integrated circuit fundamentals. is far faster and simpler to use the offers water soluble transfers. About as hands-on as you can get. $24.50 each. genuine article. Bit Bangers As before, the film gets sent INCREDIBLE SECRET through a suitable laser printer and Is there any way we can simply put MONEY MACHINE II the reverse reading toner image is put the toner directly onto the pc board Updated 2nd edition of Don's classic on setting down. Also as before, temperature copper? Without using any transfers up your own technical or craft venture. $18.50 and pressure is used to bond the toner at all? This is called the direct copper to a properly cleaned pc board. method. While serious problems still LANCASTER CLASSICS LIBRARY Don's best early stuff at a bargain price. Includes Instead of peeling the backing away remain, there are two new products the CMOS Cookbook, The TTL Cookbook, Active Filter Cookbook, PostScript video, Case Against and getting a differential transfer, you that let you explore this. Patents, Incredible Secret Money Machine II, and instead soak the board in water. This What are the big problems? First, a Hardware Hacker II reprints. $119.50 releases the glue coating. The backing normal printed circuit board is much sheet floats on away. Eliminating one too thick to send through any stock LOTS OF OTHER GOODIES .Ask . . . the. . . Guru. . . . .I .or . . II. .or . .III ...... $24.50. . . . . source of differential transfers. laser printer. Especially those lacking .Hardware ...... Hacker...... II. .or . . III...... $24.50. . . . . Etching proceeds as usual. simple paper paths. The way to beat .Micro . . . . .Cookbook ...... I...... $19.50...... PostScript ...... Beginner...... Stuff...... $29.50. . . . . As a bonus, the material can also be this is with peel-and-stick foils. .PostScript ...... Show...... and . . . Tell...... $29.50...... Intro . . . .to . .PostScript ...... Video ...... $29.50. . . . . used to create ordinary toner-based Second, the foil materials are very .PostScript ...... Reference...... II ...... $31.50...... PostScript ...... Tutorial/Cookbook...... $19.50. . . . . decals. Three thin coats of lacquer are expensive, so you need some way to .PostScript ...... by. . .Example ...... $31.50. . . . . sprayed onto the transfer sheet. The send presized smaller pieces through .Understanding ...... PS. . . Programming...... $29.50...... PostScript: ...... A . .Visual . . . . . Approach...... $22.50. . . . . images are cut, soaked in water, and the printer. This is best done using .PostScript ...... Program...... Design...... $24.50...... Thinking ...... in. . PostScript...... $22.50. . . . . applied just like regular decals. some sort of a full size carrier. .LaserWriter ...... Reference ...... $19.50. . . . . While not at all suitable for printed Third, laser printing works because .Type . . . . 1. .Font . . . .Format ...... $15.50...... Acrobat ...... Reference...... $24.50. . . . . circuits, this method is outstanding of an electrostatic process. It cannot .Whole . . . . . works...... (all . . .PostScript) ...... $380.00...... PostScript...... Insider...... Secrets ...... FREE . . . . for dialplates, for front panels, and put toner onto a large conductor. A .Hacking ...... Insider ...... Secrets ...... FREE . . . . especially for all model railroad stuff. partial solution that seems to work is With a modern laser color copier, the to put a thin dielectric coating on the POSTSCRIPT SECRETS results can be totally stunning. And a foil before sending it through. A Book/Disk combination crammed full of free fonts, insider resources, utilities, publications, 600 DPI laser printer can do HO gauge Even with a dielectric coating, I am workarounds, fontgrabbing, more. For most any train lettering that is smaller than a mystified how the main laser corona PostScript printer. Mac or PC format. $29.50 scale one inch high. charging can do its thing with a big BOOK-ON-DEMAND PUB KIT DynaArt has gone well beyond a old floating ground plane in the way. Ongoing details on Book-on-demand publishing, a new method of producing books only when and simple transfer film. They’ve now got But the process does seem to work. as ordered. Reprints, sources, samples. $39.50 an integrated line of everything you Potential advantages of the direct will need for full direct toner printed copper method are its simplicity, the THE CASE AGAINST PATENTS circuit production. They’ve got a very elimination of differential transfers, For most individuals, patents are virtually certain to result in a net loss of sanity, energy, time, and gentle wave etcher that is optimized for and easy registration for double sided money. This two volume set shows you tested their fairly brittle toner resist. Plus a step-and-repeat boards. and proven real-world alternatives. 28.50 new laminating machine that applies There are now two products which BLATANT OPPORTUNIST I the proper heat and pressure for an do address the direct copper method. The reprints from all Don's Midnight Engineering optimum transfer. Both are still experimental. But these columns. Includes a broad range of real world, proven coverage on small scale technical startup Properly reloaded cartridges full of seem destined to eventually hit the ventures. Stuff you can use right now. $24.50 tested SX toner are also offered. So are big time. And you just might like to reload toners and removers. play with them. RESOURCE BIN I A complete collection of all Don's Nuts & Volts There is also a circuit board drill. I’m not even sure the first product columns to date, including a new index and his Plus a well made (but rather pricey) exists. A few years back, the Sheldahl master names and numbers list. $24.50 Swiss machine that is a combination people sent me several carrier based shear and brake. Also storage cases, sheets of their peel-and stick copper FREE SAMPLES Well, nearly free anyway. Almost. Do join us on retouchers, magnifiers, and etchants. intended for inside use on multi-layer GEnie PSRT to sample all of the Guru's goodies. The downloading cost on a typical Guru file is 21 boards. At the time, this was a back cents. Modem access: (800) 638-8369, then a Techniks lab project in the "solution seeking a HHH. On prompt, JOINGENIE, then DMD524. Meanwhile, the folks at Techniks problem" class. You can contact them FREE VOICE HELPLINE VISA/MC decided to attack the bad differential directly for more info. SYNERGETICS transfer problem by applying a blue Meanwhile, David Durant up at Bit Box 809-NV Thatcher, AZ 85552 polymer to their transfer sheets. This Bangers has taken a similar source of (602) 428-4073 polymer was selected to strongly hold peel-and-stick copper and applied a toner. But only loosely bond to either thin white dielectric coating on it. You Write in 146 on Reader Service Card.

25 August 1994/Nuts & Volts Magazine DIRECT TONER PRINTED CIRCUIT RESOURCES

Adobe Acrobat System Circuitree Magazine GEnie Printed Circuit Fabrication Southern Sign Supply 1585 Charleston Road 340 Martin 401 N Washington St 600 Harrison Street 127 Roesler Rd Mountain View CA 94039 Santa Clara CA 95050 Rockville MD 20850 San Francisco CA 94107 Glen Burnie MD 21060 (800) 833-6687 (408) 986-1292 (800) 638-9636 (415) 905-2200 (310) 768-8600

Advance Process Supply Circuits Assembly Kepro Circuit Systems Printed Circuit Network Static Control Components 400 N Noble Street 600 Harrison Street 630 Axminister Dr 91 Ryrson Avenue 3115 Hal Siler Drive Chicago IL 60622 San Francisco CA 94107 Fenton MO 63026 Newton NJ 07860 Sanford NC 27331 (312) 829-1400 (415) 905-2200 (800) 325-3878 (201) 383-2296 (800) 488-2424

Bennet LaserBrite DynaArt Designs Mill-Max Recharger Stimpson 720 4th Street SW 3535 Stillmeadow Ln 190 Pine Hollow Road 3340 Sunrise Ave #102 900 Sylvan Ave Rochester MN 55902 Lancaster CA 93536 Oyster Bay NY 11771 Las Vegas NV 89101 Bayport NY 11705 (507) 280-9101 (805) 943-4746 (516) 922-6000 (702) 438-5557 (516) 472-2000

Bit Bangers Electronic Pack & Prod Molex Screen Printing Techniks Inc 6298 Drake Street 1350 E Touhy Avenue 2222 Wellington Ct 407 Gilbert Ave 45 J Ringo Rd Palm Beach G. FL 33418 Des Plaines IL 60017 Lisle IL 60532 Cincinatti OH 45202 Ringoes NJ 08551 (800) 251-7776 (708) 635-8880 (708) 969-4550 (513) 421-2050 (908) 788-8249

Buddy Products Electronics Manufacturing Printed Circuit Design Sheldahl Don Thompson 117A Commrcial Drive One SME Drive, Box 930 600 Harrison Street 1150 Sheldahl Road 6 Morgan, #112 Thomasville GA 31792 Dearborn MI 48121 San Francisco CA 94107 Northfield MN 55057 Irvine CA 92718 (800) 873-9758 (313) 271-1500 (415) 905-2200 (507) 663-8000 (714) 855-3838 run this through a laser printer that making it blacker, glossier, and more One tip: Use a long wire as a "handle" has a reasonable paper path. durable. It is nearly essential for any and then cut it off after soldering. You The Canon SX engine as used on the camera ready artwork. can also use component leads. LaserJet III or the LaserWriter G is a Around $8 per can. But my favorite solution for one-up good choice. Naturally, you leave the Sadly, Laser Buddy is not directly prototypes and short runs is to use printer’s rear door open. usable on pc boards. Because of their machined contact pin sockets. These The toner somehow still transfers to acetate solids that get put down on fit a very small hole and can be easily the dielectric coating, even with the the areas to be etched. soldered both sides. You plug ic’s or humongous old floating ground plane But a related product that sprayed other components directly into them. between it and your corona charging only solvents and no solids might just Mill-Max and Molex are two of many wire. After imaging, the fusion rollers improve things bunches. Your toner sources. The new compliant pins are bond the toner to the copper. would temporarily soften, absorbing best since they stay put. Next, you stick the foil to a suitable many pinholes and any tiny defects. Meanwhile, full plate-thru labs are substrate, say 1/16" bare fiberglass or Sort of an "annealing" process. And available from Kepro. With the prices polyester. You’ll then use an alcohol one that might be later combined with starting around $10,000. Around 25 soaked wipe to remove the dielectric extra heat and pressure. painful steps are involved in making a coating. It’s very important to be sure Another possibility is that laser true plate-thru board. Several very you totally remove all of the dielectric thermography spray-on material from hazardous materials and other nasties coating, since the coating is itself a Bennet LaserBrite. Its intended use is to come with the territory. good etch resist. soften toner long enough to let you Unlike all the hot transfer methods, sprinkle on thermography powder. The Other Side of the Coin you will want a normal, rather than a After heating, the powder swells, In this day and age, photocopying reverse image. The toner pattern is the giving you the "raised print" effect printed circuit patterns in a magazine etch pattern. But your second side art needed for premium business cards or makes no sense whatsoever. You will may need reversed, depending on the Braille messages. always end up with a fifth generation software. Copper remains where the Neat stuff. image that is just about guaranteed to toner is present. have pinholes, clearance hassles, and The early prototypes I tested had a Plate Thru Alternatives final size errors. fragile and a scratch-prone dielectric The big boys often will use double Instead, it makes far more sense to coating and no provision for smaller sided boards having plated through directly offer your first generation pc size feeding. Both of these problems holes. I know of no simple and cheap artwork via a disk or a BBS service. I should have been eased or eliminated plate-thru process. have long been offering this on GEnie by now. Yes, small quantity kits are Many components are now offered PSRT, but others have been slow to newly available. Multi-layer boards in surface mount options. These can pick up on this major new hardware seem a definite possibility here. greatly reduce the need for holes. hacking breakthrough. Eyelets are one solution, but these I’ve found that by far the simplest, A Spray-on Solution? are so klutzy as to be nearly useless. cheapest, fastest, and most device I’ve recently discovered Laser Buddy Stimpson is the usual source. independent file format is to use a document spray. This stuff instantly The cheapest hack is to use a plain PostScript .EPS file. The trick is to upgrades just about any toner image, old wire, soldered to top and bottom. compile your code. This gives you a

August 1994/Nuts & Volts Magazine 26 fast and compact image-only runtime code. One that retains no trace of any proprietary layout packages. The easiest ways to distill include DISTILL.PS on GEnie PSRT, or else a distiller offered in Adobe’s Acrobat. Acrobat is really great. Especially for screen previews. But it does place a burden on your end users who’ll need special reader software. But you can simply extract the Acrobat objects and convert them to .EPS files. More on this in ACRO2EPS.PS on GEnie PSRT. This type of .EPS file should run on any PostScript printer. Even on the most abysmal of clones. You also have the option of using any laser printer and that GhostScript shareware. This also gives on-screen previews. GhostScript is available from many on-line services, including PSRT. For a limited time, freebie Acrobat readers are offered by the TAX board on GEnie. But you cannot redistribute these uniquely coded files. I’ll be most happy to help you make up your own .EPS pc files. Give me a call if you need assistance. This Month’s Contest For our contest this month, just tell me about anything that can make the direct toner method even better than it is today. Especially any solutions towards multilayer and plate-thru. There will be a largish pile of my new Incredible Secret Money Machine II books going to the dozen or so better entries, plus an all-expense-paid (FOB Thatcher, AZ) tinaja quest for two that will go to the very best of all. Let’s hear from you. ✦

Microcomputer pioneer and guru Don Lancaster is the author of 32 books and countless tech articles. Don maintains his no-charge tech helpline found at (602) 428-4073, besides offering all of his own books, reprints, and all of his consulting services. He also has a free catalog full of his resource secrets waiting for you. Your best calling times are 8-5 on weekdays, Mountain Standard Time. Don is now the sysop of GEnie PSRT, where a special Resource Bin topic has been reserved for Nuts & Volts readers. For fast modem access, use (800) 638-8369 and enter HHH. When prompted, enter JOINGENIE. When asked for a keyword, enter DMD524. You can also reach Don at Synergetics, Box 809, Thatcher, AZ 85552. Or send any messages to his Internet address of [email protected].

27 August 1994/Nuts & Volts Magazine Don Lancaster’s RESOURCE BIN

number thirty-three

Optoelectronics and fiber optics goodies.

ur usual reminder here that the An AM radio station might have a 1 mystery band is totally unregulated Resource Bin is now a two-way MHz frequency and a wavelength of and licence free. The FCC regulations O column. You can get tech help, 300 meters. For FM, maybe 100 MHz appear to stop at 300 GHz. consultant referrals and off-the-wall and 3 meters. A traffic radar, 10 GHz Mystery band insider secret info networking on nearly any electronic, and 30 millimeters. appears in the International Journal of tinaja questing, personal publishing, As you get into higher frequencies, Infrared and Millimeter Waves. But not money machine, or computer topic by you tend to measure in wavelengths as an easy read. calling me at (602) 428-4073 weekdays only. Your current optical standard is Just past the mystery band is the 8-5 Mountain Standard Time. the nanometer, which is one billionth infrared or "heat band". Usually split A portion of my PSRT RoundTable of a meter. This has replaced the ten into near infrared from 800 to 6000 nm. on GEnie has also been set aside for times larger Angstrom. And far infrared from around 6000 to you Nuts & Volts readers. This is the Both of which appear kinda tiny. 33,000 nanometers. place you go for instant tech answers. Except that today’s integrated circuits The "near" and "far" here will get Among the many files in our library, routinely deal with distances in the measured with respect to normal light you will find complete reprints for all 400 nanometer (or 0.4 micron) range. frequencies. Note that "near" infrared the Resource Bin columns. Which is well beyond what you can is at the upper ir frequency range but I did manage to wrangle a super achieve using ordinary light. that "near" ultraviolet is at the lower special signup deal for you Resource The current upper limit of the radio uv frequency range. Bin readers. Ten free hours and zero microwave spectrum lies somewhere The far infrared is the home of black first month minimums. See the trailer around 300 GHz. With a wavelength body radiators. Most any object not at blurb for details. of one millimeter. Which equals one absolute zero emits a broad spectrum This month, I thought we’d wander million nanometers. of energy. The higher the temp, the in and about the infrared, visual, and Above microwaves is what I’ll call higher the energy’s center frequency. uv portions of the spectrum. With our the mystery band. The very same area For instance, a warm human body at usual focus on new neat stuff… the radio astronomers often refer to as 293 K has a peak heat wavelength of submillimeter wavelengths. This one 8000 nm. A 2800 K photoflood peaks Frequency and Wavelength runs from 1,000,000 nanometers down clear up in the visual. There really isn’t much difference to 33,000 nanometers. An astonishing Far infrared uses do include people between radio, infrared, light, and the spread of 30:1 in frequency! detectors and snooperscopes. Near IR ultraviolet. All of these can be treated To give you a feel for the vastness is used for fiber optic comm, remote as electromagnetic waves which obey of the mystery band, there’s enough controls, optocouplers, environmental Maxwell’s laws. They travel at the room for 1,452,000 tv channels! photography, and position encoders. speed of light in a vacuum. And a tad The mystery band is largely virgin The visible portion of the spectrum slower in most of the real world. territory. A few radio astronomers do is only an octave wide, running from Any electromagnetic wave has its 800 nm deep red up to 400 nm blue. wavelength, defined as the distance it Following that usual ROY G. BIV takes the propagating wave to return NEXT MONTH: Don looks at rainbow sequence. The response of back to a repeating phase or reference some new developments in the human eye varies greatly over this point. Related to this wavelength is remote control circuitry. range. To perceive a white light, a that wave’s frequency, which is simply mixture of one part red, three parts how many full lumps of the traveling green, and two parts blue are often wave pass by per second. lurk here. So far, there have been no used in combination. Radio waves are relatively low in really good and low cost detectors, Ultra-violet literally means "beyond frequency. These are followed by the amplifiers, and oscillators. Not to purple", involving frequencies above submillimeter "mystery" waves, then mention test instruments. And heat the visual. "Near" or "soft" ultraviolet infrared, light, ultraviolet, X-rays and sources and rain make for big time sources can be used for such things as cosmic rays. All in order of increasing problems. But recent nanotechnology posters and fluorescence effects. "Far" frequency. In general, higher energy developments should soon "open up" or "hard" ultraviolet is used to erase levels are associated with the higher this exciting new area. EPROMS, for germicidial lamps, flame frequency bands. Best of all, though, is that this detectors, and for mineral studies. 225

October 1994 / Nuts & Volts Magazine 24 nanometers often is used by EPROM signal and then responds. new from erasing machines. Please pronounce it right. As in Warning: Hard ultraviolet can cause "fir-nell". Like the tree and the girl. DON LANCASTER irreversible eye damage. Since any ten cent hot-cold Fresnel ACTIVE FILTER COOKBOOK Gamma and X rays are even higher lens involves a zillion bucks worth of The sixteenth (!) printing of Don's bible on analog op-amp lowpass, bandpass, and highpass active in frequency. Above and beyond uv. advanced optical engineering, you’re filters. De-mystified instant designs. $24.50 far better off picking up any old stock The Mother Lode occupancy detector from your local CMOS AND TTL COOKBOOKS If you are gonna talk optics, you electrical supply warehouse. Because Millions of copies in print worldwide. THE two books for digital integrated circuit fundamentals. gotta start with the Edmund Scientific of a recent California law mandating About as hands-on as you can get. $24.50 each. catalog. Except that American Science these for new buildings, they only and Surplus is generally far better on cost $12 or so. And are quite easily INCREDIBLE SECRET all counts. Especially their bargains. modified. Leviton is one brand. MONEY MACHINE II The big boys use such pricey old line More on these in HACK32.PS and in Updated 2nd edition of Don's classic on setting sources as Rolyn Optics. the Hardware Hacker III reprints. up your own technical or craft venture. $18.50 There are quite a few optical trade A video on infrared video cameras journals. Some of the more general for survelliance, security, and energy LANCASTER CLASSICS LIBRARY Don's best early stuff at a bargain price. Includes include Advanced Imaging, Photonics & monitoring is avialble from Infracam. the CMOS Cookbook, The TTL Cookbook, Active Filter Cookbook, PostScript video, Case Against Optoelectronics, Optics and Photonics Lots of infrared temperature devices Patents, Incredible Secret Money Machine II, and News and Photonics Spectra. are offered by Omega. Or by ads in Hardware Hacker II reprints. $119.50 The best association appears to be Sensors or Measurement & Control. the SPIE. They publish lots of papers, An ultra simple phosphor based ir LOTS OF OTHER GOODIES .Ask . . . the. . . Guru. . . . .I .or . . II. .or . .III ...... $24.50. . . . . tutorials, and conference papers, the monitoring card is stocked by Radio .Hardware ...... Hacker...... II,. . .III . .or . .IV ...... $24.50. . . . . Journal of Electronic Imaging, Optical Shack for the convenient testing of ir .Micro . . . . .Cookbook ...... I...... $19.50...... PostScript ...... Beginner...... Stuff...... $29.50. . . . . Engineering, plus lots more. Their free remote controls. Plessey and NEC are .PostScript ...... Show...... and . . . Tell...... $29.50...... Intro . . . .to . .PostScript ...... Video ...... $29.50. . . . . catalogs form an outstanding index of leading suppliers for ir remote control .PostScript ...... Reference...... II ...... $31.50...... PostScript ...... Tutorial/Cookbook...... $19.50. . . . . hacking possibilities. chips. Reticon, Kodak, and TI are all .PostScript ...... by. . .Example ...... $31.50. . . . . A more traditional scholarly group good sources for hi-pixel line and area .Understanding ...... PS. . . Programming...... $29.50...... PostScript: ...... A . .Visual . . . . . Approach...... $22.50. . . . . is the Optical Society of America, who sensors, infrared and visible. .PostScript ...... Program...... Design...... $24.50...... Thinking ...... in. . PostScript...... $22.50. . . . . also publish Applied Optics. You can contact them directly for .LaserWriter ...... Reference ...... $19.50. . . . . And, of course, Scientific American more details. .Type . . . . 1. .Font . . . .Format ...... $15.50...... Acrobat ...... Reference...... $24.50. . . . . has been known to run a hacker optics .Whole . . . . . works...... (all . . .PostScript) ...... $380.00...... Lasers PostScript...... Insider...... Secrets ...... FREE . . . . project every now and then. .Hacking ...... Insider ...... Secrets ...... FREE . . . . Those optoelectronic data books are A laser is just a high tech light bulb. offered by most of the semi houses. All they do is emit one monochromatic POSTSCRIPT SECRETS The obvious leader is Hewlett-Packard. single color of light. Sometimes, they A Book/Disk combination crammed full of free fonts, insider resources, utilities, publications, Whose giant and free Optoelectronics will also emit coherent light that has a workarounds, fontgrabbing, more. For most any Designers Catalog is a must have. Some unified phase front. Coherent light is PostScript printer. Mac or PC format. $29.50 others are Hitachi, Marktech, Siemens, usually essential for holograms and BOOK-ON-DEMAND PUB KIT Motorola, Texas Instruments, Quality interferometers. Ongoing details on Book-on-demand publishing, a new method of producing books only when and Technologies, and Sharp. The most popular older device was as ordered. Reprints, sources, samples. $39.50 the helium-neon laser. But these have People Detectors recently been shot out of the saddle THE CASE AGAINST PATENTS Let’s first wander off into the far by solid state laser diodes. Which are For most individuals, patents are virtually certain to result in a net loss of sanity, energy, time, and infrared. People detectors are based cheaper, smaller, more rugged, last money. This two volume set shows you tested upon human ir signatures. The fancy longer, use infinitely more convenient and proven real-world alternatives. 28.50 chips are called pyroelectric detectors, supply voltages and are vastly more BLATANT OPPORTUNIST I with both EG&G Heimann and EG&G efficient. Especially for "red string" The reprints from all Don's Midnight Engineering Judson being premium sources. One uses where you don’t really need full columns. Includes a broad range of real world, proven coverage on small scale technical startup much cheaper alternate is Kynar Piezo coherence. Or for near infrared uses ventures. Stuff you can use right now. $24.50 Film from Amp. They even stick free (such as CD-ROM readers) where you samples on their data sheets. don’t have to see the beam. RESOURCE BIN I A complete collection of all Don's Nuts & Volts Another gotta have. And one of the Two tips on the solid state lasers: columns to date, including a new index and his greatest hacker components anytime, Watch the wavelength carefully. A 790 master names and numbers list. $24.50 ever. Senses heat or motion. nanometer diode is just barely visible Note that far ir sensors are basically in a totally darkened room. But may FREE SAMPLES Well, nearly free anyway. Almost. Do join us on capacitors. Thus, they can only sense be available surplus for under $5. And GEnie PSRT to sample all of the Guru's goodies. The downloading cost on a typical Guru file is 21 changes in temperature radiation. The a cheap way to test new ideas. cents. Modem access: (800) 638-8369, then a older way around this gotcha was to Of the really red diodes, the 630 HHH. On prompt, JOINGENIE, then DMD524. put a spinning fan blade or a vibrator nanometer ones seem much brighter FREE VOICE HELPLINE VISA/MC in front of the detector to chop up the than a 670. Owing to a really steep SYNERGETICS beam. The new way is to add a Fresnel visual dropoff. Box 809-NV Thatcher, AZ 85552 lens which purposely has "hot" and Also, the usual input power needed (602) 428-4073 "cold" spots on it. As a person crosses to lase is just under the self-destruct the beam, the detector sees a changing power. So, you always must run any Write in 146 on Reader Service Card.

25 October 1994/Nuts & Volts Magazine OPTOELECTRONIC RESOURCES

Advanced Imaging Hewlett-Packard Laser Focus World MWK Industries Sensors 445 Broad Hollow Rd #21 PO Box 10301 One Technology Park Dr 1440 S State College #3B 174 Concord St Melville NY 11747 Palo Alto CA 94303 Westford MA 01886 Anaheim CA 92806 Peterborough NH 03458 (516) 845-2700 (415) 857-1501 (508) 692-0525 (800) 356-7714 (603) 924-9631

American Sci & Surp Hitachi Laser Tech Briefs Olympus Industrial Sharp 601 Linden Pl 2000 Sierra Point Pkwy 41 E 42nd St #921 4 Nevada Dr 5700 NW Racific Rim Blvd Evanston IL 60202 Brisbane CA 94005 New York NY 10017 Lake Success NY 11042 Camas WA 98607 (708) 475-8440 (415) 589-8300 (212) 490-3999 (800) 446-5260 (800) 642-0261

Amp Kynar Piezo Home Energy Lasers & Optronics Omega Engineering Siemens Components Box 799 2124 Kittredge St #95 PO Box 9339 One Omega Dr 2191 Laurelwood Rd Valley Forge, PA 19482 Berkeley CA 94704 N Hollywood CA 91609 Stamford CT 06907 Santa Clara CA 95054 (610) 666-3500 (510) 524-5405 (818) 763-4134 (800) 826-6342 (408) 980-4500

Dialog Information Svcs Home Power Leviton Optical Soc of America Solar Today 3460 Hillview Ave PO Box 520 59-25 Little Neck Pkwy 2010 Mass. Ave NW 7400 Central Ave. #G1 Palo Alto CA 94304 Ashland OR 97520 Little Neck NY 11362 Washington DC 20036 Boulder, CO 80301 (415) 858-2700 (916) 475-3179 (800) 824-3005 (202) 223-8130 (303) 443-3130

Edmund Scientific Industrial Laser Review Lightwave Photonics & Optoelec. SolarJack 101 E Gloucester Pike One Technology Park Dr 1 Technology Park Dr 150 Fifth Ave 325 East Main St Barrington NJ 08007 Westford MA 01886 Westford MA 01886 New York NY 10011 Safford AZ 85546 (609) 573-6250 (508) 692-0700 (508) 692-0700 (212) 924-3950 (602) 428-1092

Fiber & Integrated Optics Infracam/Inframetrics Marktech Photonics Spectra SPIE 1900 Frost Rd, Ste 101 16 Esquire Rd 120 Broadway PO Box 4949 PO Box 10 Bristol PA 19007 N Billerica MA 01862 Menands, NY 12204 Pittsfield MA 01202 Bellingham WA 98227 (215) 785-5800 (508) 670-5555 (518) 436-5865 (413) 499-0514 (206) 676-3290

FiberOptic Product News Int Jl Infrared & mm Waves Measurement & Control Quality Technologies Synergetics 301 Gibraltar Dr 233 Spring St 2994 W Liberty Ave 610 N Mary Ave Box 809 Morris Plains NJ 07950 New York, NY 10013 Pittsburgh PA 15216 Sunnyvale CA 94086 Thatcher AZ 85552 (201) 292-5100 (212) 620-8000 (412) 343-9666 (408) 720-1440 (602) 428-4073

Fluorescent Mineral Soc. JKL Components Meredith Instruments Real Goods Texas Instruments PO Box 2694 13343 Paxton St 5035 N 55th Ave #5 966 Mazzoni St PO Box 809066 Sepulveda CA 91343 Pacomia CA 91331 Glendale AZ 85301 Ukiah CA 95482 Dallas TX 75380 (818) 786-4885 (800) 421-7244 (602) 934-9387 (800) 762-7325 (800) 336-5236

GEnie Jnl Laser Applications Metrologic Reticon Ultra Violet Products 401 N Washington St 12424 Research Pk, #130 Coles Rd @ Rt42 345 Potero Ave 5100 Walnut Grove Rockville MD 20850 Orlando, FL 32826 Blackwood NJ 08012 Sunnyvale CA 94086 San Gabriel CA 91778 (800) 638-9636 (800) 345-2737z (800) ID-METRO (408) 738-4266 (818) 285-3123

Hamamatsu Kodak Motorola Rolyn Optics Zomeworks 360 Foothill Rd 343 State 5005 E McDowell Rd 706 Arrow Grand Circle PO Box 25805 Bridgewater NJ 08807 Rochester NY 14650 Phoenix AZ 85008 Covina CA 91722 Albuquerque NM 87125 (201) 231-0960 (716) 724-4000 (800) 521-6274 (818) 915-5707 (505) 242-5354 laser diode closed loop, using feedback Besides some good columns right from an internal light sensor. Fail to here in Nuts & Volts, your best laser Fiber Optics do this, and you are certain to blow a reading often appears in the Industrial Light obeys Snell’s Law, which says laser diode. Every time. Laser Review, in Lasers and Optronics, it turns toward the denser or more The really big laser news is the the Journal of Laser Applications, Laser refractive media. You can easily create ML-211 laser pointer from Metrologic. Focus World, or Laser Tech Briefs. light pipes that have a property called Only $39! Which makes all sorts of By the way, surprisingly little laser total internal reflection. An optical fiber "red string" apps newly cost effective. power is required to do real world is a light pipe that transmits nearly all Such as lecture pointers, construction tasks. Owing to the concentration of the input light to its far end. levels, and light shows. The latter beam energy. For instance, a twenty The pipe can be a few feet long for a done by bouncing your beam off a watt carbon dioxide laser is all you’ll gee-whiz stage or design effect. Or it mirror glued to a speaker. need for the precision cutting of such can be many miles long, transmitting The spot size is around an inch at items as dollhouse furniture or model networked data across a campus or thirty feet. It can be further improved railroad structure parts. around the world. with additional optics. And you often don’t have to tow The whole field is called fiber optics. Your best two sources for low cost the laser around. Often, you can use There’s two types: The only goal of and surplus laser devices are Meredith mirrors to move the light to where lower cost noncoherent fibers is to Instruments and MWK. These outfits you want it. Hint: Use large defocused transmit light energy from one end to also get into ir viewers. Meredith even beams to keep your power density another. A single fiber does have an has a light show BBS. down at the mirrors. incredible bandwidth, easily carrying

October 1994/Nuts & Volts Magazine 26 thousands of phone channels or definitely works like a champ. One source for lamps and such is dozens of high quality tv signals. It is Your best source for "them that’s Ultra Violet Products. A source for tiny also reasonably secure, although you doing" solar info is Home Power. The fluorescent lamps (in uv, white, or can "sniff the fumes" off a slightly bent competing Home Energy magazine is colors) is JKL Industries. There’s all fiber. Sneaky. not nearly as good. And I’ve found sorts of opportunities here. You’ll also find the more expensive Solar Today to be nearly useless. For one of the more oddball uses of coherent fiber arrays that can actually Three resources for innovative and ultraviolet light, look into the R2628 preserve an image and recreate it at a useful solar products are Real Goods, uvtron flame sensor from Hamamatsu. distance. For use as scanners, copiers, SolarJack, and Zomeworks. This low cost part is basically a neon medical diagnostics, and for use in I personally feel that "amorphous" lamp whose threshold is sensitive to industrial inspection. Olympus is one and "polycrystalline" silicon solar cells ultraviolet radiation. source for fiberscopes. are a cruel joke. Because of their low Since open flames have a spectrum You should be able to find lots of efficiencies and their unreliability. well into the uv, this gem can detect a ads for fiber optic stuff right here in There’s some exciting new solar struck match at thirty feet. Nuts & Volts. To get into the subject electricity developments still in the All you do is set up a plain old further, see Fiber & Integrated Optics, labs. I do expect some revolutionary relaxation oscillator. Output pulses Fiber Optic Product News, and the new breakthroughs "real soon now" One dramatically increase in frequency in Lightwave trade journal. of these involves antennafiers that’ll the presence of a flame. While the work just like a plain old crystal set. intended role is for gas appliance Solar Electricity Others mimic photosynthesis, using safety aps, there should be all sorts of There’s a lot of hacker interest in nothing but the main ingredient in great hacker uses. solar energy. But disillusionment sets house paint and a few molecules of a More in HACK28.PS on GEnie PSRT. in real quick like. Just as soon as you very special dye. Finally, you might want to check discover that real world solar energy For ongoing solar developments, into the Fluorescent Mineral Society. If systems are (A) diffuse, (B) inefficient, check Science and Nature magazines, you are interested in geological uses and (C) expensive. in that technology section (usually on for ultraviolet light. In fact, the realities of solar have page B4) of the Wall Street Journal, gotten so bad lately that one of the and, of course, the Dialog Information This Month’s Contest largest solar sites in the country was Service. More on what has happened Let’s have two contests this month. recently chopped up and sold at a so far by searching on solar keyword I want to do a Resource Bin on the yard sale. It was more profitable to in my GEnie PSRT library. most popular hacking devices of all retail used cells to hardware hackers time. I’ve got a bunch of my own to than to generate electricity. An Opto Interface suggest. But I’d like to know your Sad but true. One of the neatest opto chips to favorites as well. Or else send me info Most government solar subsidies come down the pike in a long while is on an optoelectronic resource that I are now long gone. So are the scam that TSL234 from Texas Instruments. don’t know about. artists that came with the territory. This one makes an ideal first project There will be a largish pile of my On a bright sunny afternoon here in in optoelectronics. new Incredible Secret Money Machine II Arizona, there’s around 1200 watts The $5 chip is a light-to-frequency books going to the dozen or so better per meter of incoming energy. Silicon converter. You simply power this 8- entries, plus an all-expense-paid (FOB solar cells have an absolute efficiency pin minidip with +3 to +5 volts, pick Thatcher, AZ) tinaja quest for two that limit of 26 percent, set by the fact that two jumper options, and shine some will go to the very best of all. only one wavelength of light has got light on it. The output frequency is Let’s hear from you. ✦ exactly the right energy "packet" size determined by the light intensity. If for efficient silicon conversion. you aren’t into computers, you could Microcomputer pioneer and guru Don Real cells have an efficiency around even use a headphone, a speaker, or Lancaster is the author of 32 books and nine percent, but reduced by area and an audio amplifier as an output. countless tech articles. Don maintains his interconnects to, say seven percent or The jumpers give you a 0, 1, 10, 100 no-charge tech helpline found at (602) less. Which leaves you with around 72 sensitivity range and an output 1, 2, 428-4073, besides offering all of his own watts per meter. But that is in the 10, 100 frequency scaling. Sorta like books, reprints, and all of his consulting afternoon only. The 24 hour average is f-stops and shutter times. services. He also has a free catalog full of more like 24 watts per meter. Many more details in HACK80.PS his resource secrets waiting for you. Your Of course, that’s at the input to your on my GEnie PSRT RoundTable. best calling times are 8-5 on weekdays, battery storage and inverters. When For audio tones, use a 100 scaling Mountain Standard Time. you allow for inefficiencies, you’ll be and a 1 or a 10 sensitivity range. You Don is now the sysop of GEnie PSRT, lucky to do better than 19 watts of could even build up a Theremin-like where a special Resource Bin topic has delivered electricity per square meter musical instrument out of one or two been reserved for Nuts & Volts readers. of solar array. of these besties. For fast modem access, use (800) 638-8369 Then again, an average house roof and enter HHH. When prompted, enter can convert more electricity than gets Ultraviolet Flame Detectors JOINGENIE. When asked for a keyword, used underneath it. And by going to There’s lots of obvious stuff to be enter DMD524. cogeneration schemes where you also hacked with ultraviolet. An EPROM You can also reach Don at Synergetics, heat water or living areas, all of the eraser ferinstance. Or any plain old Box 809, Thatcher, AZ 85552. Or send numbers get a lot better. And micro poster light. You’ll also find great new any messages to his Internet address of power solar (for calculators and such) uv cured adhesives and resins. [email protected].

27 October 1994/Nuts & Volts Magazine October 1994/Nuts & Volts Magazine 28 Don Lancaster’s RESOURCE BIN

number thirty-four

Some new developments in remote controls.

ur usual reminder here that the quantity is $5 or so. For a micropower, Resource Bin is now a two-way Heart Rate Monitors sealed, and reasonably waterproof O column. You can get tech help, Let’s start off with a real sleeper of system. The internal lithium coin cell consultant referrals and off-the-wall a hacker opportunity. One that is still usually lasts a year or more. networking on nearly any electronic, going begging. For hacker use, you would convert tinaja questing, personal publishing, I like to define short haul telemetry as whatever it is you want to sense into a money machine, or computer topic by any scheme which is usable to send low frequency series of pulses. Max calling me at (602) 428-4073 weekdays information over a very limited range. rate is in the 50 to 100 PPS range. The 8-5 Mountain Standard Time. Say five feet or so. The obvious uses bursts themselves could get used for A portion of my PSRT RoundTable include exercise gear, isopods for safe simpler remote controls, while their on GEnie has also been set aside for monitoring of power line currents and repetition rate could be used to send you Nuts & Volts readers. This is the home energy consumption, counting out analog data. place you go for instant tech answers. cows, for robotics, providing security WARNING: Do not open, disassemble, Among the many files in our library, id, or getting info on or off a rotating or modify a heart monitor in any manner you will find complete reprints for all shaft. Or other moving object. if it’s ever again to be used for any human the Resource Bin columns. There’s an aerobic exercise beastie or animal purpose! I did manage to wrangle a super called a chest style heart monitor. You One popular heart monitor brand special signup deal for you Resource wear a strap on your chest. The strap is Polar. Many variants are stocked by Bin readers. Ten free hours and zero uses body contacts to sense the EKG Creative Health Products. Replacement first month minimums. See the trailer electrical heart signals. It transmits to chest units list for $24 or so. blurb for details. a nearby display, usually worn on There’s several other resources for your wrist or mounted on a bicycle. short haul telemetry in general. Dallas Remote Controls For its intended purpose, this system Semiconductor has lots of fine stuff in There sure has been a lot of helpline is vastly more convenient and more this area. The topic is also covered in interest lately in remote controls. So, reliable than those nearly useless ir such obscure trade journals as Access this month I thought I’d try a remote plethsymograph devices. Control, the Identification Journal, in ID roundup. Especially since there’s two Mostly because there’s no motion Systems, or Automatic ID News. brand new players here having lots of artifacts and because you can see your More info on pulse monitors in hacker possibilities – modifying heart results at a single glance. HACK68.PS. And more on isopod short rate monitors and the superb E-series But what you really have here is a haul telemetry in HACK47.PS. by DesignTech International. low cost and easily hacked universal The object of any remote control, of short haul telemetry system. It works Audio Tones course, is to send commands or id Plain old audio tones can get used signals over a distance. There is no for remote control. The usual ploy is "best" way for all possible uses. NEXT MONTH: Don looks at to generate a tone either electronically Important considerations are the the most popular hardware or with a whistle. Detection is often range, the reliability, your cost, the hacking parts of all time. by a bandpass filter followed by a 567 media, the power, the transmitter or phase lock loop tone decoder. receiver size, licensing and legality You’ll find whistle type remotes in restrictions, the ruggedness, ease of by inductive coupling. As an air core those DYS (distressed yuppie surplus) use, the data rate, duplex potential, transformer between transmitter and catalogs. The wholesale sources can compliance to any standards, packet nearby receiver. be found in ASD/AMD Trade News and collisions, and potential interference Each heartbeat gets sensed as a in the really great but pricey offshore both between units and any outside microvolt signal and converted into a publications from Asian Sources. conflicting sources. 36 cycle burst of 5 kHz energy. These Besides sounding obnoxious, most There’s lots to select from. bursts are easily received with any old whistle systems are unreliable. Let’s look at some of our options multi-turn iron core coil. Except for a So, instead of designing your own here. To sort this all out, we’ll work deep axis null, the response is largely audio remotes from scratch, it makes our way up more or less in order of omnidirectional. far more sense to use existing systems increasing frequency… Total manufacturing parts cost in and standards. Touch tone is a good

November 1994 / Nuts & Volts Magazine 24 route. Major sources of phone chips powerful line noise filters that can new from include Teltone, Silicon Systems, and literally short out the carrier comm Sierra Semiconductor. frequencies. And third because there DON LANCASTER Pager tones could also be a useful are new and severe restrictions (both ACTIVE FILTER COOKBOOK choice. One popular system is called FCC and European) on the allowable The sixteenth (!) printing of Don's bible on analog op-amp lowpass, bandpass, and highpass active HSC, short for hexadecimal sequential power levels. filters. De-mystified instant designs. $24.50 code. Those MX503 transmitter and Your most popular carrier current MX013 receiver chips from MX-COM scheme is the BSR system. A series of CMOS AND TTL COOKBOOKS are typical examples. transmitter and receiver modules that Millions of copies in print worldwide. THE two books for digital integrated circuit fundamentals. Even cuter than pager tones is the are intended for home automation About as hands-on as you can get. $24.50 each. CTCSS. Short for continuous tone, sub uses. The classic insider secrets story audio squelch. These form a group of on these appeared in the September INCREDIBLE SECRET standard subaudio frequencies from 67 1980 Radio Electronics. Besides BSR MONEY MACHINE II to 250 Hertz. These are usually below themselves, Heath, and Radio Shack, Updated 2nd edition of Don's classic on setting normal voice comm frequencies and Circuit Cellar sells lots of construction up your own technical or craft venture. $18.50 thus (with care) cannot be heard. The projects and computer interfaces. MX265A is a typical encoder/decoder The main negatives about the BSR LANCASTER CLASSICS LIBRARY Don's best early stuff at a bargain price. Includes chip, again from MX-COM. system? It is one way only, leaving the CMOS Cookbook, The TTL Cookbook, Active Filter Cookbook, PostScript video, Case Against A special low pass filtering gets you with no verification over whether Patents, Incredible Secret Money Machine II, and included to prevent speech or other the action actually took place. Which Hardware Hacker II reprints. $119.50 audio interference. can cause major safety problems in The intended use for CTCSS is to industrial controls. Most houses split LOTS OF OTHER GOODIES .Ask . . . the. . . Guru. . . . .I .or . . II. .or . .III ...... $24.50. . . . . send private messages over a common up their 220 volts incoming into two Hardware...... Hacker...... II,. . .III . .or . .IV ...... $24.50. . . . . radio channel. Presumably, only the separate 410 volt distribution phases. Micro...... Cookbook ...... I...... $19.50. . . . . PostScript...... Beginner...... Stuff...... $29.50. . . . . intended receiver gets activated when Any BSR coupling between phases is PostScript...... Show...... and . . . Tell...... $29.50. . . . . Intro. . . . .to . .PostScript ...... Video ...... $29.50. . . . . the tone is present. All of the other usually poor to totally lacking. PostScript...... Reference...... II ...... $31.50. . . . . PostScript...... Tutorial/Cookbook...... $19.50. . . . . receivers remain mute. The max data rate is extremely PostScript...... by. . .Example ...... $31.50. . . . . But the extension to slide show or slow. There is zero collision avoidance Understanding...... PS. . . Programming...... $29.50. . . . . PostScript:...... A. .Visual . . . . . Approach...... $22.50. . . . . multimedia controllers is obvious. So for multiple senders. System noise PostScript...... Program...... Design...... $24.50. . . . . Thinking...... in. . PostScript...... $22.50. . . . . is any other use where you want to immunity is poor. As we’ve already LaserWriter...... Reference ...... $19.50. . . . . send "silent" control signals over any seen, any single frequency power line Type. . . . . 1. .Font . . . .Format ...... $15.50. . . . . Acrobat...... Reference...... $24.50. . . . . live audio channel. carrier current comm is easily trashed Whole...... works...... (all . . .PostScript) ...... $380.00...... PostScript...... Insider...... Secrets ...... FREE . . . . Because of those very low carrier by dimmers and noise filters. And .Hacking ...... Insider ...... Secrets ...... FREE . . . . frequencies, the acceptable signalling neighboring houses can interfere. rate is very low. Ten commands per Nonetheless, the BSR system is a POSTSCRIPT SECRETS second or less. The channel usually cheap and computer friendly route to A Book/Disk combination crammed full of free fonts, insider resources, utilities, publications, has to be voice grade only, since bass home automation. workarounds, fontgrabbing, more. For most any music tones would interfere with the An obvious carrier comm solution PostScript printer. Mac or PC format. $29.50 remote control signals. But you could is waiting in the wings. And this is to BOOK-ON-DEMAND PUB KIT compromise and use only the lowest go to spread spectrum systems where Ongoing details on Book-on-demand publishing, a new method of producing books only when and tones and a lower audio cutoff. the entire frequency range from mid as ordered. Reprints, sources, samples. $39.50 Much more on using CTCSS in audio up to the am broadcast band is HACK71.PS on GEnie PSRT. used. Thus dramatically improving THE CASE AGAINST PATENTS the noise immunity and ability to deal For most individuals, patents are virtually certain Carrier Comm and BSR to result in a net loss of sanity, energy, time, and with line filters. money. This two volume set shows you tested The power lines run all over your By using different spreading codes, and proven real-world alternatives. 28.50 house. Why not try to use them for multiple transmitters can work with BLATANT OPPORTUNIST I signalling and intercoms and remote their intended receivers. And do so The reprints from all Don's Midnight Engineering control? This scheme is called carrier totally interference free. Full duplex columns. Includes a broad range of real world, proven coverage on small scale technical startup communications. One of the first real two-way comm is also a snap. ventures. Stuff you can use right now. $24.50 jobs I ever held was designing carrier One very high profile approach to comm for mine safety. spread spectrum remote control is the RESOURCE BIN I A complete collection of all Don's Nuts & Volts Traditionally, a frequency in the LonWorks from Motorola. But after I columns to date, including a new index and his 50-200 kiloHertz range got itself FM had read all of their expensive promo master names and numbers list. $24.50 modulated with the voice or control materials, I am left with a feeling of signals, coupled to the power lines or "Did they do this on purpose?" To me, FREE SAMPLES Well, nearly free anyway. Almost. Do join us on train tracks or trolley overhead, and their grossly overblown LonWorks GEnie PSRT to sample all of the Guru's goodies. The downloading cost on a typical Guru file is 21 then received and decoded where it’s fiasco appears to be a textbook perfect cents. Modem access: (800) 638-8369, then a needed. But these days, you may find example of a megacorporation run HHH. On prompt, JOINGENIE, then DMD524. severe problems in trying to use the amuck. And an outright con. Any kid FREE VOICE HELPLINE VISA /MC power lines for carrier comm. in a garage could easily come up with SYNERGETICS First, because many light dimmers a cheaper and simpler system. Box 809-NV Thatcher, AZ 85552 can generate an incredible amount of Sorry, but there is way too much (602) 428-4073 power line interference. Second, most baggage here. Whatever happened to computers and their peripherals have elegant simplicity? Any $2 PIC chip Write in 146 on Reader Service Card.

25 November 1994/Nuts & Volts Magazine REMOTE CONTROL RESOURCES

Access Control DesignTech International Microwaves & RF Polar Sierra Semiconductor 6151 Powers Ferry NW 7401 Fullerton Road 611 Rt #46 West 99 Seaview Blvd 2075 North Capitol Avenue Atlanta GA 30339 Springfield VA 22153 Hasbrouck NJ 07604 Port Washington NY 11050 San Jose CA 95132 (404) 955-2500 (703) 866-2000 (201) 393-6286 (516) 484-2400 (408) 263-9300

ASD/AMD Trade News ECG/Philips Mini-Circuits Radio World Signetics/Philips 2525 Ocean Park Blvd PO Box 3277 PO Box 350166 5827 Columbia Pike #310 PO Box 3409 Santa Monica CA 90405 Williamsport PA 17701 Brooklyn NY 11235 Falls Church VA 22041 Sunnyvale CA 94088 (800) 421-4511 (717) 323-4691 (718) 934-4500 (703) 998-7600 (800) 227-1817

Asian Sources/Wordright Electronic Servicing Motorola LonWorks Radio Control Modeler Silicon Systems 1020 Church Street PO Box 12487 5005 E McDowell Road Box 487 14351 Myford Road Evanston IL 60201 Overland Park KS 66282 Phoenix AZ 85008 Sierra Madre CA 91024 Tustin CA 92680 (708) 475-1900 (913) 492-4857 (800) 521-6274 (800) 523-1736 (714) 731-7110

Automatic ID News Fair Radio Sales MX-Com Inc Repeater Journal Sony Semiconductor 7500 Old Oak Blvd PO Box 1105 4800 Bethania Station PO Box 215 10833 Valley View Street Cleveland OH 44130 Lima OH 45802 Winston-Salem NC 27105 Tobaccoville NC 27050 Cypress CA 90630 (216) 243-8100 (419) 227-6573 (800) 638-5577 (919) 983-0879 (714) 220-9100

BSR GEnie NEC Electronics RF Design Synergetics Route 303 401 N Washington Street PO Box 7241 6300 S. Syracuse #650 Box 809 Blauvelt NY 10913 Rockville MD 20850 Mountain View CA 94039 Englewood CO 80111 Thatcher AZ 85552 (914) 358-6060 (800) 638-9636 (800) 632-3531 (303) 220-0600 (602) 428-4073

Circuit Cellar ID Systems NTE Electronics Rohm Corporation Teltone 4 Park Street #20 174 Concord Street 44 Farrand Street Box 19681-631 22121 20th Avenue SE Vernon CT 06066 Peterborough NH 03458 Bloomfield NJ 07003 Irvine CA 92713 Bothell WA 98021 (203) 875-2751 (603) 924-9631 (201) 748-5089 (615) 641-2020 (800) 426-3926

Creative Health Products Identification Journal Pioneer Samsung Semiconductor TV Technology 5148 Saddle Ridge Road 2640 N Halsted Street Box 1720 3725 North First Street 5827 Columbia Pike #310 Plymouth MI 48170 Chicago IL 60614 Long Beach CA 90801 San Jose CA 95134 Falls Church VA 22041 (800) 742-4478 (312) 528-6600 (213) 835-6177 (408) 954-7000 (703) 998-7600

Dallas Semiconductor Microwave Journal Plessey SGS-Thomson Wireless Design & Dev. 4401 Beltwood Pkwy S 685 Canton Street PO Box 660017 1000 East Bell Road 301 Gibraltar Drive Dallas TX 75244 Norwood MA 02062 Scotts Valley CA 95067 Phoenix AZ 85022 Morris Plains NJ 07950 (214) 450-0400 (617) 769-9750 (800) 927-2772 (602) 867-6259 (201) 292-5100 makes a lot more sense to me. Most of the infrared receiver and over useful ranges. Pulse modulation Both SGS and Signetics-Philips now controller chips can also be used for servo techniques can be used to send offer new spread spectrum power line ultrasonics; more on this shortly. analog control signals. control chips. More on these after I A good source for remote control check them out. Ham Radio chips is Samsung. Especially in their Many radio amateurs have a lot of Linear Data Book. Full transmitter and Ultrasonics interest in remote controls. Especially receiver schematics are included. The Once long ago, ultrasonic remote for the autopatch routines needed by KA2303 (3 channel decoder), KA2309 controls in the 40 kHz range were repeaters. Much of this has now been (7 channel decoder), and KA2310 (7 quite common. But their popularity published in the ham magazines and channel encoder) devices are typical clearly has peaked. In general, nearly in tightly targeted newsletters such as modern examples. anything you can do with ultrasonics Repeater Journal. Lots of kits and low These circuits are often combined can get done simpler, cheaper, and cost systems are available. with superregenerative receivers. But more reliably with infrared. See my Resource Bin reprints or else do note that any homebrew superreg But you can find these at zero cost NUTS17.PS for more info. must provide a preceding rf amplifier on junker tv sets, and they are still stage. Otherwise, it might generate used as a BSR option. They also see Citizens Band severe interference and trash out the use as "tapeless" tape measures. Most of those radio controlled toys intended band of operation. The ultrasonic transducers remain and models use license free Citizen’s available surplus, often priced from $2 Band radio frequencies in the 27 MHz FM Broadcast Band to $5. Do note that higher voltages, range. Often with a power limit of 100 There’s a lot of misinformation out custom step-up transformers, plus milliwatts or less. Radio Shack has a there over FM broadcaster systems for very careful matching are needed. low cost remote control kit. And mags voice and remote control uses. Most Note also that ultrasonic signals such as R/C Modeler are crammed full of those widely advertised low cost literally blow away outdoors in the of ads for ready-to-go units. devices are (A) highly illegal; (B) have wind. And that vehicle engine fans Citizen’s Band remotes have major nowhere near their claimed distance; can generate an incredible amount of interference problems. But they can and (C) most will not work at all with interfering ultrasonic energy. do a lot of tasks cheaply and simply synthesized FM receivers!

November 1994/Nuts & Volts Magazine 26 The problem is that a properly done transmitter at $49.95. These differ only FM transmitter must be very stable and in the number of buttons. Infrared and Optics be frequency pullable with the audio #30021-E is a compact four code, Most television and VCR remotes or control information. Units that drift single channel receiver. Any of four now send ir light. By pulse width around can not be properly received transmitter codes causes an output modulating a low cost light emitting on a digitally synthesized radio. Even relay to close for half a second. diode. These work fairly well, and a rock stable unit often will not get Power can be done "hacker mode" have pretty much replaced the older received if it is not closely locked to a from an external 12 volt wall adaptor. ultrasonic remotes. So long as only standard FM channel. Or the "garage mode" power can be one ir unit is active at once. Let’s start with professional gear. robbed from a conventional garage The ir light is fairly good at bumper Commercial FM wireless microphones door control loop. Multiple channel shot bouncing off walls, but it can not are readily available, both in and out receivers are also available. get through a closed door. Longer of the FM band. You’ll find lots of ads A five inch antenna is needed. If range repeater units are available that for these in TV Technology, in Radio possible, your receiver should get can relay the commands down halls. World, and similar trade journals. The placed high and line of sight. Hold the As are intelligent remotes that can be units can also be rented. transmitter horizontally. "taught" the codes for any number of The standard hacker chip here is The effective range easily exceeds VCR’s, TV’s, or CD’s. the really great Rohm BA-1404, which 300 feet line of sight. The signals also One leading chip source here is combines its FM stereo multiplexer can pass through car windshields or Plessey. Who has encoders, decoders, with a rf transmitter. The bottom line walls of ordinary construction. and receivers. Start with their Cable, is that their stereo part works like a Which makes this great new system TV, and Audio Databook. Older parts champ if a 38 kHz crystal is used for ideal for many "long driveway" apps. here include the SL486 receiver and the stereo pilot. But their transmitter Or for remote gates. Or countless farm the SL490 transmitter. portion is totally useless. or industry applications. I’ve now got An Infrared Remote Control IC’s data A good compromise solution is to these in use here at my Synergetics as a pack from NEC is also very useful. It modify any CD to car radio adaptor. remote "get the phone" signal. has good info on their programmable These combine a BA1404 with an ultra A #30020-E transmitter receiver pair uPD6125 device. stable crystal controlled rf oscillator. is also offered at $79.95. Contact them By the way, replacement remote Through very careful circuit design, directly for info on their other unique controls and control chips are stocked their oscillator is both rock solid and remote control products. by ECG, by NTE, and by various other can get linearly modulated over the More circuit details and plenty of advertisers in Electronic Servicing. full stereo spectrum. application info on these appears in Typical units here are the Pioneer HACK82.PS on GEnie PSRT. This Month’s Contest CD-FM-1 or the Sony XA-7A. Costs are For our contest this month, just tell in the $30 range. The Pioneer unit is Wireless Solutions me about any unusual remote control larger and more easily hacked. The There’s now a brand new 900 MHz problem or solution you might have. Sony model offers two channels. For wireless band. Nearly everybody is There will be a largish pile of my new increased range, a small booster stage scrambling all over each other to offer Incredible Secret Money Machine II could be added, possibly using one of powerful new spread spectrum mice, books going to the dozen or so better the many wideband amp chips from modems, and similar two way remote entries, plus an all-expense-paid (FOB Mini-Circuit Labs. controls. License free. Thatcher, AZ) tinaja quest for two that More on these topics in HACK24.PS So 900 Mhz is definitely where the will go to the very best of all. and HACK52.PS on GEnie PSRT. future action will come down. Today, Let’s hear from you. ✦ though, the products are still klutzy The Best Remote of All… and expensive. Many still share their Microcomputer pioneer and guru Don Very few people realize there’s an gold-plated military background. This Lancaster is the author of 32 books and obscure paragraph or two buried in near-microwave frequency range is countless tech articles. Don maintains his part 15 of the FCC regs that allows hard to hack because of the exotic test no-charge tech helpline found at (602) licence free remote controls with ten gear and specialized knowledge. 428-4073, besides offering all of his own times the usual power. Mark Gottleib Not to mention the black magic. But books, reprints, and all of his consulting of DesignTech International has come it is getting ridiculously easier than it services. He also has a free catalog full of up with several superb new hacker once was. Is it ever. his resource secrets waiting for you. Your remote controls operating in the UHF If you do not know what a Smith best calling times are 8-5 on weekdays, range at 330 MHz. They are intended Chart is, you can forget about most Mountain Standard Time. mainly for on-off control commands wireless work. If you do know what Don is now the sysop of GEnie PSRT, and similar low data rate uses. one is, you’ll find lots of them in where a special Resource Bin topic has The transmitters are the size of a SMITHCHT.PS on GEnie PSRT. been reserved for Nuts & Volts readers. keychain tag. In fact, that’s what they The best new trade journal here is For fast modem access, use (800) 638-8369 are. They have got one, two, or three Wireless Design & Development. Such and enter HHH. When prompted, enter buttons on them, sending a selected older mags as Microwave Journal, RF JOINGENIE. When asked for a keyword, code from the 16,777,216 possible. A Design, and Microwaves & RF have lots enter DMD524. monitor LED lights red, yellow, or to offer as well. You can also reach Don at Synergetics, green for the chosen channel. One source for surplus transmitters Box 809, Thatcher, AZ 85552. Or send #20051-E is a one-code transmitter at and receivers is Fair Radio Sales. But any messages to his Internet address of $44.95. The #20061-E is a three-code watch the legality here. [email protected].

27 November 1994/Nuts & Volts Magazine November 1994/Nuts & Volts Magazine 28 Don Lancaster’s RESOURCE BIN

number thirty-five

The best hardware parts of all time.

ur usual reminder here that the clamp, sawtooth source, counting flip those applications where smaller size, Resource Bin is now a two-way flop, a vacuum tube filament tester, a high efficiency, great ruggedness, fine O column. You can get tech help, level voltmeter, or a touch sensor. reliability, and ultra low cost are not consultant referrals and off-the-wall All the while serving as a lightning significant design factors, selenium networking on nearly any electronic, protector, synchronizer, psychedelic rectifiers will still dominate." tinaja questing, personal publishing, lighting system, pulser, bistable latch, I guess he was right. Sort of. money machine, or computer topic by leakage sensor, relaxation oscillator, In the same league as the 1N4005, calling me at (602) 428-4073 weekdays and micropower radiation detector. would be a general purpose low level 8-5 Mountain Standard Time. Of course, my meager app list does silicon signal diode. Such as the early A portion of my PSRT RoundTable not barely begin to scratch the surface. 1N914 or its 1N4148 replacement. on GEnie has also been set aside for We could easily take up the rest of the And, fer sure, that good old 1N34A you Nuts & Volts readers. This is the magazine and then some. germanium "crystal set" diode. place you go for instant tech answers. Sadly, the all time grand champion Also a one chip regulator. Perhaps a Among the many files in our library, seems pretty much retired these days. 7805. In the old days, regulators were you will find complete reprints for all Done in by its limited output and the complex and costly. Usually, you flat the Resource Bin columns. shift to low supply voltages. And the out couldn’t afford regulation. And I did manage to wrangle a super fact that everything else got better and had to take what you got in the way special signup deal for you Resource cheaper along the way. of input supply variations. Bin readers. Ten free hours and zero first month minimums. Plus major The 1N4005 Power Triacs new Internet access features. See the Yeah, it is really mundane. Only I guess any old power triac will do. trailer blurb for details. costs around three cents surplus. But Say the 276-1000 from Radio Shack. A What are the best hacker parts of all at one time, building power supplies triac is basically a high current, high time? This month, I figgured we’d and converting ac to dc was a real big voltage power switch. Apply a small round up some all-time greats. deal. Hot and heavy, even. pulse or a control signal to its gate While several of my choices are The 1N4005 is a silicon power diode input, and the triac flips on, sending clearly from older and simpler days, rated at one amp and 500 volts. It is heavy current between its main two they still remain fine starting points the "standard" way of converting ac terminals. The triac stays on until such for understanding electronics. And line power into raw dc. Gets done by time as the main current either drops show us some of the heritage of how letting current travel in one direction to zero or reverses. we got to wherever it is we seem to be only. About the size of half a single Important uses for triacs are solid going. We’ll start off with… base pin on the 5U4G vacuum tube it state power relays, lamp dimmers, or motor controls. In a power relay, a The All-time Grand Champion continuous signal is applied. This one’s a no-brainer. By far the NEXT MONTH: Don looks at In a lamp dimmer, a brief pulse is overwhelmingly most popular hacker recent happenings in Book- applied whose phase can be adjusted part of all time. on-demand publishing. with respect to the ac half cycle. Only Unchallenged and unchallengable. selected portions of power cycles get Let’s see. This nine cent part is an to the lamp load, and the lamp only organ tone generator, a proportional replaced. And ridiculously cheaper, partially lights. power trigger, strobe device, holiday cooler, and more efficient. A motor control is similar to a lamp "twinkle" light, and a dc coupler. What was really cute was this story dimmer, except that feedback of some It is an ac/dc discriminator, a hot that appeared just after silicon power sort gets used to give constant speeds chassis safety checker, power monitor, diodes first showed up. Your "other" and more torque. surge arrestor, ignition timing device, solid state alternative was big stacks Triacs could also be used for color phono speed setter, square wave gen, of selenium rectifiers. organs or more modern psychedelic polarity sensor, frequency divider, or At that time, the CEO of the leading lighting controls. Soldering stations transmit/receive switch. selenium rectifier outfit essentially are a triac variation on dimmers and Besides forming a shunt regulator, said "Yeah, silicon rectifiers may some motor controls that use temp sensing. anti-static signal conditioner, bipolar day have limited advantages. But for A simpler one-way variant on a triac

December 1994 / Nuts & Volts Magazine 24 is a SCR. These get used for electronic general purpose lab circuits. new from ignition and tv deflection. The earliest important integrated While easy and fun to use, there’s op-amps were the 702 and the 709. DON LANCASTER one big warning: Extreme shock hazards Bob Widlar territory. The less we say ACTIVE FILTER COOKBOOK exist in nearly all triac circuits! So, be about these, the better. But the first The sixteenth (!) printing of Don’s bible on analog op-amp lowpass, bandpass, and highpass active careful. That same "hot chassis" shock cheap, stable, and easy-to-use amp filters. De-mystified instant designs. $24.50 hazard can get coupled back into the was the 741. Which exists to this day rest of your circuit. in a zillion different variants. CMOS AND TTL COOKBOOKS Isolation ploys include a MOC3010 Much more on op-amps in my Millions of copies in print worldwide. THE two books for digital integrated circuit fundamentals. optotriac isolator from Motorola, any Active Filter Cookbook or in Jung’s IC About as hands-on as you can get. $24.50 each. coupling transformer, or sealing the Op Amp Cookbook. There’s lots of ap entire circuit in a plastic case. notes as well. Sources include Maxim, INCREDIBLE SECRET Also, simpler triac circuits can not National, TI, Motorola, Analog Devices, MONEY MACHINE II be used to dim a fluorescent lamp or Linear Technology, and Burr Brown. Updated 2nd edition of Don’s classic on setting control the speed of an ac induction up your own technical or craft venture. $18.50 motor. But newer and fancier ones The 555 Timer definitely can. Triacs also generate a I never did like this one. The 555 LANCASTER CLASSICS LIBRARY Don’s best early stuff at a bargain price. Includes lot of interference, and special input was a fussy power hog first cobbed up the CMOS Cookbook, The TTL Cookbook, Active Filter Cookbook, PostScript video, Case Against filters are often needed. in a klutzy InterDesign do-it-yourself Patents, Incredible Secret Money Machine II, and The legendary and all time greatest ic kit. But the rest of you clearly loved Hardware Hacker II reprints. $119.50 databook here is the long gone SCR it. And apparently still do. Manual from General Electric. Current The 555 is basically a digital power LOTS OF OTHER GOODIES .Ask . . . the. . . Guru. . . . .I . or. . II. .or . . III...... $24.50. . . . . triac info appears in the power data latch or flip flop. Driven by a pair of .Hardware ...... Hacker...... II, . .III . .or . .IV ...... $24.50. . . . . books from either Motorola or Texas set and reset threshold detectors. All Micro...... Cookbook ...... I...... $19.50...... PostScript ...... Beginner ...... Stuff...... $29.50. . . . . Instruments. Two specialty companies in the plastic 8-pin minidip package. PostScript...... Show . . . . .and . . . Tell...... $29.50...... Intro . . . .to . .PostScript ...... Video ...... $29.50. . . . . include LSI/CSI for drivers and Teccor With duals, quads, and long output .PostScript ...... Reference ...... II ...... $31.50. . . . . PostScript...... Tutorial/Cookbook ...... $19.50. . . . . for the triacs themselves. Major trade counters also available. .PostScript ...... by . . Example...... $31.50. . . . . journals include PCIM, Motion, and Usually, you would add a resistor Understanding...... PS. . . Programming...... $29.50...... PostScript: ...... A. .Visual . . . . . Approach...... $22.50. . . . . Measurement & Control magazines. and capacitor feedback network. As .PostScript ...... Program ...... Design...... $24.50. . . . . Thinking...... in. . PostScript...... $22.50. . . . . the capacitor charged and discharged, .LaserWriter ...... Reference ...... $19.50. . . . . The 741 Op-Amp your 555 would create a free running Type. . . . . 1. .Font . . . .Format ...... $15.50...... Acrobat ...... Reference...... $24.50. . . . . At one time, precise direct current square wave generator, or an astable .Whole . . . . . works...... (all . . .PostScript) ...... $380.00...... PostScript...... Insider ...... Secrets ...... FREE . . . . amplifiers were a real bear to design. multivibrator. With timing intervals .Hacking ...... Insider ...... Secrets ...... FREE . . . . Most every amplifier was for ac only, from tens of microseconds up to days. because of horrendous offsets, drifts, You could also use the R/C feedback POSTSCRIPT SECRETS and device variations. I remember a for reset only, for making pulses or a A Book/Disk combination crammed full of free fonts, insider resources, utilities, publications, long ago gas chromatography project monostable multivibrator. workarounds, fontgrabbing, more. For most any where my best efforts at a gain-of-40 The 555’s main claim to fame was a PostScript printer. Mac or PC format. $29.50 dc amp failed miserably. unique design scheme. By placing the BOOK-ON-DEMAND PUB KIT Well, shortly after that, somebody threshold levels at precisely one time Ongoing details on Book-on-demand publishing, a new method of producing books only when and came up with the new concept of an constant (roughly 63 percent) towards as ordered. Reprints, sources, samples. $39.50 operational amplifier. First, build a supply or ground, many voltage and ridiculously high gain dc amplifier. temperature effects tended to cancel THE CASE AGAINST PATENTS Thousands then, millions today. Then out. More or less. A ratiometric design For most individuals, patents are virtually certain to result in a net loss of sanity, energy, time, and place passive network feedback parts which lead to unusual accuracy for a money. This two volume set shows you tested around the amp. simple analog device. and proven real-world alternatives. 28.50 Given enough gain, the amplifier’s For more on the 555, see Walter BLATANT OPPORTUNIST I performance was determined only by Jung’s IC Timer Cookbook or most any The reprints from all Don’s Midnight Engineering the values and ratios of those passive issue of Electronic Design or EDN. columns. Includes a broad range of real world, proven coverage on small scale technical startup resistors and capacitors. High gain Several tips if you must use this ventures. Stuff you can use right now. $24.50 and low offset dc amplification finally beast: Select those greatly improved became trivial. CMOS versions. Carefully bypass the RESOURCE BIN I A complete collection of all Don’s Nuts & Volts For instance, a 10K input resistor supply at your chip with both a 10 columns to date, including a new index and his and a 100K feedback resistor on an op microfarad and an 0.01 microfarad master names and numbers list. $24.50 amp gave you a gain of ten. An input capacitor. Never float that reset pin, resistor and a feedback capacitor gave especially with a long wire or trace on FREE SAMPLES Well, nearly free anyway. Almost. Do join us on you an integrator, or low pass filter. it. If unused, bypass your reset up to GEnie PSRT to sample all of the Guru’s goodies. The downloading cost on a typical Guru file is 21 Any input capacitor and a feedback the positive supply. cents. Modem access: Dial (800) 638-8369. On resistor gave you a differentiator, or For serious waveform generation, prompt, JOINGENIE, then DMD524 on key. high pass filter. And fancier networks you are much better off doing stuff FREE VOICE HELPLINE VISA/MC gave you fancier responses. digitally instead. Or, if you must go SYNERGETICS While initially intended for analog analog, check into that ancient 8038 Box 809-NV Thatcher, AZ 85552 computers, both hackers and circuit sine-square-triangle generator from (602) 428-4073 designers quickly picked up on the Harris or else the latest new MAX038 fact that these made all sorts of great reincarnation from Maxim. Write in 146 on Reader Service Card.

25 December 1994/Nuts & Volts Magazine HACKER COMPONENT RESOURCES

Amp Kynar Piezo Scott Edwards LSI/CSI Motion Magazine Rockwell International Box 799 964 Cactus Wren Lane 1235 Walt Whitman Rd Box 6430 3310 Miraloma Ave Valley Forge, PA 19482 Sierra Vista AZ 85635 Melville NY 11747 Orange CA 92613 Anaheim CA 98203 (610) 666-3500 (602) 459-4802 (516) 271-0400 (714) 974-0200 (800) 854-8099

Analog Devices Electronic Design Maxim Motorola Synergetics PO Box 9106 611 Rt #46 W 120 San Gabriel Dr 5005 E McDowell Rd Box 809 Norwood MA 02062 Hasbrouck Heights NJ 07604 Sunnyvale CA 94086 Phoenix AZ 85008 Thatcher AZ 85552 (617) 329-4700 (201) 393-6060 (800) 998-8800 (800) 521-6274 (602) 428-4073

Burr-Brown Harris Semiconductor Measurement and Control National Semiconductor Texas Instruments 6730 S Tucson Blvd Box 883 2994 W Liberty Ave 2900 Semiconductor Rd PO Box 809066 Tucson AZ 85706 Melbourne FL 32902 Pittsburgh PA 15216 Santa Clara CA 95052 Dallas TX 75380 (602) 746-1111 (407) 724-3739 (412) 343-9666 (800) 272-9959 (800) 336-5236

Dallas Semiconductor Karen's Microchip Technology Parallax Teccor Electronics 4401 Beltwood Pkwy S Central Elgin Expressway 2355 W Chandler Blvd 3805 Atherton Rd, #102 1801 Hurd Dr Dallas TX 75244 Elgin, AZ 85637 Chandler AZ 85224 Rocklin CA 95765 Irving TX 75038 (214) 450-0400 (602) 455-5282 (602) 963-7373 (916) 624-8333 (214) 580-1515

EDN Magazine Linear Technology Mitsubishi PCIM Western Design Center 275 Washington St 1630 McCarthy Blvd 1050 E Arques Ave 2472 Eastman Ave #33-34 2166 E Brown Rd Newton MA 02158 Milpitas CA 95035 Sunnyvale CA 94086 Ventura CA 93003 Mesa AZ 85203 (617) 964-3030 (408) 432-1900 (408) 730-5900 (805) 658-0933 (602) 962-4545

Because the resistor is only "there" a CMOS Analog Switches quarter of the time. RTL Digital Logic Most electronic devices do have a You can also hang analog switches Early digital integrated circuits had clearly defined input and output. And across real keyboard contacts, letting a "ten dollar horse and forty dollar usually generate offsets and output you easily link two wildly different saddle" problem. The military insisted delays. But any old turned-on CMOS electronic systems. on hermetically sealed, rugged, and transistor appears like an ordinary Much more on analog switches in wide temp packages. Which kept all resistor. Place a NMOS and a PMOS my CMOS Cookbook. Besides the grunt prices outrageously high. transistor in inverse parallel, and you CMOS parts, fancier devices are now Fairchild was the first to break the form a transmission gate. offered by Maxim, Linear Technology, cost barrier by simply glopping the Which, in its off state, looks like a Dallas, and Analog Devices. chips in a low cost epoxy. Offered as very big resistor. And in its on state, RTL Resistor-Transistor-Logic. looks like a fairly small resistor. A AMP Piezo Film The µL914 was an eighty cent dual resistor that doesn’t care that much A free hacker’s component certainly two input gate. Cross couple it and which end is the input or output. Or needs to be included in our list. This you built a flip flop or storage latch. whether it is analog or digital. one gets attached to the data sheet Since linear integrated circuits were CMOS analog switches formed a when you ask for info. And is easily also insanely overpriced, you could new class of electronic components. converted into a hi-fi microphone, a take one of these and bias it into a One with no vacuum tube equivalent. fire sensor, a touch control, people "long tail pair" style of differential The quad 4066 is typical. They cost a detector, or an impact monitor. amplifier. Which made a cheap and quarter or so each. Take a Kynar plastic film and heat it dandy linear integrated amplifier. I Important uses are for audio and above its Curie Point while applying a even built up a treasure finder out of video switching, for general purpose stong bias voltage. Then cool the film, these which appeared on the cover of digital logic, or anywhere else you’ll locking in the stress from the field and the January 1967 Popular Electronics. want to pass or block a signal. While creating an electret. Also in their series was the µL923 avoiding offsets or delays. Once it is formed, bending the film counting flip flop. Which shortly got Two of my favorite analog switch generates a voltage. Or applying any replaced by the dual MC790P J-K flip tricks: An analog switch and some voltage bends the film. The same film flop from Motorola. This device made op-amp hooked up just right form an is also pyroelectric and heat sensitive. low cost digital instruments possible. amplifier with a switchable gain of Even to a moving human body. See the February 1968 issue of Popular plus or minus one. Which builds a Compared to any traditional piezo Electronics for details on low cost RTL single ended mixer or sync demod. crystals or ceramics, the films are a lot decimal counting units. Having one digital and one analog thinner, cheaper, and lighter. But also Admittedly, RTL did have power, input. Transformer free. somewhat less sensitive. noise, and speed problems. But it did Place any analog switch in series Piezo film has a long and strange lead the way and showed what was with a resistor. Next, duty cycle the corporate history. This started out as possible. Newer replacements are the switch at a high frequency. You now Pennwalt, who became Atochem, who TTL and CMOS logic families. have a digitally variable resistor! At got bought by AMP Piezo. More details in the RTL Cookbook, least at lower frequencies. At any rate, AMP has samples, ap TTL Cookbook, and the CMOS Cookbook. Ferinstance, a 10 K resistor and a 1:3 notes, data sheets, and development And in those Resource Bin reprints. In duty cycle looks like a 40 K resistor. kits available on request. hard copy or on GEnie PSRT.

December 1994/Nuts & Volts Magazine 26 The 6502 Mitsubishi. Until recently, 6502 chips of going with bits and pieces. I even named my license plate over remained the most popular choice for Costs start at $2.50. Development is this one. Sigh. import VCR’s and blenders. trivial, and can be done on most any Back in the bad days where klutzy But the momentum is clearly lost. host PC. Once entered, the program is microprocessors had theoretical list I wrote a great heaping bunch of non-volatile and semi-permanent. prices near $1000 and you could not Apple and 6502 books, but most of Let’s see. To get started, pick up the even get on the list unless you paid them are long out of print. I’ll reprint Embedded Control Handbook and the cash up front for a zillion of them them on CD-ROM someday. A scant PIC Data Book. Then use that simple delivered someday maybe, an upstart few copies of my Micro Cookbook I do and friendly BASIC Stamp by Parallax. third-tier semi house by the name of remain available. Or see back issues of Nuts & Volts for MOS Technology got this idea. By the way, next time you are near "pseudostamp" alternatives. Finally, They took some obvious and sorely some ic chip designers, ask them to step on up to the fast and furious PIC needed improvements that Motorola define a "RISC" device. After they are Design Tools from Scott Edwards. management was too dumb and too done arguing and get on down to an Well maybe one hint. Go to Elgin arrogant to see, and created a beastie essential bare bones definition, just and take the loop thruway past the called the 6502, and offered them by say "Oh, you mean a 6502." primary industrial district. Then hang big handfulls at Wescon. Literally in And watch the fur fly. left at the fifth cow. The one you’ll see bushel baskets, at $22 a pop. munching the grapevines. The rest, they say, is history. The PIC Chips For extra points, do try and locate 6502 was a hardware hacker’s dream Scott Edwards and I were in Karen’s Elgin without using a large scale map. device. A full fledged 8-bit micro that the other day. Which is the very finest had simple klick-klunk timing, very restaurant in all Elgin, Arizona. And This Month’s Contest powerful addressing modes, and one quite possibly the best in the entire Let’s have a real easy contest this single power supply. universe. At least in our galaxy. month that gives you older readers a Hackers quickly picked up on the While Scott instantly agreed with distinct edge. Just tell me the correct chip, with Ohio Scientific being one my number one choice, his choices for part number for that all time grand early adoptor. two through six were PIC, PIC, PIC, champion hacker part. Be sure to get MOS Technology themselves came PIC, and PIC. I did caution Scott that the punctuation right. Or else tell me out with a $140 KIM-1 computer full of the PIC chip has yet to prove it has about any other popular hacker part bright new innovations. Such as a real "legs". But it’s certainly a fine choice. you feel belongs in our survey. keypad instead of 0-1 toggle switches. And clearly the heir apparent to the There will be a largish pile of my A genuine numeric display instead of 6502 and its offspring. new Incredible Secret Money Machine II flashing lamps. And off-line cassette Microchip Technology makes the PIC books going to the dozen or so better storage with auto search. parts. Smaller dedicated micros that entries, plus an all-expense-paid (FOB Yes, chess games, adventures, and completely blow away anything that Thatcher, AZ) tinaja quest for two that even word processors were written Motorola or Intel has ever offered. Just will go to the very best of all. for the bare bones machine having a about any hacker mag today will have I’ve just picked up a great heaping whopping 1K of RAM memory. Some at least one PIC project in it. bunch of Apple II+ and IIe computers, KIM-1’s ended up speaking CPM and What makes this PIC so special? cheap enough to apply as dedicated using pairs of eight inch drives. My First and foremost, PIC’s are easy to controllers. And even including a few own KIM sported full video and an use and fun to work with. rare and collectible Apple III’s as well. EPROM burner. I fondly remember Also, the PIC uses a non-traditional, Lots of cards, drives, monitors, and the combo 4K memory and hotplate. or non-Von architecture. Older 8-bit parts, too. Call for info. KIM clones by the names of SYM micros combined all their instructions Let’s hear from you. ✦ and AIM quickly followed. Who, just and data into one space. Which made as quickly, threw out the baby and sense when memory was expensive Microcomputer pioneer and guru Don drank the washwater. and every trick in the book (including Lancaster is the author of 32 books and By not having the slightest clue. self-modifying code) had to be used to countless tech articles. Don maintains his One of the Wescon attendees was get your program to fit. no-charge tech helpline found at (602) apparently a guy by the name of Steve Instead, the PIC puts its commands 428-4073, besides offering all of his own Wozniak. Whose Apple I and Apple II in one place and its data elsewhere in books, reprints, and all of his consulting jump started the industry. a separate stash. The data is the usual services. He also has a free catalog full of Their 6502 also got used in early 8-bits. But the instruction words are his resource secrets waiting for you. Your Atari and Commodore machines. Plus typically 12, 14, or even 16 bits wide. best calling times are 8-5 on weekdays, countless video games. Home and Which lets a single byte instruction do Mountain Standard Time. arcade. Especially early Nintendos. tasks that needed two, three, or even Don is now the sysop of GEnie PSRT, The PC world would certainly be a more traditional bytes. Resulting in where a special Resource Bin topic has better place today if Motorola and double or triple speeds. been reserved for Nuts & Volts readers. Intel had simply cloned the 6502 and Several incredibly powerful macro For modem access: (800) 638-8369. When then improved upon it. But instead, instructions are included in their PIC prompted, enter JOINGENIE. When asked megacorporation political games and set. A/D converters, serial data comm, for a keyword, enter DMD524. conflicting superhuman egos created timers, option pickers, sound gens, You can also reach Don at Synergetics, today’s horrendous mess. and duty cycle modulators. Box 809, Thatcher, AZ 85552. Or send 6502 stuff does remain available To the point where it is usually far any messages to his Internet address of through Rockwell, Western Design and easier to start with a PIC chip instead [email protected].

27 December 1994/Nuts & Volts Magazine Don Lancaster’s RESOURCE BIN

number thirty-six

A Book-on-demand publishing update.

ur usual reminder here that the But there’s also explosive demand (0) - Use toner, not ink. Toner based Resource Bin is now a two-way for new info. When it gets presented printers are ridiculously cheaper, and O column. You can get tech help, quickly, cheaply and on a custom have more consistent quality. They consultant referrals and off-the-wall basis. But "electronic only" publishing need zero makeready or prepress. networking on nearly any electronic, remains a commercial failure and will (1) - Use Genuine Adobe PostScript. tinaja questing, personal publishing, continue to be so for quite some time. Level II or higher. Nothing else even money machine, or computer topic by Because nothing electronic remotely comes remotely close. TrueType, TeX, calling me at (602) 428-4073 weekdays comes near the "feel" of a book. and PCL are outright jokes. 8-5 Mountain Standard Time. The one great hurdle that electronic A portion of my PSRT RoundTable publishing has yet to jump. (2) - Use two-way comm. Proper use on GEnie has also been set aside for There’s also the tiny problem that of PostScript demands on-screen error you Nuts & Volts readers. This is the people buy books but steal software. messages and host recordable comm. place you go for instant tech answers. Information in electronic form tends Anything else blindfolds you and ties Among the many files in our library, to be grossly undervalued compared both of your feet together. you will find complete reprints for all to the same written word. (3) - Use 600+ DPI resolution. With the Resource Bin columns. Which is where my Book-on-demand photo enhancements. And be sure to I did manage to wrangle a super publishing comes in. Today, you can optimize your artwork for the printer special signup deal for you Resource produce first quality books at home you are now using. Bin readers. Ten free hours and new on your kitchen table. And do so at Internet access features. See the trailer low costs in small quantities. At way (4) - Use a bolt-on duplexer. These blurb for details. less risk, and with ridiculously faster give you double sided printing with turnover times. With literally zero fewer hassles and less scrap. Why Book-on-demand? makeready and no prepress. Instantly (5) - Use a printer hard disk. Hard I recently saw some figures where updatable. disks allow unattended operation and traditional 1993 book sales were only Exactly like "real" books from "real" dramatically speed up printing time. up by a mere 0.3%. The 7% increase in publishers. Except for the loving care They also free the operator and host revenues was caused by an 8% raise that went into yours. computer for other tasks. in the list prices. With ridiculously higher author’s Clearly, old line publishing has its royalties, instantly paid. (6) - Learn PostScript. The more you onager in a sling. Book-on-demand publishing really use and understand "raw" PostScript, Insane "musical chairs" mergers shines where 2000 or fewer copies are the easier problems will be to resolve, and acquistions have thrown the baby needed. Or where the total sales are and the better your print quality. out with the washwater. Greed, fear, (7) - Refill all your own cartridges. and incompetence reign supreme. The Cartridge refilling reduces per-page chains have demolished the Mom and NEXT MONTH: Don looks at toner costs from 3 cents a page to 0.2 Pop stores, while stocking many more unique sources for sensor cents per page. This is your secret key copies of far fewer books. and transducer products. to making BOD cost competitive. The publishing delays have gone up rather than down. Nothing (8) - Have service manuals on hand. readable remains on most book racks. still unknown. Or where the topic is Get the needed service manuals and Most back lists have been decimated. too specialized or too controversial to do your own repair work. If you can Partly because of obscure IRS "Thor" interest an old line publisher. change the blade on a power mower, rulings that literally pay publishers to Or where content needs customized you can do most laser repairs. shred books. Much like farmers are or personalized for each reader. Or (9) - Distill your files. Properly done paid not to grow crops. can be combined into a larger package PostScript code runs at full printer There’s also hot new competition with disks, kits, or whatever. speed, with zero setup time. Details on for reading time. Online resources, my GEnie PSRT. video games, CD ROM, VCR rentals, BOD Insider Secrets virtual reality, computers, magazines, Here, briefly, is what you’ll need (10) - Consider Adobe Acrobat. The trade journals, cable, and satellites. for Book-on-demand publishing… Adobe Acrobat system offers a simple

January 1995 / Nuts & Volts Magazine 24 way to distill PostScript and view it Paper new from on screen. It also now has free readers Many different types of paper can and ultra easy indexing. DON LANCASTER be run through a typical laser printer. The laser rated papers and films are ACTIVE FILTER COOKBOOK Which Printer? The sixteenth (!) printing of Don’s bible on analog obviously your best choice. No-no’s op-amp lowpass, bandpass, and highpass active The answer to this one changes include tyvek, unsupported acetate, or filters. De-mystified instant designs. $24.50 weekly. An ideal BOD printer would very heavy stock. Older coated papers offer genuine Adobe PostScript level may not work at all. CMOS AND TTL COOKBOOKS Millions of copies in print worldwide. THE two II beyond 600 DPI and use enhanced Control of humidity is extremely books for digital integrated circuit fundamentals. photo halftones. It would cost under important for serious BOD work. Stay About as hands-on as you can get. $24.50 each. $2000, print faster than 10 pages per in the 30 to 45 percent range for best minute, and have both a duplexer and results. Super cheap $4 hygrometers INCREDIBLE SECRET a hard disk available. are sold by Klockit, while the serious MONEY MACHINE II Updated 2nd edition of Don’s classic on setting It could print totally unattended. instruments come from Abbeon-Cal. A up your own technical or craft venture. $18.50 Service manuals and parts would be duplexer dramatically reduces paper easily gotten. The toner refills would curling problems. LANCASTER CLASSICS LIBRARY be cheap and simple. Paper weight is an oxymoron dreamt Don’s best early stuff at a bargain price. Includes the CMOS Cookbook, The TTL Cookbook, Active A "straight through" paper path up by paper salesmen to confound Filter Cookbook, PostScript video, Case Against Patents, Incredible Secret Money Machine II, and and a tabloid (11 x 17) option would outsiders. It has nothing whatsoever Hardware Hacker II reprints. $119.50 also be rather nice. to do with how heavy a ream of the We’re getting real close. The Apple paper weighs, how thick it is, or how LOTS OF OTHER GOODIES LaserWriter 16/600 has everything but opaque it is. Ferinstance, 24 pound .Ask . . . the. . . Guru. . . . .I . or. . II. .or . . III...... $24.50...... Hardware ...... Hacker...... II, . .III . .or . .IV ...... $24.50. . . . . a duplexer. The Hewlett-Packard 4M+ paper is lighter than 70 pound paper. Micro...... Cookbook ...... I...... $19.50. . . . . has everything but a hard disk. Their But heavier than 60 pound paper. .PostScript ...... Beginner ...... Stuff...... $29.50. . . . . PostScript...... Show . . . . .and . . . Tell...... $29.50. . . . . 4MV is tabloid sized for covers and Instead, always use the metric weight .Intro . . . .to . .PostScript ...... Video ...... $29.50...... PostScript ...... Reference ...... II ...... $32.50. . . . . lacks only a duplexer. That 4MV hard . Shown in grams per square meter. If PostScript...... Tutorial/Cookbook ...... $19.50. . . . . disk is a historic first for HP. you want more info, pick up the free .PostScript ...... by . . Example...... $32.50. . . . . Understanding...... PS. . . Programming...... $29.50. . . . . Lexmark has several compellingly paper standards book offered by the .PostScript: ...... A. .Visual . . . . . Approach...... $22.50...... PostScript ...... Program ...... Design...... $24.50. . . . . interesting new machines that I have S.D. Warren folks. Thinking...... in. . PostScript...... $22.50...... LaserWriter ...... Reference ...... $19.50. . . . . yet to test. These do not use Canon For plain old paper, the $16 per case Type. . . . . 1. .Font . . . .Format ...... $15.50. . . . . engines and have unproven recharge sheets from Price Club or wherever .Acrobat ...... Reference...... $24.50...... Whole . . . . . works...... (all . . .PostScript) ...... $380.00...... economics. But some models do offer can’t be beat. PostScript...... Insider ...... Secrets ...... FREE . . . . duplexing and hard drives. One fine source for low cost quality .Hacking ...... Insider ...... Secrets ...... FREE . . . . I do not care for those toy 4 PPM papers is Paper Plus. They’ve got 100 POSTSCRIPT SECRETS laser printers. They remind me of $999 or so locations in 30 states. A Book/Disk combination crammed full of free hot tubs. Which look good in the ads There’s now dozens of direct mail fonts, insider resources, utilities, publications, workarounds, fontgrabbing, more. For most any and on the showroom floor. But you’d laser paper sources coming out of the PostScript printer. Mac or PC format. $29.50 never want to sit in one or put any woodwork. They do tend to be pricey, water in it. Cheapest is never the best but they offer fast delivery and lots of BOOK-ON-DEMAND PUB KIT Ongoing details on Book-on-demand publishing, bang for the buck. exciting stocks. The earliest was Paper a new method of producing books only when and Several other manufacturers never Direct. Imitators include Paper Access, as ordered. Reprints, sources, samples. $39.50 have and never will be able to get it On Paper, Queblo, and Premier. right. Others lack genuine PostScript Many offer sample kits. THE CASE AGAINST PATENTS For most individuals, patents are virtually certain or use obnoxious sales people. Very interesting laser rated colored to result in a net loss of sanity, energy, time, and money. This two volume set shows you tested Bargains do exist in older machines. and coated LaserCast stocks are sold and proven real-world alternatives. 28.50 But stick with Apple, HP, or possibly by Darcy. They take toner well. QMS. From Shreve Systems, PreOwned I use LaserCast on my Synergetics BLATANT OPPORTUNIST I Electronics, or the many advertisers in catalog covers. For BOD volumes, I The reprints from all Don’s Midnight Engineering columns. Includes a broad range of real world, Computer Hot Line. use 60 or 70 pound (grrr… make that proven coverage on small scale technical startup Note that most printers arrive with 89 and 103 gsm.) Simpson Offset. Some ventures. Stuff you can use right now. $24.50 uselessly little memory. Especially for fake parchment covers are currently RESOURCE BIN I duplexing and page downloads. Hopper Skytone. For my camera ready A complete collection of all Don’s Nuts & Volts columns to date, including a new index and his Fill the machine immediately. work, I use Nekoosa Laser 1000. Some master names and numbers list. $24.50 The ongoing developments in laser "94 bright" super whites are newly printers usually show up in Electronic announced, but they are still hard to FREE SAMPLES Publishing. Outstanding laser printer get in small quantities. Well, nearly free anyway. Almost. Do join us on GEnie PSRT to sample all of the Guru’s goodies. training and parts are offered by Don The downloading cost on a typical Guru file is 21 Cover Durability cents. Modem access: Dial (800) 638-8369. On Thompson. Toner refills ads appear in prompt, JOINGENIE, then DMD524 on key. Recharger magazine. Toner is not rugged enough to be FREE VOICE HELPLINE VISA/MC If I had to pick one today, I’d say used on a book cover. If you must use go with the 4M+ and hope for a hard toner on covers, use as little of it as SYNERGETICS Box 809-NV disk feature "real soon now". Or, if possible. And stick to bold or ultra Thatcher, AZ 85552 you can get one cheap enough, spring bold typography. Even then, protect it (602) 428-4073 for the rugged but older 4SIMX. somehow. Write in 146 on Reader Service Card.

25 January 1995/Nuts & Volts Magazine BOOK-ON-DEMAND RESOURCES

Abbeon-Cal Darcy Paper In-Plant Printer Paper Access Printer's Hot Line Shreve Systems 123-208A Gray Avenue 15455-C N Grnwy Lp Box 368 23 West 18th Street PO Box 1709 3804 Karen Drive Santa Barbara CA 93101 Scottsdale AZ 85260 Northbrook IL 60065 New York, NY 10011 Fort Dodge IA 50501 Bossier City LA 71112 (805) 966-0810 (602) 991-2320 (708) 564-5940 (800) PAPER 01 (515) 955-1600 (800) 227-3971

Access LaserPress Electronic Publishing In Plant Reproductions Paper Direct Printer's Shareware Southern Graphics 3502 W Earll Drive 401 N Broad Street 401 N Broad Street 57 Romanelli Avenue 5019 W Lovers Ln 410 Verona Street Phoenix AZ 85019 Philadelphia PA 19108 Philadelphia PA 19108 S Hackensack NJ 07606 Dallas TX 75209 Kissimmee FL 32742 (602) 272-2525 (215) 338-5300 (215) 238-5300 (800) A-PAPERS (214) 350-1902 (305) 846-2880

Adobe Acrobat Factsheet Five Instant Printer Paper & Foil Converter Printers Shopper Specialties Bindery PO Box 7900 R Seth Friedman Box 368 29 N Wacker Drive PO Drawer 1056 4815 Lawrence Street Mtn View CA 94039 PO Box 170099 Northbrook IL 60065 Chicago IL 60606 Chula Vista CA 92012 Hyattsville MD 20781 (800) 833-6687 San Francisco CA 94117 (708) 564-5940 (312) 726-2802 (800) 854-2911 (800) 638-LOOP

Baker & Taylor FoilMax Klockit Paper Plus Printing Impressions Synergetics 652 E Main Street 6805 Alameda #A PO Box 636 3820 S Palo Verde #108 401 N Broad Street Box 809 Bridgewater NJ 08807 El Paso TX 79905 Lake Geneva WI 53147 Tucson AZ 85714 Philadelphia PA 19108 Thatcher, AZ 85552 (908) 218-3803 (915) 771-7758 (800) 556-2548 (602) 889-9500 (215) 238-5300 (602) 428-4073

BookCrafters Gilliland Printing Lamart Personal Velo-Bind Printing Journal Don Thompson 613 E Industrial Drive 215 North Summit 16 Richmond Street 650 Almanor Avenue Box 91447 6 Morgan, #112 Chelsea MI 48118 Ark City, KS 67005 Clifton NJ 07015 Sunnyvale CA 94086 Pasadena CA 91109 Irvine CA 92718 (313) 475-9145 (316) 442-8504 FAX (201) 772-6262 (800) 538-1798 (818) 793-7901 (800) 457-5776

R. R. Bowker Graphic Art Prod News Laser Color Planax North America Printing News Thompson Shore 121 Chanlon Road 29 N Wacker Drive PO Box 679 15 E 26th Street #1908 245 W 17th Street 7300 W Joy Road N Providence NJ 07974 Chicago IL 60606 Lindherst NJ 07071 New York NY 10010 New York City NY 10011 Dexter MI 48130 (908) 464-6800 (312) 726-2802 (619) 748-5003 (212) 532-1988 (212) 463-6727 (313) 426-3939

California Printers Hewlett-Packard Lexmark Premier Papers Publishing Technology Transfer Print Foils PO Box 11766 PO Box 10301 1221 Alverser Dr PO Box 64785 401 N Broad Street PO Box 518 Santa Ana CA 92711 Palo Alto CA 94303 Midlothian VA 23113 St Paul MN 55164 Philadelphia PA 19108 E Brunswick NJ 08816 (714) 836-9653 (415) 857-1501 (800) 438-2468 (800) 843-0414 (215) 238-5300 (201) 238-1800

Computer Hot Line High Volume Printing Maple Roll Leaf Pre-Owned Electronics Queblo Images U&lc 15400 Knoll Trail #500 Box 368 2285 Ambassador Drive 30 Clematis Avenue 131 Heartland Bl 2 Dag Hammarskjold Dallas TX 75248 Northbrook IL 60065 Windsor Ont N9C 3R5 Waltham MA 02154 Brentwood NY 11717 New York NY 10017 (800) 999-5131 (708) 564-5940 (519) 966-4721 (800) 274-5343 (800) 523-9080 (212) 371-0699

Converting Hoechst Corp OmniPress Print Quick Printing Unibind/Pentabind 301 Gibraltor Drive PO Box 1400 454 W Johnson Street 355 Lexington Avenue 1680 SW Bayshore Bl 4125 Prospect Drive Morris Plains NJ 07950 Greer SC 29652 Madison WI 53703 New York NY 10017 Port St Lucie FL 34984 Carmichael CA 95608 (201) 292-5100 (803) 879-5000 (800) 828-0305 (212) 682-0830 (407) 879-6666 (916) 967-6401

Crane Typesetting Horsetrader On Paper Print Equipment News Recharger Wire-O/JBI PO Box 487 PO Box 11712 PO Box 1365 Box 5540 4218 W Charleston Bl 205 Cottage Street Barnstable MA 02630 Santa Ana CA 92711 Elk Grove Vil IL 60009 Glendale CA 91221 Las Vegas NV 89102 Poughse NY 12602 (617) 362-3441 (712) 921-3120 (800) 820-2299 (818) 954-9495 (702) 438-5557 (800) 431-4610

Two simple ways to improve toner machine is ludicrously overpriced. film UV cured "varnish" the big boys durability are Bakerizing and Laser But easily faked from an old Canon use on book covers. While cheap, I Buddy. To Bakerize, you place the fuser assembly. know of no simple way to apply this toner in contact with a mylar sheet If you want to experiment on your uniformly in small quantities. But and apply heat and pressure. This own, bulk foil sources include Maple others have reported some luck using calendering and remelting makes the Roll Leaf, Hoechst, Lamart, and Transfer windshield wiper blades. toner a glossy and dense black and Print Foils. Transfer Print’s free Foiled improves its durability. Laser Buddy Again newsletter is a "gotta have". Binding is a simple spray that is almost as A pair of the more useful trade Many binding systems are totally good. The spray briefly dissolves the journals here include Converting and useless for BOD aps. Besides being toner, making it blacker, sharper, and Paper, Film, & Foil Converter. obscenely overpriced atrocities. One more "camera ready". $8 per can. Lamination is your ultimate toner of the very worst, of course, is plastic The obvious use of artist’s fixative protection. While you could use the comb binding. Which is a gross and instead is a no-no. It can badly bleed peel-and-stick stuff from Wally World demeaning insult to your customers. toner images. or wherever, this looks awful. You could get the same effect by LaserColor is your next step up in Those real lamination systems are stapling a used baby diaper to your durability and appearance. These are surprisingly cheap from USI. Matte is front cover. hot stamp foils. You’ll place them in preferable to gloss for most uses. But wire binding may be useful, contact with your toner artwork and Even better are those new lay flat especially for any lay-flat instruction apply heat and pressure. The toner laminating films. These breath air and manuals or material that is going to acts as a foil-grabbing glue. moisture. And usually are more than be opened often. One leading source A cheaper variant is the FoilMax worth their premium price. here is Wire-O. Specialized Bindry has a series from Jerry Michel. This one uses A second, but more costly, source freebie video on their options. continuously fed hot stamp rolls. of laminating stuff is GBC. For "semi-professional" needs, such Unfortunately, their application The ultimate would be the aqueous as a fire department annual report or

January 1995/Nuts & Volts Magazine 26 a modest proposal, that non-perfect library or bookstore will touch it. As at least one of everything. Personal Velobind can be useful. Cost is BOOKMARK.PS tells us, you get your My favorite classified shopper mag in the quarter range, with the punch ISBN numbers from R. R. Bowker. Cost is that West Coast HorseTrader. With often discounted to $29 or so. You is only two dollars or so each, but you California Printer a lookalike second. punch up to 25 or so pages and then do have to buy many dozens of them Fine bargains in both. snap them together with plastic. One at once. Bowker also publishes Books Another regional mag is Southern tip: Use four hands while punching. in Print, a publication that it is also Graphics. A national coverage pub is Misalignment trashes pages. essential that you get into. Printer’s Hot Line. I personally like the Unibind perfect One national book distributor who Lots of printshop software exists. binding system. Which is a series of is not overly hostile to smaller presses One source is Printer’s Shareware. covers having hot glue preapplied to is Baker & Taylor. The alternate small The best "small shop" trade journal them. You drop them in the toaster, press distributors often advertise in is Quick Printing. Especially for the heat them for half a minute, whomp the insanely great FactSheet Five. great Helene’s Hotline product locator them on a steel plate to form them, service and data base. and let them cool. Around a dollar Beyond BOD Also check Instant Printer, In-Plant per book. Their $200 list toaster is free Self-publishing is useful to several Printer, and InPlant Reproductions. if you buy enough covers. thousand copies or so. Or when the Useful products for BOD appear in I have used the clear plastic covers, total market is unknown. Graphic Arts Product News, and, of overlaying toner printed on some fake An alternative to making the actual course, that wondrously bizarre U&lc parchment cover stock. books yourself is to use some Service typography magazine. But the best solution for BOD I’ve Bureau. These are just someone else’s Free and sometimes useful old-line found to date is the second Unibind BOD setup which has some excess also-ran’s do include Print Equipment product known as Pentabind. This is capacity. My favorite here is David News, Printing Journal, Printing News, simply a folded pair of flysheets with Seid’s Access Laser Press in Phoenix. Publishing Technology, Screen Printing, preapplied glue. You print any cover He goes direct from PostScript disk to Print, and High Volume Printing. material any way you like and wrap Docutech. But note that your costs the cover around the pentabind. You will be much higher since the service For More Info then drop your pages inside, toast it bureau also has to cover expenses and Additional info on all this appears and whump it. make a profit off your title. in my Book-on-demand Publishing Kit, Spine lettering is trivially added Traditional book printing has big along with samples, catalogs, reprints, beforehand. time front end charges. Because of the and bunches more. The GEnie PSRT Although obscenely expensive and prepress hassles, 3000 books will cost PostScript RoundTable is very strong impossibly difficult to communicate you about the same as 500. That’s for in this area, with well over a thousand with, the Planax folks do have several the same total bill. The bottom line is files now available on line. Start with interesting products. One is a cold that it is outrageously expensive to print my STARTUP.PDF and SPEEDUP.PDF. glue binding scheme that sets up in less than 2000 books at once by old-line Then search the library for "BOD" or half a minute. The secret is pressure methods. "demand" keywords. dewatering. In general, the cold glue Traditional publishers which accept We have also got the GhostScript systems are better than hot. Planax the smaller press runs are OmniPress, sharewave that could let you explore also has Otabind variations. Bookcrafters, Thompson-Shore (get their PostScript on-screen viewing. Free The ultimate BOD binding product free newsletter), Gilliland, or Crane. Acrobat readers, too. Custom Help is would be plain old low cost hot glue Always get samples first. also available on most anything BOD. peel-and-stick perforated sheets. You One key rule: Do not ever go to a Per the no-charge voice helpline and would rip these off, stick them inside local printer to print your book. They email links below. ✦ your custom cover, drop the pages in, will rob you blind. Instead, always go and cook it like any other Unibind directly to the same national short run Microcomputer pioneer and guru Don product. Planax has these, but only at book specialty firm your local printer Lancaster is the author of 32 books and totally outlandish prices. will be farming the job out to. countless tech articles. Don maintains his no-charge tech helpline found at (602) Marketing Printshop Resources 428-4073, besides offering all of his own A crucial BOD problem is that it In general, old line printers are a books, reprints, and all of his consulting does not address marketing. Having a clannish and an archaic lot who are services. He also has a free catalog full of stack of books in your living room extremely hard to communicate with. his resource secrets waiting for you. Your may be nice. For a while. But it sure is Traditional printshop products are all best calling times are 8-5 on weekdays, nicer to see them profitably flying out overpriced. Unless you take an expert Mountain Standard Time. the door to pleased readers. along, you are certain to get burned on Don is now the sysop of GEnie PSRT, I’ve addressed alternate and small any used printshop gear. where a special Resource Bin topic has scale book selling and distribution As with any field, your greatest been reserved for Nuts & Volts readers. problems in my BOOKMARK.PS and equalizers are the insider catalogs and For modem access: (800) 638-8369. When REV1001.PS on GEnie PSRT. These are trade magazines. Start with Printer’s prompted, enter JOINGENIE. When asked also available as a small part of my Shopper. Despite its misleading name, for a keyword, enter DMD524. Book-on-demand Resource Kit. this is a useful distributor’s catalog. You can also reach Don at Synergetics, Do note that it is absolutely essential Who stocks all of the bits and pieces Box 809, Thatcher, AZ 85552. Or send to have an ISBN number and a bar needed to run a printshop. The prices any messages to his Internet address of code for your titles. Otherwise, no aren’t all that great, but they do have [email protected].

27 January 1995/Nuts & Volts Magazine Don Lancaster’s RESOURCE BIN

number thirty-seven

A look at sensors and sensing.

ur usual reminder here that the comp, filtering, and A/D conversion. Temperature Resource Bin is now a two-way For really small signals, synchronous The traditional way of accurately O column. You can get tech help, detection, correlation, integration, or measuring temperatures is to use a consultant referrals and off-the-wall averaging can also be applied. thermocouple. This is simply a pair of networking on nearly any electronic, Four sources of conditioning chips connected but dissimilar metals. The tinaja questing, personal publishing, are Analog Devices, Crystal, Signetics, millivolt-size output voltage ends up money machine, or computer topic by and Linear Technology. related to absolute temperature. calling me at (602) 428-4073 weekdays Unusual newer sensor technologies You do have to provide a cold side 8-5 Mountain Standard Time. and ideas often appear in courses and compensator, which usually will offset A portion of my PSRT RoundTable publications from SPIE. to ambient room temperature or zero on GEnie has also been set aside for degrees. And you have to be careful you Nuts & Volts readers. This is the Sensor Trade Journals not to allow other dissimilar contacts place you go for instant tech answers. As I may have mentioned a time or anywhere in your sensing loop. Among the many files in our library, two before, those free trade journals Thermocouples are identified by you will find complete reprints for all are the best way to get informed in a letter. In order of increasing temp, as the Resource Bin columns. big hurry on almost any subject. Start types T, J, E, and K. Type J is made of I did manage to wrangle one super with Ulrich’s Periodicals Dictionary on iron and constantan. special signup deal for you Resource your library’s reference shelf. The free Temperature Handbook from Bin readers. Ten free hours and new This gem lists some 150,000 trade Omega is the thermocouple bible. Internet access features. See the trailer journals and other magazines. Thermocouples are often best for blurb for details. At any rate, your horse’s mouth the high temperature measurement of trade journal is Sensors. From Carl kilns or whatever. But the usual rule Sensors and Sensing Helmers of early Byte magazine fame. is to avoid them when you can. This month, I thought we’d take a Also try Measurement & Control. Your standard hacker temperature look at sensors and sensing. A sensor You can also go to industry specific sensor is the ordinary silicon diode. is any device that converts some other mags for all sorts of useful stuff. Say These change by minus two millivolts physical attribute into an electrical or Pollution Equipment News for typical per degree C. Usable to 150 C. electronic signal. Sensors of one sort environmental sensors, Powder & Bulk The 272-0123 from Radio Shack is a or another are involved in just about low cost digital thermometer using a any electronic project. diode sensor. Other low cost sources And they sure are one hot topic on NEXT MONTH: Don looks at advertise in, of all places, Food Service our helpline and on PSRT. high frequency techniques Product News. Usually, there will be two stages and hackable resources. Which is also a great diet mag. Just involved in any sensor problem. First, read it before each meal. you’ll have to do your actual sensing. And then guess whether that blue This gets done using a transducer of Solids for level controls, or American glop in the big bottle is a new dessert some type. The result is often a very Laboratory for chemical sensors. Or topping or a grease trap clarifier. small signal, possibly a few tens of even Weight Engineering for coverage The semiconductor folks have long millivolts. Noise is always a problem on strain gauges. ago discovered that any pair of silicon in any sensing situation. And extreme diode junctions operating at different caution is required to take care of this One Stop Shopping currents gives a linear output that is very weak signal. Your highest profile source for just proportional to absolute temperature. Next, you will typically have to do about any sensor is Omega. These The earliest example of this was the some signal conditioning to convert the folks offer scads of impressive free National LM224. Also carded at Radio sensed signal into something useful. catalogs on temperature, level, flow, Shack. Output current changes by one Such as a higher current, a pulse train, pH, strain, pressure, data acquisition, percent for every 3 degrees C. or a digital word. and bunches more. Pricey, though. A handfull of really exciting new Signal conditioning tricks include One shirtsleeves source for nearly chips have recently been announced. shielding, differential mode sensing, any industrial sensing instrument or Dallas has a DS1620 combined digital isolation, offsetting, amplifying, temp tool is Abbeon Cal. thermometer and thermostat. Analog

February 1995 / Nuts & Volts Magazine 24 Devices sells a TMP01 programmable priced people detectors have a unique new from controller. Range of both devices is problem. They are basically capacitors -55 to +125 C. One obvious use is as a and only respond to changes. DON LANCASTER hot tub controller. One older workaround was to chop ACTIVE FILTER COOKBOOK up your signal using a fan blade or a The sixteenth (!) printing of Don's bible on analog Pressure op-amp lowpass, bandpass, and highpass active vibrating reed. A better and newer filters. De-mystified instant designs. $24.50 Silicon pressure sensors are rapidly method is to use a special Fresnel lens becoming low cost commodities. that has "hot" and "cold" optical areas. CMOS AND TTL COOKBOOKS These are basically a "drumhead" As the person crosses the beam, the Millions of copies in print worldwide. THE two books for digital integrated circuit fundamentals. etched into bulk silicon. Strain sensors signal strength changes. About as hands-on as you can get. $24.50 each. are implanted on the drumhead. As A newer and cheaper approach to the pressure changes, the drumhead people sensing is the kynar piezo film INCREDIBLE SECRET flexes, causing a resistance change. from AMP Piezo. This is just a plastic MONEY MACHINE II There are two main pressure sensor sheet that is sensitive to both flexure Updated 2nd edition of Don's classic on setting types. The absolute sensor compares and infrared inputs. Free samples are up your own technical or craft venture. $18.50 pressure against a perfect vacuum. A literally stapled to their data sheets. differential sensor instead compares a Besides people detectors, this product LANCASTER CLASSICS LIBRARY Don's best early stuff at a bargain price. Includes pressure difference that’s between two builds shock sensors, heat detectors, the CMOS Cookbook, The TTL Cookbook, Active Filter Cookbook, PostScript video, Case Against ports. If one of those ports is left open and really great microphones. Patents, Incredible Secret Money Machine II, and to your ambient air, then you have a Because the Fresnel lens design is Hardware Hacker II reprints. $119.50 variant called a gauge sensor. tricky, you are better off starting with Temperature compensation and a a commercial $12 occupancy detector LOTS OF OTHER GOODIES .Ask . . . the. . . Guru. . . . .I .or . . II. .or . .III ...... $24.50. . . . . lot of amplification are often needed and kitbashing it. A California law Hardware...... Hacker...... II,. . .III . .or . .IV ...... $24.50. . . . . when sensing pressure. Some sensors mandates these in all new building Micro...... Cookbook ...... I...... $19.50. . . . . PostScript...... Beginner...... Stuff...... $29.50. . . . . are offered both as raw chips or with construction, so they are a commodity PostScript...... Show...... and . . . Tell...... $29.50. . . . . Intro. . . . .to . .PostScript ...... Video ...... $29.50. . . . . signal conditioning and temperature part. Electrical supply wholesalers are PostScript...... Reference...... II ...... $32.50. . . . . PostScript...... Tutorial/Cookbook...... $19.50. . . . . compensation built in. your usual source. Leviton is a major PostScript...... by. . .Example ...... $32.50. . . . . Your two most obvious sources for manufacturer. Understanding...... PS. . . Programming...... $29.50. . . . . PostScript:...... A. .Visual . . . . . Approach...... $22.50. . . . . the pressure sensors are Motorola and PostScript...... Program...... Design...... $24.50. . . . . Light Thinking...... in. . PostScript...... $22.50. . . . . Microswitch. But the real action comes LaserWriter...... Reference ...... $19.50. . . . . down from Sensym, I.C. Sensors, and There are a wide variety of light Type. . . . . 1. .Font . . . .Format ...... $15.50. . . . . Acrobat...... Reference...... $24.50. . . . . Novasensor. sensors out there. The photoconductive Whole...... works...... (all . . .PostScript) ...... $380.00...... PostScript...... Insider...... Secrets ...... FREE . . . . Sensym has a Solid State Pressure sensors made from cadmium sulfide .Hacking ...... Insider ...... Secrets ...... FREE . . . . Sensors handbook. This one includes a vary their resistance over a wide (but great slide chart. highly nonlinear) range with temp. POSTSCRIPT SECRETS An oddball use for pressure sensors Again carded at Radio Shack. A Book/Disk combination crammed full of free fonts, insider resources, utilities, publications, is in low pressure tire alarm systems. Ancient photomultiplier tubes still workarounds, fontgrabbing, more. For most any Fleet Specialties is one source. remain the sensor of choice for ultra PostScript printer. Mac or PC format. $29.50 There’s also some purely resistive sensitive astronomy and similar uses. BOOK-ON-DEMAND PUB KIT approaches to pressure sensing. One Hamamatsu is the leader here. Ongoing details on Book-on-demand publishing, a new method of producing books only when and source is Interlink Electronics. With Solar cells will generate a current as ordered. Reprints, sources, samples. $39.50 mice and music apps. proportional to input irradiance. For For ultra cheap, you can sometimes self powered calculators, or remote THE CASE AGAINST PATENTS get by using nothing but the black site power generation. Lots of these in For most individuals, patents are virtually certain to result in a net loss of sanity, energy, time, and anti-static foam that chips arrive in. Home Power magazine. money. This two volume set shows you tested But repeatability and reliability can be Three variations on solar cells are and proven real-world alternatives. 28.50 big problems here. phototransistors, photodarlingtons, and BLATANT OPPORTUNIST I At the high end, Force Imaging sells phototriacs. These amplify to produce The reprints from all Don's Midnight Engineering subminiature and quite thin sensors a much stronger signal. But they do columns. Includes a broad range of real world, proven coverage on small scale technical startup that work from 1 to 20,000 PSI. need external supply power. These ventures. Stuff you can use right now. $24.50 A modification to a pressure sensor get used for everything from dusk to will let it measure acceleration. The dawn sensors, door openers, power RESOURCE BIN I A complete collection of all Don's Nuts & Volts motion of a mass is sensed. The rate isolation, and shaft encoders. columns to date, including a new index and his of change of motion of the mass is the Lots of ads for these right here in master names and numbers list. $24.50 mass velocity. The rate of change of Nuts & Volts. Burr-Brown is one source the velocity is the acceleration. Except for low cost, large area detectors with FREE SAMPLES Well, nearly free anyway. Almost. Do join us on for airbag sensors, these devices are built-in conditioning. The MOC3020 is GEnie PSRT to sample all of the Guru's goodies. The downloading cost on a typical Guru file is 21 still very expensive. a typical Motorola phototriac. cents. Modem access: Dial (800) 638-8369. On One source is Silicon Designs. But Texas Instruments has just run prompt, JOINGENIE, then DMD524 on key. away with all the marbles. They have FREE VOICE HELPLINE VISA /MC People Detectors an exciting new line of low cost and SYNERGETICS A person emits a very distinctive hassle-free light-to-frequency converters. Box 809-NV Thatcher, AZ 85552 spectrum in the far infrared. The old Their first device is the programmable (602) 428-4073 way of dealing with this was with a TSL230. They’ve also got a TSL235 in a pyrolitic detector. Any and all sanely lower cost vertical package. Under a Write in 146 on Reader Service Card.

25 February 1995/Nuts & Volts Magazine SENSORS AND SENSING RESOURCES

Abbeon-Cal Corning Electronics General Eastern Klockit Nova Sensor SenSym 123-208A Gray Ave 35 Riverside Drive 20 Commerce Way PO Box 636 1055 Mission Ct 1804 McCarthy Blvd Santa Barbara CA 93101 Corning NY 14830 Woburn MA 01801 Lake Geneva WI 53147 Fremont CA 94539 Milpitas CA 94035 (805) 966-0810 (607) 962-0555 (800) 225-3208 (800) 556-2548 (510) 490-9100 (408) 954-1100

Allegro Micro Systems Crystal Semiconductor GEnie Leviton Omega Engineering SigneticsJ/JPhilips Box 15036 PO Box 17847 401 N Washington St 59-25 Little Neck Pkwy One Omega Dr PO Box 3409 Worcester MA 01605 Austin TX 78744 Rockville MD 20850 Little Neck NY 11362 Stamford CT 06907 Sunnyvale CA 94088 (508) 853-5000 (800) 888-5016 (800) 638-9636 (800) 824-3005 (800) 826-6342 (408) 991-2000

American Laboratory Dallas Semiconductor Hamamatsu Linear Technology Panametrics Silicon Designs 30 Controls Drive 4401 Beltwood Pkwy S 360 Foothill Rd 1630 McCarthy Blvd 221 Crescent 1445 NW Mall Street Shelton CT 06484 Dallas TX 75244 Bridgewater NJ 08807 Milpitas CA 95035 Waltham MA 02254 Issaquah WA 98027 (203) 926-9300 (214) 450-0400 (201) 231-0960 (408) 432-1900 (617) 899-2719 (206)391-8329

Amp Kynar Piezo Dinsmore Instrument Home Power Magnetic Research pHoenix Electrode SPIE Box 799 1814 Remell St PO Box 520 122 Bellevue Avenue 6103 Glenmont PO Box 10 Valley Forge PA 19482 Flint MI 48503 Ashland OR 97520 Butler NJ 07405 Houston TX 77081 Bellingham WA 98227 (610) 666-3500 (313) 744-1330 (916) 475-3179 (201) 838-6348 (713) 772-6666 (206) 676-3290

Analog Devices Figaro Engineering HyCal Measurement & Control Pollution Equip News Synergetics PO Box 9106 1000 Skokie Blvd #575 9650 Telstar Ave 2994 W Liberty Ave 8650 Babcock Blvd Box 809 Norwood MA 02062 Wilmette IL 60091 El Monte CA 91731 Pittsburgh PA 15216 Pittsburgh PA 15237 Thatcher AZ 85552 (617) 329-4700 (708) 256-3546 (800) 932-2702 (412) 343-9666 (412) 364-5366 (602) 428-4073

Analytical Chemistry Fisher Scientific IC Sensors Micro Switch Powder/Bulk Solids Texas Instruments 1155 16th St NW 711 Forbes Ave 1701 McCarthy Blvd 11 W Spring St PO Box 640 PO Box 809066 Washington DC 20036 Pittsburgh PA 15219 Milpitas CA 95035 Freeport IL 61032 Morris Plains NJ 07950 Dallas TX 75380 (202) 872-4570 (412) 562-8300 (408) 432-1800 (815) 235-6600 (201) 292-5100 (800) 336-5236

F W Bell Fleet Specialties Institute of Navigation Motorola Precision Navigation Ulrichs Dictionary 6120 Hanging Moss Rd PO Box 4575 1800 Diagonal Rd #480 5005 E McDowell Rd 1235 Pear Avenue #111 121 Chanlon Rd Orlando FL 32807 Thous Oaks CA 91359 Alexandria VA 22314 Phoenix AZ 85008 Mountain View CA 94043 New Prov NJ 07974 (407) 678-6900 (818) 889-1716 (703) 683-7101 (800) 521-6274 (415) 962-8777 (908) 771-7714

Burr-Brown Force Imaging Interlink Electronics National Semicon RF Design Walker Scientific 6730 S Tucson Blvd 3424 Touhy Avenue PO Box 40760 2900 Semiconductor Rd 6300 S Syracuse #650 Rockdale St Tucson AZ 85706 Chicago IL 60645 Santa Barbara CA 93103 Santa Clara CA 95052 Englewood CO 80111 Worcester MA 01606 (602) 746-1111 (800) 348-3240 (805) 684-2100 (800) 272-9959 (303) 220-0600 (800) 962-4638

Cole-Parmer Food Service Prd News Iotron Navtech Books Sensors Weight Engineering 7425 N Oak Park Ave 104 Fifth Avenue 3857 Birch Street #521 2775 S Quincy St #610 174 Concord Street PO Box 1043 Niles IL 60714 New York, NY,10011 Nwprt Beach CA 92660 Arlington VA 22206 Peterborough NH 03458 Alton IL 62002 (800) 323-4340 (212) 206-7440 (714) 551-5477 (800) NAV-0885 (602) 924-9631 (618) 377-9096 buck and a half in quantity. Current theoretical info shows up current related to field strength. For starters, pick up their TSL230 in Analytical Chemistry. Two main sources here are Allegro/ Applications Brief. More use details in There’s a brand new pH measuring Sprague, who offer a great Hall Effect NUTS33.PS and HACK80.PS posted to scheme called the field sensitive FET. Optoelectronic Sensors data book. And my GEnie PSRT. I’m still trying to chase this one down. MicroSwitch who has their older but Please let me know if you can find highly useful Hall Effect Transducers pH me any more details on these. A free applications manual. A pH sensor measures the acidity or Incredible Secret Money Machine II for Linear Hall Effect parts output a alkalinity of a chemical solution. The your trouble. voltage which is proportional to the most likely use you’d have for one is magnetic field. Digital parts output a for swimming pool maintenance. Or It’s a Gas logic level or pulse train. maybe for water quality checks. The Gas sensors can be used for alcohol Nearly all Hall devices are woefully sensor probes are a chemical cell the breath analyzers, in carbon monoxide insensitive. They only work properly shape of a small test tube. alarms, and fuel vapor detectors. with strong magnetic fields such as a Ion conductivity through a porous These are magic compounds heated nearby magnet. One that is very close. membrane generates a voltage that is by a platinum wire. The resistance is a One quarter inch is really pushing it. proportional to pH. function of the concentration of your Still, these are the low cost device of These demand dc amplifiers having target gas. These are usually not very choice for position and speed sensors. a super high input impedance. Temp selective, so other activating gases can Also for use with proximity sensors comp and tracking is a must. cause problems. and flowmeters. Calibration is also important. Many Your leading source here is Figaro. Two main sources of premium Hall older systems do this by using stock More details and working circuits in magnetic sensors and instruments are buffer solutions for adjustment. my Hardware Hacker reprints. F.W. Bell and Walker Scientific. A circuit and more details on a pH But note that Hall devices are totally meter in my CMOS Cookbook. Magnetic Fields unsuitable for compass sensing of the Sources for pH probes are Omega, The stock solutions to sensing fairly earth’s magnetic field. They miss by Fisher, Corning, Markson, Cole-Parmer, strong magnetic fields are devices two to three orders of magnitude. Iotron, and pHoenix Electrode. using the Hall Effect. Which is just a One compromise solution builds a

February 1995/Nuts & Volts Magazine 26 compass with a rotating magnet and universal solid state humidity sensor. then decides that magnet’s position. Those that do work operate only over Low cost Dinsmore Instruments parts a limited humidity range. And they do just this. But their accuracy is often tend to be outrageously expensive in limited to 22.5 degrees or so. small quantities. Mechanical motion is involved. Several of the better sensors are Instead, the device to use for high capacitors whose dielectric constant quality compasses is the fluxgate. This changes with humidity. These can be is simply a small magnetic core. One micropower and directly generate a winding switches the core into and frequency in a simple RC oscillator. out of saturation. When not saturated, Sources include General Eastern and the core "gathers in" nearby lines of Panametrics. Related moisture sensors the earth’s field. are offered by HyCal. When saturated, the core "releases" Since surface adsorption is often the lines. A pair of X and Y windings involved, most humidity sensors are senses this gathering and releasing, easily contaminated. Certain sensors producing output pulses that end up can get flushed or otherwise cleaned; proportional to the local strength of but others can not. the earth’s field. There’s also older resistive sensors. One source of hacker fluxgates is But not used much, though. Magnetic Research. A quality source of One very low cost source of analog fluxgate compasses is KVH. Others do hygrometers is Klockit. Abbeon Cal advertise in GPS World. sells better grade instruments. The Institute of Navigation is another extremely useful resource here. As is This Month’s Contest the Navtech Bookstore. As our contest for this month, just A fluxgate alternative is offered by tell me about any unusual or little Precision Navigation. known sensor resource. Or tell me A construction project on fluxgates about some new off-the-wall sensor appeared in the January, 1994 issue of use or application. R.F. Design on pages 24-32. And full There will be a largish pile of my construction info on a unique low cost new Incredible Secret Money Machine II fluxgate compass project appears in books going to the dozen or so better my Hardware Hacker III reprints. entries, plus an all-expense-paid (FOB Thatcher, AZ) tinaja quest for two that Humidity will go to the very best of all. The humidity is the amount of water I have just picked up some more vapor in the air. Which might be the Apple II+ and IIe computers, cheap absolute quantity of water present. Or enough to put to use as dedicated else the relative amount of moisture controllers. And even including a few compared against your max possible rare and collectible Apple III’s as well. without fog or rain. Humidity is a Lots of cards, drives, monitors, and very strong function of temperature, parts, too. Call for info. so you nearly always have to measure Let’s hear from you. ✦ the temperature as well. Zero cost humidity sensors include Microcomputer pioneer and guru Don horsehair, an unwashed blond human Lancaster is the author of 32 books and hair, or a nylon fishline. They all get countless tech articles. Don maintains his longer and shorter in response to the no-charge tech helpline found at (602) humidity. Surplus fishline humidity 428-4073, besides offering all of his own controllers are available from several books, reprints, and all of his consulting Nuts & Volts advertisers. services. He also has a free catalog full of The most accurate way to measure his resource secrets waiting for you. Your humidity is with a chilled mirror. A best calling times are 8-5 on weekdays, mirror on a thermoelectric cooler gets Mountain Standard Time. adjusted to the dew point, the temp Don is now the sysop of GEnie PSRT, where condensation first occurs. Light where a special Resource Bin topic has either does or does not get scattered been reserved for Nuts & Volts readers. to servo the temperature to the dew For modem access: (800) 638-8369. When point. A simple (but highly nonlinear) prompted, enter JOINGENIE. When asked calculation finds the humidity. for a keyword, enter DMD524. A variation on dewpoint is the sling You can also reach Don at Synergetics, psychrometer or those related wet bulb Box 809, Thatcher, AZ 85552. Or send and dry bulb systems. any messages to his Internet address of Sadly, there is no really cheap and [email protected].

27 February 1995/Nuts & Volts Magazine Don Lancaster’s RESOURCE BIN

number thirty-eight

Exploring high frequency resources.

ur usual reminder here that the new high frequency designs are going One competitor is California Eastern Resource Bin is now a two-way totally digital. Or nearly so. Laboratories. Hot new hf products are O column. You can get tech help, At some point "black magic" sets in. those miniature ceramic resonators consultant referrals and off-the-wall System design becomes more of an art and filters. Trans-Tech is one source. networking on nearly any electronic, than a science. And you either do or tinaja questing, personal publishing, do not have a "feel" for that art. Heathkit money machine, or computer topic by Firstoff, we’ll leave the status quo No, they didn’t drop completely off calling me at (520) 428-4073 weekdays right where it is. Your best beginning the map. They’re just a much smaller 8-5 Mountain Standard Time. point still remains the… and leaner company than they used to A portion of my PSRT RoundTable be. Heath’s main focus these days is on GEnie has also been set aside for Radio Amateur’s Handbook industrial education. They still have you Nuts & Volts readers. This is the Newly reissued in its seventy second bunches of hf self-study courses. place you go for instant tech answers. reincarnation, this must have gem is Among the many files in our library, now known as the ARRL Handbook for Ham, Comm, and Cable Mags you will find complete reprints for all Radio Amateurs. Here you’ll find lots We covered these in depth earlier, the Resource Bin columns. of hands-on and readable coverage so I won’t repeat myself here. Other I did manage to wrangle one super for high frequency basics. than to note in passing that these are special signup deal for you Resource all highly useful resources. Bin readers. Ten free hours and new Fair Radio Sales Detailed ham radio pub reviews in Internet access features. See the trailer My long time favorite source for NUTS17.PS on GEnie PSRT. For cable blurb for details. surplus high frequency stuff is Fair insider mags, NUTS29.PS. And for Radio Sales. Still at the same old stall cellular, mobile, and general comm High Frequency Resources after all these years. Their free flyers secret stuff, HACK64.PS. These are At one time "high frequency" meant list genuine bargains in older military also available in my Resource Bin and amateur radio. Possibly with a little surplus. Which can be a great place to Hardware Hacker reprints. As per my citizen’s band stuff thrown in. These get started. They’ve also got older test nearby Synergetics ad. days, though, you’re more likely to be gear. Cheap but heavy. But I will mention three unique interested in TVRO dishes, wireless Another possibility is Radio Research mags: ATV Quarterly and ATV Today mice and modems, speed and sports Instruments. These folks are way more on amateur television. And Weather radars, cable tv or weather satellites, expensive than Fair Radio. They also Sat Ink for weather reception info. ATV television, cellular phones, video have the snide habit of not publishing rebroadcasters, GPS navigation, SETI, Industry Trade Journals radio astronomy, scanners, wireless My favorite mid-frequency pub is microphones, LAN networks, remote NEXT MONTH: Don looks at that free RF Design. Their December, controls, or spread spectrum. the many perils and pitfalls 1994 issue describes a mind-boggling As you raise the frequency of any of automotive electronics. TRF receiver breakthrough. One that electronic circuit, your needed tools completely blows away superregens and techniques will change. Circuit and single conversion superhets. Not strays first become really critical and prices with their catalogs. But this is to mention extending the useful range then impossible. At high freq, you’ll where you’d go for an entire military of unlicensed aps past 1000 feet. go to distributed and transmission line surplus radar system or a working 50 By far your finest microwave trade design techniques. Lumped coils and foot microwave dish mount. journal is Microwaves and RF. Lots of caps get replaced by cavities, helical solid technical articles. They also do a resonators, or striplines. Mini-Circuits Labs Microwaves Product Extra tabloid. And Special transistors and ic’s may be Most microwave stuff tends to be a second shopper is MPD, short for required. In tiny packages. outrageously overpriced. Owing to its Microwave Product Digest. Your signals often get too small and gold plated military heritage. But one The Microwave Journal is oldest of too fast to view directly. Noise gets major exception is Mini-Circuits Labs. old line microwave publications. At crucial. These days, analog flat out Who offer broadband and low noise one time, they also had outstanding won’t hack it anymore. Practically all dollar "MAR" amplifiers. technical articles.

March 1995 / Nuts & Volts Magazine 24 I keep getting these strange phone CDMA: Principles of Spread Spectrum new from calls from people pretending to be in Communication, from Andrew Viterbi. their editorial department. Asking me Who developed most forms of reliable DON LANCASTER that I do not send them any more digital comm in use today. ACTIVE FILTER COOKBOOK subscribers or advertisers. Apparently Published by Addison-Wesley. The sixteenth (!) printing of Don’s bible on analog op-amp lowpass, bandpass, and highpass active we are beneath their dignity. Switching to a lighter and a more filters. De-mystified instant designs. $24.50 Or else their publisher is the victim readable resource, check into Randy of a cruel hoax. Robert’s Spread Spectrum Scene. CMOS AND TTL COOKBOOKS There is also a Defense Electronics Spread spectrum comm has long Millions of copies in print worldwide. THE two books for digital integrated circuit fundamentals. trade journal. Desperately searching gone beyond the construction project About as hands-on as you can get. $24.50 each. for a mission. stage. One older GPS build-it-yourself An obscure resource that often has project was sold by Dan Doberman’s INCREDIBLE SECRET good high frequency stuff in it is the DKD Instruments. But full commercial MONEY MACHINE II free Hewlett Packard Journal. For some chipsets are the only way to go. Updated 2nd edition of Don’s classic on setting strange reason, though, it does seem Suitable sources include Rockwell, up your own technical or craft venture. $18.50 to target only H-P products. Harris, Qualcomm, and Maxim. Wireless Design & Development is an LANCASTER CLASSICS LIBRARY Don’s best early stuff at a bargain price. Includes exciting new trade journal. Free. GPS the CMOS Cookbook, The TTL Cookbook, Active Filter Cookbook, PostScript video, Case Against One of the most developed spread Patents, Incredible Secret Money Machine II, and Data Books and Such spectrum uses is the GPS navigation Hardware Hacker II reprints. $119.50 The best way to build up your high system. Short for Global Positioning frequency info library is to read the Satellites. A family of 24 roving birds, LOTS OF OTHER GOODIES .Ask . . . the. . . Guru. . . . .I . or. . II. .or . . III...... $24.50. . . . . trade journals. Then use their bingo some of which are now overhead. .Hardware ...... Hacker...... II, . .III . .or . .IV ...... $24.50. . . . . cards to pick up data books, ap notes, They broadcast uniquely coded but .Micro . . . . .Cookbook ...... I...... $19.50...... PostScript ...... Beginner ...... Stuff...... $29.50. . . . . and freebie samples. quite low level signals at frequencies .PostScript ...... Show . . . . .and . . . Tell...... $29.50...... Intro . . . .to . .PostScript ...... Video ...... $29.50. . . . . There’s scads of this stuff out there. in the 1200 and 1600 MHz range. The .PostScript ...... Reference ...... II ...... $32.50...... PostScript ...... Tutorial/Cookbook ...... $19.50. . . . . Let’s look into several useful starting signals are way too weak to pick up .PostScript ...... by . . Example...... $32.50. . . . . points: RF Device Data from Motorola. on an ordinary radio receiver, but a .Understanding ...... PS. . . Programming...... $29.50...... PostScript: ...... A. .Visual . . . . . Approach...... $22.50. . . . . Radio Communication System IC’s from specialized GPS receiver easily picks .PostScript ...... Program ...... Design...... $24.50...... Thinking ...... in. . PostScript...... $22.50. . . . . Sony. Satellite, Cable & TV IC Handbook them up by using a small antenna. At .LaserWriter ...... Reference ...... $19.50. . . . . offered by Plessey. RF and Microwave least in most outdoor locations which .Type . . . . 1. .Font . . . .Format ...... $15.50...... Acrobat ...... Reference...... $24.50. . . . . Transistors & Diodes from Siemens. The have a patch of visible sky. .Whole . . . . . works...... (all . . .PostScript) ...... $380.00...... PostScript ...... Insider ...... Secrets ...... FREE . . . . Mixed Signal IC’s from MX-Com. The When you process the signals from .Hacking ...... Insider ...... Secrets ...... FREE . . . . RF Wireless Comm from Philips. three or more satellites, your current latitude, longitude, and elevation can POSTSCRIPT SECRETS Spread Spectrum Comm be found. Velocity, too. A Book/Disk combination crammed full of free fonts, insider resources, utilities, publications, The concept of spread spectrum first How accurate? Well that depends. workarounds, fontgrabbing, more. For most any started as military anti-jamming. But The military reserves their option of PostScript printer. Mac or PC format. $29.50 these days, your commercial aps are fouling up the works for no apparent BOOK-ON-DEMAND PUB KIT revolutionizing all of high frequency reason. By way of their wonderful Ongoing details on Book-on-demand publishing, a new method of producing books only when and comm. Instead of assigning specific "selective availability" option. With as ordered. Reprints, sources, samples. $39.50 high power carriers to stations, each selective availablity off, your typical one is given a unique and broadband accuracy is 100 feet or so. But more THE CASE AGAINST PATENTS noise-like code. One that intentionally like 500 when activated. For most individuals, patents are virtually certain to result in a net loss of sanity, energy, time, and smears over a lot of bandwidth. Naturally, workarounds to selective money. This two volume set shows you tested Since each receiver only responds availability got hacked long ago. By and proven real-world alternatives. 28.50 to one unique code, many stations can going to a differential system, you can BLATANT OPPORTUNIST I transmit interference free. easily pick up accuracy in the twenty The reprints from all Don’s Midnight Engineering Some of these applications may use foot range. And down to five feet at columns. Includes a broad range of real world, proven coverage on small scale technical startup direct synthesis spread spectrum where extra hassle. The differential system ventures. Stuff you can use right now. $24.50 the entire band is used at once. Others works by having one fixed and one use frequency hopping. movable station. By comparing where RESOURCE BIN I A complete collection of all Don’s Nuts & Volts Yet another major benefit of spread the fixed station says it is to where it columns to date, including a new index and his spectrum comm is that much of it is really is, you correct errors. master names and numbers list. $24.50 license free. Since the transmit energy Since the corrections are useful over is broadband, very little interfering many tens of miles, commercial FM FREE SAMPLES Well, nearly free anyway. Almost. Do join us on peak energy is present. stations are newly transmitting GPS GEnie PSRT to sample all of the Guru’s goodies. The downloading cost on a typical Guru file is 21 Let’s see. The definitive text on this corrections on a subcarrier. cents. Modem access: Dial (800) 638-8369. On is Marvin Simon’s Spread Spectrum By going to fancy systems and long prompt, JOINGENIE, then DMD524 on key. Communications Handbook. Published term measurements, GPS accuracy to FREE VOICE HELPLINE VISA /MC by McGraw Hill. A 1200 page tome better than one inch is possible. SYNERGETICS which gives a thorough (but at times There’s also a technically superior Box 809-NV Thatcher, AZ 85552 difficult) coverage. Russky system known as GLONASS. (520) 428-4073 For those really complex details of Often used for European coverage. commercial applications, try instead A real cute example of what all of Write in 146 on Reader Service Card.

25 March 1995/Nuts & Volts Magazine HIGH FREQUENCY RESOURCES

Addison-Wesley Fair Radio Sales Maxim Navtech Bookstore Siemens Components Jacob Way PO Box 1105 120 San Gagriel Drive 2775 S Quincy St #610 2191 Laurelwood Rd Reading MA 01867 Lima OH 45802 Sunnyvale, CA 94086 Arlington VA 22206 Santa Clara CA 95054 (617) 944-3700 (419) 227-6573 (800) 998-8800 (800) NAV-0885 (408) 980-4500 Amat Radio Astronomers GEnie McGraw-Hill Bookstore Philips/Signetics Sony Semiconductor 247 N Linden St 401 N Washington St 1226 Sixth Ave PO Box 3409 10833 Valley View St Massapequa NY 11758 Rockville MD 20850 New York NY 10020 Sunnyvale CA 94088 Cypress CA 90630 (516) 798-8459 (800) 638-9636 (212) 512-4100 (800) 234-7381 (714) 220-9100 ARRL Handbook GPS World Microwave Journal Plessey Spread Spectrum Scene 225 Main St 859 Willamette St 685 Canton St Box 660017 PO Box 2199 Newington CT 06111 Eugene OR 97440 Norwood MA 02062 Scotts Valley CA 95067 El Granada CA 94018 (203) 666-1541 (503) 343-1200 (617) 769-9750 (800) 927-2772 (800) 524-9285 (415) 726-6849 ATV Quarterly Harris Semiconductor Microwave Prod Digest Qualcomm Synergetics 1545 Lee St Box 883 34 Evergreen Place 4000 MacArthur #3000 Box 809 Des Plaines IL 60018 Melbourne FL 32902 Tenafly NJ 07670 Newport Beach CA 92660 Thatcher AZ 85552 (708) 803-8994 (407) 724-7000 (201) 568-5835 (714) 851-6465 (602) 428-4073 ATV Today Heathkit Microwaves & RF Radio Observer Trans-Tech 1492 Highway 30 PO Box 1288 611 Rt #46 West 7605 Deland Ave 5520 Adamstown Road Clarence IA 52216 Benton Harbor MI 49022 Hasbrouck Ht NJ 07604 Ft Pierce FL 34951 Adamstown MD 21701 (319) 452-3377 (616) 982-3200 (201) 393-6286 (407) 464-2118 (301) 695-9400 California Eastern Labs Hewlett-Packard Journal Mini-Circuits Radio Research Insts Trimble Navigation 4590 Patrick Henry Dr 3200 Hillview Ave PO Box 350166 584 N Main St 585 N Mary Ave Santa Clara CA 95054 Palo Alto CA 94304 Brooklyn NY 11235 Waterbury CT 06704 Sunnyvale CA 94086 (408) 988-3500 (415) 857-1501 (718) 934-4500 (203) 753-5840 (800) TRI-MBLE Defense Electronics Institute of Navigation Motorola RF Design Weather Sat Ink 6300 S Syracuse Way S650 1800 Diagonal Rd #480 5005 E McDowell Rd 6300 S Syracuse Wy #650 4821 Jessie Dr Englewood CO 80111 Alexandria VA 22314 Phoenix AZ 85008 Englewood CO 80111 Apex NC 27502 (303) 220-0600 (703) 683-7101 (800) 521-6274 (303) 220-0600 (910) 362-5822 FAX DKD Instruments Int Journal ir/mm Waves MX-Com Inc Rockwell GPS Wireless Design & Dev 1406 Parkhurst 233 Spring St 4800 Bethania Station Rd PO Box 568842 301 Gibraltar Dr Simi Valley CA 93065 New York, NY 10013 Winston-Salem NC 27105 Dallas TX 75356 Morris Plains NJ 07950 (805) 581-5771 (212) 620-8000 (800) 638-5577 (214) 996-5863 (201) 292-5100 them French veterinarians call a "four you don’t know what one is, you have paw" sure came down recently. One no business trying to design anything This Month’s Contest expensive and high profile full color above 100 MHz. For our contest this month, just tell ad of a GPS receiver sitting on a topo If you do know about these, we’ve me about any unusual high frequency map. Proudly proclaiming its extreme got lots of roll-your-own Smith charts resource. Or any related opportunity. accuracies. While it displayed a four available as SMITHCHT.PS. There will be a largish pile of my hundred mile error! Naturally, their new Incredible Secret Money Machine II photo studio was nowhere near the Really Far Out books going to the dozen or so better location on the topo map. One high frequency opportunity is entries, plus an all-expense-paid (FOB Do beware of ancient GPS receiver still going begging. What I call the Thatcher, AZ) tinaja quest for two that technology now being dumped to the mystery band lies between 300 GHz will go to the very best of all. ✦ distressed yuppy surplus houses. Our and 10 THz. Submillimeter wavelengths helpline lore reports the original Sony or quasi-optical frequencies. This area Microcomputer pioneer and guru Don PIXIS is especially disappointing. The covers 9.7 TeraHertz. That’s enough Lancaster is the author of 32 books and latest receivers are much better and for 1,600,000 HDTV signals. But it is countless tech articles. Don maintains his actually lower cost than any of their almost totally unused. no-charge tech helpline found at (520) deeply discounted ancestors. Insist on Except posibly for the occasional 428-4073, besides offering all of his own five simultaneous channels. radio astronomer or two. books, reprints, and all of his consulting The leading trade journal here is This spectrum is unregulated! services. He also has a free catalog full of GPS World. Who also occasionally do Until recently, there’s been no good his resource secrets waiting for you. Your publish a GPS World Product Showcase amplifiers or oscillators for this band, best calling times are 8-5 on weekdays, tabloid shopper as well. One leading but that’s about to change. Mountain Standard Time. receiver manufacturer is Trimble, who The final open spectrum frontier is Don is now the sysop of GEnie PSRT, offer several fine GPS tutorials. The likely to turn into a stampede. where a special Resource Bin topic has best GPS technical papers come down Your finest scientific journal here been reserved for Nuts & Volts readers. from the Institute of Navigation. One seems to be the International Journal of For modem access: (800) 638-8369. When good resource for related books and Infrared and Submillimeter Waves. Two prompted, enter JOINGENIE. When asked such is the Navtech Bookstore. related resources here are the Society for a keyword, enter DMD524. of Amateur Radio Astronomers and the You can also reach Don at Synergetics, Smith Charts Radio Observer newsletter. Box 809, Thatcher, AZ 85552. Or send Serious high frequency designers More info on hacking the mystery any messages to his Internet address of have to know and use Smith Charts. If band appears in HACK84.PS. [email protected]

March 1995/Nuts & Volts Magazine 26 27 March 1995/Nuts & Volts Magazine Don Lancaster’s RESOURCE BIN

number thirty-nine

Getting started in automotive electronics.

ur usual reminder here that the a power resistor. After a few years, a replacement to be doable by good old Resource Bin is now a two-way frustrating intermittent develops. Dave’s Texaco. (Uh, Dave did change O column. You can get tech help, It turns out this is a very common brands years ago. But in a small town, consultant referrals and off-the-wall VW problem. The grossly overpriced these things take time. Distances here networking on nearly any electronic, magic cable that is supposed to fix it are still measured from the bowling tinaja questing, personal publishing, proves that VW themselves did not alley that burned down 26 years ago. money machine, or computer topic by have the faintest clue as to what the And is long since a condo.) calling me at (520) 428-4073 weekdays real problem is. Or the cure. I found I could fix a jammed power 8-5 Mountain Standard Time. Uh, maybe one hint for the rest of window by myself. Once I figured out A portion of my PSRT RoundTable you VW mechanics out there whose that a homebrew clamping jig is on GEnie has also been set aside for shoe size is larger than your IQ: That essential. It took much longer to build you Nuts & Volts readers. This is the Digifant II engine computer is under the jig than to make the actual repair. place you go for instant tech answers. the back seat. A back seat is the thing Details on request. But something like Among the many files in our library, you sit on at the rear of the vehicle’s repacking the cv joints is best left to a you will find complete reprints for all passenger compartment. dealer. Because the right formula of the Resource Bin columns. And mashing Vise Grip pliers onto a magic high tech grease is a must. I did manage to wrangle one super brand new gas spring is a no-no. But the dealer will not end-for-end special signup deal for you Resource This month, I thought we’d focus swap your CV joints unless you ask Bin readers. Ten free hours and new on how to pick up useful insider info them to. Which can more than double Internet access features. See the trailer involving automotive electronics. We their effective life. blurb for details. will concentrate mostly on the engine control computers and such… SAE Library Automotive Electronics Fundamentals of vehicle electronics Those of you following my columns R. T. F. M. (and most other subjects of vechicle in Electronics Now already know about Official factory shop manuals are engineering) are covered in depth by my automotive electronics saga. My readily available for just about every the SAE Library. Hundreds of books 1987 Synchro 4WD van started bucking vehicle. With pricing typically in the along with a few serials. intermittently. Of course, I did not $60 to $90 range. As I found out the Once only the Society of Automotive suspect for an instant that the 126,000 hard way, it is insane not to promptly Engineers, they’ve expanded to cover off road miles I put on it had anything get the shop manual for your car. land, sea, and air. to do with the problem. Use it and read it! A free catalog is offered. They do After obvious tank-of-gas and fuel seem rather expensive. Although they filter checks, I hauled it off 350 miles occasionally have sales. Lots of useful to my nearest factory authorized VW NEXT MONTH: Don looks at electronic books here. service dealer. Sigh. emerging opportunities for Robert Bosch The mechanic was unable to fix my home automation controls. auto computer. In fact, he could not These folks are the foremost source even find it! In the search, he racked of fuel injection systems and ignition up a $1200.00 bill replacing perfectly Among other things, your manual computers. They pioneered the lambda good parts at random, totally trashed can instantly tell you how serious the feedback system. my Synchro’s rear door, and generally problem is. And often gives logical, Any chemical reaction needs exact ruined my weekend. step-by-step instructions. ratios of input ingredients. Otherwise I then decided to treat this as an The shop manual lets you perform some of the inputs might be left over electronic problem rather than a car triage. You could thus decide if you after the reaction finishes. A reaction problem. I rigged up my oscilloscope want to screw things up by yourself, is said to be stoichiometric when there to catch the intermittent on the run. want to get done in by a local garage, is absolutely no excess left. And quickly found a bad solder joint or want to get totally and obscenely When you burn gasoline in any car in the ignition computer. ripped off by the factory authorized engine, you have a choice of adjusting The bad soldering appears generic, repair service rep. your air to fuel ratio. A ratio of 12.6:1 caused by an unwettable steel lead on For instance, I found a driveshaft gives you the most power. A ratio of

April 1995 / Nuts & Volts Magazine 24 16.4:1 gives you the best economy. A new from 14.7:1 yields minimum pollution. Robert Bently Such a stoichiometric mix is said to Plenty of Roberts in the VW world. DON LANCASTER have a lambda of 1.0. Robert Bently prints the best service ACTIVE FILTER COOKBOOK Where does pollution come from? manuals anywhere. Period. They are The sixteenth (!) printing of Don’s bible on analog op-amp lowpass, bandpass, and highpass active Simply from excess inputs that are left the place to go for VW shop manuals. filters. De-mystified instant designs. $24.50 over. Too much gas, and you are rich Plus several other makes. Along with and emit hydrocarbons. Too much air, lots of other automotive titles. CMOS AND TTL COOKBOOKS and you are lean, and you have excess I’ve found their Bosch Fuel Injection Millions of copies in print worldwide. THE two books for digital integrated circuit fundamentals. oxygen left. By itself, excess oxygen is and Engine Management to be rather About as hands-on as you can get. $24.50 each. not all that bad. Trouble is that those informative. By one Charles Probst. high temperatures convert the oxygen He authors a similar Ford book. INCREDIBLE SECRET and nitrogen in your air into nitrogen Their free catalog is a must. MONEY MACHINE II oxides that produce smog. By the way, the best VW parts place Updated 2nd edition of Don’s classic on setting A misnamed oxygen sensor between (especially for sanely priced Synchro up your own technical or craft venture. $18.50 engine and muffler serves as your key parts) is the VW Parts Place. The most feedback sensor in a lambda system. obvious generic mail order source for LANCASTER CLASSICS LIBRARY Don’s best early stuff at a bargain price. Includes Its output voltage sharply increases in auto items is J.C. Whitney. the CMOS Cookbook, The TTL Cookbook, Active Filter Cookbook, PostScript video, Case Against the absence of oxygen. Patents, Incredible Secret Money Machine II, and The purpose of a car computer is to Other Publishers Hardware Hacker II reprints. $119.50 sense the amount of input air (from The leading source of GM service your so-called "gas" pedal), and then manuals is Helm. Who offer hundreds LOTS OF OTHER GOODIES .Ask . . . the. . . Guru. . . . .I . or. . II. .or . . III...... $24.50. . . . . adjust your fuel injection to give you of shop manuals on just about any .Hardware ...... Hacker...... II, . .III . .or . .IV ...... $24.50. . . . . an optimum mix. GM product. Prices are typically $90 .Micro . . . . .Cookbook ...... I...... $19.50...... PostScript ...... Beginner ...... Stuff...... $29.50. . . . . One seeking a minimum pollution for the shop manual only. Or $120 for .PostScript ...... Show . . . . .and . . . Tell...... $29.50. . . . . λ .Intro . . . .to . .PostScript ...... Video ...... $29.50. . . . . at = 1. A second role is to adjust the a kit of manuals and supplementary .PostScript ...... Reference ...... II ...... $32.50...... PostScript ...... Tutorial/Cookbook ...... $19.50. . . . . spark timing to give best power while materials. Service notes, parts filche, .PostScript ...... by . . Example...... $32.50. . . . . avoiding any knocking. The optimum and owner’s manuals, too. .Understanding ...... PS. . . Programming...... $29.50...... PostScript: ...... A. .Visual . . . . . Approach...... $22.50. . . . . timing depends, among other things, The Coach Fix It book #13900 from .PostScript ...... Program ...... Design...... $24.50...... Thinking ...... in. . PostScript...... $22.50. . . . . on engine speed, load, altitude and Tomco is supposed to have lots of info .LaserWriter ...... Reference ...... $19.50. . . . . temperature. A ROM-stored map picks on car computer codes. .Type . . . . 1. .Font . . . .Format ...... $15.50...... Acrobat ...... Reference...... $24.50. . . . . the optimum timing for your present A nicely done booklet on Chrysler .Whole . . . . . works...... (all . . .PostScript) ...... $380.00...... PostScript ...... Insider ...... Secrets ...... FREE . . . . driving conditions. codes is Your Car’s Computer is Trying .Hacking ...... Insider ...... Secrets ...... FREE . . . . Certain of those performance shops to Tell you Something, by Roger Burch. and specialty mags resell EPROM’s And published by the Hemispherical POSTSCRIPT SECRETS containing different timing maps. But Publications folks. A Book/Disk combination crammed full of free fonts, insider resources, utilities, publications, these EPROM’s do not do nearly as Electronic test equipment outfits do workarounds, fontgrabbing, more. For most any much as you’d expect. Mostly because offer some useful resources. For Ford PostScript printer. Mac or PC format. $29.50 of that inherent feedback working products, Hickok has a TFI-IV Ignition λ BOOK-ON-DEMAND PUB KIT around the = 1 operating point. Analyzer and a Ford Self-Test. They sell Ongoing details on Book-on-demand publishing, a new method of producing books only when and Two sources of custom map chips stuff for other makes as well. as ordered. Reprints, sources, samples. $39.50 are Dinan Engineering and Autothority. Tektronix has a freebie tutorial on Uh, we better mention in passing here Servicing Automotive Electronic Sensors. THE CASE AGAINST PATENTS that it is an EPA felony to reduce your And Fluke has a free Troubleshooting For most individuals, patents are virtually certain to result in a net loss of sanity, energy, time, and vehicle’s pollution or improve your Electronic Engine Components. money. This two volume set shows you tested gas mileage. If you tamper with any Two books recommended by callers and proven real-world alternatives. 28.50 pollution control device while doing are How to Tune & Modify Ford Fuel BLATANT OPPORTUNIST I so. And an EEPROM map is certainly Injection. By Ben Watson. The reprints from all Don’s Midnight Engineering a pollution control device. Or maybe Understanding Automotive columns. Includes a broad range of real world, proven coverage on small scale technical startup Your government at work. Electronics. By William Ribbens. ventures. Stuff you can use right now. $24.50 More on all this in HACK84.PDF in Other leading auto electronics book my GEnie PSRT RoundTable. sources include Motor Books, Haynes RESOURCE BIN I A complete collection of all Don’s Nuts & Volts At any rate, Bosch is the leader in Publications, Standard Motor Products, columns to date, including a new index and his fuel injection. They offer a number of Chilton, Reston, and Tab. master names and numbers list. $24.50 free FI brochures including Optimized And, of course, Consumer Reports Engine Management for a Brighter Auto has lots of more or less objective auto FREE SAMPLES Well, nearly free anyway. Almost. Do join us on Future and Lambda Sensor Exhaust Gas tests and reviews in it. GEnie PSRT to sample all of the Guru’s goodies. The downloading cost on a typical Guru file is 21 Techniques. Good reads. cents. Modem access: Dial (800) 638-8369. On Robert Bosch also does publish the SunPro prompt, JOINGENIE, then DMD524 on key. fine Automotive Engineering Handbook. The leading aftermarket source of FREE VOICE HELPLINE VISA /MC A zillion definitive pages that come car computer analyzers is SunPro. As SYNERGETICS straight from the horse’s whatever. sold by Checker Auto and similar retail Box 809-NV Thatcher, AZ 85552 And fairly cheap at a nonmember auto specialty stores. (520) 428-4073 price of $28. Aavailable directly from Typical products are their CP9001 the SAE Library folks. GM code scanner, a CP9015 Ford code Write in 146 on Reader Service Card.

25 April 1995/Nuts & Volts Magazine AUTOMOTIVE ELECTRONIC RESOURCES

Actron III Chilton GEnie Machine Design Synergetics 9999 Walford Avenue Chilton Way 401 N Washington St 1100 Superior Ave Box 809 Cleveland OH 44102 Radnor PA 19089 Rockville MD 20850 Cleveland OH 44144 Thatcher AZ 85552 (216) 651-9200 (610) 964-4000 (800) 638-9636 (216) 696-7000 (602) 428-4073

Automotive Industries Consumer Reports Haynes Publications Motor Books Tektronix PO Box 2056 101 Truman Avenue 861 Lawrence Drive 729 Prospect Avenue PO Box 500 Radnor PA 19080 Yonkers NY 10703 Newbury Park CA 91320 Osecola WI 54020 Beaverton OR 97077 (215) 964-4876 (914) 378-2000 (805) 498-6703 (715) 294-3345 (800) 835-9433

Autothority Design News Helm Rinda Technologies Ulrichs Dictionary 3769-B Pickett Road 8773 S Ridgline Blvd 14310 Hamilton Avenue 4563 N Elston Avenue 121 Chanlon Rd Fairfax VA 22031 Highlands Ranch CO 80126 Highland Park MI 48203 Chicago IL 60630 New Providence NJ 07974 (703) 323-0919 (303) 470-4000 (800) 782-4356 (312) 736-6633 (908) 771-7714

Robert Bentley Dinan Engineering Hemispherial Publications SAE Library VW Parts Place 1033 Massachusetts Ave 150 South Whisman PO Box 100 400 Commonwealth Dr 2300 N Opdyke Road Cambridge, MA 02138 Mountain View CA 94041 Island KY 42350 Warrendale PA 15096 Auburn Hills MI 48326 (617) 547-4170 (415) 962-9417 (502) 754-9393 (412) 776-4841 (810) 373-2300

Robert Bosch GmbH Fluke Hickok Standard Motor Products JC Whitney Postfach 30 02 40 PO Box 9090 10514 Dupont Avenue 3718-T Northern Blvd 1917-19 Archer Ave D-7000 Stuttgart 30 Everett WA 98206 Cleveland OH 44108 Long Island City NY 11101 Chicago IL 60680 West Germany (800) 443-5853 (800) 342-5080 (614) 454-3228 (312) 431-6102 scanner, a CP9080 engine sensor and Automotive Industries. Lots of insider I thought I’d share my experiences ignition module tester, or the CP7673 things here. I particularly liked their with one fine Internet service that is engine analyzer. listing of Internet resources on page not on the above list. There’s a VW They offer a free Unlocking Today’s 58 of their February, 1995 issue. vanagon and a VW bus site online at New Engine Technology brochure. Plus And I guess we gotta mention… lenti.med.umn.edu This has about the their Proven Precision and Performance best Synchro info anywhere. catalog on their products. Henning’s Motor News Not much, but certainly the best. SunPro is a brand name. The actual No, they do not get into vehicular Westy freaks do seem to dominate the manufacturer is Actron III. electronics too much, but if you need board. Campers all. any info or any part for any older car– Traffic on a slow day is fifty or so Diacom junker, classic, or antique, then this is messages. Posts on mech fixes, repair There are now bunches of vehicle your foremost resource. questions, classified ad sale listings, analysis software being sold. But the Mostly an incredibly fat monthly scheduling camping events, and such. highest profile supplier appears to be magazine full of classified ads. Low cost hard copy service and repair Rinda Technologies with their Diacom Many name brand dealerships are info is also offered by several users. Plus products. These let a PC gather now refusing to even work on a ten Including insider dealer stuff you are key performance data from your car’s year old car. Let alone stock parts for not supposed to ever see. ignition computer. it. Which will make publications like To subscribe to this superb service, Extensive online technical info gets Henning’s even more useful. you email [email protected] placed inside most of their programs. Two other trade mags I subscribe to Then you enter a one line message of Apparently you simply feed it your with occasional car stuff in them are subscribe vanagon or subscribe vanagon vehicle identification number, and it Machine Design and Design News. digest The latter gives you one large knows which version of which auto file once per day. To cancel, you do an computer is in use. Earlier products On-line Resources unsubscribe vanagon. were mostly GM and Chrysler. Your best insider car computer info Editors sometimes do inadvertently While fairly expensive, they have these days comes down in the online add a hyphen in the middle of some received outstanding product reviews services. Especially on forums which online address. Especially an address everywhere. Along with bunches of talk about useful solutions. that refuses to justify. This is a major high customer praise. GEnie has an auto RoundTable. Plus no-no. Just remember that hyphens, Try Go Rinda on CompuServe. the Auto-Quoter and AutoVantage fee spaces, or carriage returns are never based services. These get you the best used in any email address. If you see Automotive Industries possible nationwide price on any new any of these, try leaving it out for There’s a zillion car mags out there. or used vehicle. Or tell you the exact your first access attempt. As any check into a larger newsstand dealer costs. There should never be a period on a will attest. Insiders, outsiders, techie, The real biggie is the Internet. Here sentence that has to end with an email folksy, glitzy, or whatever. As always, you will find many hundreds of auto address! Watch this detail. you can get a complete list of all these electronics related services. Such as The only little problem is that the from Ulrich’s Periodical’s Dictionary at rec.autos.tech and rec.autos.marketplace, vanagon info is overwhelming. Since your local library. Or accessed online rec.autos.sport, or rec.autos.vw I’m paid to be a GEnie sysop, I just through GEnie or one of those other As we saw above, there’s a fairly don’t have the time to wade through commercial online services. good list in the February 1995 issue of diffuse Internet excess blather to try My favorite freebie trade journal is Automotive Industries. and get at the useful stuff. Even if I

April 1995/Nuts & Volts Magazine 26 did, it would be unfair to my paying PSRT RoundTable users. Those new "software agents" might solve this hassle. Tightly filtering to your exact needs. An Internet site specifically for 1987 Synchro owners sure would be nice. But, there’d be one big problem here. Since 1987 Synchro owners with diff locks won’t even speak to any lowly 1987 Synchro owners without the diff locks, you’d have flame wars. This Month’s Contest Once again, I have a hollow feeling I have missed a few obvious biggies here. So, for our first contest, just tell me about any useful auto electronics resource that I don’t already know about. Or just tell me a car electronics horror story. Funny or sad. There’s gotta be a lot of stuff out there that I missed. Do let me know all about them. Or, for our second contest, just find me any clean late model low mileage Synchro. Preferably western, private, and diff locked. Or recommend nearly any vehicle anywhere that could replace a Synchro. What I need is a $12,000 skid plated, posi, high clearance, granny geared, full time and all wheel drive 22 MPG vehicle which comfortably sleeps six people (or 23 cavers), one German Shepherd and a sheet of plywood. Preferably one that also has decent solder joints in its computer. There will be a largish pile of my new Incredible Secret Money Machine II books going to the dozen or so better entries, plus an all-expense-paid (FOB Thatcher, AZ) tinaja quest for two that will go to the very best of all. ✦

Microcomputer pioneer and guru Don Lancaster is the author of 32 books and countless tech articles. Don maintains his no-charge tech helpline found at (520) 428-4073, besides offering all of his own books, reprints, and all of his consulting services. He also has a free catalog full of his resource secrets waiting for you. Your best calling times are 8-5 on weekdays, Mountain Standard Time. Don is now the sysop of GEnie PSRT, where a special Resource Bin topic has been reserved for Nuts & Volts readers. For modem access: (800) 638-8369. When prompted, enter JOINGENIE. When asked for a keyword, enter DMD524. You can also reach Don at Synergetics, Box 809, Thatcher, AZ 85552. Or send any messages to his Internet address of [email protected]

27 April 1995/Nuts & Volts Magazine Don Lancaster’s RESOURCE BIN

number forty

New opportunities in home automation.

ur usual reminder here that the Let’s look at these issues in more A carrier system’s information gets Resource Bin is now a two-way depth. We’ll pick up a few of the key seen as noise by a filter. As an ancient O column. You can get tech help, players as we go along… example, that input filter on a Diablo consultant referrals and off-the-wall 630 Daisywheel flat out blocks out all networking on nearly any electronic, Power Line Comm BSR control commands for a dozen or tinaja questing, personal publishing, The "obvious" way to send control more feet in any direction. The typical money machine, or computer topic by signals and status messages around a computer lashup now has at least six calling me at (520) 428-4073 weekdays house is to use your ac power line. filters that are as bad or worse. 8-5 Mountain Standard Time. Simply because it is there and there These days, your home power line A portion of my PSRT RoundTable are lots of outlets already present in looks more or less like a dead short at on GEnie has also been set aside for every room. Most of what you need to carrier comm frequencies. you Nuts & Volts readers. This is the control is already "on line". A third problem is that the signals place you go for instant tech answers. The only problem is that power line may travel too far. Or not far enough. Among the many files in our library, comm does not work very well. Controlling your neighbor’s hot tub is you will find complete reprints for all One of the first real jobs I ever had obviously a big no-no. the Resource Bin columns. was designing carrier current comm Especially for its piranha mode. I did manage to wrangle one super devices for railroads and coal mines. Most home power systems consist special signup deal for you Resource In those days, you simply shoved 30 of one center-tapped single phase 220 Bin readers. Ten free hours. watts or so of FM modulated voice or volt system that delivers two separate GEnie now offers far lower daytime control signals on back into the tracks. 110 volt legs. It is very hard for carrier rates, a direct Internet access, and a Useful frequency channels went from signals to hop between legs. A large Windows graphics interface, so it’s an 30 kHz to 200 kHz. coupling capacitor might sometimes even better deal than ever. Receivers were remarkably similar help. At other times a special linking See the trailer blurb for details. to what we could call a tv sound chip circuit could get used. today. A limiter, discriminator, and Yet other times, a reliable coupling Home Automation an audio amp. Sensitivity was in the flat out ain’t gonna happen. There’s a lot of interest these days two millivolt range. Finally, the regulators have newly in home automation. For increased Sadly, the power lines have gotten fouled things up. There are new and comfort, reduced power bills, lower real ugly since then. More and more horrible restrictions on how much am environmental impact, and improved things that plug into the power line radio interference gets allowed. These security. While home automation has new restrictions can severely limit the been around for twenty years now, amount of transmitted carrier power this field is about to explode. Thanks NEXT MONTH: Don looks at permitted. At the least, an expensive to some rather interesting and brand resources for security and filter may be needed. new developments. alarm industry products. There is a brand new solution that’s I guess I’d define home automation called spread spectrum communications. as any setup that lets computers and Using spread spectrum comm, pretty microcontrollers intelligently interact generate badly interfering harmonics. near the entire frequency range from with a traditional home environment. Two of the worst offenders are power 20 to 400 kHz is used by every channel. In climate, cooking, lighting, security, supplies and dimmers. Spreading codes give outstanding noise and entertainment systems. Capacitor input dc power supplies immunity. And allows many sources As I see it, there’s three key issues often draw their current out as a short to simultaneously communicate. today in home automation: (1) How is impulse current slug. Those dimmers Interference free. reliable and interference free two-way have a sharp switching risetime in the But spread spectrum carrier comm comm going to take place? (2) What middle of each ac half cycle. Both of is so new that you have to work at the standards (if any) should get used in these generate bad interference to any chip level or else go to costly systems. the way of formats, protocols, and ultrasonic VLF carrier comm. Two sources are Signetics/Philips and such? And (3) Where do we get a low A second problem is that more and SGS. Another is the Echelon PLT-20. cost, legal, and electrician-free remote more things that plug into the power One newsletter is Randy Robert’s current transducer? line now use superb noise filters. Spread Spectrum Scene.

May 1995 / Nuts & Volts Magazine 24 The rule seems to be that anything into occupancy detectors and similar new from less than full spread spectrum power stuff. Leviton has a DEC Tech Manual, line carrier comm appears doomed to the DEC Troubleshooting Guide, and a DON LANCASTER failure. Thus, there is no point of even Home Automation Network Guide. ACTIVE FILTER COOKBOOK thinking about trying to do your own The sixteenth (!) printing of Don’s bible on analog Infrared Comm op-amp lowpass, bandpass, and highpass active single channel FM or PWM lashup. filters. De-mystified instant designs. $24.50 Power line carrier comm setups are At one time, most tv remotes used routinely used by the electric utilities. ultrasonics in the 40 kHz range. But it CMOS AND TTL COOKBOOKS More details on how the big boys do turns out that nearly anything you Millions of copies in print worldwide. THE two books for digital integrated circuit fundamentals. it by way of EPRI, that Electric Power could do with ultrasonics, you can do About as hands-on as you can get. $24.50 each. Research Institute. They also publish a with near infrared. And usually do so few home automation titles. far cheaper using much less power in INCREDIBLE SECRET One chip source is National. They a smaller package. MONEY MACHINE II have teamed up with Cyplex and Itron Thus, ultrasonics are no more. Updated 2nd edition of Don’s classic on setting to build new IC/SS products. A standard tv remote control uses a up your own technical or craft venture. $18.50 The most obvious source of power near ir light emitting diode to send line comm products, of course, is… out signals in much the same format LANCASTER CLASSICS LIBRARY Don’s best early stuff at a bargain price. Includes as the ultrasonic originals. the CMOS Cookbook, The TTL Cookbook, Active BSR and X-10 Filter Cookbook, PostScript video, Case Against Two good sources for details: The Patents, Incredible Secret Money Machine II, and The ancient home controller system Cable, TV, and Audio Handbook from Hardware Hacker II reprints. $119.50 that everybody loves to hate is made Plessey. Or the IR Remote Control Data by BSR. And is called the X-10 system. Pack from NEC. LOTS OF OTHER GOODIES .Ask . . . the. . . Guru. . . . .I . or. . II. .or . . III...... $24.50. . . . . With off-the-shelf modules offered by Two other sources for encoder and .Hardware ...... Hacker...... II, . .III . .or . .IV ...... $24.50. . . . . Radio Shack, Heath, and others. decoder chips are Motorola and Holtek. .Micro . . . . .Cookbook ...... I...... $19.50...... PostScript ...... Beginner ...... Stuff...... $29.50. . . . . Transmitters, lamp and appliance Holtek is stocked by Digi-Key. .PostScript ...... Show . . . . .and . . . Tell...... $29.50...... Intro . . . .to . .PostScript ...... Video ...... $29.50. . . . . modules, computer interfaces, and the But there’s a brand new game in .PostScript ...... Reference ...... II ...... $32.50...... PostScript ...... Tutorial/Cookbook ...... $19.50. . . . . handheld remotes are offered. At $12 town that gives you ultra high speed .PostScript ...... by . . Example...... $32.50. . . . . for a receiver module. infrared comm. This one is the IrDA .Understanding ...... PS. . . Programming...... $29.50...... PostScript: ...... A. .Visual . . . . . Approach...... $22.50. . . . . The appliance modules are for high standard from a group that calls itself .PostScript ...... Program ...... Design...... $24.50...... Thinking ...... in. . PostScript...... $22.50. . . . . current on-off control only. But lamp the Infrared Data Association. The baud .LaserWriter ...... Reference ...... $19.50. . . . . modules can be remotely dimmed or rates go from 115 Kilobaud to several .Type . . . . 1. .Font . . . .Format ...... $15.50...... Acrobat ...... Reference...... $24.50. . . . . brightened. You must never connect Megabaud and higher. .Whole . . . . . works...... (all . . .PostScript) ...... $380.00...... PostScript ...... Insider ...... Secrets ...... FREE . . . . an induction motor or any fluorescent There’s a good IrDA review in the .Hacking ...... Insider ...... Secrets ...... FREE . . . . light to their lamp modules. March 30, 1995 issue of EDN. One The BSR transmitter has 512 codes leading proponent is Hewlett Packard. POSTSCRIPT SECRETS grouped into a home code and a unit Who now do offer free two-way IrDA A Book/Disk combination crammed full of free fonts, insider resources, utilities, publications, code. A code gets sent, followed by its Evaluation Modules. Another source is workarounds, fontgrabbing, more. For most any complement, giving a limited amount Linear Technology with their LT1319 ir PostScript printer. Mac or PC format. $29.50 of noise immunity. receiver integrated circuit. BOOK-ON-DEMAND PUB KIT Comm is one-way only. There is no Infrared and power line comm are Ongoing details on Book-on-demand publishing, a new method of producing books only when and way to verify whether your command likely to remain your two biggies for as ordered. Reprints, sources, samples. $39.50 actually took place. Unless you see or home automation. Other candidates hear the result yourself. now include twisted pair phone lines, THE CASE AGAINST PATENTS The modules are cheap and sort of optical fibers, or the elegantly simple For most individuals, patents are virtually certain to result in a net loss of sanity, energy, time, and work. Some of the time. micropower comm used by aerobic money. This two volume set shows you tested Their major faults include one-way pulse monitors. See HACK68.PDF for and proven real-world alternatives. 28.50 comm, slow speeds, few commands, the astounding secret insider details BLATANT OPPORTUNIST I no collision detection, the ease with on the latter. The reprints from all Don’s Midnight Engineering which signals can get stomped on by There’s also UHF wireless comm. columns. Includes a broad range of real world, proven coverage on small scale technical startup noise filters, and the major difficulty Try Wireless Design & Development and ventures. Stuff you can use right now. $24.50 of hopping phase legs. similar trade journals for your latest Insider technical details on the BSR and best in this area. I’ve uploaded an RESOURCE BIN I A complete collection of all Don’s Nuts & Volts system are in a Steve Ciarcia story in extensive listing of wireless resources columns to date, including a new index and his the Sept. 1980 Radio Electronics. to GEnie PSRT as NUTS38.PDF. master names and numbers list. $24.50 Individual chips are also available. The basic control chips from BSR. And Which Standards? FREE SAMPLES Well, nearly free anyway. Almost. Do join us on advanced computer interfacing chips Ideally, every home controller must GEnie PSRT to sample all of the Guru’s goodies. The downloading cost on a typical Guru file is 21 from MicroMint. be able to simultaneously talk to each cents. Modem access: Dial (800) 638-8369. On Sources of BSR application products other on an interference free basis. By prompt, JOINGENIE, then DMD524 on key. now include Enerlogic, Jance Associates, using some sort of a unified and fully FREE VOICE HELPLINE VISA /MC Powerline Control, Creative Processing, open public standard. SYNERGETICS Home Automation, JDS, Omnipotence, At the least, such a standard must Box 809-NV Thatcher, AZ 85552 Remote Measurement, and Menange. offer full duplex two-way, multi host (520) 428-4073 Leviton is a second source for home comm having a full collision detection controller modules. They also do get and excellent noise immunity. It must Write in 146 on Reader Service Card.

25 May 1995/Nuts & Volts Magazine HOME AUTOMATION RESOURCES

Ademco Scott Edwards Electronics Home Automation Assn Intelligent Systems Mastervoice Raindrip 165 Eileen Way 964 Cactus Wren Lane 808 17th Street #200 175 New Britain Avenue 10523 Humbolt Street 21305 Itasca Street Syosset NY 11791 Sierra Vista AZ 85635 Washington DC 20006 Plainville CT 06062 Los Alamitos CA 90720 Chatsworth CA 91313 (800) 645-7492 (602) 459-4802 (202) 223-9669 (203) 793-9951 (213) 594-6581 (818) 718-8004

Arcatron Electronic House Home Automations Labs Intellihome Media Magic Remote Measurement 3641 W Phelps Road 56790 Magnetic Drive 5500 Highlands Pkwy #450 8350 N Central Exp M1100 PO Box 507 2633 Eastlake Avenue #200 Phoenix AZ 85023 Mishawaka IN 46545 Smyrna GA 30082 Dallas TX 75206 Nicassio CA 94946 Seattle WA 98102 (602) 843-2589 (219) 256-2060 (800) HOME-LAB (214) 361-4044 (415) 662-2426 (206) 328-2255

Black Range Films Electronic Industries Assn Home Automation Systems Intellon Menage Automation Security Etc Route 2, Box 119 2001 Pennsylvania Ave NW 151 Kalmus Dr Ste M6 5100 W Silver Springs Blvd 120F W Campbell Avenue 19 Alamo Square Kingston NM 88042 Washington DC 20006 Costa Mesa CA 92626 Ocala FL 34482 Campbell CA 95008 Alamo CA 94507 (505) 895-5652 (202) 457-4900 (714) 708-0610 (904) 237-7416 (408) 378-9451 (510) 838-9160

BSR Enerlogic Systems Home Automator Itron MicroMint SM Automatic Route 303 2 Townsend Way Ste 6 2258 Sandy Lane E 15616 Euclid Avenue 4 Park St Ste 20 10301 Jefferson Blvd Blauvelt NY 10913 Nashua NH 03063 Mebane NC 27302 Spokane WA 99216 Vernon CT 06066 Culver City CA 90232 (914) 358-6060 (603) 880-4066 (910) 578-9519 (800) 635-5461 (203) 875-2751 (310) 559-6405

Circuit Cellar Ink EPRI Journal Home Control Concepts JaMar Distributing Microchip Technology Solartronics 4 Park St #20 PO Box 10412 9520-108 Padgett Street 1292 Montclair Drive 2355 W Chandler Blvd 76 Benbro Drive Vernon CT 06066 Palo Alto CA 94303 San Diego CA 92126 Pasadena MD 21122 Chandler AZ 85224 Buffalo NY 14225 (203) 875-2751 (415) 855-2000 (800) CONTROL (410) 437-4181 (602) 963-7373 (716) 681-6686

Command Control GEnie Home Power JDS Technologies Motorola Spread Spectrum Scene 8800 Roswell Rd Ste 130 401 N Washington St PO Box 520 16750 W Bernardo Drive 5005 E McDowell Rd PO Box 2199 Atlanta GA 30350 Rockville MD 20850 Ashland OR 97520 San Diego CA 92127 Phoenix AZ 85008 El Granada CA 94018 (404) 992-8430 (800) 638-9636 (916) 475-3179 (619) 487-8787 (800) 521-6274 (800) 524-9285

CompCo Enginering Global Eng Documents Home Systems Leviton National Semiconductor Synergetics 611 Parkway Ste D4 15 Inverness Way East PO Box 6236 59-25 Little Neck Pkwy 2900 Semiconductor Rd Box 809 Gatlinburg TN 37764 Englewood CO 80112 Oklahoma City OK 73123 Little Neck NY 11362 Santa Clara CA 95052 Thatcher AZ 85552 (615) 436-5189 (800) 854-7179 (405) 840-4751 (800) 824-3005 (800) 272-9959 (602) 428-4073

Custom Command Habitech95 Home Systems Network Linear Technology NEC Electronics Unity Systems 115 Paint Branch Drive #3181 5310 Harvest Hill Road #235 Box 3006 1630 McCarthy Blvd PO Box 7241 2606 Spring Street College Park MD 20742 Dallas TX 75230 Edmond, OK 73083 Milpitas CA 95035 Mountain View CA 94039 Redwood City CA 94063 (301) 314-7767 (800) PARKS11 (800) 808-0718 (408) 432-1900 (800) 632-3531 (415) 369-3233

Cyberlynx Gateway Hewlett-Packard Honeywell Lone Wolf Corp Omnipotence Kenneth Wacks 3066 Sixth Street PO Box 10301 1985 Douglas Drive 2030 First Avenue 2236 Cambridge Drive 9 Pinewood Road Boulder CO 80304 Palo Alto CA 94303 Golden Valley MN 55422 Seattle WA 98121 Sarasota FL 34232 Stoneham MA 02180 (303) 444-7733 (415) 857-1501 (800) 345-6770 (206) 728-9600 (813) 371-5085 (617) 662-6211

Cyplex Holt Integrated Circuits Infrared Data Assn Makita Plessey Wireless Design & Dev 472 Amherst Street 9351 Jronimo Road PO Box 3883 14930 Northam Street PO Box 660017 301 Gibraltar Dr Nashua NH 03063 Irvine CA 92718 Walnut Creek CA 94598 LaMiranda CA 90638 Scotts Valley CA 95067 Morris Plains NJ 07950 (603) 882-8104 (714) 859-8800 (510) 943-6546 (800) 4-MAKITA (800) 927-2772 (201) 292-5100

Echelon Home Automation Information Store Marvin Powerline Control Zomeworks 4015 Miranda Avenue 2709 Ridgelake Drive 500 Sansom St Ste 400 2020 Silver Bell Road 9031 Rathburn Avenue PO Box 25805 Palo Alto CA 94304 Matairie LA 70002 San Francisco CA 94111 St Paul MN 55122 Northridge CA 91325 Albuquerque NM 87125 (800) 258-4566 (504) 833-7256 (415) 433-5500 (800) 328-0268 (818) 701-9831 (505) 242-5354 be medium independent, and perform to having jam sessions. into the mainstream. This one sure is equally well with powerline, infrared, The BSR code is a standard of sorts. cute, though. wireless, or most "none of the above" This is well documented and more or But the home automation standard signalling schemes. less open. But, as we have seen, this that looks like it is going to run away And, of course, the standard must code is pitifully slow, one-way only with all of the marbles is called the CE not be at all proprietary or favor any and has serious noise immunity and Bus, short for Consumer Electronics. It’s particular manufacturer in any way. collision problems. I guess we could now Open Standard IS-60. Copies of The standard must be fully open. With say this code is about the same as an which are gotten from the Electronics all documentation accessible. 1890 aviation standard. Industries Association, The Information Computer LAN networks certainly I know about three emerging home Store, or Global Engineering Documents. could be used for home control. Such automation standards. One is the old This bus is called a packet oriented, as AppleTalk or Ethernet. LonWorks system from Echelon. To me, peer-to-peer network. It now supports The only little problems have been this is a grossly overblown example of powerline comm, infrared, wireless, their cost and complexity. Today, an megacorporations run amuck. twisted pair, coax, and fiber optics. A Ethernet interface would double the They started with the wrong micro good summary story is CEBus for the price of, say, a bread machine. But family and applied it to proprietary Masses, in the April 1995 Circuit Cellar prices are dropping rapidly. Time will bloated nonsolutions to nonproblems. Ink on pages 61-68. tell whether these might eventually Did they do this on purpose? Sources for CE Bus info, software, eliminate any need for any separate A maverick home standard from and end products now include home automation bus standard. out in left field is being honchoed by Intellon, Arcatron, Micromint, Command Surely some musician somewhere Lone Wolf Technologies. This one is Control and Cyberlynx. is now running his kitchen toaster off clean, lean, and mean. But it may lack The CE bus is probably the one to MIDI. Giving a whole new meaning enough momentum to ever make it bet on. At least for now.

May 1995/Nuts & Volts Magazine 26 home automation topics. parts and systems is RainDrip. Current Sensing There is also a new Home Automator Another automation distributor is I’m utterly amazed that nobody has labor-of-love newsletter. Home Control Concepts. Who are also yet picked up on the key part needed If your primary focus is alternate big on X-10 stuff, motion detectors, for home energy management. This is off-grid energy, Home Power Magazine and intelligent remotes. a low cost remote current sensor that does a really great job here. Other resources are Home Systems, installs without using an electrician And, speaking of alternatives, one CompCo, Ademco, and Ja Mar. and without rewiring. outstanding series of videos on straw Drapery and window controls are I first described these as an Isopod bale home construction is offered by offered by Bautex, Cardiff, Solartronics, on back in HACK47.PDF. This was a Black Range Films. They also host a Makita, Marvin, and SM Automatic. tennis ball shaped device which you superb wilderness bed and breakfast. Solar control products are available glomped onto your home power drop And networking that you simply will through Zomeworks. at the weatherhead. When prompted, not be able to believe. High end consultants for architects it sends a digital word proportional to From Alpha Centari, even. and such include Intellihome, Custom present current use. Another useful video is Living With Command, Honeywell, Secant, Unity Similar modules could also plug-in an Intelligent Home. It is produced by Systems, Home Automation Laboratories, at any outlet. The receiver would pick Home Systems Network. Intelligent Systems, Mastervoice, Media up a reference voltage. Extracting real Magic, Security, or Ken Wacks. and reactive power. Which Microcontroller? A Habitech95 home systems trade Obvious uses are to dramatically While a few older designers haven’t and training show is scheduled for reduce your power bill by finding out gotten the message yet, there is one May 17-20 in the Atlanta Apparel where and when most of your usage and only one chip to ever consider for Mart and the Westin Peachtree Plaza. takes place. Or doing load shedding home automation use. This, of course, There’s also a new Home Automation for better utility rates. Or for such odd is the PIC. Which completely, totally, Association trade group reachable at things as servicing air conditioning and utterly blows the others away. [email protected] or by intermittent problems. Start with the Microcontroller Data way of (202) 223-9669 voice. Current sensors, of course, must Book and PIC Applications Manual by sense current. While those Hall Effect Microchip Technology. Then go to the This Month’s Contest devices might work, an old fashioned BASIC Stamp made by Parallax. And I feel I might have missed a home current transformer is probably all you finally those superb PIC Design Tools automation supplier or two. For this need to do the job. Done properly, the from Scott Edwards Electronics. month’s contest, just tell me about current transformer should also be By special arrangement with Lance any unmentioned resource. able to pirate enough energy to run a Wally of Parallax, I’ve just uploaded Or, alternately, experiment with the transmitter as well. the entire BASIC Stamp manual to my #273-104 and show me what you can Amecon is one mid-range source for GEnie PSRT. It is yours free for the come up with in the way of a cheap, snap-on current transformers. But I downloading. See BASTAMP1.PDF as convenient, and electrician-free home sure have been intrigued by the new an intro, BASTAMP2.PDF for stamp automation current sensor. #273-104 snap-on chokes from Radio commands, and BASTAMP3.PDF for There will be a largish pile of my Shack. Around $3.50 each. With some detailed applications info. new Incredible Secret Money Machine II care, you should be able to hack these Acrobat readers are also available books going to the dozen or so better into useful sensors. free for the downloading if you do entries, plus an all-expense-paid (FOB Uh, I have not run those 60 Hertz not already have one. In PSRT library Thatcher, AZ) tinaja quest for two that permeability and saturation tests on #10. These let you view camera ready will go to the very best of all. their core material just yet. But, if it is documents directly on your computer Let’s hear from you. ✦ manufactured from anything this side screen. Much more on Acrobat in my of ground up stove parts, they should MUSE89.PDF. Microcomputer pioneer and guru Don work out just fine. A complete listing of PIC resources Lancaster is the author of 32 books and When you experiment with these, is in HACK87.PDF. The instruction set countless tech articles. Don maintains his remember that a current transformer is in MUSE88.PDF. And, of course, all no-charge tech helpline found at (520) has to accept one but not both of the the previous Resource Bin columns are 428-4073, besides offering all of his own load wires. And you must never open also in the library. books, reprints, and all of his consulting circuit a current transformer. services. He also has a free catalog full of This is an exciting new opportunity Other Suppliers his resource secrets waiting for you. Your with a virtually unlimited market. MicroMint is one leading source of best calling times are 8-5 on weekdays, home automation electronics. Check Mountain Standard Time. Magazines and Such out their HCS II and SpectraSense 1000 Don is now the sysop of GEnie PSRT, So far, I’ve found three good mags product lines. They have got a brand where a special Resource Bin topic has on home automation. The one I like new Xpress Reference Manual. Plus free been reserved for Nuts & Volts readers. the best is Circuit Cellar Ink. Their BBS and catalogs. For modem access: (800) 638-8369. When April 1995 has lots of useful info in it. Besides the previously mentioned prompted, enter JOINGENIE. When asked They tend to have special quarterly books, Home Automation Systems also for an offer code, enter DMD524. home automation supplements. offers an X-10 Applications Manual and You can also reach Don at Synergetics, Electronic House is a bimonthly pub a unique Building Interiors, Plants, and Box 809, Thatcher, AZ 85552. Or send that has been publishing since 1986. Automation text for plant watering. any messages to his Internet address of Targeting on advanced housing and One useful source for the watering [email protected]

27 May 1995/Nuts & Volts Magazine May 1995/Nuts & Volts Magazine 28 Don Lancaster’s RESOURCE BIN

number forty-one

Security and alarm industry resources.

ur usual reminder here that the return and find it filled with zucchini. for creating a public nuisance. Resource Bin is now a two-way In point of fact, zucchini pandering is As far as I’ve been able to tell, there O column. You can get tech help, considered one of the most heinous of is no one anywhere ever who went out consultant referrals and off-the-wall Gila Valley offenses. and called their police whenever any networking on nearly any electronic, Besides being a national disgrace. auto alarm went off. tinaja questing, personal publishing, Second, you might want to seek out Uh, one of the worst examples of all money machine, or computer topic by a lifestyle which emphasizes events, times was that purportedly "secure" calling me at (520) 428-4073 weekdays travel, studies, activities, and people radio that Volkswagen tried foisting 8-5 Mountain Standard Time. rather than accumulating high profile off on unsuspecting buyers. If your A portion of my PSRT RoundTable things. Flaunting or "flashing" your battery died, you had to go through a on GEnie has also been set aside for possessions only invites ripoffs. gruesome reprogramming sequence. you Nuts & Volts readers. This is the Besides always providing the exact Anyone (especially thieves) could call place you go for instant tech answers. opposite of your intended effect. up VW and get the sequence. Except Among the many files in our library, Third, note that if someone wants that you could never get it right in the you will find complete reprints for all anything bad enough, they will rip it allowable three tries. the Resource Bin columns. off. Every time. Here at the Thatcher Permanently disabling the beast. I did manage to wrangle one super Fire Department, we have this lil’ ole Meanwhile, when your thieves find special signup deal for you Resource skeleton key beastie called a Broco. A out the radio does not work, they get Bin readers. Ten free hours. Broco opens any lock in eight seconds mad, return, and firebomb your car. GEnie now offers far lower daytime flat. It also successfully goes through Which is a major trap: Any system rates, a direct Internet access, and a 39 trillion vehicle alarm codes in that or device that frustrates or angers an Windows graphics interface, so it’s an same eight seconds. intruder could easily cause a lot more even better deal than ever. This Broco operates by the simple damage than it cures. See the trailer blurb for details. expedient of vaporizing anything that It obviously pays to avoid going to happens to be between where you are places or doing things that may invite Alarms, Security and Such and where you want to be. confrontations. To avoid a tug-of-war, This month, I thought we’d look at I’ve used this gem to quietly burn don’t pick up your end of the rope. lots of alarm and security industry on through reinforced concrete. Even Finally, all security devices do have info. But before we do, note that some works really fine underwater. Simple hidden costs. Besides initial charges, plain old common sense combined and cheap. Anyone can buy one. there’s user inconveniences, paranoia with mid-level security devices often factors, and forced lifestyle mods. For are a better choice than overamping instance, most anything that reduces on the latest high tech gadgetry. NEXT MONTH: Don looks at your risk of a burglary also is likely to First and foremost, it pays to live in unusual desktop publishing increase the consequences of a fire. a part of the country which has a low supplies and opportunities. The ultimate bottom line question and stable population. Having strong is simply: "Does the security device or family and historic traditions. Around system actually increase your security here, most local crimes do quickly get Security devices do invite litigation. and peace of mind? Will it do so in a solved because nobody – but nobody Should the color of your alarm panel cost effective way?" – can keep their mouth shut in a small clash with the intruder’s shirt in some Much more on lifestyle approaches town. No way. No how. aesthetically offensive manner, your to security is found in the Incredible And since everything is connected chances are pretty good you can be Secret Money Machine II. to everything else in any small town. successfully sued. If the thief breaks Six ways from Sunday. his fingernail, you just might spend Starting With the Obvious Although I will admit that there are the rest of your life in court. The foremost resource of installers certain dark alleys here in Thatcher Some security devices simply do of anything everywhere, of course, is that you just do not dare go near late not work. Car alarms are an outright W.W. Grainger. Whose zillion outlets on any summer’s night. If you leave joke. Should one go off when your in all of the major cities stock nearly your car running and unattended in vehicle is being stolen, you just might everything in the way of tools, wire, one of these places, you are certain to go to jail for disturbing the peace or motors, or electrical parts.

June 1995 / Nuts & Volts Magazine 24 For small electronic parts, try using Security News is a monthly tabloid new from Mouser, Active, and Digi-Key. The best newspaper by Terra Publishing. Often resource for higher quality (but a few dozen pages or so, this journal DON LANCASTER pricey) tools appears to be Jensen Tools includes both classified and regular ACTIVE FILTER COOKBOOK , with Techni-Tool a close second. ads, news of upcoming shows, and The sixteenth (!) printing of Don’s bible on analog op-amp lowpass, bandpass, and highpass active For mechanical goodies, go to Small legislative issues. filters. De-mystified instant designs. $28.50 Parts. For everything your hardware Electrical Contractor is an oversize store never heard of. tabloid. Although not alarm-specific, CMOS AND TTL COOKBOOKS Or McMaster-Carr who operate the its got lots of useful bits-and-pieces Millions of copies in print worldwide. THE two books for digital integrated circuit fundamentals. world’s largest direct-mail hardware product info in it. About as hands-on as you can get. $28.50 each. store. Playing in a city near you. Distributors Naturally, you’ll find lots of alarm INCREDIBLE SECRET and security stuff right here in Nuts & There are many dozens of firms MONEY MACHINE II Volts. And three highly useful surplus who distribute the alarm and security Updated 2nd edition of Don’s classic on setting sources include American Science and devices for installers and consultants. up your own technical or craft venture. $18.50 Surplus, Herbach & Rademan, and the Among the many others, these folks at Surplus Traders. include Ademco, D & J Products, King LANCASTER CLASSICS LIBRARY Don’s best early stuff at a bargain price. Includes Alarm, and Mountain West Alarm. the CMOS Cookbook, The TTL Cookbook, Active Sweet’s Catalog Filter Cookbook, PostScript video, Case Against One outfit that specializes in tools Patents, Incredible Secret Money Machine II, and Architects and builders have this and products for wire pulling is Music Hardware Hacker II reprints. $119.50 giant directory that’s vaguely akin to Supply. The personal safety alarms are a Thomas Registry. It’s called a Sweet’s offered by BeepAlarm. For automatic LOTS OF OTHER GOODIES .Ask . . . the. . . Guru. . . . .I . or. . II. .or . . III...... $24.50. . . . . Catalog. In particular, check out their locking door hardware, try Monaco. .Hardware ...... Hacker...... II, . .III . .or . .IV ...... $24.50. . . . . Sweet’s Building and Security Systems For sensors and contacts, try Tane .Micro . . . . .Cookbook ...... I...... $19.50...... PostScript ...... Beginner ...... Stuff...... $29.50. . . . . 1995 catalog file. Covers such stuff as Alarm Products. Ultrak supplies ir and .PostScript ...... Show . . . . .and . . . Tell...... $29.50...... Intro . . . .to . .PostScript ...... Video ...... $29.50. . . . . sitework, doors and windows, alarms, microwave people detectors. .PostScript ...... Reference ...... II ...... $32.50...... PostScript ...... Tutorial/Cookbook ...... $19.50. . . . . fire protection, and tv systems. For investigation and surveillance .PostScript ...... by . . Example...... $32.50. . . . . books, see Intelligence Incorporated. For .Understanding ...... PS. . . Programming...... $29.50...... PostScript: ...... A. .Visual . . . . . Approach...... $22.50. . . . . Security Distribution & covert cameras, RNJ Electronics. .PostScript ...... Program ...... Design...... $24.50. . . . . Marketing .Thinking ...... in. . PostScript...... $22.50. . . . . Additional sources advertise in the .LaserWriter ...... Reference ...... $19.50. . . . . SDM magazine seems to be the best trade journals I’ve just mentioned. .Type . . . . 1. .Font . . . .Format ...... $16.50...... Acrobat ...... Reference...... $24.50. . . . . all around trade journal for the alarm .Whole . . . . . works...... (all . . .PostScript) ...... $380.00...... Automotive Stuff .PostScript ...... Insider ...... Secrets ...... FREE . . . . and security industry. This is a thick .Hacking ...... Insider ...... Secrets ...... FREE . . . . and free controlled circulation mag. It The leading journal here appears to averages 140 pages each month. be Installation News. Which is also big POSTSCRIPT SECRETS Lots of ads for just about all major on car radio and audio. One popular A Book/Disk combination crammed full of free fonts, insider resources, utilities, publications, security and alarm manufacturers. newsstand magazine is AUTOtronics. workarounds, fontgrabbing, more. For most any Also for those regional distributors, Who often include security resource PostScript printer. Mac or PC format. $29.50 trade shows, and industry comments. listings. Also lots of ads. BOOK-ON-DEMAND PUB KIT Even kinks and hints. A pair of coded car alarm sources Ongoing details on Book-on-demand publishing, a new method of producing books only when and Detailed how-to info is provided. include Alarm Electronics and Vehicle as ordered. Reprints, sources, samples. $39.50 One recent column revealed how to Security Electronics. A source for those install waterflow switches and talked run-flat tires and other serious vehicle THE CASE AGAINST PATENTS about home security automation. security devices is Hutchinson. For most individuals, patents are virtually certain to result in a net loss of sanity, energy, time, and money. This two volume set shows you tested Also Rans Fire Protection and proven real-world alternatives. 28.50 There are scads of other alarm and Your leading fire sprinkler trade BLATANT OPPORTUNIST I security magazines. Let us do a brief journal is FPC Magazine, short for the The reprints from all Don’s Midnight Engineering rundown here… Fire Protection Contractor. columns. Includes a broad range of real world, proven coverage on small scale technical startup Security Dealer is a smaller trade Their competition is Sprinkler Age, ventures. Stuff you can use right now. $24.50 journal than SDM, but covers much of the official publication of the American the same ground. Bunches of ads for Fire Sprinkler Association. RESOURCE BIN I A complete collection of all Don’s Nuts & Volts motion detectors, control panels, and The fire service magazines can also columns to date, including a new index and his glass breaking detectors. Security Sales be of use. My favorite one by far is master names and numbers list. $24.50 is a third journal which runs similar Fire Engineering. Your primary trade ads and technical info. organization is the NFPA, or National FREE SAMPLES Well, nearly free anyway. Almost. Do join us on Security is another industry trade Fire Protectoin Association. GEnie PSRT to sample all of the Guru’s goodies. The downloading cost on a typical Guru file is 21 journal. A recent issue covered video cents. Modem access: Dial (800) 638-8369. On motion detectors, covert wireless, and Lock Picking prompt, JOINGENIE, then DMD524 on key. photo ID system setup. The most prestigious journal here is FREE VOICE HELPLINE VISA /MC Security Technology & Design is big Safe and Vault Technology. Which is the SYNERGETICS on door hardware and closed circuit official publication from that Safe and Box 809-NV Thatcher, AZ 85552 tv stuff. Security Management is mostly Vault Technicians Association. (520) 428-4073 for those manning the larger alarm But the clear winner seems to be a and industrial patrol systems. thick magazine going by the name of Write in 146 on Reader Service Card.

25 June 1995/Nuts & Volts Magazine ALARM AND SECURITY RESOURCES

Access Control BeepAlarm Herbach & Rademan Mouser Electronics School Security Report Sprinkler Age 6151 Powers Ferry Road NW 13222-B Admiral Avenue 401 East Erie Ave 11433 Woodside Avenue 402 Main Street 12959 Juniper Road #142 Atlanta GA 30339 Marina Del Rey CA 90291 Philadelphia PA 19134 Santee CA 92071 Port Washington NY 11050 Dallas TX 75238 (404) 955-2500 (310) 397-4217 (215) 426-1700 (800) 346-6873 (516) 883-1440 (214) 349-5965

Active Electronics CardTech/SecurTech IC Card Technology Music Supply SDM Surplus Traders 11 Cummings Park 12300 Twinbrook Pkwy #300 6300 S. Syracuse Way #650 101-F Vinson Street 1350 East Touhy Avenue PO Box 276 Woburn MA 01801 Rockville MD 20852 Englewood, CO 80111 Arlington TX 76010 Des Plaines IL 60018 Alburg VT 05440 (800) 677-8899 (301) 881-3383 (303) 220-0600 (800) 527-1522 (708) 635-8800 (514) 739-9328

Ademco Corporate Security ID Systems Natl Fire Protection Assn Security Sweet’s Catalog 165 Eileen Way 1333 H Street NW Ste 200 West 174 Concord Street Box 9101 1350 E Touhy Avenue 1221 Avenue Americas Syosset NY 11791 Washington DC 20005 Peterborough NH 03458 Quincy MA 02269 Des Plaines IL 60018 New York NY 10020 (800) 573-0154 (202) 842-3022 (603) 924-9631 (617) 770-3000 (708) 635-8800 (212) 512-3848

AIM D&J Products Identification Journal The National Locksmith Security Business Synergetics 1326 Freeport Road 4486 Adelia Court 2640 North Halsted St 1533 Burgundy Parkway 166 East 96th Box 809 Pittsburgh PA 15238 Concord CA 94521 Chicago IL 60614 Streamwood IL 60107 New York NY 100128 Thatcher AZ 85552 (412) 963-8588 (510) 686-5070 (312) 528-6600 (708) 837-2044 (212) 348-1553 (520) 428-4073

Alarm Electronics Dallas Semiconductor Installation News Nuts & Volts Security Dealer Tane Alarm Products Route 2 Box 99-1 4401 Beltwood Pkwy S 2512 Artesia Blvd. 430 Princeland Court 210 Crossways Park Dr 247-40 Jerico Turnpike Taylorsville NC 28681 Dallas TX 75244 Redondo Beach, CA 90278 Corona CA 91719 Woodbury NY 11797 Floral Park, NY 11001 (800) 444-3365 (214) 450-0400 (213) 376-8788 (714) 371-8497 (516) 496-8000 (800) 852-5050

Allegro Micro Systems Digi-Key Intelligence Inc Personal Identification Security Director’s Digest Techni-Tool Box 15036 701 Brooks Avenue S 2228 S El Camino #349 11619 Danville Drive 3918 Prosperity Avenue #318 5 Apollo Road Worcester MA 01605 Thief River Falls MN 56701 San Mateo CA 94403 Rockville MD 20852 Fairfax VA 22031 Plymouth Meet PA 19462 (508) 853-5000 (800) 344-4539 (415) 851-3957 (301) 881-6668 (703) 573-1600 (215) 825-4990

Chris Allen/Broco Electrical Contractor Jensen Tools Inc Premier Security Systems Security News Technology Alert West Hwy 70 650 S Clark Street 7815 South 46th St 316 Thomson Park Drive PO Box 460 1333 H Street NW #200 Thatcher AZ 85552 Chicago IL 60605 Phoenix AZ 85044 Cranberry Twp PA 16066 Salamanca NY 14779 Washington DC 20005 (520) 428-3273 (301) 215-4516 (602) 968-6231 (412) 934-3600 (716) 945-5091 (202) 842-3022

American Science & Surplus Fire Engineering King Alarm Privacy & Security 2001 Security Sales Ulrichs Dictionary 3605 Howard Street PO Box 1289 35 Green Street 504 Shaw Road #222 2512 Artesia Blvd 121 Chanlon Road Skokie IL 60076 Tulsa OK 74101 Hackensack NJ 07601 Sterling VA 20166 Redondo Beach CA 90278 New Providence NJ 07974 (708) 982-0870 (918) 835-3161 (800) 526-0162 (703) 318-8600 (310) 376-8788 (908) 771-7714

ASIA FPC Magazine McMaster-Carr Reed Exhibition Security Tech & Design Ultrak 1655 N Fort Myer Drive #1200 12972 Earhart Avenue #302 Box 54960 1350 East Touhy Avenue 850 Busse Highway 2400 Industrial Ln #2000A Arlington VA 22209 Auburn CA 95602 Los Angeles CA 90054 Des Plaines IL 60017 Park Ridge IL 60068 Broomfield, CO 80020 (703) 522-5800 (916) 823-0706 (213) 692-5911 (708) 390-2420 (708) 692-5940 (303) 466-8336

Automatic ID News GEnie Monaco RNJ Small Parts Valley Security 7500 Old Oak Blvd 401 North Washington St 339-345 North Avenue 805 Albany Avenue PO Box 4650 PO Drawer J Cleveland OH 44130 Rockville MD 20850 Jersey City NJ 07302 Lindenhurst NY Miami Lakes FL 33014 Thatcher AZ 85552 (216) 243-8100 (800) 638-9636 (800) 526-6094 (800) 645-5833 (800) 220-4242 (602) 428-2142

AUTOtronics WW Grainger Mountain West Alarm Safe & Vault Technology Special Police Update Vehicle Security Elect 6420 Wilshire Blvd 2738 Fulton Street 9420 E DoubleTree #120 3003 Live Oak Street 5519 N Cumberland #1008 21540-F Prairie Street Los Angeles CA 90048 Chicago IL 60612 Scottsdale AZ 85258 Dallas TX 75204 Chicago IL 60656 Chatsworth CA 91311 (213) 782-2222 (312) 638-0536 (800) 528-6169 (214) 821-SAFE (312) 763-2800 (818) 700-7900

The National Locksmith. outrageously overpriced, given what SDM, Security Dealer, Security Sales, Both of these mags provide detailed they deliver. But, on the other hand, Security, and Security News. step-by-step safecracking information. might be just what you need. You’ll A major putter-onner of security find a complete listing in the Ulrich’s shows is Reed Exhibition. Contact them Access Control Periodicals Dictionary, available online for a list of current happenings. Keyless entry systems and such are at GEnie or on the reference shelf of A second show is called CardTech covered in depth by a freebie trade your local library. SecurTech. On everything from smart journal by the name of Access Control. These mostly do tend towards high cards to mag stripes to devices for rf Your related trade journals involving end corporate security problems. identification. You just missed a big barcoding and identification include Random examples include Privacy show, so get on their mailing list for Automatic I.D. News, I.D. Systems, and and Security 2001, Corporate Security the next one in your area. Identification Journal. There’s also the Technology Alert, Security Director’s One show you can still catch is the AIM group, short for the Association of Digest, Security Business, Special Police ASIA show from the American Society Identification Manufacturers. Legal Update, the Personal Identification for Industrial Security. This one is more One manufacturer of specialized News, and School Security Report. for larger firms and institutions, but it security chips is Dallas Semiconductor. The latter also provides individual includes many educational sessions. A second source is Allegro/Sprague. reports for hospital, parking, campus, September 11-14. Somewhere in New Chip applications often show up in IC hotel, motel, and health care. Orleans. Uh, their brochure does not Card Technology magazine. seem too specific in the exact address, Trade Shows but the New Orleans Hilton is their Newsletters There are quite a few regional trade headquarters hotel. There are great heaping bunches of shows for alarm and security insiders. I guess its their way of keeping the security newsletters. These are often Notices of upcoming events appear in show secure. Sigh.

June 1995/Nuts & Volts Magazine 26 Widdle Brudder I don’t get into security installation or design all that much. Since I very much feel that common sense lifestyle factors and self-insurance could make such a big difference. But my widdle brudder Jeff over at Premier Security Systems is one fine security specialist. Who offers all you’ll need in the way of consulting, installation, design, or service. Give him a call. A second individual I can highly recommend is Wyatt Palmer of Valley Security here in Thatcher. As in any field, there’s good guys and bad guys. So always get several personal referrals before you commit any big bucks to anyone. This Month’s Contest Let’s do three contests this month: (A) Clue me in to any security device or resource I do not know about. Or else (B) tell me some security story. Horror or humor. Or (C) let me know your ultimate solution to the zucchini problem. This one’s tough. There will be a largish pile of my new Incredible Secret Money Machine II books going to the dozen or so better entries, plus an all-expense-paid (FOB Thatcher, AZ) tinaja quest for two that will go to the very best of all. Some additional alarm and security info appears in HACK19.PDF on my GEnie PSRT. You’ll also find reprints of previous columns here as files NUTS01.PDF through NUTS42.PDF. Yes, you can even get an advance peek at new columns before they hit the newsstand racks. These are also still available as my Resource Bin hard copy reprints from Synergetics. Let’s hear from you. ✦

Microcomputer pioneer and guru Don Lancaster is the author of 32 books and countless tech articles. Don maintains his no-charge tech helpline found at (520) 428-4073, besides offering all of his own books, reprints, and all of his consulting services. He also has a free catalog full of his resource secrets waiting for you. Your best calling times are 8-5 on weekdays, Mountain Standard Time. Don is now the sysop of GEnie PSRT, where a special Resource Bin topic has been reserved for Nuts & Volts readers. For modem access: (800) 638-8369. When prompted, enter JOINGENIE. When asked for an offer code, enter DMD524. You can also reach Don at Synergetics, Box 809, Thatcher, AZ 85552. Or send any messages to his Internet address of [email protected]

27 June 1995/Nuts & Volts Magazine Don Lancaster’s RESOURCE BIN

number forty-two

Alternate desktop publishing opportunities.

ur usual reminder here that the of laser-specific direct mail outfits include Cards Now and Blanks USA. Resource Bin is now a two-way that stock mind-boggling selections. Do note that their layouts are slightly O column. You can get tech help, But at somewhat higher prices. different. Different programming is consultant referrals and off-the-wall A random sampling includes Paper required for either system. Also note networking on nearly any electronic, Access, On Paper, Impact, Paper Direct, that you can print a dozen cards per tinaja questing, personal publishing, Queblo, Premier, Great Papers, Beaver page with your own routines but only money machine, or computer topic by Prints, Paper Design, Quill, Viking, and ten with commercial blanks. calling me at (520) 428-4073 weekdays Paper Adventures. Card durability could get improved 8-5 Mountain Standard Time. with Laser Buddy spray, laminating, or A portion of my PSRT RoundTable Badges Bakerizing. With Bakerizing, you place on GEnie has also been set aside for Custom badges can be simple and your cards (or other toner product) in you Nuts & Volts readers. This is the cheap to do. Parts cost can be as little contact with a gloss mylar sheet and place you go for instant tech answers. as twelve cents each. apply heat and pressure. Which will Among the many files in our library, The most obvious source here is calender the finish. you will find complete reprints for all Badge-a-Minit. Who offer all sorts of Making all the toner unbelievably the Resource Bin columns. free catalogs and clip art. Plus a $29 glossy, durable, and black. I did manage to wrangle one super startup kit. One cheaper parts source A sneaky trick I’ve used to pick up special signup deal for you Resource is Super Badge and Button. spot color: Print bold characters white Bin readers. Ten free hours. One major warning on using those on any solid black background. Then, GEnie now offers far lower daytime Badge-a-Minit presses: Get some help use ordinary page highliters to color rates, a direct Internet access, plus a from a five year old child! They will the characters. On the latest printers, Windows graphics interface, so it’s an instantly glomp-snip-glomp-snap any most of the blacks are dense enough even better deal than ever. badge for you. to completely erase the overprint. You See the trailer blurb for details. Any adult puzzling over the same end up with pastel over black. process will take several hours. Obvious other approaches to color The Alternate Desktop An alternate circle cutter that works include color papers, color toners, or Several months ago, we looked into better is the NT Cutter C-1500P sold by those hot stamp foils. Book-on-demand opportunities making Yeah, plain old business cards are use of PostScript and laser printers. available cheap in quantity. And it is This month, I thought we might take NEXT MONTH: Don looks at hard to beat those $9.90 per thousand a quick look at papers. old and new resources thermography versions that advertise And then focus on desktop’s "other for electronic music. in the business mags. But what you stuff" category. Obscure goodies you could do is offer instant availability of can use PostScript and a printer for to just a few cards. Better yet, you could make a buck or fill some community Clotilde. Either circle cutter works best offer personal graphics the big guys need. Stuff that requires only a few over a plastic cutting mat. won’t dream of touching. nickels worth of supplies and takes a Circular justification routines are Ferinstance, maps are easily added few minutes of your time to create a found in KCIRCTEXT.GPS. to any custom business card. And the unique personal product… A variant on badges are cups and potential for personal "Here’s how to mugs that accept "drop in" graphics. get to our house" cards is still largely Paper Sources Neil Enterprises and Inkadinkado are untapped. And wide open. Just in case you hadn’t noticed, the two leaders here. See GURU41.PDF for further details. price of paper just doubled in the last Additional card layout utilities are in twenty minutes. On the other hand, Business Cards BLANKSUSA.GPS, CARDSNOW.GPS, there are lots of new papers that are Cutting custom business cards used PCARDADD.GPS, and NUTS12.PDF. more laser friendly, more permanent, to be real bad news. Besides being a and in far more colors, weights, and tedious hassle, if you were off even a Stepping & Repeating styles than ever before. little bit, the cards looked awful. The key secret to any smaller sized Start with a local store in the Paper Today, there are all sorts of precut speciality desktop product is a strong Plus chain. Or check into the dozens business card blanks. Two examples step and repeat routine. Which lets you,

July 1995 / Nuts & Volts Magazine 24 ferinstance, do 10 to 12 business cards, liquid form at a large office supply. new from half a dozen badges or three bumper While 3-M Post-It does make nine-up stickers on each sheet. notes for laser printing, these can be DON LANCASTER But simply any old repeating utility costly and hard to find. ACTIVE FILTER COOKBOOK won’t do. What you really want is a Another alternative is to print the The sixteenth (!) printing of Don’s bible on analog op-amp lowpass, bandpass, and highpass active step-and-almost-repeat. This one lets outlines of several post-it notes onto a filters. De-mystified instant designs. $28.50 you make up sequentially numbered carrier, stick the notes extactly to the tickets, or automatically customizing outlines, and then send it through a CMOS AND TTL COOKBOOKS awards with your recipients’ names. laser printer. This gets handy for full Millions of copies in print worldwide. THE two books for digital integrated circuit fundamentals. Sequential entries in a special array custom on oddball colors. About as hands-on as you can get. $28.50 each. get used to customize each result. Hot Stamp Foils I have posted the step-and-repeat INCREDIBLE SECRET routine I use as STEPNRPT.PS. There This stuff used to be known as Kroy MONEY MACHINE II are dozens of templates here. Color. Toner is a thermoplastic glue as Updated 2nd edition of Don’s classic on setting well as a coloring agent. Should you up your own technical or craft venture. $18.50 Padding Compound put hot toner in pressure contact with Magic Padding Compound glop lets a hot stamp foil, the toner will remelt, LANCASTER CLASSICS LIBRARY Don’s best early stuff at a bargain price. Includes you do a removable binding for such grabbing to the foil. The result can the CMOS Cookbook, The TTL Cookbook, Active Filter Cookbook, PostScript video, Case Against things as note pads or calendars. In convert toner into brilliant colors. Patents, Incredible Secret Money Machine II, and our PostScript class, prescription pads Brights, pastels, or metallics. Hardware Hacker II reprints. $119.50 seemed real popular. Most direct mail paper sources do All of your sheets must get jogged offer the small quantity foil kits. The LOTS OF OTHER GOODIES .Ask . . . the. . . Guru. . . . .I . or. . II. .or . . III...... $24.50. . . . . before padding. Preferably by using a simplest method is to tape a precut .Hardware ...... Hacker...... II, . .III . .or . .IV ...... $24.50. . . . . real printer’s jogger. piece of foil on a select toner area, and .Micro . . . . .Cookbook ...... I...... $19.50...... PostScript ...... Beginner ...... Stuff...... $29.50. . . . . After jogging, you can clamp your run the sheet back through any laser .PostScript ...... Show . . . . .and . . . Tell...... $29.50...... Intro . . . .to . .PostScript ...... Video ...... $29.50. . . . . sheets in a homemade squasher and printer having a straight path. .PostScript ...... Reference ...... II ...... $32.50...... PostScript ...... Tutorial/Cookbook ...... $19.50. . . . . paint the edge with the glop. Two or Sadly, there was this chicken-egg .PostScript ...... by . . Example...... $32.50. . . . . three thin coats are better. problem that kept all this stuff from .Understanding ...... PS. . . Programming...... $29.50...... PostScript: ...... A. .Visual . . . . . Approach...... $22.50. . . . . Then dry overnight. A giant stack really taking off. The special machines .PostScript ...... Program ...... Design...... $24.50...... Thinking ...... in. . PostScript...... $22.50. . . . . can be padded at once and then torn (which require very careful control of .LaserWriter ...... Reference ...... $19.50. . . . . apart into individual projects. temperature and pressure) remained .Type . . . . 1. .Font . . . .Format ...... $16.50...... Acrobat ...... Reference...... $24.50. . . . . One welcome and cheap gift is to outrageously expensive and hard to .Whole . . . . . works...... (all . . .PostScript) ...... $380.00...... PostScript ...... Insider ...... Secrets ...... FREE . . . . take any stack of Astrobright papers, get. And the sheets themselves tend .Hacking ...... Insider ...... Secrets ...... FREE . . . . and add a child’s custom name to the to be way overpriced. top sheet. Perhaps as "Melissa’s very All of which still leads us to a great POSTSCRIPT SECRETS own paper" and some crayon art. untapped opportunity. Sources of hot A Book/Disk combination crammed full of free fonts, insider resources, utilities, publications, Or the ultimate padding compound foils include Crown Roll Leaf, Hoechst, workarounds, fontgrabbing, more. For most any ploy: Go to the bank and get yourself and Transfer Print Foils. The latter has PostScript printer. Mac or PC format. $29.50 100 new and sequentially numbered a great Foiled Again newsletter. BOOK-ON-DEMAND PUB KIT one dollar bills. Then long edge bind There’s also a hot stamp foil trade Ongoing details on Book-on-demand publishing, a new method of producing books only when and them using padding compound. Add journal called Inside Finishing. as ordered. Reprints, sources, samples. $39.50 a "time to reorder" form between bills A superb source for intermediate number 20 and 21. And add the usual quantities of foil rolls is FoilMax. You THE CASE AGAINST PATENTS cardboard sheet on the bottom. can find more on building your own For most individuals, patents are virtually certain to result in a net loss of sanity, energy, time, and A tip on smaller prescription pads: foil fusion machines in HACK11.PDF money. This two volume set shows you tested Do the step and repeat in such a way or in GURU43.PDF. and proven real-world alternatives. 28.50 that your to-be-bound edges all end Rubber Stamps BLATANT OPPORTUNIST I up portrait left and portrait right. The reprints from all Don’s Midnight Engineering Certain jobs will end up rotated or "Rubber" stamps are not made from columns. Includes a broad range of real world, proven coverage on small scale technical startup flipped on the page. rubber. Chemical photopolymers get ventures. Stuff you can use right now. $24.50 Then pad up the full stack of whole used instead. sheets at once. Finally, cut the pads to Because of the photo process, you RESOURCE BIN I A complete collection of all Don’s Nuts & Volts size. This shares your clamping and can image any combination of text, columns to date, including a new index and his padding labor efforts. clip art, and custom graphics you like. master names and numbers list. $24.50 Padding compound is available for Even photos. around $6 a quart from Paper Plus or To make a stamp, you first create a FREE SAMPLES Well, nearly free anyway. Almost. Do join us on just about any printing supply house. 1:1 negative of your desired artwork. GEnie PSRT to sample all of the Guru’s goodies. The downloading cost on a typical Guru file is 21 While white and pink are the stock Direct PostScript laser printing onto cents. Modem access: Dial (800) 638-8369. On colors, you can add ink or easter egg polyester works just fine. prompt, JOINGENIE, then DMD524 on key. dye to the white for full color. A fairly thick photopolymer layer FREE VOICE HELPLINE VISA /MC gets spread out and carefully spaced SYNERGETICS Custom Post-It Notes between two glass panels. The first Box 809-NV Thatcher, AZ 85552 Those "Post-it" notes are related to side is then flash exposed without the (520) 428-4073 padding compound. You can buy the negative with uv light. The exposure removable adhesive glop in roller or time is selected to precisely harden Write in 146 on Reader Service Card.

25 July 1995/Nuts & Volts Magazine ALTERNATE DESKTOP RESOURCES

Advance Process Supply Cards Now Great Papers Metalphoto Print Central Special Editions 400 North Noble Street 6401 Odana Road PO Box 8465 18531 South Miles Road Box JJ PO Box 345 Chicago IL 60622 Madison WI 53719 Mankato MN 56002 Cleveland OH 44128 Rolla MO 65401 Thatcher AZ 85552 (312) 829-1400 (800) 233-9767 (800) 287-8163 (216) 475-0555 (314) 364-0339 (602) 428-7871

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Beaver Prints Fomebords Impact Paper Adventures Quick Tickets Ticket Express 305 Main Street 2211 North Elston Ave PO Box 291505 PO Box 04393 G-3030 West Pasadena 366 Melody Lane Bellwood PA 16617 Chicago IL 60614 Nashville TN 37229 Milwauker WI 53204 Flint MI 48504 Casselberry FL 32707 (800) 923-2837 (312) 278-9200 (800) 433-2278 (800) 727-0699 (800) 521-1142 (800) 544-8520

Blanks USA FoilMax Impressions Paper Design Quill Transfer Magic 2722 Fernbrook Lane N 8838 Viscount Blvd #H 1515 Broadway 624 West Broadway PO Box 4700 130 Grand Street Minneapolis MN 55447 El Paso TX 79925 New York NY 10036 Mesa AZ 85210 Lincolnshire IL 60197 Carlstadt NJ 07072 (800) 328-7311 (915) 594-9345 (212) 669-1300 (602) 834-1815 (312) 634-4800 (201) 935-9005

Dick Blick Fotofoil/ Miller Dial Inkadinkado Paper Direct Recharger Transfer Print Foils Box 1267 4400 North Temple City Blvd 60 Cummings Park 57 Romanelli Avenue 4218 W Charleston Blvd PO Box 518 Galesburg IL 61401 El Monte CA 91734 Woburn MA 01801 S Hackensack NJ 07606 Las Vegas NV 89102 E Brunswick NJ 08816 (800) 447-8192 (818) 444-4555 (617) 938-6100 (800) A-PAPERS (702) 438-5557 (201) 238-1800

HS Boyd Gerber Scientific InsideFinishing Paper Plus Screen Printing Victory Glass 6915 East 14th Street 83 Gerber Road PO Box 56652 3820 South Palo Verde #108 407 Gilbert Avenue 3260 Ute Avenue Tulsa OK 74112 S Windsor CT 06074 Washington DC 20040 Tucson AZ 85714 Cincinatti OH 45202 Waukee IA 50263 (918) 835-9359 (203) 644-1551 (202) 882-7949 (602) 889-9500 (513) 421-2050 (515) 987-5765

California Printers Goes Lithographing Laser Buddy P-O-P & Sign Design Service Tectonics Viking Paper PO Box 11766 42 West 61st Street 117A Commrcial Drive 7400 Skokie Blvd 2827 Treat Street PO Box 61144 Santa Ana CA 92711 Chicago IL 60621 Thomasville GA 31792 Skokie IL 60077 Adrian MI 49221 Los Angeles CA 90061 (714) 836-9653 (312) 684-6700 (800) 873-9758 (708) 675-7400 (517) 263-0758 (800) 421-1222

Martin Carbone Grantham Polly-Stamp LaserCraft/ Darcy Premier Papers Southern Sign Supply Wyndstone 22519 Bath Street 418 Central Avenue NE 15455-C N Grnwy-Hayden PO Box 64785 127 Roesler Road 1400 East Touhy Ave #475 Santa Barbara CA 93105 E Grand Forks MI 56721 Scottsdale AZ 85260 St Paul MN 55164 Glen Burnie MD 21060 Des Plaines IL 60018 (805) 682-0465 (218) 773-0331 (602) 991-2320 (800) 843-0414 (310) 768-8600 (708) 297-2330 one half of the polymer thickness. worthwhile, you normally will make stamps, optimized for press uses. And You’ll then flip your photopolymer a larger sheet with bunches of stamp often used for such things as printing over. This time, you expose through projects on it. These can then be cut shipping cartons and such. A review your negative. This creates a "mesa" up into individual stamps. of photopolymers in general appeared effect, where the entire bottom of the The usual starting point on all this back in HACK66.PDF. stamp is hardened, sloping on up to a is Grantham Polly-Stamp. In medium precise artwork match. quantities, the glop is available from Silk Screening The remaining liquid polymer is R. A. Stewart. For railroad tank car The silk screening process gets used then washed out, followed by another lots, use Hercules-Merigraph. for everything from T-shirts to posters exposure to complete the hardening. Do-it-yourself stamp projects are in to advertising signs to greeting cards You then add the usual soft backing our PostScript Beginning Projects. to playbills to circuit boards. and a suitable handle. The big boys use flexographic plates Traditionally, original artwork got To make the process economic and instead. Which are just giant rubber photographed and processed. Ending

July 1995/Nuts & Volts Magazine 26 up with a silk or metal screen having specialties and such. It is particularly the most fiendish possible routine to holes where ink is to go and blockout useful for printing on 3-D surfaces. go with the "dollar ripoff" ploy. where ink is to be stopped. Even eggshells can be pad printed. There will be a largish pile of my The screen is then tightly stretched To pad print, ink gets placed on an new Incredible Secret Money Machine II into a hinged frame, and gets held a etched plate called a caliche. And then books going to the dozen or so better fraction of an inch above what you wiped using a doctor blade. A silicon entries, plus an all-expense-paid (FOB are printing. A squeege forces special rubber pad picks up the ink and then Thatcher, AZ) tinaja quest for two that ink on through the screen. Contacting rolls it onto your pen or golf ball or will go to the very best of all. only where pressure is applied. whatever. A carefully chosen involute Some inks air dry. Others cure with pad shape prevents distortion. For More Information heat or ultraviolet light. Suppliers do include Barton-Nelson, The dozens of free printshop trade Two major suppliers of silk screen Print Central, Service Tectonics, and journals are superb starting points for products are Southern Sign Supply and Basco. One source for etched plates in exploring alternate desktop concepts. Advance Process. The leading mag is general is Owosso Graphics Quick Printing is pretty near the best. Screen Printing. One direct mail source More on pad printing is found in Especially its Helene’s Helpline product for smaller quantities is Dick Blick. PADPRINT.TXT and GURU59.PDF. locator service. Instant Printing can be Two trade journals specific to T-shirts a second good choice. are Impressions and PrintWear. Other Opportunities My favorite two regional printer’s One ultra low end artsy-craftsy silk For thin self-stick full color photos classifieds are California Printer and screen creating machine is Gocco. And in various sizes, PhotoLabels. For glass Horse Trader. The Printer’s Hot Line is available from Think Ink. An ordinary etching Armour Products, Professional a useful nationwide pub. flashbulb is used to expose the film. Glass Consultants, National Sandblast, There are several more. If you really want to go whole hog, or Victory Glass. Plus, of course, Recharger Magazine. Gerber makes an incredible PostScript For quality embroidery machines, Printer’s shareware is available from to silk screen mastering machine. It one leader is Meistergram. For metal an outfit that goes by the catchy name functions sort of like a inkjet printer. signs or dials, Fotofoil, Metalphoto, or of Printer’s Shareware. Except that your blocking resist goes 3-M Dynamark. For vinyl signcutters, But note that Printer’s Shopper is not directly onto the screen itself. Roland or Gerber. a shopper at all. It is instead a useful Precise multi color, too. For glow-in-the-darks, prismatics, wide range and a full line catalog of All the photo chemistry and all the holographics, and whatevers, Coburn. print supplies. Most at list price. slopping in the slush is eliminated in For heavier material stock in general, Of my own products, my PostScript one swell foop. This one is expensive. FomeBords. For applications help, the Beginning Projects and Book-on-demand About the same as a new car. POP &Sign Design mag. Publishing Kit can give you lots more "Fuzzy" lettering and such can be Your cheapest and best source for insider info. You can check my nearby done using a sneaky process called a lamination machines and materials is Synergetics ad for details. hot split plastisol. Any letter, such as a USI. Also check pricey GBC. Or call me for details. There’s lots I football jersey number, becomes heat For tickets, Quick Tickets or Ticket had to cut to get this column down to bonded to the fabric. While it is still Express. For stock die cuts, Die-O-Perf size. Bumperstickers, announcements, hot, the letter is literally rent asunder. or Blanks USA. Free samples. custom papermaking, and more. Leaving half of the chemistry on the Low cost scoring systems by Martin Besides the mentioned files, there’s backing sheet and half of it on your Carbone. Also H.S. Boyd. bunches more up on my GEnie PSRT. fabric. The violent tearing gives you Special scissors for fancier paper Plus preprints and reprints of all my the final fuzzy surface. The leading edging from Back Street Designs. A big columns and stories. supplier of this sort of stuff is Stahl’s. warning here: Seamstresses will react Let’s hear from you. ✦ They’ve also got several free videos violently when you even glance available on their offerings. Gerber sideways at their pinking shears! Microcomputer pioneer and guru Don also stocks large quantities of hot split For heavier, high gloss and brightly Lancaster is the author of 32 books and plastisols. And related inks. colored laserpapers: LaserCraft from countless tech articles. Don maintains his Direct thermal transfer materials Darcy Paper. Great stuff. no-charge tech helpline found at (520) are also available. Try out Wyndstone. For laser printer parts and training, 428-4073, besides offering all of his own Or check into the Transfer Magic. Don Thompson. For effective binding books, reprints, and all of his consulting When you are instead interested in systems Unibind. Especially their new services. He also has a free catalog full of "instant felt" flocking, one supplier is Pentabind product. his resource secrets waiting for you. Your Don Jer. The old way was to apply For certificate stock, use Paper Plus best calling times are 8-5 on weekdays, liquid glop and then spray on all the in small lots. Or Goes Lithography or Mountain Standard Time. flock itself with a cabbage duster type Action Communications in bulk. Don is now the sysop of GEnie PSRT, of beastie. A second route is offered For custom consulting and design where a special Resource Bin topic has by Hop Industries. Who offer precut on products that successfully sell in a been reserved for Nuts & Volts readers. and prepatterned transfers. small town, Special Editions. For modem access: (800) 638-8369. When More on flock in GURU74.PDF. prompted, enter JOINGENIE. When asked This Month’s Contest for an offer code, enter DMD524. Pad Printing Let’s have two contests this month. You can also reach Don at Synergetics, One really obscure alternate to silk Either (A) Tell me about an alternate Box 809, Thatcher, AZ 85552. Or send screening is known as Pad Printing. destop opportunity or resource I do any messages to his Internet address of Pad printing gets used for advertising not yet know about, or (B) Dream up [email protected]

27 July 1995/Nuts & Volts Magazine July 1995/Nuts & Volts Magazine 28 Don Lancaster’s RESOURCE BIN

number forty-three

Electronic music then and now.

ur usual reminder here that the Generator which produced the twelve include stability and the restriction to Resource Bin is now a two-way notes of the highest octave. Cascaded monophonic single notes. O column. You can get tech help, binary divider chains then produced One supplier for traditional analog consultant referrals and off-the-wall lower frequency sawtooth waves. SSM synth chips is PMI. networking on nearly any electronic, A sawtooth wave has all harmonics The next electronic music milestone tinaja questing, personal publishing, present and rather strong. Suitable got reached when this person by the money machine, or computer topic by filters could emphasize or reduce any name of Chowning made an amazing calling me at (520) 428-4073 weekdays given harmonic to voice the various discovery. By frequency modulating a 8-5 Mountain Standard Time. organ pipes or instruments. note, different harmonics result. A portion of my PSRT RoundTable The rule was to use sinewaves for All this happens because of certain on GEnie has also been set aside for flutes, square waves for woodwinds, obscure properties of all those Bessel you Nuts & Volts readers. This is the and sawtooths for strings. Functions underlying FM modulation. place you go for instant tech answers. The "locked in" nature of the notes You could now create different tonal Among the many files in our library, and the limited note envelopes very colors without needing either fixed or you will find complete reprints for all much defined the obtainable sounds. tracking filters. On the fly. the Resource Bin columns. The best early book on these was the Round about the same time, others I did manage to wrangle one super classic Electronic Music Instruments. decided to work out from the supply special signup deal for you Resource Authored by Richard Dorf. side. Designing all sorts of personal Bin readers. Ten free hours. A source for replacement parts and computer software products. Which GEnie now offers far lower daytime organ electronics is Fistell’s. let you compose, translate, and print rates, a direct Internet access, plus a By far the finest of all the electronic musical scores. The Sonata font from Windows graphics interface, so it’s an organs was (and remains) Allen. Who Adobe Systems was one example. even better deal than ever. went so far as to produce a separate Along with MIDI links between pc’s See the trailer blurb for details. oscillator for every note, simulated air and intelligent instruments. supply variations known as electronic As with all other electronics, the Electronic Music whind, and even a chiff, that sudden switch to digital became inevitable. Electronic music is a rather highly startup transient when a traditional Digital once and for all solved the old technology driven field. Defined by polyphony problems. Because your what was possible at the time. keyboard was now isolated from the Several goals do include: Producing NEXT MONTH: Don looks at tone generators. A pressed key gets a sounds that are not restricted to the national and local resources generator assigned. That assignment physics of acoustic resonance. for the physically disabled. continued until the note’s decay. Reducing costs of orchestral, video, Also new to digital was the concept theater, CD and motion picture sound of wavetable synthesis. Where the note production. Adding sound and music organ pipe gets hit with a burst of air. harmonics and its envelope could be to computers. Enhancing a traditional An outstanding read on this is Trials stored and executed separately. instrument. Creating new sounds. and Triumphs of an Organ Builder from Wavetable synthesis also drew no The earliest electronic music device Allen’s Vox Humania Press. distinction between traditional tones, was an instrument called a Theremin. speech, or even oinking pigs. It was a This dates from the late 1920’s. There Moog and Company totally generalist solution to creating were two radio frequency oscillators, Next in line was the era of the Moog variable pitch and amplitude. each connected to sensitive antennas. Synthesizer. Using analog VCO voltage The early leader here was Ensoniq. Bring your hand near one antenna controlled oscillators, VCA amplifiers, Whose chips went into nearly all of to change the pitch. The other varies and VCF filters. VCO’s set your pitch, the mainstream synthesizers. Not to loudness. Playing in mid air. driven from a keyboard voltage. mention such computers as the Apple Traditional Theremin sources often Those VCA’s set the attack-sustain- IIGS and many others. do advertise in Sound Practices. PAIA decay envelope of the note. The VCF’s Ensoniq never seemed too excited Electronics has new Theremin kits. created the note’s timbre. about selling individual chips. Since Next came electronic organs. They All VCO’s had to be stable and have that time, Integrated Circuit Systems usually started off with a Top Octave a wide log range. Major problems did has become a leading supplier of low

August 1995 / Nuts & Volts Magazine 24 cost digital synthisizer chips. new from Yet another source of digital synth PAIA Electronics chips is Yamaha. A fourth significant The long time leader in lower end DON LANCASTER resource here is Crystal Semiconductor, electronic music kits, PAIA offers a ACTIVE FILTER COOKBOOK the foremost supplier of high quality wide variety of unique products. The sixteenth (!) printing of Don’s bible on analog op-amp lowpass, bandpass, and highpass active delta-sigma A/D converter chips. By musicians for musicians. filters. De-mystified instant designs. $28.50 Competing with Crystal are Analog Three current projects are their Fat Devices and Burr-Brown. Man Analog MIDI Synth, their brand CMOS AND TTL COOKBOOKS About this time, the toy music all of new Theremin kit (you did see it here Millions of copies in print worldwide. THE two books for digital integrated circuit fundamentals. a sudden started sounding real good. first), and their "vacuum tube sound" About as hands-on as you can get. $28.50 each. Letting certain $39 consumer products front end preamps. outperform $8000 electronic organs. Free catalogs are offered. See below INCREDIBLE SECRET These days, we’re in the midst of a for their web home page. MONEY MACHINE II Digital Signal Processor revolution. In Many thanks to PAIA honcho John Updated 2nd edition of Don’s classic on setting which the entire sound gen system is Simonton, who contributed several up your own technical or craft venture. $18.50 totally flexible, fully programmable key resources to this column. and software driven. LANCASTER CLASSICS LIBRARY Don’s best early stuff at a bargain price. Includes JASA and JAES the CMOS Cookbook, The TTL Cookbook, Active MIDI Filter Cookbook, PostScript video, Case Against Much in the way of original tech Patents, Incredible Secret Money Machine II, and The centermost key to everything research and "horses mouth" music Hardware Hacker II reprints. $119.50 even remotely electronic musical is papers comes down in a pair of classic called MIDI. MIDI is an asynchronous journals. The older of the two is JASA, LOTS OF OTHER GOODIES .Ask . . . the. . . Guru. . . . .I . or. . II. .or . . III...... $24.50. . . . . 31.5 kilobaud channel remarkably or the Journal of the Acoustical Society of .Hardware ...... Hacker...... II, . .III . .or . .IV ...... $24.50. . . . . similar to plain old serial computer America. The newer is the Journal of the .Micro . . . . .Cookbook ...... I...... $19.50...... PostScript ...... Beginner ...... Stuff...... $29.50. . . . . comm. The main two differences are Audio Engineering Society. .PostScript ...... Show . . . . .and . . . Tell...... $29.50...... Intro . . . .to . .PostScript ...... Video ...... $29.50. . . . . the strange baud rate and the ability .PostScript ...... Reference ...... II ...... $32.50. . . . . Experimental .PostScript ...... Tutorial/Cookbook ...... $19.50. . . . . for several addressible sites to share the .PostScript ...... by . . Example...... $32.50. . . . . same serial channel. Musical Instruments .Understanding ...... PS. . . Programming...... $29.50...... PostScript: ...... A. .Visual . . . . . Approach...... $22.50. . . . . MIDI commands typically specify a This is one superbly well done and .PostScript ...... Program ...... Design...... $24.50...... Thinking ...... in. . PostScript...... $22.50. . . . . note, its envelope, and its duration. little-known magazine. While mostly .LaserWriter ...... Reference ...... $19.50. . . . . MIDI also can get used to upload or about strange new ways of blowing .Type . . . . 1. .Font . . . .Format ...... $16.50...... Acrobat ...... Reference...... $24.50. . . . . download presets. Or anywhere else on a gourd or twanging a coat hanger, .Whole . . . . . works...... (all . . .PostScript) ...... $380.00...... PostScript ...... Insider ...... Secrets ...... FREE . . . . you’ll want to exchange intelligence both electronics and traditionals are .Hacking ...... Insider ...... Secrets ...... FREE . . . . between music modules, instruments, covered in depth. or even entire orchestras. POSTSCRIPT SECRETS There’s a dozen good MIDI books Online Resources A Book/Disk combination crammed full of free fonts, insider resources, utilities, publications, out. The oldest and finest is Craig Most current electronic music info workarounds, fontgrabbing, more. For most any Anderton’s MIDI For Musicians. The appears online these days. Including PostScript printer. Mac or PC format. $29.50 Internet primary MIDI home page is the music itself. Let’s look at a few BOOK-ON-DEMAND PUB KIT HTTP://WWW.EEP.ELE.TUE.NL/MIDI.INDEX.HTML more examples… Ongoing details on Book-on-demand publishing, http:///www/paia.com.paia a new method of producing books only when and Roland offers a free newsletter on is quite strong on as ordered. Reprints, sources, samples. $39.50 their MIDI products. Also see the 88 electronic music kit support. page Computers & Music catalog. http://rowlf.cc.wwu.edu:8080/~n9343176/schems.htms THE CASE AGAINST PATENTS focuses on their schematics for guitar For most individuals, patents are virtually certain Electronic Musician to result in a net loss of sanity, energy, time, and effects and related stomp boxes. money. This two volume set shows you tested The most obvious mainstream pub http://www.hyperreal.com/machines has lots of and proven real-world alternatives. 28.50 is, of course, Electronic Musician. A synthesizer schematics. http:///www.hk.net/~prs.midi.html BLATANT OPPORTUNIST I monthly mag chock full of reviews, publishes the The reprints from all Don’s Midnight Engineering theory, and commercial ads. Archives of Classic MIDI Sequences. columns. Includes a broad range of real world, proven coverage on small scale technical startup A recent issue covered such topics http://www.galaxy.einet.net/hytelnet/ful063.html is a ventures. Stuff you can use right now. $24.50 as multimedia careers, the review of music and brain info database. online commercial services, and hot http://www.cecer.army.mil/~burnett/MDB is a data RESOURCE BIN I A complete collection of all Don’s Nuts & Volts new DSP plug ins. base on commercial music albums. columns to date, including a new index and his telnet: runner.utsa.edu login: imr provides the master names and numbers list. $24.50 MIX Bookshelf CARISS or Computer-Assisted Retrieval Electronic Musician also publishes Service System for Music. Which covers FREE SAMPLES Well, nearly free anyway. Almost. Do join us on MIX magazine for sound recording music medicine and music therapy. GEnie PSRT to sample all of the Guru’s goodies. The downloading cost on a typical Guru file is 21 studios. Together, they also offer the anonymous ftp: ftp.uwp.edu; path: pub/music is a cents. Modem access: Dial (800) 638-8369. On MIX Bookshelf. Which now stocks the music archive on artists, discography, prompt, JOINGENIE, then DMD524 on key. definitive collection of pretty much lyrics, and pictures. FREE VOICE HELPLINE VISA /MC everything on electronic music, MIDI, rec.music.makers.builders is the newsgroup SYNERGETICS audio, and video recording. for instruments and electronics. Box 809-NV rec.music.makers.synth Thatcher, AZ 85552 Their free catalog is a must. One is one newsgroup (520) 428-4073 excellent beginning book is Electronic with useful homebrew info in it. Projects for Musicians. To subscribe to the synth-diy, mail Write in 146 on Reader Service Card.

25 August 1995/Nuts & Volts Magazine ELECTRONIC MUSIC RESOURCES

Adobe Systems Diapson GEnie Mechanical Music Piano Technicians Journal Rough & Tumble Engineers PO Box 7900 380 E Northwest Hwy 401 N Washington St 887 E Orange Avenue 3930 Washington Street Box 9 Mountain View CA 94039 Des Plaines IL 60016 Rockville MD 20850 St Paul MN 55106 Kansas City MO 64111 Kinzers PA 17535 (800) 833-6687 (708) 298-6622 (800) 638-9636 (612) 774-2490 (717) 442-4249

American Organist Early Keyboard Journal Glass Audio MIX Bookshelf Play Meter Sound Practices 475 Riverside Drive Ste 1260 Box 32022 PO Box 876 6400 Hollis St #12 PO Box 24970 Box 180562 New York NY 10115 Charlotte NC 28232 Peterborough NH 03458 Emeryville CA 94608 New Orleans LA 70184 Austin TX 78718 (212) 870-2163 FAX (919) 842-4322 (603) 924-9464 (800) 233-9604 (504) 488-7003 (512) 339-6229

Analog Devices Elderly Instrument Guitar Player Modern Keyboard Player Piano Company Synergetics PO Box 9106 1100 N Washington 20095 Stevens Creek 1115 Broadway 8th FL 704 E Douglas Box 809 Norwood MA 02062 Lansing MI 48901 Cupertino CA 95014 New York NY 10010 Wichita KS 67202 Thatcher AZ 85552 (617) 329-4700 (517) 373-7890 (408) 446-1105 (212) 807-7100 (316) 263-3241 (602) 428-4073

Audio Amateur Electronic Musician Integrated Circuit Sys Music & Sound Retailer PMI Theater Organ Box 576 6400 Hollis St #12 PO Box 968 25 Willowdale Avenue 1500 Space Park Dr Box 417490 Peterborough NH 03458 Emeryville CA 94608 Valley Forge PA 19482 Port Washington NY 11050 Santa Clara CA 95052 Sacramento CA 95841 (603) 924-9464 (415) 653-3307 (610) 630-5300 (516) 767-2500 (800) 843-1515 (916) 966-3172 FAX

Burr-Brown Ensoniq Journal AES Music Retailing Ragtime Tracker 6730 S Tucson Blvd 263 Great Valley Pkwy 60 E 42nd St Rm 2520 70 Rt 202 North 4218 Jessup #AB Box 26811 Tucson AZ 85706 Malvern PA 19355 New York City NY 10165 Peterborough NH 03458 Ceres CA 95307 Richmond VA 23261 (602) 746-1111 (215) 647-3930 (212) 661-2355 (603) 924-0058 (209) 668-0366 (804) 253-9226

Clavier Exp Musical Instruments Jnl Am Organbuilding MMR /Musical Merch Review Reed Organ Society Bulletin Ulrichs Dictionary 200 Northfield Road 1700 Old Rancheria Rd Box 130982 100 Wells Avenue 6907 Rix Street SE 121 Chanlon Rd Northfield IL 60093 Nicasio CA 94946 Houston TX 77219 Newton MA 02159 Ada MI 49301 New Providence NJ 07974 (708) 446-5000 (415) 662-2182 (713) 529-2212 (617) 964-5100 (616) 676-1188 (908) 771-7714

Computers & Music Factsheet Five Journal ASA PAIA Electronics RePlay Vox Humania Press 647 Mission Street R Seth Friedman 335 E 45th St 3200 Teakwood Ln 22157 Clarendon St 150 Locust St San Francisco CA 94105 PO Box 170099 New York City NY 10017 Edmond OK 73013 Woodland Hills CA 91365 Macungie PA 18062 (800) 767-6161 San Francisco CA 94117 (212) 661-9404 (405) 340-6300 (818) 347-3820 (215) 966-2200

Crystal Semiconductor Fistell’s Microelectronics Keyboard Pedal Steel News Roland Digital Yamaha PO Box 17847 7023 E Colfax 20085 Stevens Creek Blvd Box 248 7200 Dominion Circle 6600 Orangethorpe Avenue Austin TX 78744 Denver CO 80220 Cupertino CA 95014 Floral Park NY 11001 Los Angeles CA 90040 Buena Park CA 90622 (800) 888-5016 (303) 393-6000 (408) 446-1105 (213) 685-5141 (714) 522-9011 [email protected]’ then you subscribe Clavier, Diapson, Tracker, Journal of with the latest in the field. synth-diy . This is American Organbuilding, the Reed So, for this month’s contest, just tell a new synthesizer resource. Organ Bulletin, and Theater Organ. me about any new electronic music To subscribe to Bode, route mail to Older musicians should appreciate resource I don’t know about. [email protected] followed by a subscribe Elderly Instruments, or else that Early There will be a largish pile of my bode Keyboard Journal. Younger ones might new Incredible Secret Money Machine II To subscribe to analogue.heaven, use favor Guitar Player, Modern Keyboard, books going to the dozen or so better [email protected] Pedal Steel News, and Keyboard. entries, plus an all-expense-paid (FOB Commercial online forums include Hobby music projects often appear Thatcher, AZ) tinaja quest for two that America Online’s SSS, plus GEnie’s in Popular Electronics, Electronics Now, will go to the very best of all. MIDI (an 8000+ file library) or their Nuts & Volts, and Audio Amateur. Let’s hear from you. ✦ MUSIC (5000+ files) RoundTables. For player pianos, Mechanical Music or the Piano Technicans Journal. Three Microcomputer pioneer and guru Don Special Musical Interests good parts sources include Player Lancaster is the author of 32 books and There are zillions of music special Piano Company, Rough and Tumble countless tech articles. Don maintains his interest magazines, newsletters, and Engineers, and Ragtime. For modern no-charge tech helpline found at (520) trade journals. As always, your best coin-op stuff, RePlay and Play Meter. 428-4073, besides offering all of his own starting point is using that Ulrichs We saw lots on jukebox resources in books, reprints, and all of his consulting Periodicals Dictionary, available on line HACK73.PDF on my GEnie PSRT. And services. He also has a free catalog full of or at your local library. in the Hardware Hacker reprints. his resource secrets waiting for you. Your A second great source for the really The main music store trade journals best calling times are 8-5 on weekdays, off-the-wall stuff is FactSheet 5. do include Music and Sound Retailing, Mountain Standard Time. Vacuum tube traditionalists should Music Retailing, and MMR. Don is now the sysop of GEnie PSRT, find Glass Audio and Sound Practices of For actual music production, try where a special Resource Bin topic has interest. All any vacuum tube does is out Recording and Mix magazines. been reserved for Nuts & Volts readers. unreliably and inefficiently add hum, For modem access: (800) 638-8369. When noise, and distortion to an otherwise This Month’s Contest prompted, enter JOINGENIE. When asked clean audio channel. I used to publish lots of homebrew for an offer code, enter DMD524. A surprisingly large number of my electronic music projects way back in You can also reach Don at Synergetics, helpline callers are building their own Popular Electronics. Circa 1965-1973. Box 809, Thatcher, AZ 85552. Or send real pipe organs. Important resources But since I can not carry a tune in a any messages to his Internet address of here do include the American Organist, bucket, I have tended to lose touch [email protected]

August 1995/Nuts & Volts Magazine 26 27 August 1995/Nuts & Volts Magazine Don Lancaster’s RESOURCE BIN

number forty-four

Disabled and handicapped resources.

ur usual reminder here that the that supposedly "help" the disabled Center Publications and Media Catalog. Resource Bin is now a two-way may have hidden goals and agendas. They also maintain a co-op electronic O column. You can get tech help, Such as a school lumping the truly library on disability. consultant referrals and off-the-wall gifted right on down with the epsilon Their most important product is the networking on nearly any electronic, minuses. And then treating both of Co-Net CD-ROM. 20,000 listings for tinaja questing, personal publishing, them as "special" problems. co-op directories, publications, media, money machine, or computer topic by Fourth, many laws and regulations and materials. Plus a text library. A calling me at (520) 428-4073 weekdays involving disability issues range from single CD is $27. 8-5 Mountain Standard Time. woefully cost ineffective on down to This appears to be the single most A portion of my PSRT RoundTable outright ripoffs. Outright ripoffs that important disability resource. on GEnie has also been set aside for benefit nobody but bureaucrats. It is you Nuts & Volts readers. This is the insane to add $50 to the cost of a tv set Apple Computer place you go for instant tech answers. when a seventeen cent connector (and Just about all of the major personal Among the many files in our library, an optional card for a tiny minority of computer manufacturers have strong you will find complete reprints for all the sets) can do a better job. support for the disabled in one form the Resource Bin columns. A strong case can be made that the or another. But Apple Computer seems I did manage to wrangle one super sole purpose of ADA is to cripple and to be head and shoulders above the special signup deal for you Resource handicap small business. rest. They pride themselves in having Bin readers. Ten free hours. Finally, and most important, most created the industry’s first disability GEnie now offers far lower daytime disability subjects have long ago been group back in 1985. rates, a direct Internet access, plus a thoroughly discussed. All you have to Start off with their free Worldwide Windows graphics interface, so it’s an do is look. Some ferinstances… Disability Solutions. Their info packet even better deal than ever. has reprints and a MDR 4.0 disk. See the trailer blurb for details. Disability Bookshelf This disk is mainly two files. The In the past, we looked at a number first is a Hypercard tour of dozens of Handicapped Resources of those special interest direct mail third party keyboards, displays, and This month, I thought we’d take a bookshops which literally defined the alternate input devices. look into resources for the disabled. The second file whips on by as you High tech and otherwise. But before exit. And holds a dozen of the most we begin, here are several politically NEXT MONTH: Don looks at important field resources. incorrect guidelines which I do feel mightily manic multimedia At one time, Apple did publish a definitely need to be said… magazine madness. more extensive resource directory. A Firstoff, just about any third-party dated copy of this is in HACK10.PDF disability situation appears bound to on PSRT. Some of the info here may involve psychic energy sinks, guilt, or resource center for a topic. That SAE no longer be current, though. bad vibes. Pathos 101. The foremost Library for cars, the Mix Bookshelf for rule is to separate the baggage from the music and audio, Lindsay Publications N.I.C.H.C.Y. problem. So, the only reason to involve for "lost" technical lore, Navtech for The National Information Center for yourself is because you want to. GPS navigation, and so on. A lot more Children and Youth with Disabilities. It is not your problem, unless you on these in my GEnie PSRT. They offer dozens of free booklets to personally choose to make it so. One definitive resource here is the parents, educators, and caregivers. Second, I do not see there is any Disability Bookshelf. They stock over You can contact them for a free list. point whatsoever in developing any 400 titles, along with videos, cassettes, handicapped product or service unless and talking books. T.A.S.K. you have specific, long term, and first Any information quest should start Otherwise the Team of Advocates for hand knowledge of the problem. off with their $5 catalog. Special Kids is the parent organization Otherwise, you are certain to end serving all ages and disabilities. They up with what those french veterinians Trace Center do a newsletter and run a dozen title call a four paw. This one is run by the University of bookstore. They also distribute a free Third, recognize that institutions Wisconsin. Start with their free Trace Parent Information Packet.

September 1995 / Nuts & Volts Magazine 24 Yeah, Dialog is a premium service. new from Some Magazines Until you include that good old "Uh, Closing the Gap is a bimonthly mag compared to what?" factor. DON LANCASTER on the use of microcomputer related Your real biggie, of course, is that ACTIVE FILTER COOKBOOK technology by the disabled. They also Internet. There’s lots of online and CD The sixteenth (!) printing of Don’s bible on analog op-amp lowpass, bandpass, and highpass active put on international conferences that search services available these days. It filters. De-mystified instant designs. $28.50 include hands-on workshops. Their gets hard to keep current on even the next show is October 19-21, 1995 at the searchers, let alone the sites. CMOS AND TTL COOKBOOKS Minneapolis Radisson South Hotel. But, for readers not quite Internet Millions of copies in print worldwide. THE two books for digital integrated circuit fundamentals. The Disability Rag is one well done literate, there’s a printed alternative. I About as hands-on as you can get. $28.50 each. in-your-face alternate tabloid. It tells just got a copy of the brand new Gale it like it is. Bimonthly. It includes an Guide to Internet Data Bases. With only INCREDIBLE SECRET outspoken Advocado Press book and 8000 files at 2000 sites described, this MONEY MACHINE II pamphlet service. I particularly like one is barely off to a good start. But I Updated 2nd edition of Don’s classic on setting their "This jerk violates accessible have found it extremely useful… up your own technical or craft venture. $18.50 parking spaces" stickers. handicap.afd.olivetti.com does provide more Educom Review is a slick bimonthly LANCASTER CLASSICS LIBRARY than 800 files on handicapped life. It is Don’s best early stuff at a bargain price. Includes mag about learning, communications, the CMOS Cookbook, The TTL Cookbook, Active run by Rice University. Filter Cookbook, PostScript video, Case Against and information technology. Educom Patents, Incredible Secret Money Machine II, and is a nonprofit consortium of colleges, trace16.waisman.wisc.edu holds their Co-Net Hardware Hacker II reprints. $119.50 universities, and corporations. text library. This is a co-op network of The Exceptional Parent is a thick and information providers in the areas of LOTS OF OTHER GOODIES .Ask . . . the. . . Guru. . . . .I . or. . II. .or . . III...... $24.50. . . . . slick monthly magazine for families assistive technology. Also files on info .Hardware ...... Hacker...... II, . .III . .or . .IV ...... $24.50. . . . . and professionals. On parenting the system and computer accessibility. .Micro . . . . .Cookbook ...... I...... $19.50...... PostScript ...... Beginner ...... Stuff...... $29.50. . . . . disabled child or young adult. .PostScript ...... Show . . . . .and . . . Tell...... $29.50. . . . . sjuvm.stjohns.edu is that EASI database, .Intro . . . .to . .PostScript ...... Video ...... $29.50. . . . . Careers & the Disabled touts itself as short for Equal Access to Software and .PostScript ...... Reference ...... II ...... $32.50. . . . . the career magazine for people with .PostScript ...... Tutorial/Cookbook ...... $19.50. . . . . Information. Publications, workshops, .PostScript ...... by . . Example...... $32.50. . . . . disabilities. Has a Braille centerfold. .Understanding ...... PS. . . Programming...... $29.50. . . . . laws, and grant sources. .PostScript: ...... A. .Visual . . . . . Approach...... $22.50. . . . . Mostly "feel good" stories by Fortune .PostScript ...... Program ...... Design...... $24.50...... Thinking ...... in. . PostScript...... $22.50. . . . . 500 firms congratulating each other. val-dor.cc.buffalo.edu is the location for the .LaserWriter ...... Reference ...... $19.50. . . . . HEATH Resource Center on higher ed .Type . . . . 1. .Font . . . .Format ...... $16.50...... Acrobat ...... Reference...... $24.50. . . . . National Directories for individuals with disabilities. .Whole . . . . . works...... (all . . .PostScript) ...... $380.00...... Grey House Publishing has a pair of .PostScript ...... Insider ...... Secrets ...... FREE . . . . ericir.syr.edu is a librarian data base. It .Hacking ...... Insider ...... Secrets ...... FREE . . . . humongous references available. The includes disability coverage. first is the National Housing Directory POSTSCRIPT SECRETS For People With Disabilities. The second www.law.cornell.edu is a repository of US A Book/Disk combination crammed full of free fonts, insider resources, utilities, publications, is the Directory of Nursing Facilities for Law. Has documents and comments. workarounds, fontgrabbing, more. For most any Younger Adults with Chronic Physical One source for the ADA regs. PostScript printer. Mac or PC format. $29.50 Disabilities. Fairly pricey. The GEnie ABLE library file #1604 BOOK-ON-DEMAND PUB KIT These are a mostly for the library or Ongoing details on Book-on-demand publishing, lists additional Internet resources. a new method of producing books only when and medical reference shelves. as ordered. Reprints, sources, samples. $39.50 On Line Help Also Rans THE CASE AGAINST PATENTS As with any field today, the latest, There are great heaping bunches of For most individuals, patents are virtually certain to result in a net loss of sanity, energy, time, and fastest, and finest info comes down support groups, mags, and products money. This two volume set shows you tested online. This should be your first and available. Besides an online search, and proven real-world alternatives. 28.50 foremost place to search for help on two great ways to pick these up are BLATANT OPPORTUNIST I just about anything. with Ulrich’s Periodicals Dictionary or The reprints from all Don’s Midnight Engineering All of the major online services do the Encyclopedia of Associations. Found columns. Includes a broad range of real world, proven coverage on small scale technical startup offer a disability forum. on the reference shelf at your local ventures. Stuff you can use right now. $24.50 GEnie has a fine ABLE RoundTable. library. Or via Dialog on GEnie. Including a 1600+ download library. Here is my random selection in no RESOURCE BIN I A complete collection of all Don’s Nuts & Volts To reach them, you enter ABLE on particular order… columns to date, including a new index and his any prompt. If you want to talk to a New Mobility is the slick bimonthly master names and numbers list. $24.50 real sysop person, email ABLE.DAVE magazine that covers wheelchairs and or ABLE.DEBI instead. accessories. $18 per year. These folks FREE SAMPLES Well, nearly free anyway. Almost. Do join us on There is one sure fire way to find also have a mail bookstore. GEnie PSRT to sample all of the Guru’s goodies. The downloading cost on a typical Guru file is 21 out everything about anything. If it Recreation Access in the 90’s gets cents. Modem access: Dial (800) 638-8369. On ever appeared in print, chances are its published by that National Recreation prompt, JOINGENIE, then DMD524 on key. offered through the Dialog Information and Park Association. FREE VOICE HELPLINE VISA /MC Service. Available direct, through your Palaestra is a quarterly magazine. It SYNERGETICS local libary, or conveniently on line at serves as a forum for sport, physical Box 809-NV Thatcher, AZ 85552 GEnie. Of the hundreds of Dialog data education, and recreation. (520) 428-4073 bases available, you might start with The MATP Center is part of Boston’s their MEDLINE service. children’s hospital. They are basically Write in 146 on Reader Service Card.

25 September 1995/Nuts & Volts Magazine DISABILITY AND HANDICAPPED RESOURCES

Accomodating Disabilities APH Centerlines Disability Policy Journal GEnie NICHCY 4025 West Peterson Avenue PO Box 6085 PO Box 31345 346 North West Avenue 401 North Washington PO Box 1492 Chicago IL 60646 Louisville KY 40206 Raleigh NC 27622 Fayetteville AR 72701 Rockville MD 20850 Washington DC 20013 (800) TELL CCH (800) 223-1839 (919) 828-1218 (501) 575-3656 (800) 638-9636 (800) 695-0285

Accreditation Council ASHA Closing the Gap Disability Rag Grey House Publishing PALAESTRA 100 West Road #406 10801 Rockville Pike PO Box 68 PO Box 145 Pocket Knife Square PO Box 508 Towson MD 21204 Rockville MD 20852 Henderson MN 56044 Louisville KY 40201 Lakeville CT 06039 Macomb IL 61455 (410) 583-0060 (301) 897-5700 (612) 248-3294 (502) 459-5343 (800) 526-2139 (309) 833-1092

ACM /SIGCAPH Arizona Talking Books Dialog Information Svcs Educom Review Issues in Law & Medicine Spinal Network 1515 Broadway 1030 North 32nd Street 3460 Hillview Avenue 1112 16th Street NW #600 PO Box 1586 23815 Stuart Ranch Road New York NY 10036 Phoneix AZ 85008 Palo Alto CA 94304 Washington DC 20036 Terre Haute IN 47808 Malibu CA 90265 (212)626-0500 (800) 255-5578 (415) 858-2700 (280) 872-4200 (812) 232-0103 (800) 543-4116

AFB Careers & the disABLED Disability Bookshop Encyclopedia Associations Mobility International USA TASK 15 West 16th Street 150 Motor Parkway #420 PO Box 129 835 Penobscot Building PO Box 10767 100 West Cerritos Avenue New York NY 10011 Hauppauge NY 11788 Vancouver WA 98666 Detroit MI 48226 Eugene OR 97440 Anaheim CA 92805 (212) 620-2000 (516) 273-0066 (800) 637-2256 (313) 961-2242 (503) 343-1284 (714) 533-TASK

Apple Computer CdLS Foundation Disabilities Digest Exceptional Parent Natl Recreation/Park Assn Trace Center Publications One Infinite Loop 60 Dyer Avenue 522 Cinti-Batavia Park 209 Harvard Street #303 2775 S Quincy Street Ste 300 S-151 Waisman Cen UWI Cupertino CA 95014 Collinsville CT 06022 Cincinnati OH 45244 Brookline MA 02146 Arlington VA 22206 Madison WI 53705 (800) 776-2333 (800) 223-8355 (513) 528-0404 (617) 730-5800 (703) 820-4940 (608) 263-5408

AOTA CEC Disability Issues Newsletter Gale Research New Mobility Ulrichs Dictionary PO Box 31220 1920 Association Drive 300 Longwood Avenue 835 Penobscot Blvd PO Box 8987 121 Chanlon Road Bethesda MD 20824 Reston VA 22091 Boston MA 02115 Detroit MI 48226 Malibu CA 90265 New Providence NJ 07974 (301) 652-2682 (800) 845-6232 (800) 848-8867 (313) 961-2242 (800) 543-4116 (908) 771-7714 a clearing house and info center. Who appears to cater to special ed teachers publish a Disability Issues newsletter. and administrators. Covered interests This Month’s Contest Their BBS is (800) 950-6287. They have here do include special ed, behavioral Our resource topic this month is a free brochures. Also available in large disorders, research, early childhood, little off the beaten track for me. But it print, Braille, tape, disk, or Spanish. education, comm disorders, learning was obviously needed for a "complete Funny, I never thought of Spanish disabilities, and teacher ed. set" of whatever it is we’re up to here. as a disability. Oh well. I’d guess that just about every state Let me know if you find out. The Disabilities Digest is a smaller, has some blind assistance program. In So, for this month’s contest, please half-size bimonthly pub. Sorta in the Arizona, one resource is the Arizona tell me about anything major that I same tone as Prevention. State Braille and Talking Book Library. might have missed along the way of The ACM, otherwise known as that I’m certain there’s 49 more where this handicapped or disabled resources. Association for Computer Machinery has one came from. There will be a largish pile of my special interest groups on pretty near Issues in Law & Medicine is a unique new Incredible Secret Money Machine II everything. Their SIGGRAPH graphics scholarly quarterly. Published by that books going to the dozen or so better stuff is probably the one you are most National Legal Center for the Medically entries, plus an all-expense-paid (FOB familiar with. They also publish the Dependent & Disabled. Thatcher, AZ) tinaja quest for two that SIGCAPH newsletter. On computers Another heavy pub is the Journal of will go to the very best of all. and the physically handicapped. They Disability Policy Studies. Published by Let’s hear from you. ✦ also put on conferences. the University of Arkansas. An Accreditation Council on Services Centerlines is the publication of the Microcomputer pioneer and guru Don for People with Disabilities appears to Cued Speech center. This stuff used to Lancaster is the author of 32 books and be a group of, by, and for institutional be called sign language. countless tech articles. Don maintains his bureaucrats. Their newsletter is called American Printing House for the Blind no-charge tech helpline found at (520) Update on Quality. is apparently the leading publisher of 428-4073, besides offering all of his own Mobility International is mostly on Braille and large print books. books, reprints, and all of his consulting disabled travel tips. Their newsletter The Spinal Network offers their Total services. He also has a free catalog full of is called Over the Rainbow. They’ve got Wheelchair Book for $38. This is mainly his resource secrets waiting for you. Your videos on leadership and homestay. support for paralysis victims. best calling times are 8-5 on weekdays, The American Federation for the Blind Accomodating Disabilities Decisions is Mountain Standard Time. publishes a quarterly tabloid known a book by and for lawyers from CCH. Don is now the sysop of GEnie PSRT, as, of all things, the AFB News. On prosecuting disability cases. They where a special Resource Bin topic has Physical Disabilities is the newsletter also publish a monthly Accomodating been reserved for Nuts & Volts readers. by that American Occupational Therapy Disabilities Management Guide. For modem access: (800) 638-8369. When Association. Quite technical. Mostly by Last, and possibly least, the Cornelia prompted, enter JOINGENIE. When asked and for medical types. de Lange Syndrome Foundation appears for an offer code, enter DMD524. Asha is the bimonthly mag from the to be the ninth alternate runner up in You can also reach Don at Synergetics, American Speech-Language-Hearing Asn. the Reader’s Digest obscure disease of Box 809, Thatcher, AZ 85552. Or send It is mostly for speech therapists. the month sweeps. Their newsletter is any messages to his Internet address of The Council for Exceptional Children called Reaching Out. [email protected]

September 1995/Nuts & Volts Magazine 26 27 September 1995/Nuts & Volts Magazine Don Lancaster’s RESOURCE BIN

number forty-five

Mightily manic multimedia magazine madness.

ur usual reminder here that the are the low end resource for labor of Resource Bin is now a two-way love publications. Super high energy Computer Graphics O column. You can get tech help, stuff from them that’s doin’. The best multimedia show is the big consultant referrals and off-the-wall At the other extreme is the rather annual SIGGRAPH gathering. They networking on nearly any electronic, old line Ulrichs Periodicals Dictionary. are a special interest group of ACM, tinaja questing, personal publishing, Five volumes located on the reference the Association for Computer Machinery. money machine, or computer topic by shelf at your local library. Or online at These folks have a superb quarterly calling me at (520) 428-4073 weekdays Dialog or GEnie. Holds the top 240,000 Computer Graphics journal. One which 8-5 Mountain Standard Time. magazines and newspapers with full is very big on underlying math theory A portion of my PSRT RoundTable descriptions. Also in CD ROM. and fundamental algorithms. Usually on GEnie has also been set aside for Another favorite "where to go and their fall issue #3 includes their full you Nuts & Volts readers. This is the get stuff" mag is Whole Earth Review. SIGGRAPH Proceedings. place you go for instant tech answers. "Access to tools" is their motto. One competing trade journal is that Among the many files in our library, CGW. As in Computer Graphics World. you will find complete reprints for all U & lc Who also have Siggraph reviews. And the Resource Bin columns. Your most bizarre multimedia pub do cover such topics as animation and I did manage to wrangle one super anytime ever is U& lc. Short for Upper visualization software. special signup deal for you Resource and lower case. And, at least to me, is Bin readers. Ten free hours. by far the very finest of all. Video Toaster User GEnie now offers far lower daytime This is really a house organ for ITC, A fine example of a magazine with rates, a direct Internet access, plus a otherwise known as that International genuinely useful technical content. At Windows graphics interface, so it’s an Typography Corporation. Their creative one time, the NewTek Toaster had low even better deal than ever. design is outstanding. cost video editing to itself. Between See the trailer blurb for details. Focus is on type and typography. that Amiga debacle and PC and Mac They are most definitely moving into coming on strong, they’ve got lots of Multimedia Resources new online and interactive topics. new competition. This month, I thought we’d review Another trade journal is Electronic Newtek is fighting back with the a few of those multimedia resources. I latest in nonlinear editing techniques. won’t define multimedia for you. Just Particularly their Video Flyer and their as with pornography, you will know NEXT MONTH: Don looks at Video Toaster for Windows products. it when you see it. The really amazing resources and opportunites And their greatly improved LightWave thing is that there seem to be around for high power electronics. animation rendering software. 35 different multimedia magazines for A nonlinear editing eliminates any each person in the field. need for videotape. Your entire ad or The advertisers haven’t picked up Publishing. An oversized ad tabloid on presentation or movie or whatever is on CPM meaning "cost per millireader, the latest and finest in fonts, printers, stored on hard disks. Giving instant rather than "cost per thousand". and laser typesetters. access to any part in any order. And At any rate, I thought I’d tell you forever eliminating crude "cuts only" all my favoritie multimedia resources, Wired or "A/B roll" editing. along with several others that I do not Calling themselves the mouthpiece This is still one of my favorite pubs. particularly care for. of the digital generation, this is sort of And a good example of how readable Before we do, I thought I would go your Playboy for the nineties. Tightly and concise tech info should be the over my two key tools for finding the targeting everything in cyberspace. foremost goal of any magazine. best magazines and trade journals in Included are great interviews, useful NewTek has free toaster videos. any field. These are… news, and outrageous articles. But far too brash for some tastes. New Media Factsheet Five and Ulrichs One competitor to Wired is Morph’s One thick and competent monthly Factsheet Five covers the ’zines and Outpost. In a large and well-written mag. Although a tad heavy on glitzy newsletters. Plus topics guaranteed to tabloid format. Haven’t seen this one ads. Lots of reviews and product info. offend just about everybody. But they lately. Hope it is still in print. Topics include JPEG, MPEG, high end

October 1995 / Nuts & Volts Magazine 24 Mac reviews, kiddy titles, more. Plus few multimedia topics. Especially on new from Scott Kim’s end-of-mag puzzles. compression and digital halftones. Three more extensive GEnie resources DON LANCASTER Multimedia Producer are Desktop Publishing over at DTP and ACTIVE FILTER COOKBOOK I’ve only seen one copy of this one. Computer Game Design at CGD. Plus The sixteenth (!) printing of Don’s bible on analog op-amp lowpass, bandpass, and highpass active "For the creators and developers of the computer musicians at MIDI. filters. De-mystified instant designs. $28.50 interactive multimedia". It’s intended But the best GEnie resource of all is for CD ROM developers. MULTIMEDIA$. Having a RoundTable CMOS AND TTL COOKBOOKS and a Product Catalog. They also do Millions of copies in print worldwide. THE two Computer Video books for digital integrated circuit fundamentals. publish a Cybernetic Report. About as hands-on as you can get. $28.50 each. This is the new kid on the block. An The usual http://www.yahoo.com is a good oversize bimonthly tabloid providing search engine for locating nearly any INCREDIBLE SECRET outstanding technical content. Highly Internet subject. There are plenty of MONEY MACHINE II readable. Free to qualified readers. others. Including some brand new CD Updated 2nd edition of Don’s classic on setting These folks also offer Radio World ROM based services way too new for up your own technical or craft venture. $18.50 and TV Technology. Two quality mags review. The printed edition of the for tv and radio production. Gale Guide to Internet Data Bases seems LANCASTER CLASSICS LIBRARY Don’s best early stuff at a bargain price. Includes curiously silent on multimedia as a the CMOS Cookbook, The TTL Cookbook, Active Bove and Rhodes Filter Cookbook, PostScript video, Case Against subject. But is otherwise handy. Patents, Incredible Secret Money Machine II, and A longtime alternative multimedia There are lots of online newsstands. Hardware Hacker II reprints. $119.50 info resource, Tony Bove and Cheryl Most of these range from dismal on Rhodes offer a number of publications down to mesmerizingly awful. LOTS OF OTHER GOODIES .Ask . . . the. . . Guru. . . . .I . or. . II. .or . . III...... $24.50. . . . . and services. Their Bove and Rhodes Some of the better ones are VIBE .Hardware ...... Hacker...... II, . .III . .or . .IV ...... $24.50. . . . . Insider’s Report is one example. You Online, BUZZnet, and Hot Wired. .Micro . . . . .Cookbook ...... I...... $19.50...... PostScript ...... Beginner ...... Stuff...... $29.50. . . . . contact them directly for more info. The problem with all of these is that .PostScript ...... Show . . . . .and . . . Tell...... $29.50...... Intro . . . .to . .PostScript ...... Video ...... $29.50. . . . . the HTML web markup language gets .PostScript ...... Reference ...... II ...... $32.50. . . . . Movie Stuff .PostScript ...... Tutorial/Cookbook ...... $19.50. . . . . totally useless whenever it comes to .PostScript ...... by . . Example...... $32.50. . . . . The best traditional trade magazine attractively presenting info. Waiting .Understanding ...... PS. . . Programming...... $29.50...... PostScript: ...... A. .Visual . . . . . Approach...... $22.50. . . . . here appears to be Film & Video. And in the wings is the infinitely superior .PostScript ...... Program ...... Design...... $24.50...... Thinking ...... in. . PostScript...... $22.50. . . . . your finest special effects magazine is Adobe Acrobat. Which fully preserves .LaserWriter ...... Reference ...... $19.50. . . . . now Cinefex. I particularly like all of all fonts, photos, and graphics. .Type . . . . 1. .Font . . . .Format ...... $16.50...... Acrobat ...... Reference...... $24.50. . . . . their insider film secrets. In tightly compacted files. .Whole . . . . . works...... (all . . .PostScript) ...... $380.00...... PostScript ...... Insider ...... Secrets ...... FREE . . . . I have posted other special effects I’ve got scads of Acrobat support .Hacking ...... Insider ...... Secrets ...... FREE . . . . resources in HACK72.PDF. up on GEnie PSRT. Including all the key Adobe tech notes and hundreds POSTSCRIPT SECRETS Printshop Magazines of files. Start with ACROCAT.PDF. A Book/Disk combination crammed full of free fonts, insider resources, utilities, publications, By far the most useful trade journal workarounds, fontgrabbing, more. For most any is Quick Printing. Especially for their Imagining Inane PostScript printer. Mac or PC format. $29.50 Helene’s Hotline product location data Imaging Issues BOOK-ON-DEMAND PUB KIT base. A competitor is Instant and Small Does it really matter that there are Ongoing details on Book-on-demand publishing, a new method of producing books only when and Commercial Printer. Two others are the several dozen multimedia magazines as ordered. Reprints, sources, samples. $39.50 Printer’s Hotline shopper and Printer’s having virtually the same name? Not Shareware sofware store. really, because most of them seem to THE CASE AGAINST PATENTS For T-Shirt stuff, check Impressions, me to be glitzy, highly ad-driven rags For most individuals, patents are virtually certain to result in a net loss of sanity, energy, time, and Printwear, or Screen Printing. More on totally devoid of any genuinely useful money. This two volume set shows you tested printshop stuff in HACK27.PDF. content. Most of these are free and and proven real-world alternatives. 28.50 worth every cent of it. Publish BLATANT OPPORTUNIST I One exception is Advanced Imaging. The reprints from all Don’s Midnight Engineering Well, because its there, I guess. This This one is mostly a trade journal for columns. Includes a broad range of real world, proven coverage on small scale technical startup is a rather high circulation ad-driven the high end scientific needs. They are ventures. Stuff you can use right now. $24.50 magazine centering on page layout particularly big on solid state video and such. After talking to some other cameras and machine vision. SPIE is a RESOURCE BIN I A complete collection of all Don’s Nuts & Volts graphic artists, we’ve all reached the second tech info source here. columns to date, including a new index and his same conclusion: Publish always gets Some "also rans" here are Imaging master names and numbers list. $24.50 the "before" and "after" shots mixed up Magazine on "Document Solutions for on their page remakes! Usually, they Business"; a Photo Electronic Imaging FREE SAMPLES Well, nearly free anyway. Almost. Do join us on trash a clean layout by ultra glitzing "Integrating Photography, Electronic GEnie PSRT to sample all of the Guru’s goodies. The downloading cost on a typical Guru file is 21 it. With results only an ad director’s Imaging, & Graphics"; Copy Imaging & cents. Modem access: Dial (800) 638-8369. On mother could love. Repoduction on copiers. prompt, JOINGENIE, then DMD524 on key. Or Digital Imaging "A magazine for FREE VOICE HELPLINE VISA /MC Online Resources Graphics Service Users"; or Imaging SYNERGETICS There’s great heaping bunches of Business, "The Voice of the Document Box 809-NV Thatcher, AZ 85552 multimedia stuff online. All of those Imaging Channel". (520) 428-4073 commercial services have at least one Three more equally exciting mags offering. On GEnie, my PSRT covers a are Color Publishing, PC Graphics and Write in 146 on Reader Service Card.

25 October 1995/Nuts & Volts Magazine MULTIMEDIA RESOURCES

ACM /Computer Graphics Computer Video Imaging Magazine Multimedia Producer Quick Printing TV Technology 1515 Broadway 5827 Columbia Pike 3rd Fl 12 West 21 Street 701 Westchester Avenue 1680 SW Bayshore Blvd 5827 Columbia Pike #310 New York NY 10036 Falls Church VA 22041 New York NY 10010 White Plains NY 10604 Port St Lucie FL 34984 Falls Church VA 22041 (212)626-0500 (703) 998-7600 (212) 691-8215 (914) 328-9157 (407) 879-6666 (703) 998-7600

Adobe Acrobat System Copy Imaging & Repro Impressions New Media Radio World U&lc 1585 Charleston Rd 1680 SW Bayshore Blvd 1515 Broadway 901 Mariner’s Is Blvd #365 5827 Columbia Pk #310 2 Dag Hammarskjold Plz Mountain View CA 94039 Port St Lucie FL 34984 New York NY 10036 San Mateo CA 94404 Falls Church VA 22041 New York NY 10017 (800) 833-6687 (407) 879-6666 (212) 669-1300 (415) 573-5170 (703) 998-7600 (212) 371-0699

Advanced Imaging Digital Imaging Inform NewTek Response TV Ulrichs Dictionary 445 Broad Hollow Rd #21 21150 Hawthorne Blvd #104 1100 Wayne Avenue #1100 1200 SW Executive Dr 201 E Sandpointe #600 121 Chanlon Rd Melville NY 11747 Torrance CA 90503 Silver Spring MD 20910 Topeka KS 66615 Santa Ana CA 92707 New Providence NJ 07974 (516) 845-2700 (310) 371-5787 (301) 587-8202 (800) 847-6111 (800) 854-3112 (908) 771-7714

AV Video Electronic Entertainment Information Display NEXT Generation Screen Printing Video Pro 701 Westchester Avenue 951 Mariner’s Isle Blvd #700 201 Varick Street 1350 Old Bayshore Hwy #210 407 Gilbert Ave 460 West 34 Street White Plains NY 10604 San Mateo CA 94404 New York NY 10014 Burlingame CA 94010 Cincinatti OH 45202 New York NY 10001 (800) 800-5474 (415) 349-4300 (212) 620-3371 (415) 696-1661 (513) 421-2050 (212) 947-6500

Bove & Rhodes Reports Electronic Publishing Instant & SC Printer PC Graphics & Video ScreenPlay Video Toaster User Box 1289 401 N Broad St 425 Huehl Rd Bldg 11 201 E Sandpointe Avenue #600 407 Gilbert Avenue 273 N Matilda Ave Gualala CA 95444 Philadelphia PA 19108 Northbrook IL 60065 Santa Ana CA 92707 Cincinnati OH 45202 Sunnyvale CA 94086 (707) 884-4413 (215) 338-5300 (708) 564-5940 (714) 513-8400 (513) 421-2050 (408) 252-0508

CD-ROM Today Factsheet Five Interactive Video News Photo Electronic Imaging SPIE Videomaker 23-00 Route 208 R Seth Friedman Box 61130 57 Forsyth Street NW PO Box 10 PO Box 4591 FairLawn NJ 07410 PO Box 170099 Potomac MD 20897 Atlanta GA 30303 Bellingham WA 98227 Chico CA 95927 (201) 703-9500 San Francisco CA 94117 (301) 424-3338 (404) 522-8600 (206) 676-3290 (916) 891-8410

Cinefex Film & Video KIPI Bookshelf Printer’s Hot Line Synergetics VR World Box 20027 8455 Beverly Blvd #508 701 Westchester Avenue PO Box 1709 Box 809 20 Ketchum Street Riverside CA 92516 Los Angeles CA 90048 White Plains NY 10604 Fort Dodge IA 50501 Thatcher AZ 85552 Westport CT 06880 (909) 781-1917 (213) 653-8053 (800) 800-5474 (800) 950-7746 (520) 428-4073 (203) 226-6967

Color Publishing Gale Research MIX Bookshelf Printer’s Shareware Technique VSM 1 Technology Pk Dr 835 Penobscot Blvd 6400 Hollis St #12 5019 W Lovers Ln 10 Post Office Sq #600S 825 Seventh Avenue Westford MA 01885 Detroit MI 48226 Emeryville CA 94608 Dallas TX 75209 Boston MA 02109 New York NY 10019 (508) 392-2166 (313) 961-2242 (800) 233-9604 (214) 350-1902 (800) A-PAPERS (212) 887-8400

Computer Artist GEnie PSRT Morph’s Digital Outpost Printwear 3D Artist Whole Earth Review 1 Technology Park Dr. 401 N Washington St PO Box 578 1008 Depot Hill Rd PO Box 4787 27 Gate Five Rd Westford, MA 0185 Rockville MD 20850 Orinda CA 94563 Broomfield CO 80020 Santa Fe NM 87502 Sausalito CA 94965 (508) 692-7000 (800) 638-9636 (510) 238-4545 (303) 469-0424 (505) 982-3532 (415) 332-1716

Computer Graphics World Imaging Business Multimedia Law Report Publish 3D Design Wired 1 Technology Pk Dr 1201 Seven Locks Road #300 One Penn Plaza 501 Second St #600 600 Harrison Street 544 2nd St 3rd Fl Westford MA 01886 Potomac MD 20854 New York NY 10119 San Francisco CA 94107 San Francisco CA 94107 San Francisco CA 94107 (508) 692-0700 (301) 340-1520 (800) 950-1216 (415) 243-0600 (415) 905-2200 (415) 904-0664

Video and AV Video "Production and a rather dull and dreary trade journal books going to the dozen or so better Presentation Technology". from the Society for Information Display entries, plus an all-expense-paid (FOB folks. Mostly on liquid crystal display Thatcher, AZ) tinaja quest for two that The Dregs and related wannabes. will go to the very best of all. ✦ One of the immutable physical laws Electronic Entertainment, CD ROM, here at Synergetics is that something and NEXT Generation are mostly for Microcomputer pioneer and guru Don has to be at the bottom of the pile. So, end users. So are both Videomaker and Lancaster is the author of 33 books and here is my collection of oddball and Video Pro. Technique is a "how to guide countless tech articles. Don maintains his interesting stuff which is "not quite" to successful communications". What no-charge tech helpline found at (520) centered on multimedia: Publish should have been. Inform is an 428-4073, besides offering all of his own 3-D Artist is a graphic design mag odd publication by the Association for books, reprints, and all of his consulting out of Santa Fe. Their competitor is Information and Image Management. services. He also has a free catalog full of apparently the 3-D Design out of San And Multimedia Technology Licensing his resource secrets waiting for you. Your Francisco. VSM is on Video Software Law Report is a pricey newsletter. best calling times are 8-5 on weekdays, Management. Otherwise known as Two multimedia book sources are Mountain Standard Time. running a video rental store. Lots of KIPI Bookshelf and MIX Bookshelf. Don is now the sysop of GEnie PSRT, ads for cheap vids. Especially if you Additional multimedia resources where a special Resource Bin topic has don’t care about the title. do appear in HACK71.PDF. been reserved for Nuts & Volts readers. VR World is a virtual reality mag, For modem access: (800) 638-8369. When while Response TV will let you hit it This Month’s Contest prompted, enter JOINGENIE. When asked big with late night tv advetorials. For our contest this month, just tell for an offer code, enter DMD524. Interactive Video News is a pricey me about any multimedia resource I You can also reach Don at Synergetics, high end newsletter. On multimedia, don’t already know about. Box 809, Thatcher, AZ 85552. Or send pay-per-view, shopping, new demand There will be a largish pile of my any messages to his Internet address of video and such. Information Display is new Incredible Secret Money Machine II [email protected]

October 1995/Nuts & Volts Magazine 26 27 October 1995/Nuts & Volts Magazine Don Lancaster’s RESOURCE BIN

number forty-six

New opportunities in power electronics.

ur usual reminder here that the a precisely controlled frequency. available. A typical magic sinewave is Resource Bin is now a two-way Usually, you will start off with a 384 bits long. There are more magic O column. You can get tech help, four-switch beastie called an H-Bridge sinewaves than there are atoms in the consultant referrals and off-the-wall Drive. The object of the game is to flip solar system. So, finding them used to networking on nearly any electronic, your four switches just so, creating a be worse than finding a needle in a tinaja questing, personal publishing, sinewave output. For best efficiency, multi-dimensional universe chock full money machine, or computer topic by you’ll want to flip the switches as few of humongous haystacks. calling me at (520) 428-4073 weekdays times as possible per cycle. And you’d A ferinstance: Hex $1006 070E 1F87 8-5 Mountain Standard Time. also like to consistently flip only half FE3F FF7F FFFF is one quadrant of a A portion of my PSRT RoundTable of the switches at once. For a further 384-bit magic sinewave. This outputs on GEnie has also been set aside for efficiency doubling. 97.8% of your supply voltage. With a you Nuts & Volts readers. This is the There is a brand new game in town reasonable filter, your total harmonic place you go for instant tech answers. I like to call Magic Sinewaves. Magic distortion 3-17 is an astounding 0.031 Among the many files in our library, Sinewaves are very long sequences of percent! Even when totally unfiltered, you will find complete reprints for all carefully selected repeating ones and the same sequence offers a negligible the Resource Bin columns. zeros. They easily give you bunches third harmonic of only 0.0065% and a I did manage to wrangle one super of high quality sinewaves of most any fifth way on down at 0.0261%. special signup deal for you Resource amplitude and frequency. I’ll call this one the Mother of all Bin readers. Ten free hours. Magic sinewaves whose harmonics magic sinewaves. Well, at least this GEnie now offers far lower daytime can be forced to zero. Or else held to week. Better ones are arriving daily. rates, a direct Internet access, plus a amazingly low values. The brothers and sisters in this series Windows graphics interface, so it’s an To use your magic sinewave, you will give you 128 or more uniformly even better deal than ever. simply stash a listing of them in a spaced amplitudes from zero to your See the trailer blurb for details. dollar PIC or another cheap micro. For full supply voltage. level #85, you grab sequence #85 and I will be happy to mail you a free Power Electronics shove it out one or more ports. Your tutorial on magic sinewaves. This month, I thought we’d take a delay between bits sets the frequency. My GEnie PSRT is the center of the look at a few new power electronics universe for magic sinewave concept resources. All of a sudden, this rather development. By myself, from math staid and arcane field is exploding. NEXT MONTH: Don looks at genius Jim Fitzsimons, and by other Mostly thanks to several brand new several oddball and unusual leading edge researchers. Start with tools, devices, and techniques. Many phone and comm resources. that MAGSINT.PDF tutorial. Then go of which are easily explored by you on to the dozens of other files. Just individuals and tech startups. search under "magic". So, there are now lots of brand new Single, two, or three phase. Per your Custom consulting, a co-developer opportunities here. choice. It’s all that easy. program, sine analysis & synthesis, Let us first look at a few exciting Compared to the industry standard source code, and ready-to-run chips new developments you could directly PWM (pulse width modulation) way are all available. Call or write me for profit from. Then we’ll round out our of doing things, the magic sinewaves more info on this multi-million dollar survey with a look at those older and offer far less high frequency losses. opportunity. Or use my email address more traditional power resources. Ridiculously so. As much as a 25:1 or from the end blurb. higher improvement! Magic Sinewaves Heatsinks can be much smaller and Car Alternator Steppers Electric cars, off-grid solar panels, all your power drivers much cheaper. The price of power stepper motors induction motor speed controls, and Integration, offsets, nonlinearities, is dropping. There certainly are lots of home energy efficiency improvers all and noise totally vanish. bargains right here in Nuts & Volts. share a common problem: Cheaply, Magic sinewaves seem brand new But scant few people realize that a car simply, and efficiently generate low because they’ve traditionally been so alternator can be converted into a fair distortion power sinewaves. Waves of excruciatingly hard to find. At least to middlin’ power stepper at very low carefully controlled amplitude and of before some brand new tools became cost. And local availability.

November 1995 / Nuts & Volts Magazine 24 That very same alternator can also angle of your current zero crossings new from become a switched reluctance motor against the voltage, both the real and or a servo. Generally what you do is reactive power can be found. DON LANCASTER dc power the rotor, converting it into Other isopods can be snapped onto ACTIVE FILTER COOKBOOK a "permanent" magnet. You will then branch circuits or even made part of The sixteenth (!) printing of Don’s bible on analog op-amp lowpass, bandpass, and highpass active sequence your stator coils to create a individual appliances. One place they filters. De-mystified instant designs. $28.50 stepper. Or apply suitable sinewaves should be super handy is for fixing air for a switched reluctance drive. conditioning intermittents. A fancier CMOS AND TTL COOKBOOKS Uh, a "three phase" stepper motor unit could include a reciever so they Millions of copies in print worldwide. THE two books for digital integrated circuit fundamentals. may seem a little weird, compared to speak only when spoken to. About as hands-on as you can get. $28.50 each. those usual 2-phase and 4-phase ones. For full home energy management, But it works like a champ. dozens of Isopods could be spotted in INCREDIBLE SECRET You will get best results by using a appropriate places. Leading to greatly MONEY MACHINE II current drive scheme. Details on this reduced home electric bills. Updated 2nd edition of Don’s classic on setting in most stepper drive ap notes. More on Isopods in NUTS34.PDF, up your own technical or craft venture. $18.50 John Rees markets an outstanding HACK47.PDF, and EMERGOP3.PDF on self-produced video on converting car GEnie PSRT. Hard copy reprints and LANCASTER CLASSICS LIBRARY Don’s best early stuff at a bargain price. Includes alternators into power steppers. He custom consulting is also available. the CMOS Cookbook, The TTL Cookbook, Active Filter Cookbook, PostScript video, Case Against also takes you step-by-step through Patents, Incredible Secret Money Machine II, and building a humongous programmable PostScript Robotics Hardware Hacker II reprints. $119.50 sign router using car alternators for I sure get an amazing number of three axis control. helpline callers wanting to build their LOTS OF OTHER GOODIES .Ask . . . the. . . Guru. . . . .I . or. . II. .or . . III...... $24.50. . . . . Additional details on car alternator own two-axis or three-axis robotic .Hardware ...... Hacker...... II, . .III . .or . .IV ...... $24.50. . . . . steppers are shown in NUTS34.PDF, systems. For everything from printed .Micro . . . . .Cookbook ...... I...... $19.50...... PostScript ...... Beginner ...... Stuff...... $29.50. . . . . HACK47.PDF, and EMERGOP3.PDF. circuit drills to milling machines, to .PostScript ...... Show . . . . .and . . . Tell...... $29.50...... Intro . . . .to . .PostScript ...... Video ...... $29.50. . . . . embroidery setups, animation stages, .PostScript ...... Reference ...... II ...... $32.50. . . . . Isopod Current Monitors .PostScript ...... Tutorial/Cookbook ...... $19.50. . . . . and silk screen cutters. .PostScript ...... by . . Example...... $32.50. . . . . Home energy efficiency starts with Regardless of what these do, I like .Understanding ...... PS. . . Programming...... $29.50...... PostScript: ...... A. .Visual . . . . . Approach...... $22.50. . . . . knowing exactly how much ac power to call them flutterwumpers. Well, a .PostScript ...... Program ...... Design...... $24.50...... Thinking ...... in. . PostScript...... $22.50. . . . . gets used for what. But measuring the flutterwumper moves something that .LaserWriter ...... Reference ...... $19.50. . . . . main and branch ac currents can end chomps or spits against a piece being .Type . . . . 1. .Font . . . .Format ...... $16.50...... Acrobat ...... Reference...... $24.50. . . . . up a horrible mess. Involving safety worked. Under computer control. .Whole . . . . . works...... (all . . .PostScript) ...... $380.00...... PostScript ...... Insider ...... Secrets ...... FREE . . . . regs, electricians, and rewiring. As I may have mentioned once or .Hacking ...... Insider ...... Secrets ...... FREE . . . . Here’s a little gadget that I’ve got thrice before, there is this general an in-house research project going on. purpose computer language known POSTSCRIPT SECRETS I like to call it the… as PostScript. PostScript is absolutely A Book/Disk combination crammed full of free fonts, insider resources, utilities, publications, ideal for all flutterwumpers. Because workarounds, fontgrabbing, more. For most any ISOPOD ENERGY REPORTER of the ease with which it can handle PostScript printer. Mac or PC format. $29.50 graceful curves and typography. BOOK-ON-DEMAND PUB KIT Usually, you’ll apply a two-step Ongoing details on Book-on-demand publishing, a new method of producing books only when and process. You use a PostScript printer as ordered. Reprints, sources, samples. $39.50 or GhostScript shareware on a PC to generate your artwork and curves or THE CASE AGAINST PATENTS such. Bring the full power of all the For most individuals, patents are virtually certain to result in a net loss of sanity, energy, time, and world’s fonts, Illustrator, Acrobat, money. This two volume set shows you tested Photoshop, scads of CD-ROM clip art, and proven real-world alternatives. 28.50 and lots more to the table. BLATANT OPPORTUNIST I Your printer or your program then The reprints from all Don’s Midnight Engineering generates an output text file in a very columns. Includes a broad range of real world, proven coverage on small scale technical startup simple control language. One which ventures. Stuff you can use right now. $24.50 The isopod snaps onto one of your ridiculously minimizes all the smarts your incoming power lines right at needed by your actual flutterwumper. RESOURCE BIN I A complete collection of all Don’s Nuts & Volts your weatherhead. This is basically a While you could use Gerber format or columns to date, including a new index and his self-powered current transformer and the HPGL graphics language for the master names and numbers list. $24.50 a short range transmitter. output, all you’ll often really need is The simplest version transmits a simple serial commands. Such as "U" FREE SAMPLES Well, nearly free anyway. Almost. Do join us on digital signal burst every now and for up and "D" for down. Or "N" for GEnie PSRT to sample all of the Guru’s goodies. The downloading cost on a typical Guru file is 21 then. One that identifies the Isopod, North and "S" for South. cents. Modem access: Dial (800) 638-8369. On your current zero crossing, and how All of which lets you reduce your prompt, JOINGENIE, then DMD524 on key. much current is being consumed. flutterwumper intelligence down to a FREE VOICE HELPLINE VISA /MC A nearby reciever gathers in the one dollar microcontroller. That new SYNERGETICS digital current burst and routes it to a Basic Stamp from Parallax is ideal for Box 809-NV Thatcher, AZ 85552 microcontroller, modem, or personal this sort of thing. For higher speed (520) 428-4073 computer. A local line reference gives and performance, you can step up to the voltage. By comparing the phase those Scott Edwards PIC Tools. Or use Write in 146 on Reader Service Card.

25 November 1995/Nuts & Volts Magazine POWER ELECTRONICS RESOURCES

Adobe PostScript C&H Sales Grainger Measurement & Control PCIM Scott Edwards PO Box 7900 PO Box 5356 2738 Fulton St 2994 W. Liberty Avenue 2472 Eastman Ave #33-34 964 Cactus Wren Lane Mountain View CA 94039 Pasadena CA 91107 Chicago IL 60612 Pittsburgh PA 15216 Ventura CA 93003 Sierra Vista, AZ, 85635 (800) 833-6687 (800) 325-9465 (312) 638-0536 (412) 343-9666 (805) 658-0933 (520) 459-4802

Allegro Micro Systems Dialog Information Svcs Harris Semiconductor Motion Control Power Transmission Design SGS-Thomson Box 15036 3460 Hillview Avenue Box 883 800 Roosevelt Road E408 1100 Superior Avenue 1000 East Bell Road Worcester MA 01605 Palo Alto CA 94304 Melbourne FL 32902 Glen Ellyn IL 60137 Cleveland OH 44114 Phoenix AZ 85022 (508) 853-5000 (415) 858-2700 (407) 724-7000 (708) 469-3373 (216) 696-7648 (602) 867-6259

American Science & Surplus Jim DuBois Herbach & Rademan Motion Magazine Powerex Siliconix 3605 Howard Street 330 State Road 101 401 East Erie Avenue Box 6430 Hillis Street 2201 Laurelwood Road Skokie IL 60076 Amherst NH 03031 Philadelphia PA 19134 Orange CA 92613 Youngwood PA 15697 Santa Clara CA 95054 (708) 982-0870 (603) 673-3645 (215) 426-1700 (714) 974-0200 (412) 925-7272 (800) 554-5565

Analog Devices Edmund Scientific IEEE Power Electronics Motor Techniques PowerTechniques Small Parts PO Box 9106 101 E. Gloucester Pike 445 Hoes Lane 120 S. Chaparral Court #200 120 S. Chaparral Ct #200 PO Box 4650 Norwood MA 02062 Barrington NJ 08007 Piscataway NJ 08855 Anaheim CA 92808 Anaheim CA 92808 Miami Lakes FL 33014 (617) 329-4700 (609) 573-6250 (908) 981-0060 (714) 283-1123 (714) 283-1123 (800) 220-4242

Appliance EPRI Journal International Rectifier Motorola Radio Research Insts Surplus Traders 1110 Jorie Blvd CS 9019 PO Box 10412 233 Kansas Street 5005 East McDowell Road 584 N Main St PO Box 276 Oak Brook IL 60522 Palo Alto CA 94303 El Segundo CA 90245 Phoenix AZ 85008 Waterbury CT 06704 Alburg VT 05440 (708) 990-3484 (415) 855-2000 (310) 322-3331 (800) 521-6274 (203) 753-5840 (514) 739-9328

Appliance Manufacturer Fair Radio Sales Linear Technology National Semiconductor John Rees Synergetics 29100 Aurora Road #200 PO Box 1105 1630 McCarthy Blvd 2900 Semiconductor Road Rt 1 Box 1551 Box 809 Solon OH 44139 Lima OH 45802 Milpitas CA 95035 Santa Clara CA 95052 Sautee GA 30571 Thatcher AZ 85552 (216) 349-3060 (419) 227-6573 (408) 432-1900 (800) 272-9959 (706) 865-5495 (520) 428-4073

AST Servo Systems Galco Maxim Northern Hydraulics SAE Texas Instruments 115 Main Road Box 97 26010 Pinehurst Drive 120 San Gabriel Drive PO Box 1499 400 Commonwealth Drive PO Box 809066 Montville NJ 07045 Madison Heights MI 48071 Sunnyvale CA 94086 Burnsville MN 55337 Warrendale PA 15096 Dallas TX 75380 (201) 335-1007 (800) 521-1615 (800) 998-8800 (800) 533-5545 (412) 776-4841 (800) 336-5236

Burdens Surplus Center GEnie McMaster-Carr Parallax Sensors Ulrichs Dictionary PO Box 82209 401 N. Washington Street Box 54960 3805 Atherton Road #102 174 Concord St 121 Chanlon Road Lincoln NE 68501 Rockville MD 20850 Los Angeles CA 90054 Rocklin, CA 95765 Peterborough NH 03458 New Providence NJ 07974 (800) 488-3407 (800) 638-9636 (213) 692-5911 (916) 624-8333 (603) 924-9631 (908) 771-7714 any of the fine applications info from National Semiconductor has free drivers, precision stages, and such. MicroChip Technology. samples of their LMD18245 H-Bridge Apparently Jim visits the failing New Fundamentals of PostScript appear Driver. Besides their lossless current England aerospace firms, scooping up in STARTUP.PDF and SPEEDUP.PDF. sensing, this includes a current drive these gems when and as found. For more info on flutterwumpers, see (for higher speeds and more power), An example: A complete X-Y table FLUTWUMP.PDF, FLUTOOLS.PDF, or and the ability to power down to one including steppers for around $100. A else NUTS19.PDF. of sixteen levels. Forward or reverse. tiny fraction of the initial cost. Jim has Easily driven from any micro. a free flyer available on request. Full details on this low cost power Needless to say, you should also be New Integrated Circuits stepper driver in MUSE93.PDF. on a first paw basis with your local Prices of power semiconductors are Texas Instruments also has several junkyard dog. Share a bowl of Purina dropping dramatically. We are also interesting Power+Arrays chips. These every now and then. Or maybe even seeing the low level circuits combined work well as drivers or predrivers for a rawhide chew. on-chip with the power output stages alternator steppers. And tune yourself into both the for further economics. Other places to search for power local and statewide auction scene. Newer power MOS transistors are electronic solutions do include Maxim, My favorite older surplus source now cheap to buy and easy to use. Linear Technology, Siliconx, Motorola, for big mutha iron is C&H Sales. AC They are vastly easier to drive than an Analog Devices, Allegro, SGS, Harris, and DC motors, steppers, hydraulics, older bipolars or Darlington. Besides and International Rectifier. pneumatics, and the bits and pieces being less likely to blow up. The really big power semis (such as needed to put it all together. Most at One neat trick with some power those used for locomotives) are made very good prices. MOSFETs: It’s a simple matter to put by supply houses that keep changing Other sources for the heavy stuff do 10,000 identical MOS transistors on the their names. For instance, that old include Burden’s Surplus Center and same chip. You use 9999 of these for Westinghouse operation is now called Northern Hydraulics. your main load circuit. And then take Powerex. Check out their Applications Two other lighter favorites are Fair the last one and sense your current and Technical Data Book on their new Radio Sales for military electronics, through it. This current will be 100 Intellimod power modules. and American Science & Surplus for microamps per amp of load current. lots of oddball smaller items. All of which can give you a "lossless" Surplus Bargains Rounding out the surplus scene is current sensor. One which requires I recently discovered Jim DuBois, an Edmund Scientific, Herbach &Rademan, nothing in series with the bulk of the incredibly great new source for lots of Surplus Traders, Radio Research, and main load current. stepper motors, rotary tables, gantrys, the rather pricey AST Servo Sales.

November 1995/Nuts & Volts Magazine 26 Much more on surplus sources in Measurement & Control. NUTS06.PDF on GEnie PSRT.. I didn’t get much of a chance to check those power electronics online Grainger and Galco resources by column deadline time. The most obvious source for nearly Mostly because Magic Sinewaves are anything electrical is W.W. Grainger. so obsessive that I’ve been spending Who have outlets in most larger cities. as much as twenty hours a day on Grainger is especially big on electric them. Just barely squeaking by on motors and pumps. Plus a stunning column deadlines. But Gopher and the variety of light bulbs and fixtures. A usual CD directory search services large catalog is available. can lead you to useful sites. For more info on lamp and lighting As usual, you can find out anything resources, see MUSE95.PDF. about anything by using the Dialog The leading distributor of old line Information Service. Found on GEnie, power electronics components is the elsewhere on line, or by way of your little known supplier by the name of local library. Your best info source for Galco. They do publish a free Galco insider magazines is Ulrichs. Gazette, besides offering a fat catalog to potential volume customers. Home Power Two other firms anyone in power Of the hobby or newsstand mags electronics has to know about: Small Home Power is really coming on strong Parts has everything your hardware with homebrew power electronics. store has never heard of. They sell in Particular for alternate energy, solar small quantities at reasonable prices. and wind power, and especially home They are the greatest robotics source built electric cars. anytime ever. They’ll also custom cut And, of course, you’ll start seeing metal and plastics for you. more and more higher power projects Good old McMaster-Carr is sort of a right here in our Nuts & Volts. Also be universal industrial hardware source. sure to check out Electronics Now and Their distinctive yellow catalogs can Circuit Cellar. be found industry wide. This Month’s Contest PCIM For our contest this month, just tell The leading power electronics trade me about any new or unusual power journal seems to be PCIM, formerly electronics resource which I do not Power Control and Intelligent Motion. It already know about. Especially tune is free to qualified subscribers. Their me into any useful online sites. competitors are Motion and Motion There will be a largish pile of my Control. Also try MotorTechniques and new Incredible Secret Money Machine II PowerTechniques. But these two may books going to the dozen or so better have recently folded. entries, plus an all-expense-paid (FOB Meanwhile, Penton has just come Thatcher, AZ) tinaja quest for two that up with the brand new and somewhat will go to the very best of all misnamed Power Transmission Design Let’s hear from you. ✦ magazine. This one also centers itself on motion control subjects. Your two Microcomputer pioneer and guru Don finest classic mechanical design trade Lancaster is the author of 33 books and journals, of course, remain Machine countless tech articles. Don maintains his Design and Design News. no-charge tech helpline found at (520) The IEEE has scads of publications 428-4073, besides offering all of his own that at least touch upon power. Their books, reprints, and all of his consulting IEEE Transactions on Power Electronics services. He also has a free catalog full of is the biggie. But other Transactions to his resource secrets waiting for you. Your check are Automatic Control, Energy best calling times are 8-5 on weekdays, Conversion, the Industrial Electronics, Mountain Standard Time. Power Devices, Industry Aps, Robots Don is now the sysop of GEnie PSRT, & Automation, and Vehicular Tech. where a special Resource Bin topic has Two other organizations to check been reserved for Nuts & Volts readers. are the Electric Power Research Institute For modem access: (800) 638-8369. When and SAE. The car folks. prompted, enter JOINGENIE. When asked There’s lots of other trade journals I for an offer code, enter DMD524. have found rather useful for power You can also reach Don at Synergetics, electronics. Appliance and Appliance Box 809, Thatcher, AZ 85552. Or send Manufacturer, ferinstance. Or, at the any messages to his Internet address of other end of the problem, Sensors or [email protected]

27 November 1995/Nuts & Volts Magazine Don Lancaster’s RESOURCE BIN

number forty-seven

A look at telecommunications resources.

ur usual reminder here that the the females locked up 40 miles away That pulse method used a mechanical Resource Bin is now a two-way at Cedar Chest College. dial. It broke the line connection equal O column. You can get tech help, Winos would also stuff paper on up to the number of counts desired. For a consultant referrals and off-the-wall the coin returns of pay phones at bus zero, you got ten counts. networking on nearly any electronic, stations and such. People in a hurry The Touch Tone scheme generates a tinaja questing, personal publishing, usually would not complain. A route pair of audio tones using a two-of-eight money machine, or computer topic by of several dozen phones sometimes code selected from four low band tones calling me at (520) 428-4073 weekdays yielded a marginal income. and four high band tones. 8-5 Mountain Standard Time. The more astute of you might note The rest of your phone is mostly a A portion of my PSRT RoundTable that pay phones these days seem to microphone or other voice transmitter on GEnie has also been set aside for include an armored cable and a coin and a headphone or some other voice you Nuts & Volts readers. This is the return hopper or reverse flipper. receiver. These two interact through a place you go for instant tech answers. Ever wonder why? nearly balanced hybrid transformer. Among the many files in our library, The main purpose of the hybrid is you will find complete reprints for all Some Basics to allow full duplex conversations. By the Resource Bin columns. Your phone line consists of a +48 letting your transmitted audio go out I did manage to wrangle one super volt dc source having an impedance over the phone line and the incoming special signup deal for you Resource of roughly 600 Ohms. The green wire audio go to the receiver. Bin readers. Ten free hours. is normally positive and called the tip. A slight unbalance is created in the GEnie now offers far lower daytime The red wire is normally negative and hybrid to let a little of the transmitted rates, a direct Internet access, plus a called the ring. The names date from energy appear in the receiver. This is Windows graphics interface, so it’s an when real phone jacks got used. called the sidetone and lets you hear even better deal than ever. In its on hook state, only the bell of yourself. It is just enough to keep you See the trailer blurb for details. your telephone gets connected to your from shouting. line through a dc blocking capacitor. The normal telephone signal levels Telephone Electronics The capacitor value and inductance of are somewhere below 0 DBM. Or one This month, I thought we’d take a a traditional bell winding resonate at milliwatt into 600 Ohms. Equal to an look at some lesser known resources a 40 Hertz low audio frequency. ac voltage under one volt rms. involving telephone comm. To ring the phone, a very high ac The only real differences between Happily, the statute of limitations is voltage of 100 volts or so is applied at voice, fax, and modem is that fax and long expired on the phone phreaking a frequency of 40 Hertz. At one time modem send out specific tones used secrets I am about to reveal here. In for digital data comm. Unless special print for the first time ever. steps are taken (involving digitized Back before they had phone freaks, NEXT MONTH: Don looks at audio), you can not simultaneously they had me. In those times, things recent developments in solar send voice and high speed data over sure were a lot simpler. To get a free power and alternate energy. the same phone channel. local phone call, you simply shoved a pin through the handset cable on a Current Topics pay phone. You then grounded it to long ago, different ring frequencies Some of the phone stuff that seems the coin slot. Briefly were used to selectively isolate party to interest a lot of people these days: A free long distance call was a tad line phones. In more modern phones, Part 68 interfaces, line recording, ring trickier. The worst part was that you a series resonant circuit extracts the detection, call progress monitoring, had to borrow enough change to start ring information. touchtone encoding and/or decoding, your actual call. One minute into your Picking the phone up off hook loads PostScript fax, and caller id. conversation, you inserted a special the line, dropping its dc voltage to Two sets of highly restrictive FCC "W" shaped coat hanger into the coin eight volts. One way you can tell if a rules apply when you connect to the return and flipped the mechanism. modem or extension phone is active is phone line. Part 15, which is plain old Free phone calls were essential to a to simply measure the dc line voltage. "thou shalt not transmit interference". starving college student in the early Details in HACK41.PDF And Part 68, covering the specifics of sixties. Especially since they kept all Dialing is done in one of two ways. phone line interconnect.

December 1995 / Nuts & Volts Magazine 24 More Part 68 interface details are in completely, totally, and utterly blows new from HACK07.PDF and HACK61.PDF. away grubby old FAX. This gives you In general, all you’ll really need to precise camera-ready art much faster DON LANCASTER meet FCC Part 68 is a transformer and and cheaper. Even when sent to an ACTIVE FILTER COOKBOOK some clipping diodes to restrict max ordinary FAX machine, the quality is The sixteenth (!) printing of Don’s bible on analog op-amp lowpass, bandpass, and highpass active amplitude. But extensive certification ridiculously higher. More on this new filters. De-mystified instant designs. $28.50 testing is involved. Gruesomely so. In technology is found in ATN5011.PDF, particular, the lateral balance spec is a ATN5128.PDF, ATN5135.PDF, and in CMOS AND TTL COOKBOOKS real bear to meet. FAXPRINT.TXT. Millions of copies in print worldwide. THE two books for digital integrated circuit fundamentals. Carefully selected capacitors could Ah yes, caller id. By far number one About as hands-on as you can get. $28.50 each. replace a fancy transformer. But it is in file popularity on PSRT. Start with extremely tricky to do so. HACK40.PDF for a tutorial. Next, you INCREDIBLE SECRET The FCC regs appear in several blue search under "caller" for the dozens of MONEY MACHINE II and white volumes that are part of additional files and circuits. Updated 2nd edition of Don’s classic on setting chapter 47 of the CFR. Or otherwise Basically, a short data burst is sent up your own technical or craft venture. $18.50 called the Code of Federal Regulations. between your first and second rings. These are found in any large library Even though it is transmitted at 1200 LANCASTER CLASSICS LIBRARY Don’s best early stuff at a bargain price. Includes that has a government docs section. baud, this burst is not receivable by an the CMOS Cookbook, The TTL Cookbook, Active Filter Cookbook, PostScript video, Case Against You can also buy them directly from ordinary modem. Because of the odd Patents, Incredible Secret Money Machine II, and the US Government Bookstore. format and framing used. Hardware Hacker II reprints. $119.50 Your cost is around $17 per volume. There are five or six volumes needed Bellcore LOTS OF OTHER GOODIES .Ask . . . the. . . Guru. . . . .I . or. . II. .or . . III...... $24.50. . . . . for the full set of FCC specs. The horse’s whatever source for all .Hardware ...... Hacker...... II,. . .III . .or . .IV ...... $24.50. . . . . Because meeting the Part 68 specs telephone standards is Bellcore. Very Micro...... Cookbook ...... I...... $19.50...... PostScript ...... Beginner ...... Stuff...... $29.50. . . . . are so gruesome, most users will opt pricey, but they do have a free catalog PostScript...... Show . . . . .and . . . Tell...... $29.50...... Intro . . . .to . .PostScript ...... Video ...... $29.50. . . . . for a "pass through" certification. on all their specs and guidelines. .PostScript ...... Reference ...... II ...... $32.50. . . . . PostScript...... Tutorial/Cookbook ...... $19.50. . . . . Where you buy a certified interface Nearly all of the technical details of .PostScript ...... by . . Example...... $32.50. . . . . and then call it your own. Several the phone system are covered. Understanding...... PS. . . Programming...... $29.50...... PostScript: ...... A. .Visual . . . . . Approach...... $22.50. . . . . Nuts&Volts advertisers offer low cost Other sources for some telephone .PostScript ...... Program ...... Design...... $24.50. . . . . Thinking...... in. . PostScript...... $22.50. . . . . kits here. Circuitwerkes is one hobby specs include The Information Store .LaserWriter ...... Reference ...... $19.50. . . . . source. Two commercial sources here and Global Engineering Documents. Type. . . . . 1. .Font . . . . Format...... $16.50...... Acrobat ...... Reference...... $24.50. . . . . include Cermetek and Dallas. .Whole . . . . . works...... (all . . .PostScript) ...... $380.00...... Telecom Books PostScript...... Insider ...... Secrets ...... FREE . . . . More on getting your own Part 68 .Hacking ...... Insider ...... Secrets ...... FREE . . . . certification appears in the Compliance The best phone book store I have Engineering trade journal. More on found so far appears to be Telecom POSTSCRIPT SECRETS FCC specs in HACK45.PDF. Books. They have several free catalogs A Book/Disk combination crammed full of free fonts, insider resources, utilities, publications, A telephone recorder is basically a available. Including one centered on workarounds, fontgrabbing, more. For most any simplified Part 68 interface. A typical computer telephony. Many hundreds PostScript printer. Mac or PC format. $29.50 circuit appeared in HACK07.PDF. And of new titles are available. BOOK-ON-DEMAND PUB KIT also available in the Hardware Hacker Probably the best starter book is Ongoing details on Book-on-demand publishing, a new method of producing books only when and reprints. Ring detection is often done Understanding Telephone Electronics by as ordered. Reprints, sources, samples. $39.50 by use of a zener-LED-photodetector Stephen Bigelow. Another one is Basic lashup. Custom ring detector ic’s also Telephone Installation. This one is in THE CASE AGAINST PATENTS exist. With Texas Instruments being a the TeleTraining Pocket Guides. For most individuals, patents are virtually certain to result in a net loss of sanity, energy, time, and leading supplier. More details once One good third party caller id book money. This two volume set shows you tested again in HACK07.PDF. is the Principles of Party Line Station and proven real-world alternatives. 28.50 Call progress detectors get involved Identification. Telecom also resells a BLATANT OPPORTUNIST I if a modem has to determine whether Computer Telephony Starter Kit. The reprints from all Don’s Midnight Engineering a busy signal arrived or if a call has This five book collection includes columns. Includes a broad range of real world, proven coverage on small scale technical startup gone through. Teltone is the leading Newton’s Telecom Dictionary, Computer ventures. Stuff you can use right now. $24.50 supplier for these low cost chips. A Based Fax Processing, PC Telephony, circuit appears in HACK17.PDF. Client Server Computer Telephony, and RESOURCE BIN I A complete collection of all Don’s Nuts & Volts The touch tones are a two-of-eight Telephony for Computer Professionals. columns to date, including a new index and his selection of a group of low and high By the way, I finally did find out master names and numbers list. $24.50 audio tones. These could be useful for what "client-server" means. The term telephone signalling, for ham repeater means the same as "lemon-scented". FREE SAMPLES Well, nearly free anyway. Almost. Do join us on control, and some alarm and coding GEnie PSRT to sample all of the Guru’s goodies. Hello Direct The downloading cost on a typical Guru file is 21 applications. cents. Modem access: Dial (800) 638-8369. On But their baud rate is horribly low These folks are the highest profile prompt, JOINGENIE, then DMD524 on key. for anything else. These chips come direct mail phone store. Scads of new FREE VOICE HELPLINE VISA/MC from Teltone and similar sources. The products but zero discounts. Mostly SYNERGETICS Basic Stamp from Parallax has a totally office phone accessories. Box 809-NV Thatcher, AZ 85552 hassle-free touch tone generator built At (800) HI-HELLO, they have to be (520) 428-4073 in to its unique firmware. one of the easiest remembered phone PostScript FAX is a new system that numbers of all time. Free catalogs. Write in 146 on Reader Service Card.

25 December 1995/Nuts & Volts Magazine TELECOMMUNICATIONS RESOURCES

Asian Sources/Wordright Communications Information Store Land Line Nuts & Volts Telecom Library 1020 Church St 6300 S Syracuse Wy #650 500 Sansom St #400 PO Box L 430 Princeland Ct 12 West 21st St Evanston IL 60201 Englewood CO 80111 San Francisco CA 94111 Grain Valley MO 64029 Corona CA 91719 New York NY 10010 (708) 475-1900 (303) 220-0600 (415) 433-5500 (816) 229-5791 (909) 371-8497 (800) LIBRARY

AT&T Microelectronics Communications News Exar Corp Lightwave Parallax Telecommunications 555 Union Blvd 2504 N Tamiami Tr PO Box 49007 10 Tara Blvd 5th Fl 3805 Atherton Rd #102 610 Washington St Allentown PA 18103 Nokomis FL 34275 San Jose CA 95161 Nashua NH 03062 Rocklin CA 95765 Dedham MA 02026 (800) 372-2447 (813) 966-9521 (408) 732-7970 (603) 891-0123 (916) 624-8333 (617) 326-8222

Bell System Tech Jnl Communications Technology FiberOptic Product News The Mart Printer’s Hot Line TeleProfessional 101 JF Kennedy Pkwy PO Box 3208 301 Gibraltar Dr 899 Presidential Ste 110 PO Box 1709 209 W 5th Street #N Short Hills NJ 07078 Englewood CO 80155 Morris Plains NJ 07950 Richardson TX 75081 Fort Dodge IA 50501 Waterloo IA 50701 (201) 564-4454 (303) 792-0023 (201) 292-5100 (800) 864-1155 (800) 950-7746 (800) 338-8307

Bellcore CommunicationsWeek GEnie Mitel RCR Wireless Comms Teltone 445 South St 2J-124 600 Community Dr 401 N Washington St 2321 Morena Blvd #M 1728 Downing St 22121 20th Ave SE Morristown NJ 07926 Manhasset NY 11030 Rockville MD 20850 San Diego CA 92110 Denver CO 80218 Bothell WA 98021 (201) 829-4785 (516) 562-5000 (800) 638-9636 (619) 276-3421 (303) 832-6000 (800) 426-3926

Cellular Business Compliance Engineering Global Communications Mobile Radio Technology SGS-Thomson Texas Instruments 9800 Metcalf 629 Massachusetts Ave 6300 S Syracuse Way #650 9800 Metcalf 1000 E Bell Rd PO Box 809066 Overland Park KS 66212 Boxborough MA 01719 Englewood CO 80111 Overland Park KS 66212 Phoenix AZ 85022 Dallas TX 75380 (913) 341-1300 (508) 264-4208 (303) 220-0600 (913) 341-1300 (602) 867-6259 (800) 336-5236

Cellular Marketing Computer Telephony Global Eng Documents Motorola Sierra Semiconductor Ulrichs Dictionary 6300 S Syracuse Way Ste 650 12 W 21 St 15 Inverness Way East 5005 E McDowell Rd 2075 N Capitol Ave 121 Chanlon Rd Englewood CO 80111 New York NY 10010 Englewood CO 80112 Phoenix AZ 85008 San Jose CA 95132 New Providence NJ 07974 (303) 220-0600 (212) 691-8215 (800) 854-7179 (800) 521-6274 (408) 263-9300 (908) 771-7714

Cermetek Dallas Semiconductor Hello Direct MX-Com Inc Surplus Traders US Government Bookstore 1308 Borregas Ave 4401 Beltwood Pkwy S 140 Great Oaks Blvd 4800 Bethania Station Rd PO Box 276 720 N Main St Sunnyvale CA 94088 Dallas TX 75244 San Jose CA 95119 Winston-Salem NC 27105 Alburg VT 05440 Pueblo CO 81003 (408) 752-5000 (214) 450-0400 (800) HI-HELLO (800) 638-5577 (514) 739-9328 (719) 544-3142

Circuitwerkes Data Communications Horsetrader Network Computing Synergetics Wireless Design & Dev 6212 Southwest 8th Place 1221 Americas Ave PO Box 11712 600 community Dr Box 809 301 Gibraltar Dr Gainesville FL 32607 New York NY 10020 Santa Ana CA 92711 Manhasset NY 11030 Thatcher AZ 85552 Morris Plains NJ 07950 (904) 331-5999 (212) 512-2000 (712) 921-3120 (516) 562-5000 (520) 428-4073 (201) 292-5100

private paging systems, and modems. everywhere. Either on the reference The Mart A good mix of tech info is combined shelf of your local library, or online This one is by far the best magazine with hundreds of ads. through GEnie. for most telephone bargains. Over 200 Telecom Sources is intended mainly By far the most important historical pages per month. It’s pretty much an for the large quantity buyer. But the pub, of course, is the old Bell System "ads-only" tabloid classified shopper. technical information is useful for just Technical Journal. The bible of phone But does have tech tutorials. about anybody. phreaks everywhere. Those innermost Their ads list everything from pay Subscriptions are a tad pricey at $65 secrets of the phone company all laid phones to recycled PBX units on up to per year. But if you can find any copy bare. This one has apparently ceased headsets and handsets. Repairs and of any magazine in the series, there is publication. But it remains available site services, too. a mail-in coupon to get a sample of in larger technical libraries. Be sure to check out those sister any other mag offered. I have posted a listing of comm publications of The Mart as well. Their The other magazines in the series resources as HACK64.PDF. Comp-U-Mart utterly blows Computer include Electronics, Timepieces, Gifts & A few random samples… Shopper away. And their Printer’s Mart Home Products, Electronic Components, Computer Telephony calls itself "The is right up there with HorseTrader and Computer Products, Fashion Accessories, magazine for computer and telephone Printer’s Hot Line for printshop and and Hardwares. By "Hardwares" they integration." Sister magazines include desktop publishing bargains. mean things like drill presses. Teleconnect and Call Center. The latter These magazines are probably the is a support mag for customer service Surplus Traders best way to find far eastern contacts. help desks and such. A great source for just about any A free finder service is offered. Lots of publications seem to have surplus telecomm is Marvin Birnbom "communications" in the title. Some of at Surplus Traders. He maintains hot Other Trade Journals the more interesting include… daily buy-sell FAX sheets. As with any field, there are zillions All in Communications of trade journals. All you have to do Communications Telecom Sources is pin them down. Most are free. And, Communications News The real phone bargains come from for most of the remainder, you can get Communications Technology the Far East. Telecom Sources is one of a freebie copy just by requesting an Communications Week a group of fat and slick trade journals advertising media kit. While I may Data Communications distributed by Asian Sources. A recent have mentioned this a time or three Global Communications issue focused upon cordless phones, before, Ulrichs Periodicals Dictionary is Telecommunications home fax machines, telecom chipsets, the place to go to get a list of all mags

December 1995/Nuts & Volts Magazine 26 Network Computing also has some pulse generators to LED flashers to useful phone stuff in it. antique radio test generators. Cellular Business is about marketing You basically have an isolated pair and distribution of the cellular phones of bilateral analog switches. These and services. One of their competitors snap on when their terminal voltage is Cellular Marketing. Pagers and such exceeds 17 volts. appear in Mobile Radio Technology. An They snap back off whenever the insider trucker mag is Land Line. current through them reverses or else Fiber optic comm is well covered in drops under three mils. There’s also both Fiber Optic System Design and in several tantalum caps and zeners and LightWave. One of the best of the new such in the module. wireless mags is Wireless Design and Let me know if you want some of Development. A second source is RCR these to play with. Yeah, I’ve also got Wireless Communication. full specs available. Last and least, that TeleProfessional teaches you how to make obnoxious This Month’s Contest and annoying phone calls. Let’s have three different contests this month. Tell me about some telco When the Chips are Down resource I don’t know about. Or find The two most interesting telecomm a new ap for the 2960. chip houses are Teltone and MX-COM. Or find me a buyer for the three Teltone is big on their call progress cubic yards of Northern Telecomm 2960 detectors. Plus touchtone encoders network interfaces currently piled up and decoders. MX-COM has all sorts in my driveway. These are clean and of neat stuff. Including scrambling unused 1988 production. Sadly, there and privacy circuits. Bunches of are not quite enough of them to glue mobile comm selective calling. And a together to make a carport. brand new caller id chip. Pretty close, though. Your best older source for caller id There will be a largish pile of my chips is Sierra Semiconductor. With new Incredible Secret Money Machine II Exar and Motorola being the also rans. books going to the dozen or so better Mitel has a lot in the way of PBX and entries, plus an all-expense-paid (FOB crossbar semiconductors. Thatcher, AZ) tinaja quest for two that Uh, for some strange reason AT&T will go to the very best of all seems to want to sell telephone chips. By the way, I have just posted the As does Signetics and SGS. One source insider secrets to winning just about for ring detectors is Texas Instruments. any trade contest to CONTEST.PDF. Power supply chips that rob phone Even more by the way, I have just line power are sold by Maxim. They bought an entire community college do offer free samples. electronics department at auction. So I’ve got some really great one-time A Network Interface buys. Especially Tektronix. You can I just picked up a great heaping write, call, or email for a current list. bunch of Northern Telecomm type 2960 Let’s hear from you. ✦ network interface devices. These are an epoxy module which goes between Microcomputer pioneer and guru Don you and your phone line. If there is Lancaster is the author of 33 books and any problem, their 2960 will remotely countless tech articles. Don maintains his disconnect you. Running some simple no-charge tech helpline found at (520) telco tests then finds out whether the 428-4073, besides offering all of his own problem is your fault or theirs. books, reprints, and all of his consulting All easily handled from their front services. He also has a free catalog full of office. Without a field service call! his resource secrets waiting for you. Your Note that the phone line polarity is best calling times are 8-5 on weekdays, sometimes reversed when they are Mountain Standard Time. using maintenence diagnostics. Don is now the sysop of GEnie PSRT, For this reason, all direct network where a special Resource Bin topic has interface must include a full wave dc been reserved for Nuts & Volts readers. bridge to keep the right polarity. Of For modem access: (800) 638-8369. When course, the phone company only fixes prompted, enter JOINGENIE. When asked their own problems. Never yours. for an offer code, enter DMD524. Much more on this useful beastie in You can also reach Don at Synergetics, MUSE96.PDF. You can easily modify Box 809, Thatcher, AZ 85552. Or send these dual bilateral analog switches any messages to his Internet address of into all sorts of non-phone aps. From [email protected]

27 December 1995/Nuts & Volts Magazine Don Lancaster’s RESOURCE BIN

number forty-eight

Solar and alternate energy resources.

ur usual reminder here that the used by the folks living inside. You’ll lose "a little" because, if you Resource Bin is now a two-way But efficient converters do not exist. have a utility buyback arrangement, O column. You can get tech help, And any solar rooftop system whose they sell you electricity retail but buy consultant referrals and off-the-wall amortized yearly cost is $45,000.01 can it from you wholesale. networking on nearly any electronic, end up less than useless. You’ll lose "a little" because of your tinaja questing, personal publishing, The first key problem is that silicon time and bureaucratic zoning hassles. money machine, or computer topic by solar cells only respond well to one And "a little" because of repairs. calling me at (520) 428-4073 weekdays particular frequency of light. The light Thus, individual cells do not a solar 8-5 Mountain Standard Time. energy is proportional to wavelength. system make. A portion of my PSRT RoundTable Longer wavelengths do not generate The third key problem is set by the on GEnie has also been set aside for electricity and are thus wasted as low economic breakeven limit. If someone you Nuts & Volts readers. This is the grade heat. And all the "spare change" gave you all the five percent efficient place you go for instant tech answers. excess energy from any shorter than solar cells in the world, there is no way Among the many files in our library, needed wavelength also burns up as you could generate useful (110 vac at you will find complete reprints for all useless heat. Thus, your best possible ten cents per KWH) electricity using the Resource Bin columns. theoretical efficiency of a silicon cell is them. Your costs of structure, land, ac I did manage to wrangle one super only 28 percent. conversion, labor, maintenance, and special signup deal for you Resource The second thing that really gets to (above all) the time value of the money Bin readers. Ten free hours. you is what I call the nickel and dime involved guarantees a net loss. GEnie now offers far lower daytime effect. Start with a less than perfect I have posted some interesting new rates, a direct Internet access, plus a solar cell, losing "a little". Production solar conversion alternatives as my Windows graphics interface, so it’s an yields often lose "a little" more, giving files HACK46.PDF and HACK53.PDF. even better deal than ever. less than expected results. One uses direct conversion "crystal See the trailer blurb for details. You’ll lose "a little" if your cells are set" or "antennaifier" techniques. The made from amorphous silicon rather other is a dye based solar conversion Solar Energy Today than single crystals. And then lose "a whose key ingredients are white paint I guess we are long overdue for an little" because of your anti-reflection covered by a thin magic dye layer. update on solar and alternate energy. coating. You lose "a little" because the Now, I have personally done solar Certain recent developments (such as cell wires shade themselves. research. And are developing closely passive solar, construction alternates, You’ll lose "a little" because of your with several others in the field. My and control films) are really coming protecting glass. You’ll lose "a little" magic sinewaves should significantly along just fine. Others (like solar hot because the cells don’t fully cover the improve the cost and the efficiency of water) are more or less cost effective solar inverters. in some regions some of the time. But But going off starry-eyed in a "save the big one (off-grid solar electricity) NEXT MONTH: Don looks at the world" mode simply will not hack still has serious problems. the very fundamentals of it. Never did and never will. Ferinstance, the largest solar power nutting and volting. Here, as I see it, are the key realities plant in the world shut down a few of solar power today… years ago. All of their panels are now (1) Solar is a rather diffuse energy getting retailed to the hobby market. expected area. You lose "a little" as the resource. It is extremely difficult to Today, there is much more money to cells age. You use "a little" because of efficiently gather and convert into any be made in selling surplus junk than tracking losses. useful final electrical power form. there ever was in solar electricity. You’ll lose "a little" in your system Now, out here on any hot Arizona wiring. You lose "a little" in the series (2) You can now buy an awful lot of afternoon, there’s up to 1200 watts per protection diodes. You’ll lose "a little" electricity for a mere ten cents off of meter of peak incoming solar energy. because the ac power converter costs your local power company. Given an efficient enough converter, money and is not 100 percent efficient. (3) Solar success takes bunches of an average house roof could produce You lose "a little" because any storage long term effort and continuous hard $45,000.00 worth of electricity a year. batteries also cost money and are not work. Frustration is guaranteed. Around thirty times what is normally anywhere near totally efficient.

January 1995 / Nuts & Volts Magazine 24 (4) Any effort that does not build World Renewable new from upon the existing resource base and Energy Directory DON LANCASTER the already done research is doomed This one appears to be the standard to failure. Fer sure. ACTIVE FILTER COOKBOOK industry reference. The full title is The The sixteenth (!) printing of Don’s bible on analog op-amp lowpass, bandpass, and highpass active (5) The "nickel and dime effect" will World Directory of Renewable Energy filters. De-mystified instant designs. $28.50 eat you alive. Every time. Suppliers and Services 1995. This is a European publication from James and (6) Alternate energy projects must CMOS AND TTL COOKBOOKS James Science. ISBN is 1-873936-40-0. I Millions of copies in print worldwide. THE two include a total economic efficiency do not know the price. It is free to at books for digital integrated circuit fundamentals. analysis. Including time to breakeven About as hands-on as you can get. $28.50 each. least some industry insiders. and the net return on investment. Included are 6000+ suppliers from Plus fully take into account all INCREDIBLE SECRET 100 countries. Plus hundreds of solar subsidies, both obvious and hidden. MONEY MACHINE II organizations world wide. Updated 2nd edition of Don’s classic on setting Nonetheless, I strongly encourage The topics covered include general up your own technical or craft venture. $18.50 you to go out and explore solar and articles, biomass, rational energy use, other energy options on your own. energy storage, geothermal, hydro & LANCASTER CLASSICS LIBRARY Don’s best early stuff at a bargain price. Includes Let’s look at some great places to wave, instrumentation, photovoltaics, the CMOS Cookbook, The TTL Cookbook, Active Filter Cookbook, PostScript video, Case Against get you started… solar thermal, and wind power. Patents, Incredible Secret Money Machine II, and Hardware Hacker II reprints. $119.50 Home Power Real Goods Richard and Karen Perez publish The highest profile retail direct mail LOTS OF OTHER GOODIES .Ask . . . the. . . Guru. . . . .I . or. . II. .or . . III...... $24.50. . . . . Home Power magazine. Off grid and supplier of alternate energy products .Hardware ...... Hacker...... II, . .III . .or . .IV ...... $24.50. . . . . off line in rural Oregon. This is by far does appear to be Real Goods. They do .Micro . . . . .Cookbook ...... I...... $19.50...... PostScript ...... Beginner ...... Stuff...... $29.50. . . . . your first and foremost resource for have everything from solar panels to .PostScript ...... Show . . . . .and . . . Tell...... $29.50...... Intro . . . .to . .PostScript ...... Video ...... $29.50. . . . . low end, shirtsleeves "them that’s efficient lights to books to control .PostScript ...... Reference ...... II ...... $32.50...... PostScript ...... Tutorial/Cookbook ...... $19.50. . . . . doing" info. Besides solar, they are films to warm clothes. All in their free .PostScript ...... by . . Example...... $32.50. . . . . into wind and small scale hydro. Plus catalog. The catalog also includes lots .Understanding ...... PS. . . Programming...... $29.50...... PostScript: ...... A. .Visual . . . . . Approach...... $22.50. . . . . electric cars, lifestyles, insulation, the of solar reference info and other tips .PostScript ...... Program ...... Design...... $24.50...... Thinking ...... in. . PostScript...... $22.50. . . . . electronic fundamentals, lower priced and techniques. .LaserWriter ...... Reference ...... $19.50. . . . . home construction, and much more. Speaking of efficient lighting, I’ve .Type . . . . 1. .Font . . . .Format ...... $16.50...... Acrobat ...... Reference...... $24.50. . . . . There are several other solar and just posted a fundamental review of .Whole . . . . . works...... (all . . .PostScript) ...... $380.00...... PostScript ...... Insider ...... Secrets ...... FREE . . . . alternate mags. Home Energy is mostly lighting efficiency tradeoffs as my file .Hacking ...... Insider ...... Secrets ...... FREE . . . . on how to insulate trailers. Its more of MUSE95.PDF to GEnie PSRT. an industry trade journal than an end POSTSCRIPT SECRETS user publication. The original Muddle Solar Energy A Book/Disk combination crammed full of free fonts, insider resources, utilities, publications, Earth News has long since yuppified. The leading scholarly publication is workarounds, fontgrabbing, more. For most any Its solar stuff now seems in the same Solar Energy. It’s British and "a little" PostScript printer. Mac or PC format. $29.50 league as Popular Science. Both seem expensive at $1200 per year. As the BOOK-ON-DEMAND PUB KIT useful, but big bucks, yuppy-oriented, official journal for that International Ongoing details on Book-on-demand publishing, a new method of producing books only when and and ad driven. Solar Energy Society. as ordered. Reprints, sources, samples. $39.50 Much of the original Mother crew Subscriptions are much cheaper if have set out on their own, publishing you are a society memember. THE CASE AGAINST PATENTS a fine Backwoods Home magazine. Still This is the place to go for first rate For most individuals, patents are virtually certain to result in a net loss of sanity, energy, time, and in the spirit of the original. technical research. A larger technical money. This two volume set shows you tested Backwoods Cabin is one imitator. library should stock these. and proven real-world alternatives. 28.50 My most preferred ongoing "access My favorite journal for theoretical BLATANT OPPORTUNIST I to tools" resource of all time still is the energy fundamentals is Science. Their The reprints from all Don’s Midnight Engineering quarterly Whole Earth Review, who’ve December 1, 1995 issue shows what columns. Includes a broad range of real world, proven coverage on small scale technical startup recently published their Whole Earth may end up a major breakthrough in ventures. Stuff you can use right now. $24.50 Millenium Catalog. fuel cells. On page 1440. One good source for many listings Nature is another superb scientific RESOURCE BIN I A complete collection of all Don’s Nuts & Volts of those labor-of-love alternate energy journal on energy fundamentals. columns to date, including a new index and his newsletters is Factsheet Five. Another Both Power Engineering and World master names and numbers list. $24.50 "must have" favorite of mine. Cogeneration are trade journals. Both are free to qualified subscribers. FREE SAMPLES Well, nearly free anyway. Almost. Do join us on Solar II CD Another free trade journal I have GEnie PSRT to sample all of the Guru’s goodies. The downloading cost on a typical Guru file is 21 The Home Power folks have also just found to provide useful solar stuff is cents. Modem access: Dial (800) 638-8369. On published a new Solar II CD. This one HVAC News. An oversized shopper prompt, JOINGENIE, then DMD524 on key. is a large collection of highly useful for air conditioning contractors. FREE VOICE HELPLINE VISA /MC solar energy resources. Acrobat files, Solar Today is the "gee whiz" solar SYNERGETICS color, and sound. Cost is around $29. publication from the American Solar Box 809-NV Thatcher, AZ 85552 Don’t miss this one. It has to be the Energy Society. Sorry, but I feel that, at (520) 428-4073 most outstanding product in alternate best, this one is second rate. energy research today. The free NASA Tech Briefs also has Write in 146 on Reader Service Card.

25 January 1995/Nuts & Volts Magazine SOLAR AND ALTERNATE ENERGY RESOURCES

AEE Energy Books EPRI Journal James & James Science Oak Ridge Natl Lab Rocky Mountain Institute SolarJack PO Box 1026 PO Box 10412 Waterside House PO Box 2008 1739 Snowmass Creek Road 325 East Main St Lilburn GA 30226 Palo Alto CA 94303 47 Kentish Town Road Oak Ridge TN 37831 Snowmass CO 81654 Safford AZ 85546 (404) 925-9558 (415) 855-2000 London NW1 8NZ, UK (615) 576-8152 (970) 927-3851 (520) 428-1092

Am Wind Energy Assn Gale Research Mother Earth News Office of Energy Sandia National Labs Solec 122 C Street NW 4th Fl 835 Penobscot Blvd PO Box 70 USID Room 508 SA-18 PO Box 5800 12533 Chadron Avenue Washington DC 20001 Detroit MI 48226 Hendersonville NC 28793 Washington DC 20523 Albuquerque NM 87185 Hawthorne CA 90250 (202) 383-2500 (313) 961-2242 (704) 693-0211 (703) 875-4047 (505) 844-5678 (310) 970-0065

Backwoods Home GEnie NASA Tech Briefs Oregon Solar Assn Science/AAAS Texas Solar Assn 1257 Siskiyou Blvd Ste 213 401 N Washington St 41 E 42nd St #921 7637 SW 33rd Avenue 1333 H St NW PO Box 16469 Ashland OR 97520 Rockville MD 20850 New York NY 10017 Portland OR 97219 Washington DC 20005 Austin TX 78761 (503) 488-2053 (800) 638-9636 (212) 490-3999 (503) 244-7699 (202) 326-6400 (512) 345-5446

Black Range Films Home Energy Natl Renewable Energy Pennsylvania Solar Assn Solar Industries Assn US Dept of Energy Star Rt 2 Box 119 2124 Kittredge St #95 409 12th Street SW Ste 710 5919 Pulaski Avenue 122 C Street NW 4th FL 1000 Independence Ave SW Kingston NM 88042 Berkeley CA 94704 Washington DC 20024 Philadelphia PA Washington DC 20001 Washington DC 20585 (505) 895-5652 (510) 524-5405 (202) 651-7500 (505) 244-7699 (202) 383-2600 (202) 586-1720

Colorado Solar Assn Home Power Nature Popular Science Solar Energy Whole Earth Review 1617 Cole Blvd PO Box 520 65 Bleecker St 2 Park Ave 660 White Plains Road 27 Gate Five Rd Golden CO 80401 Ashland OR 97520 New York NY 10012 New York NY 10016 Tarrytown NY 10591 Sausalito CA 94965 (303)231-7673 (916) 475-3179 (212) 477-9628 (212) 779-5000 (914) 524-9200 (415) 332-1716

Dialog Information Svcs HVAC /Contractor Northeast Solar Assn Power Engineering Solar Engineering/ASME World Cogeneration 3460 Hillview Ave 1350 E Touhy Ave 50 Miles Street 1250 S Grove Ave #302 345 E 47th Street 84-54 118 St Palo Alto CA 94304 Des Plaines IL 60018 Greenfield MA 01301 Barrington IL 60010 New York NY 10017 Kew Gardens NY 11415 (415) 858-2700 (708) 635-8800 (413) 774-6051 (708) 382-2450 (800) 843-2763 (718) 847-0230

Enterra Group Intl Solar Soc USA NM Solar Energy Assn Real Goods Solar Today Zomeworks 286 State Route 65 2400 Central Avenue G-1 2021 Zearing NW 966 Mazzoni St 2400 Central Ave G1 PO Box 25805 River Falls WI 54022 Boulder CO 80301 Albuquerque NM 87104 Ukiah CA 95482 Boulder CO 80301 Albuquerque NM 87125 (715) 425-9798 (303) 443-3212 (505) 243-3212 (800) 762-7325 (303) 433-3130 (505) 242-5354 some government solar stuff in it. The its last update was in 1992. solar compatible. All made locally on overwhelming majority of its content umbra.gsfc.nasa.gov/sdac.html holds a fancy CAM production machines. Jim seems to me to "just barely" miss. Solar Data Analysis Center data base also sells the Solec panel modules and With the exception of Sandia Labs providing information relating to the similar products. who do offer outstanding solar design study of the sun. Astronomical stuff Jim’s first secret to survival is to services, much of government solar like eclipses and solar flares. address the "Uh–Compared to what?" power has ended up less than stellar. By the way, these two have been markets where solar power is the only A largely counterproductive waste. excerpted from the new Gale Guide to solution. Locations like Bolivia, the At least out here in California and Internet Databases. One of many new Narobi desert and a few remote sites Arizona, an alarming fraction of all printed Internet guides. In general, on Arizona Indian reservations. those outrageous solar subsidies from those online guides, CD’s, and search His second secret is integrating the a decade back were simply gobbled services have more listings and more components into an entire workable gone by boiler shops and fast buck current info than printed ones. system. Pumps get fully optimized to artists. As investment scams. I have also posted a long list of panels. While minimizing the nickel One federal demonstration school electrical and electronic Internet sites and dime effect. solar cooling project in the southeast to my GEnie PSRT as MUSE94.PDF. Zomeworks has been in business found it worked "a little" better if you And, of course, the Dialog Information since solar year one. In fact, Steve’s added a five ton evaporative cooler to Service can be used to instantly find labor-of-love Sunspots publications the output. But then somebody asked information on any solar or alternate long ago defined the opening spasms how big an evaporative cooler they energy topic. By way of your nearby of the alternate energy revolution. would have needed without the feds library, on GEnie, on a CD ROM, or Today, Steve recycles those "gold" solar cooling involvement. from the other online services. Carizzo Solar panels. He also provides The answer: Three tons! Oh well. efficient and effective solar trackers, Solarjack and Zomeworks energy control systems, passive solar Online Resources You will find lots of solar suppliers products, and new Cool-Cell battery There’s bunches of online solar and listed in Home Power magazine and on coolers for remote utility sites. alternate energy resources. Many are their Solar II CD ROM. A pair I can listed in the Solar II CD. You can also heartily recommend are Jim Allen’s EPRI and AEE use the usual directories and guides Solarjack and Steve Baer’s Zomeworks. The Electric Power Research Institute, to get a complete listing. One good Both have been hard workers clearly or EPRI for short, has all sorts of solar choice is yahoo.com in it for the long haul. and alternate energy videotapes and Let’s look at two samples… Solarjack is one of the scant few publications. Their membership is a solstice.crest.org provides an older successful tech industries here in the tad pricey at a quarter mil per year. collection of traditional solar reports Gila Valley. Their specialty is ultra That’s for an individual. I didn’t ask and pubs. Apparently a DOE effort, high efficiency water pumps. All fully what their family rate was. But most

January 1995/Nuts & Volts Magazine 26 of their research materials are offered working chips. If you write, email, or on a cash-and-carry basis. call, I’ll be happy to send you a free They also publish an EPRI Journal. tutorial reprint on magic sinewaves. Most of their research is first rate. You can also pick this one up as file They are basically a consortium of big MAGSINT.PDF on my Genie PSRT. Or, electric utilities. Grants are issued to for scads more detail, search the PSRT study just about any and all energy library by using "magic" or "Fourier". options. Ranging from coal, oil, and Dozens of the latest files are offered nuclear on up through solar, wind, on this billion dollar opportunity. and conservation. The Association of Energy Engineers This Month’s Contest is a professional trade group. They For our contest this month, just tell have an outstanding bookstore on just me about some solar resource I don’t about any and all energy issues. They already know about. Or tell me about also do get involved in seminars and some alternate energy story you have industry shows. been involved in. Yet another major energy resource Or tell me about most any solar or is the Rocky Mountain Institute run by alternate energy online resources you Amory Lovins. Thorough studies happen to have discovered. about everything from economics of There will be a largish pile of my home energy conservation to new new Incredible Secret Money Machine II options in hybrid electric vehicles. books going to the dozen or so better entries, plus an all-expense-paid (FOB Straw Bale Homes Thatcher, AZ) tinaja quest for two that There’s a lot of fresh new interest in will go to the very best of all. straw bale house construction. The Send all your written entries to me bales are potentially cheap and offer here at Synergetics, rather than to Nuts fine insulation qualities. And they are & Volts editorial. more managable than they might first To be fair to everyone, all entries seem. At least around here, zoning must be printed and mailed. officials seem surprisingly receptive. Acrobat quality reprints of all my A really superb series of videos on Nuts & Volts columns are available on straw bale homes gets distributed by GEnie PSRT. This particular one is Black Range Films. Including guided called NUTS48.PDF. Another alternate tours and detailed step-by-step and energy resource summary appears as hands-on construction details. my HACK28.PDF file. Be sure to check these vids out. The A reminder: I have just bought an same people do alternate construction entire community college electronics seminars and run an outstanding (and department at auction. So I have got reasonable cost) wilderness bed and some great surplus buys. Especially breakfast lodge. Hidden deep in the Tek logic analyzers. You could write, top secret portion of New Mexico that call, or email for a free catalog. Or you can’t get to. I’d be happy to meet grab it as SURPCAT1.PDF. you there most any time. Let’s hear from you. ✦ Free brochures are offered. Be sure to tell Cathy I sent you. Microcomputer pioneer and guru Don Lancaster is the author of 33 books and Magic Sinewaves countless tech articles. Don maintains his My own in-process contribution to no-charge tech helpline found at (520) solar energy is a brand new technique 428-4073, besides offering all of his own called magic sinewaves. Compared to books, reprints, and all of his consulting older PWM pulse width modulation, services. He also has a free catalog full of the magic sinewaves greatly simplify his resource secrets waiting for you. Your solar inverters and make them much best calling times are 8-5 on weekdays, more efficient. Mountain Standard Time. Magic sinewave ac power inverters Don is now the sysop of GEnie PSRT, can run much cooler, using lower cost where a special Resource Bin topic has output transistors and more compact been reserved for Nuts & Volts readers. heatsinks. Related magic sinewaves For modem access: (800) 638-8369. When can work with induction motor speed prompted, enter JOINGENIE. When asked controls and electric autos. for an offer code, enter DMD524. I’ve got full consulting services and You can also reach Don at Synergetics, codeveloper programs available on Box 809, Thatcher, AZ 85552. Or send these. All the tools are functional and any messages to his Internet address of in place. Including source code and [email protected]

27 January 1995/Nuts & Volts Magazine