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JULY 1990 TECHNOLOGY - VIDEO - STEREO - COMPUTERS - SERVICE BUILD R -E's ^r, DIGITAL DASHBOARD Add hi -tech monitoring to any car BUILD A SUPER DIRECTIONAL MICROPHONE Our novel design gives you long-distance ears ADD A DISPLAY TO YOUR PROJECT How to use multi -line LCD displays DtSP` DISP2 D 1f . ROCK, RELIGION, & RHETORIC A look at U.S.-based shortwave stations CIRCUIT COOKBOOK Alarm generator circuits and fault indicators for your security system BUILD A SOLID STATE DISK DRIVE (Li3L;t Use static RAM to speedP u P i your computer and save wear and tear on your mechanical drives GERNSBACK PJELICATION www.americanradiohistory.com Better resolution and accuracy can change the whole picture. Clear up the uncertainty in your motors, radar, or other transmitters. And test measurements with these three thirty-six components are dedicated to versatile Fluke multimeters. high-energy overload protection, for you When you need performance that leaves and the meter. no room for doubt, focus on the Fluke 25, All three instruments offer simplicity of 27 and 37 Analog/Digital Multimeters. operation. Select functions with one rotary With their patented A/D converters, they dial. Don't worry about range selection deliver DC volts accuracy within 0.1%. An - it's automatic. Plus, the auto -polarity easy-to -view display also provides a full digital readout and analog bar graph give 4 digits of resolution for readings up to you two ways to look at the signal. The 27 FLUKE 25, 27, & 37 and 37 also add extra features like MIN/ 3200 counts. 0.1% basic dc accuracy Fully sealed, drop proof cases protect MAX Recording and Relative mode. Analog/Digital Display amps, diode test Fluke 25 and 27 from abuse Next time you make a measurement, Volts, ohms, the handheld 0.1 uA to 10A, all fused missing. Then call on the job site. The unique design of the think about what you're 30 KHz ac bandwidth 100 ),V to 1000V ac and dc is well suited for benchtop and us toll -free 1 -800 -44 -FLUKE, ext. 33 Fluke 37 Touch Hold"' function portable use, and includes a convenient and ask about the Fluke 25, 27 and 37 Relative (difference) mode and MIN/MAX recording mode (27 & 37) handle, storage compartment (37). for test leads and meters. You'll get the picture. Integral storage compartment Three-year warranty (25, 27). Two year warranty (37) small accessories. The circuitry in each model is shielded FROM THE WORLD LEADER to eliminate interference - even near IN DIGITAL MULTIMETERS FLUKE John Fluke Mfg. Co.. Inc.. P 0. Box C9090. M/S 250C, Everett. WA 98206, Sales.1206) 356-5400 Other (2061347-6100. Copyright 1988 John Fluke Mfg. Co.. Inc All rights reserved. Ad No. 0280-F20 CIRCLE 121 ON FREE INFORMATION CARD www.americanradiohistory.com Radio .duly 1990 Electronics Vol. 61 No. 7 BUILD THIS BUILD R -E's e DIGITAL 31 R -E -'s DIGITAL DASHBOARD DASHBOARD Give your dashboard a facelift with.six attractive, and accurate new gauges. Ross Ortman 41 SUPER -DIRECTIONAL MICROPHONE Our build -it -yourself model outperforms many store-bought models! Dale B. Blackwell 45 THE LAWN RANGER: PART 2 A look at the robotic lawn mower's motor control board. Raymond Rafaels PAGE 31 50 ADD A DISPLAY TO YOUR PROJECT COMPUTERDIGEST Installing the alpha -numeric display in your project. Mg Steven Avritch BUILD A SOLID-STATE EDITOR'S DISK DRIVE WORK- BENCH . "Z. 56 SECURITY SYSTEM COOKBOOK I,..-. J An assortment of security circuits to build for your home and car. ' Ray Marston TECHNOLOGY 53 ROCK, RELIGION, AND RHETORIC Tune in to privately owned, U.S.-based shortwave stations. Gerry L. Dexter PAGE 75 75 BUILD A SOLID-STATE DISK DRIVE Retain important PC data with our inexpensive battery -backed RAM disk. Mark Hatten AND MORE 94 Advertising and Sales DEPARTMENTS Offices 94 Advertising Index 6 VIDEO NEWS 69 AUDIO UPDATE What's new in this fast - Taking care of your tapes. 8 Ask R -E changing field. Larry Klein 95 Free Information Card David Lachenbruch 14 Letters 18 EQUIPMENT REPORTS 72 DRAWING BOARD Scrambling and Macrovision. 82 Market Center Tektronix analog/digital- Robert Grossblatt storage oscilloscope. 25 New Lit HARDWARE HACKER WORKBENCH 62 75 EDITOR'S 21 New Products Power -control fundamentals. Reader mail. Don Lancaster Jeff Holtzman 4 What's News 1 www.americanradiohistory.com ON THE COVER Radio Electronics If your car's "instrument cluster" Hugo Gernsback (1884-1967) founder (commonly known as a dashboard), M. Harvey Gernsback, consists primarily of idiot lights that editor -in -chief, emeritus don't provide all the information you Larry Steckler, EHE. CET, want, take a look at our digital editor -in -chief and publisher dashboard. We show you how to put EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT together six digital gauges: voltage, Brian C. Fenton, editor oil pressure, water temperature, fuel Marc Spiwak, associate editor level, vacuum, and an auxiliary dis- Daniel Goodman, technical editor Teri Scaduto, play whose function you can choose. assistant editor Jeffrey K. Holtzman Not only do these gauges give accu- computer editor rate, detailed level readings, they Robert Grossblatt, circuits editor also look good. To give your Larry Klein, audio editor David Lachenbruch dashboard an updated, high-tech contributing editor look worthy of the name "instrument Don Lancaster cluster," turn to page 31. contributing editor Richard D. Fitch contributing editor Kathy Campbell, editorial assistant ART DEPARTMENT 1 4 1t } I, Andre Duzant, art director Injae Lee, illustrator Russell C. Truelson, illustrator THE AUGUST ISSUE PRODUCTION DEPARTMENT Ruby M. Yee, production director GOES ON SALE Janice Box, editorial production JULY 3. Karen S. Tucker advertising production Marcella Amoroso production assistant BUILD A VIDEO GRABBER CIRCULATION DEPARTMENT Capture a frame of video and manipulate it on your computer. Jacqueline P. Cheeseboro circulation director Wendy Alanko BUILD A 100 -MHz FREQUENCY COUNTER circulation analyst An easy -to -build, accurate instrument based on the Intersil 7216. Theresa Lombardo circulation assistant AC POWER MEASUREMENT Michele Torrillo, reprint bookstore A refresher course. Typography by Mates Graphics Cover photo by Diversified Photo MICROWAVES Services A look at the many uses of microwaves in the past, present, and future. Radio -Electronics is indexed in Applied Science & Technology Index and Readers Guide to Periodical Liter- BUILD A TELEPHONE-LINE CONTROLLER ature. A programmable card that lets your computer control incoming and Microfilm & Microfiche editions are outgoing calls. available. Contact circulation depart- ment for details. Advertising Sales Offices listed As a service to readers. RADIO -ELECTRONICS publishes available plans or information relating to newsworthy products, on page 94. techniques and scientific and technological developments. Because of possible variances in the quality and condition of materials and workmanship used by readers, RADIO -ELECTRONICS disclaims any responsibility for the safe and proper Radio -Electronics Executive and functioning of reader -built projects based upon or from plans or information published in this magazine. Administrative Offices: 1-516-293-3000. Since some of the equipment and circuitry described in RADIO -ELECTRONICS may relate to or be covered by U.S. patents. RADIO -ELECTRONICS disclaims any liability for the infringement of such patents by the making, using, or selling of any such Subscriber Customer Service: equipment or circuitry, and suggests that anyone interested in such projects consult a patent attorney. 1-800-288-0652. Order Entry for New Subscribers: RADIO -ELECTRONICS, (ISSN 0033-7862) June 1990. Published monthly by Gernsback Publications, Inc.. 500-B Bi -County Boulevard, Farmingdale, NY 11735 Second -Class Postage paid at Farmingdale, NY and additional mailing offices Second-Class 1-800-999-7139. mail registration No. 9242 authorized at Toronto, Canada. One-year subscription rate U.S.A. and possessions $17.97. Canada $23.97, all other countries S26.97. All subscription orders payable in U.S.A. funds only, via international postal money order or check drawn on a U.S.A. bank. Single copies $2.50. c 1990 by Gernsback Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. Printed in U.S.A. fhe POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to RADIO -ELECTRONICS, Subscription Dept.. Box 55115, Boulder, CO 80321-5115. Audit Bureau A stamped self-addressed envelope must accompany all submitted manuscripts and/or artwork photographs if their return is or of Circulation desired should they be rejected. We disclaim any responsibility for the loss or damage of manuscripts and/or artwork or photographs while in our possession or otherwise. 2 www.americanradiohistory.com PLUG IN. TURN ON. GET DATA. FAST. FREE SOFTWARE. NO PROGRAMMING. Turnkey ProtoKey'' 8 -channel Now you can create daring experiments as fast data acquisition system...the accu- as you think of them...store them indefinitely... rate, low cost solution to real time ,expand or modify them as data collection from your IBM needed. 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