Compressor for PA system

On your PortaPAL PA system (SILICON CHIP, February & March 2003) that uses the TDA1562Q Philips IC, do you have a companion audio compressor/limiter circuit or an audio bandpass input filter so as to limit the input for voice passband only and to avoid clipping/over-modulation?
(B. M., Minneapolis, USA).

We published a single chip compressor for microphones and guitar in March 1999. The signal would need to be connected after the initial balanced microphone preamplifier. A CD compressor was published in June 2000.

Antenna connection for FM tuner

Can FM radios that only have a "flying lead" as an FM antenna (ie, they have no 75-ohm coax input) be connected or matched to a 75-ohm TV/FM antenna wall outlet? If so, how is this done?

TDK has released a wonderful slimline CD/tuner system (NX-03CD) but unfortunately it doesn’t have a coax antenna input. I’d like to be able to connect this system to my rooftop TV/FM antenna, as reception is marginal on some FM stations with only the "flying lead" antenna that’s provided with this system.
(R. B., via email).

You can connect the tuner’s flying lead to the centre pin of a coax wall socket. It won’t be as good as a full coax connection but it will be better than nothing.

Polystyrene foam cutter

I have a faint memory of seeing an article on constructing a polystyrene foam cutter in an electronics magazine. Have you ever published such an article and if so is it still available for purchase?
(D. G., Bicton, WA).

A hot wire cutter was described in the April 2000 issue of SILICON CHIP. The back issue is available for $8.80 including GST and p&p (Australia).