01 January 2008

Ever wondered whether your latest scathingly brilliant PICAXE project idea would actually work? Well, now you can find out before you build it, with the new PICAXE circuit simulator software! Mr PICAXE, Clive Seager, talks us through the latest PICAXE software offering from Revolution Education.

01 January 2008

The Minispot produces a 455kHz carrier waveform which is amplitude-modulated with a 500Hz tone. You can use it to align the intermediate frequency (IF) stages of any AM broadcast or shortwave radio.

01 January 2008

Designed to team with up to 10 Water Tank Level Meters, this Base Station lets you monitor water levels from a remote location (eg, inside your home). As a bonus, it also includes an option for electric pump control.

01 January 2008

This easy-to-build project automatically turns on the power for 12V emergency lights within a second or two of a mains power failure. Build it and you won't have to search for candles or your torch in the event of a blackout.

01 January 2008

So you thought valve technology was dead! Well it is - but we have exhumed enough of it to produce a 3-valve radio which has quite a respectable performance. It is a superheterodyne circuit, based entirely on readily available components. It is suitable for moderately-experienced constructors - even those who've never touched a valve in their lives!

01 December 2007

Here's an improved version of the very popular voice recorder design we published in May 2005. It can now be set up easily to record two, four or eight different messages for random-access playback or a single message for 'tape mode' playback. Also, it now provides cleaner and glitch-free line-level audio output suitable for feeding an amplifier or PA system. It can be powered from any source of 9-14V DC.

01 December 2007

Interesting circuit ideas which we have checked but not built and tested. Contributions from readers are welcome and will be paid for at standard rates.

01 December 2007

Do you have trouble understanding what's being said on the TV? Do you need the volume cranked up too loud for everyone else? Do you have a hearing aid as well? If you said yes to any other these questions, here is your answer: an infrared transmitter and receiver to let you listen to the TV sound via headphones. That way, you can listen as loudly as you like, without disturbing anyone else.

01 December 2007

With Australia celebrating 50 years of television last year, I thought I should celebrate the occasion and restore a TV set that was around not long after it started. But like the hare in Mrs Beaton's cookbook, I first had to catch my set...

01 December 2007

Last month, we published the circuit of the Water Tank Level Meter and described how it worked. This month, we show you how to build both the basic and telemetry versions and detail the installation.