Sound Card Mixer — improves live PC recordings. This multichannel design will bring "life" to your computerised live sound recordings. The unit helps to overcome the problems often associated with PC-based sound recordings. It provides the necessary gain to bring the microphone outputs up to line level. Additionally it is in the form of a desktop mixer that avoids the need to constantly fumble around with the soundcard sockets on the rear of a PC. Battery operated design. Full constructional details provided, built on a single p.c.b. to minimise interwiring.
PIC Electric Meter Mk 2 — Now you can monitor the running costs of your mains electrical appliances with the latest version of our PICmicro-based electricity meter. Suitable for both 230V and 110V appliances, this dual-channel device (2nd channel optional) circuit has an LCD display showing real time values of voltage, load current, power consumption (6kW maximum), cumulative running costs and more besides. A data logging facility is also incorporated.
It uses Hall-effect transducers to monitor the mains current without any direct electrical connection to the appliance being necessary. An optional serial interface circuit is provided that enables data to be copied to a PC using RS232. Then you can analyse it using a spreadsheet or other program. EPE provides the necessary freeware and free source code available from our Downloads page as usual.
Sneaky Magician's Communicator — "Sneaky" is the word, with our covert communications system designed for magicians and budding spies! You can confound an audience with our PICmicro based system, which is a two-unit one way master/ slave communicator, one unit being worn by the Magician and the other by the assistant. It uses a 433MHz radio frequency system and a clever method of operating vibration motors. Free source code is available from the Downloads section.
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE: Smart Karts 5 Pushing & Grabbing: our mobile robot buggy morphs into SK-3 and gains a grabber and pusher. E-Blocks and Flowcode 2 review. Interface covers simple digital to analogue conversion for PCs. Circuit Surgery covers USB in the third of its mini series. Net Work offers timely warnings and practical advise for Ebay users. All this and more in the February 2005 issue of EPE Magazine.