Discover the expert in you.
Discover the expert in you.
There’s a whole world of radios signals out there waiting to be intercepted by information seekers. Many police, fire and emergency medical communicators use specialized phrases or shorthand words. This type of radio talk often contains quite a bit of interesting information. Knowing common radio communications phrases can increase your listening comprehension and excitement.
During the hunt for the Boston Marathon bombers, thousands of listeners tracked the progress of the search using police and emergency radio scanners. These devices allow you to listen to the same frequencies first responders use, giving you information about dangerous situations, major crimes and disasters as they occur. Choosing the right scanner for your needs can be tricky, however, so be sure to do your homework before making a purchase.
NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards is a service that broadcasts official weather information from the National Weather Service, or NWS. The service is an asset during inclement and stormy weather, so if you have an emergency radio capable of receiving these broadcasts, you should set it up to receive them. The federal government provides resources for finding the appropriate frequency for your location.
Turning your PC into a HAM radio is something you can do by creating an interface that looks and acts like a HAM. Turn your PC into a HAM radio with help from a computer science and media production professional in this free video clip.
At first glance it looks like just another yard sale cast-off, but to a collector, that grubby old transistor radio is a diamond in the rough. With nothing more than some basic household cleaning products and a little bit of elbow grease, you can get that vintage radio looking and working like new, making it a valuable addition to your collection.
In these technically-advanced times, understanding what makes electronic gadgets tick can easily strike the average person as being an overwhelming task; and actually building one that functions can seem downright impossible. But that’s not necessarily the truth. Using only two small electronic parts and several items that can be found around the house, you can construct a tuning coil radio that operates without batteries. While the result of your efforts might pale in comparison to modern portable music players, there’s still nothing like the feeling you’ll get when you pick up a transmitted signal on a device you made yourself.
Radio and television antennas come in a wide variety of styles. Some are sleek, streamlined high-tech models inside molded plastic casings. Others are spiky arrays of individual rods, or simple T-shaped wire dipole antennas. The distinctively shaped butterfly or bowtie antenna is a variation on the dipole, which bends the antenna's two elements into triangles. It provides the same reception, but takes up a much smaller space.
Named after the engineer who designed it, a Yagi antenna receives and transmits signals. While many Yagi antennas are used for television and amateur radio reception, you can also use it to increase the strength and focus of wireless networking radio signals. Yagis have three main elements: a driven element which is a single antenna connected to the signal source; a reflector which is a slightly longer rod placed behind the driven element; and directors which are additional shorter rods placed in front of the driven element.
Portable and mobile two-way radios are limited by distance, local terrain and nearby buildings. One of the best ways to overcome these shortcomings is with a radio repeater system. These receive signals on one frequency and retransmit them on another, usually with a higher location and better equipment. While a repeater can be a portable system, it is usually a specialized radio system installed on higher ground or a tall building. Modern repeaters have additional digital advantages.
Computers can transmit and receive data wirelessly via radio waves in a configuration known as a wireless local area network when equipped with a router and wireless receivers. Wireless radio communication uses electromagnetic radiation to transfer data between a transmitter and a receiver. Radio waves are a form of electromagnetic energy that operates within a frequency range known as radio frequency, and computer communication is simply the transmission of data between devices within a legal radio frequency.
Although valve radios -- also called "vacuum tube" or just "tube" radios -- predate solid-state transistor models by 50 years, their working principles are much the same. A valve controls and amplifies a signal using an electric current in a vacuum; a transistor does a similar job using current in a silicon crystal. There are about a half-dozen valves of a few different types in a vintage tabletop radio.
Recording a decent vocal track is vital for a polished, professional-sounding recording. Voice Memos is the default audio-recording app on the iPhone. Although its features are minimal, you can nevertheless use it to capture a decent vocal track, particularly if you pair the iPhone with an external microphone. Third-party applications such as VoiceJam and ImproVox provide slightly more advanced vocal-recording functionality and are available for download from the App Store.
A condition called microphonics produces feedback in vintage tube radios. The feedback manifests as howl, squealing and other noises coming from the radio speaker. In a radio, the effect is annoying but not harmful to the equipment. You can reduce the feedback by keeping the radio's volume low, by adding accessories or replacing the tubes.
Grounding your antennas whether they are in use or not is an important step in protecting your property from lightning strikes. Giving the surge from the strike a clearer path to the ground reduces the chances of damage to connected electronics. Grounding also solves interference and reception issues issues due to radio-frequency feedback traveling back up the coaxial cable to the antenna.
Without squelch, listening to radio signals can be noisy. The circuit that controls the squelch level eliminates background noise and interference so that desired signals pass through clearly. Radios with squelch operate quieter than those without since only the signals you want to hear pass through to the speaker.
Both ham and CB Radio allow individuals to communicate with others via select radio frequencies. Tight rules governing both services mean that you can’t use a ham radio to answer a CB radio call because the FCC doesn’t allow modified equipment to be used in the CB radio bands.
After you've spent hours researching the right antenna for your ham radio hobby, don't go throwing all that hard work away by putting it in the wrong place. If you have a house with aluminum siding and you don't take that into consideration when erecting your antenna, you might just end up with little more than an expensive clothesline.
Radio telemetry is a facet of communications, defense, and wildlife management, and has been since the invention of radio transmission. As such, its use has extended from the military and defense industries and space exploration to oil rig maintenance and wildlife monitoring and conservation. Without radio telemetry, technology and hi-tech institutions would not function as they do. In order to understand how it works, however, it is best to know the basics and understand how it is applied in particular contexts.
Radio skip is a natural phenomenon in which broadcasts arrive from places you do not normally expect -- sometimes hundreds or thousands of miles away. Although the maximum range for high-frequency radio and television broadcasts is normally about sixty miles, changing conditions in the upper atmosphere dramatically increase that distance. Ham radio operators and other broadcasters are familiar with radio skip, but you can experience it with any pocket radio.
Radio astronomy has revealed the existence of pulsars, quasars and the microwave background radiation that provides the strongest evidence for the big bang theory. It has also been used to look at the distribution and composition of the vast clouds of material between the stars. None of those things are possible with optical astronomy. But radio astronomy can also be frustrating because the images it produces are much less detailed than images from optical telescopes. This isn't due to flaws in radio telescopes; it's a consequence of the physical nature of the imaging process.
Lower side band is an spectrum-efficient way to communicate by voice over the amateur radio, and is used on the 160, 80, and 40 meter bands. While use of lower side band is not expressly required by FCC rules, amateurs are expected to transmit voice in this mode when operating in certain ham radio bands.
Pocket radios have used tiny, in-the-ear headphone speakers since the 1950s to let the owner listen to broadcasts without disturbing others. In the 1980s, new magnet technology allowed designers to significantly improve the sound of earphones, leading to the high-fidelity earbuds available today. The modern earbud works on a principle very similar to full-sized audio speakers, although miniaturized to fit in your ear.
The club call sign program is a way for members of an amateur radio club to use a common call sign when operating the club’s station. A trustee is in charge of the club call sign, and is responsible for ensuring that its use is consistent with the Federal Communication Commission’s rules governing the amateur radio service.
“Working DX” -- or contacting faraway amateur radio stations -- takes a bit of work and practice. The most important part of the equation is knowing where to point your antenna, as this gives you the best chance of making that contact. This is known as a beam heading.
If contacting others miles if not continents away sounds exciting, amateur radio may be the hobby for you. It's not hard to get going with this hobby: all you have to do to get chatting on amateur radio frequencies is take a test and receiving your call sign.
Recording with a Webcam on an Apple iMac is something you can do in just a couple of seconds. Record with a Webcam on an Apple iMac with help from an expert in the world of Apple electronics in this free video clip.
Recording a song in Audacity only requires that you follow a few basic, easy to manage steps. Learn the steps to recording a song in Audacity with help from an audio engineer and musician in this free video clip.
When recording maracas, you're always going to want to keep a few very important things in mind. Record maracas with help from an audio engineer with a degree in Audio Recording from California State University in this free video clip.
One great thing that Audacity allows you to do is easily multitrack records. Multitrack records with Audacity with help from an audio engineer with a degree in Audio Recording from California State University in this free video clip.
Recording real instruments on an iPhone is easy, so long as you know which app you should be using. Record real instruments on an iPhone with help from an audio engineer with a degree in Audio Recording from California State University in this free video clip.
Caching the Slacker Radio app for Android allows you to listen to music even when you're not online. Cache on Slacker Radio for Android with help from an electronics expert in this free video clip.
If you could, using some sort of sci-fi viewing device, look through the Tahoe's sheetmetal to view only its wiring system, you'd be excused for feeling a bit intimidated. This truck, like most others on the road, is an absolute jungle of party-colored wires running through sheetmetal and rubber like a psychedelic circulatory system. But don't be afraid to dive in when replacing your truck's radio -- even if you do have to move a few wires around to match an aftermarket harness plug. Those wires are easy enough to decode and move, if you just take them one at…
The original-equipment radio unit for your 1995 Ford Taurus shares a physical design common with other industry standard DIN-sized stereos, making the installation process for a comparable aftermarket unit possible without the need for additional mounting components. Removing, installing and wiring the original-equipment radio may prove necessary after removing an existing defective factory unit or aftermarket radio.
Replacing your 1989 Ford Mustang GT's original factory radio for with a modernized aftermarket head unit may breathe new life into the vehicle's audio system. Adapting a new stereo to the vehicle's dash console and existing wiring requires the use of several complimentary products to perform the install in a proper manner.
The LS400 is a large, rear-drive sedan that is manufactured by Lexus, a luxury division of Toyota Motor Company. In addition to the 4.0 liter V-8 engine, the 1997 LS400 has many other luxury touches, including a radio antenna that retracts electrically into the driver‘s side rear quarter panel when not needed. The antenna mast is attached to a cogged plastic drive cable that is actuated by an electric motor in the trunk. A malfunctioning antenna may be remedied by replacing the mast and drive cable assembly.
The main stereo on a 1994 Mitsubishi 3000GT coupe includes an integrated CD player, as well as in internal amplifier. This radio unit sits in the center of the dashboard and connects to a number of cables, including the speaker outputs, radio antenna and system wiring harness. The radio itself is held in place with a number of screws that connect to steel brackets. In order to access the radio retaining screws, the plastic outer bezel must be carefully removed from the center of the dashboard.
A fried radio in a 2001 Ford Focus can create an eerie silence inside the vehicle, especially if you’re used to playing your favorite songs as you cruise down the road. Unfortunately, Ford doesn’t provide any technical service specifications or repair procedures for the radio unit itself; so if your radio is truly fried, you’ll need to remove it and replace it with a new or used radio. Used factory radios can easily be obtained from salvage yards for a fraction of the price of new radios. If you opt to replace your radio with a new factory unit, you’ll…
Though the average consumer rarely needs to think about antenna size for radio and television receivers, it’s a topic that concerns communications professionals, broadcasters and hobbyist amateur operators. Full-wave antennas are theoretically better than other lengths because of their efficiency. On the other hand, the size of a full wave antenna poses problems for equipment designers.
When Volkswagen designed the radio enclosure system for the 2000 Jetta, they created a unique retaining system that allowed the radio to be removed without having to dismantle the entire dashboard. This system is comprised of locking tabs on the back of the radio and two slots on the front of the radio. When special tools are inserted into each slot on the front of the radio, the locking tabs disengage, allowing the radio to move out of the dashboard.
Certain 2004 Chevrolet Astro vehicles feature an audio theft-deterrent system, optionally activated by the owner, which requires the user to enter a unique four-digit code, allowing the in-dash stereo unit to function properly after a loss of power. The 2004 Chevrolet Express features an updated version of the THEFTLOCK theft-deterrent system that is designed to disable the audio system, if the van's vehicle identification number does not match the VIN programmed in the stereo unit. This lock-out condition can only be remedied by an authorized service center with specialized programming equipment.
One of the benefits of using Microsoft Publisher is that you can print catalogs with the names and addresses of your recipients already on them. All you have to do is merge the catalog you created with your own mailing list. If you find mistakes in the catalog after you have already completed the merge, you can use Publisher's "Find and Replace" tool to make changes throughout the record to avoid running a new catalog merge.
The radio installed in a 1994 Chevrolet Impala is a Theftlock radio. This type of radio has an integrated security system that, depending upon user settings, locks the radio when it loses battery power. This system is primarily designed to discourage radio theft by rendering the radio useless to a thief who doesn’t know the security code. In order to unlock the radio, you’ll need to locate the unlock code that was included in the Impala's owner's manual. If you don’t have an unlock code, you can obtain one from your local Chevrolet dealership for a small fee.
Recording vocals for a song with your iPhone only requires the right app and a little bit of know-how. Record vocals for a song on an iPhone with help from an experienced mobile professional in this free video clip.
Recording on your guitar always requires you to make sure that you prepare in the proper way to avoid hassles later on. Get a guitar recording tutorial with help from an award-winning, critically-acclaimed musician in this free video clip.
Citing a recorder's transcript can be tricky, but doing so will make sure the reader knows exactly where your information is coming from. Cite a recorder's transcript in a research paper with help from an educator with experience in both reading and writing in this free video clip.
The process you need to go through to remove dismissed charges on your record varies depending on where that record is actually located. Remove dismissed charges from your records in Anchorage with help from an attorney that runs his own practice in this free video clip.
Joining Pandora Radio requires a PC and an Internet connection. Find out how to join Pandora Radio with help from a writer, producer and editor in this free video clip.
Whether or not a song can be on the radio depends on a few key things. Find out how to know if a song can be on the radio with help from a writer, producer and editor in this free video clip.
Blocking Pandora Radio may be necessary at work, or if you are using a public computer in a place like a school. Block Pandora Radio with help from a writer, producer and editor in this free video clip.
No matter how long you stare at the clock, it's not going to move unless you have a pinion that works properly. The clock's pinion is the set of small gears that turn the inner mechanisms of the clock. Making the pinion of a clock is no simple task, but it can be done with the proper cutting tools and some precision craft work. Creating the first pinion from brass and a second from steel allows you to get the measurements as precise as possible.
