OVER 2 YOU, 058 (27/11/01)

VALVE RADIOS

I recall seeing an item in Over 2 You a few months ago about crystal radios. In a similar vein, does anyone know where one could get the plans and the parts to build a valve type radio, preferably in kit form? Are valves still being made? I well remember making one as a teenager (some fifty years ago) and now I have a bit of time on my hands I would dearly love to have another go.

Bill Jefferson, via email

I suggest Bill joins his local amateur radio club, where with a bit of luck he will meet a number of veterans of the halcyon days of radio before the solid-state revolution.  These gentlemen will in all probability have built numerous items of valve equipment in the past and will be only too pleased to give advice and help.  Furthermore each one is likely to have a large junk box full of old components, bits of wireless sets, valves etc.

A list of amateur radio clubs can be found at www.rsgb.org, the website of the Radio Society of Great Britain. I’m not sure about a kit for a valve radio but valves are still obtainable – try www.colomor.demon.co.uk; and other components are available from a number of retailers, e.g. www.maplin.co.uk, http://rswww.com, www.farnell.com/uk.

David Harris,

Cirkit (http://www.cirkit.co.uk/cirkit/) sell a very trendy valve radio kit, which can be purchased from electronics shops.

Bill Jefferson, via email

Radio valves are available from chevet@globalnet.co.uk. See also see Practical Wireless magazine, December 2001 page 81 at bookstore@publishing.Ltd.uk for information on how to build a valve-type radio.

Rob MacDonald,

Yes thermionic valves are still available (some people into hi-fi believe that only valves will do). I don't know about a valve radio kits, but Maplin (http://www.maplin.co.uk/) do several valve amplifier kits.
Ken Miles,

I've not used the radio designs, but the site "Bizarre stuff you can make in your kitchen" at: http://www.freeweb.pdq.net/headstrong/

crystal.htm and
http://www.freeweb.pdq.net/headstrong/

foxhole.HTM, has provided some good ideas for our Scouts and Venture Scouts in the past

John Tunnicliffe,

Bill Jefferson might like to look on www.kit-master.co.uk, where he can buy 1-, 2-, 3- or 4-valve kits. He would probably need to construct a Mains Power Supply kit as well - but (hopefully!) twice the fun! Kitmaster also produce ‘battery’ valve radio kits, which (intriguingly in this solid-state age) show just how low a voltage* some old valves will run on.

Angus Graham,

Greenweld Limited, Unit 24 Horndon Industrial Park, West Horndon Breentwood, Essex CM13 3XD (tel. 01277 811042), has a range of Valve Kits for Radios

Andrew Wallace,

SITTING COMFORTABLY

My physio has heavily criticised my sitting posture - which has added to the strain on my neck and the deterioration of my cervical vertebrae.  He suggests that I find some way of regularly reminding myself to check my posture when operating the PC.  Can anyone suggest a way of "posting"
reminders to my screen at regular intervals, irrespective of software I am using at the time?
Tom Busby, via email

There is a freeware programme available called Break Time101, which should suit Tom and keep his physio happy. It can be downloaded from:
www.littlehummingbird.com

Malcolm Youd,

How about this low-tech solution to Tom Busby's problem? Write "SIT STRAIGHT" on the most garish "post-it" you can find and fix it by the edge of your monitor screen.

Shirley McCann,

This month’s new EurOHS magazine (November issue, see www.eurohs.eu.com) contains the Software Focus pages -- which I edit -- and the first feature is on "Workpace" which is a software computer package to help all those working with computers and which monitors your mouse and keyboard use. Using personalised settings the software displays small pop-up windows, suggesting the best times for taking breaks (micro and macro) and exercising.

All this helps to reduce RSI - repetitive strain injuries and WRULDs - Work related upper limb disorders. You can see more details on the New Zealand based companies website: www.workpace.com, which contains some animated displays etc. You might also like to check out the VDU leaflet my old organisation’s website (UK Health and Safety Executive):
Sheila Pantry,

CLIP ART

I use clipart quite a bit for a wide variety of personal and business projects (not websites). I feel I have exhausted the resources available in my (very expensive) off-the-shelf packages, and have turned to the Internet in an attempt to find new supplies.  However, I have found most clipart websites woeful in terms of quality, variety and styles.  Can anyone point me to some website gems with tasteful, stylish/arty, high quality clip art available for download, free or otherwise?
Felicity Berkeley, via email

May I suggest the Home Views collection, which, though it cannot be downloaded, consists entirely of realistic pictures of exclusively British subjects. Go to: http://homepage.ntlworld.com/rt.allen for details.
Richard Allen

TRAINING PROGRAM           

I am looking at developing some training material so it will be interactive and available on-line. Does anybody have any recommendations for tools to use in design, and sites where interactive games such as crosswords, word searches and quizzes can be downloaded to add to the training package?
Dave Spinks, via email

There are a number of solutions available that would seem to suit his needs perfectly - and for free! One of the best is a program called Hot Potatoes, which can be downloaded from: http://web.uvic.ca/hrd/halfbaked/. This free software allows you to build interactive multiple-choice quizzes, gap fills, crosswords, short answer quizzes, matching exercises and others. All these can be built at the drop of a hat without any programming knowledge whatsoever. With a bit of tweaking you can do all sorts of things like get results emailed directly to you on completion.

Alternatively if you want to find examples of existing online quizzes you can easily find them by performing an advanced search in say, Google or Hotbot, with the subject area you are looking for (for example 'Marketing') with the word 'quiz' and the word 'Javascript' This I guarantee will deliver a ready made quiz to your browser while you put your
feet up and enjoy a glass of wine) Save the page, acknowledge the author and bob’s your uncle!
Jonathan Earnshaw,

 

Dependant upon your ability there are several tools you can use, one of the most powerful being Macromedias Flash software, with this you can create very powerful interactive applications or movies which can be seen either as an executable program or as a website. Find out more at www.macromedia.com
Andrew Jones,

LANDS END TO JOHN O’GROATS

I am planning a walk from Lands End to John O'Groats with as much as possible off road i.e. on footpaths or bridle ways. Is there a CD with printable maps or website with downloadable maps in order to avoid buying dozens of Ordnance Survey maps (excellent though they are) of which only a small part will ever be used? Roadmaps such as Routeplanner are not detailed enough. I am aware that there are guides for all of the long distance paths such as Pennine Way but this still leaves a lot of ground to be covered.

Frank Ellam, via email 

Frank Ellam's need for maps to plan his Lands End-John O'Groats walk can be met by visiting the free Get-a-Map service which is part of Ordnance
Survey's website at www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk. As well as the motoring-style maps he mentions, the site allows users to zoom in to the entire 1:50,000 scale Landranger series, which covers the whole country in much more detail. These maps include rights of way information such as footpaths and bridleways. The relevant maps can be located in several ways, including by typing in place names, national grid references or postcodes, or simply by clicking on a simplified map of the whole country and zooming in as appropriate. Extracts can be printed off, but if users wish to buy a specific map for a particular area, they can do so online.

Philip Round, Chief Press Officer, Ordnance Survey
Southampton

CINE TO PC

I'm seeking to input old black & white 8mm cine film directly into a PC (rather than the indirect method of projection and filming with a camcorder) for the purpose of editing etc. Some scanners can take 35mm film, but has anyone had any experience with 8mm movie film?

Bryan Bedwell, via email

It can be done with a 35mm film scanner. I have produced acceptable prints via a Minolta Dimage Scan Dual II. The print size is about six by four inches, maximum. Obviously, larger prints can be made but resolution suffers. If he wants movies, a projector and camera would be the only DIY method.
John Powell - via e-mail.

CAN YOU HELP?

We have recently purchased a new powerful computer system to handle our Club Membership System Using XP and Microsoft Access database; we have extracted a list of approximately 800 members who have mobile phones to whom we wish to send text messages every two weeks. Can anyone suggest the cheapest and fastest method of automating this process?

William Leyland, via email

I am moving to Spain where I will not have a fixed telephone line and will have to rely on my cell phone for emails and surfing.  Has anyone in the same situation got any tips and are satellite phones viable or any faster than the 9200 bps connection speed on a mobile?
Colin Bailey, via email

I would like to be able to create monograms using intertwined capital letters. Can anyone help with programs or book references?
Gordon Baum, via email

 

My father died a few years ago and bequeathed to my mother, amongst other things some 50 years worth of Science Fiction Periodicals, almost entirely Astounding Science Fiction/Analog and a few other titles. Can anybody suggest a site through which could sell these as I would rather these went to a good home than have them pulped, particularly the rare post-war British editions. A few contain interesting stories such as early versions of Dune and Dragonflight, for example.

Matthew Williamson, Heston, Middlesex