OVER 2 YOU 185 (22/06/04)

PARISH SCANNING

I am working on our parish history and am collecting old photos and postcards from residents. These are being scanned into a computer and archived on CD. However, some older residents refuse to allow these photographs out of their house. Is there such a thing as a self contained portable scanner or can anyone suggest an alternative, capable of storing high quality images?

Mike Temple, via email

Assuming that your correspondent doesn’t have a laptop the obvious answer is to use a camera (either digital or film based, most photo labs can convert film to digital if necessary). To copy the photos use a camera stand, there are quite a few books and articles on the web that explain how to do this.  If he does have access to a laptop there are a couple of USB powered portable scanners, from Pentax and Travelscan to name two.
David Wall, Nantwich

Hewlett Packard has a new portable scanner, called PhotoSmart 1200, which retails at £75. It is battery powered and can take copies up to 10cm x 15cm. It connects to a PC or laptop using a USB lead. Images can be saved to SD, MultiMedia Card or CF and has 3 levels of image quality, 300, 600 & 1200dpi. The lid can be removed for scanning from albums or books and it weighs just 680gms.

Adrian W Fieldhouse, via email

Probably the best way to capture these pictures is to use a digital camera. Ideally it should have a macro setting. The picture should be taken out of doors in daylight, with a bright cloudy sky -- to give even lighting and no glare. There’s no need to frame the picture accurately as you can crop it on the PC later. 

Bruce Bovill, via email

The Minolta Dimage A2 digital camera will give you near perfect results every time using the anti shake and manual exposure facilities in extra fine or tiff recording mode. Images can be transferred to the PC using the Compact Flash card, via a card reader.

Max Leigh, via email

A digital camera with a resolution of 4 megapixels or more, used in macro mode in good ambient lighting (do not use flash) will produce an image almost indistinguishable from the original.  Some care will need to be exercised in getting the correct distance between the image to be photographed and the camera. The photographs can then be edited in photo editing software, cropping and enlarging as required.  I have just tried taking a photograph of a photograph with my Olympus C-450 Zoom, which gave excellent results.  

Michael Dewhurst, via email  

ECG PC OK?

Is it possible to convert a PC to emulate an ECG machine?

C. Burgess, Hemel Hempstead

Mr Burgess can plug a Meditech E-lite module into his PC to record a full 12 lead ECG. They are, however, somewhat expensive at around £1200 +VAT from PMS Instruments http://www.pmsinstruments.co.uk/.  There are other simpler units available from PMS which might suit his requirements like the Merlin ECG event recorder watch which records up to 15 minutes of single channel ECG and then downloads the recording to a PC.

Paul Nicholes, Senior Medical Engineering Officer, Barnsley District General Hospital

Technically it’s not difficult and displaying and recording ECG data is not a particularly onerous task for a PC, even a relatively old machine, however, the real problem lies with the interface between the patient and the PC. The majority of ‘professional’ ECG machines have 12 sensor leads, which need to be connected to very sensitive amplifiers to boost the extremely weak signals. Several DIY PC electrocardiogram projects have appeared, Electronics Today Australia  (http://www.electronicsaustralia.com.au/)

published on a few years ago, the magazine close down a while ago but you may find some information in the web site archives.  There’s also an interesting article in Scientific American magazine on home ECG experiments, you’ll find it at: www.sciam.com, type ‘ecg’ into the Search window.

Paul Saunders, via email

You will find a range of PC-based ECG devices at:

http://claflinequip.com/electrocardiographs/

iqmark-digital-ecg.htm

However, I fear they may be a bit too expensive for the average home user!

C. Douglas, via email

Check out the ‘Universal ECG’ adaptors for laptops, pocket PCs and organisers at:

http://www.qrsdiagnostic.com/

NewFiles/EKGCard.html. You’ll also find a rather exotic Wi-Fi ECG card at the following web site: http://www.mortara.com/oem_pcecgcard.htm

Mike Samuels, via email

C4 PRINTER

I want to print directly onto C4 envelopes (the ones which take unfolded A4 sheets).  My own printer won't quite take C4.  I've measured the apertures of every printer on display in PC World and I can't find one there! A4 is the standard paper size; surely lots of people must use C4 envelopes.  Yes, I know you can print onto labels but does anyone know of a fairly simple printer (laser or inkjet), which goes the extra centimetre?

Charles Nevick, Norwich

My 6 year old HP DeskJet 720C has the option to print this size, though I have never tried it with an envelope it prints the address on to A4 paper in the correct position.

Jennie Holmes

Charles Nevick need not look at the very expensive printers mentioned recently. I have an Epson Stylus Colour 760, which is now 2-3 years old and cost less than £100, which will print addresses on C4 envelopes in portrait layout. In fact the printer still has around 10 mm of available width beyond the C4 dimensions.

Sandy Shepherd, Southwell, Notts

We bought an HP 1220C in December 2000 for this reason. It has proved dependable and quiet but please be aware the printer management software will not work over an USB connection.  The printer has been around for a while and there is a lot of correspondence on the net about this problem but as of last week HP still hadn't updated the software. So I recommend using a parallel cable.
Alan Dawes, via email

CD ROM CATALOGUE

I would like to put my company’s products onto a CD-ROM catalogue. I want to be able simply to put in the product data and pictures and then
have a program turn it into an easily browsed catalogue that will auto-start when inserted into a CD player. I expect to have to do some layout and graphic design, but I would prefer to avoid having to create the structure, produce a search engine and work out how to auto-start the CD. Is there such an application or possibly a plug-in for a web-authoring program that would do the job?

Colin Bignell, via email

Catalogue Builder from Bemax automatically converts your images and text files into a structured, easy to use catalogue, providing your customers with fast and convenient access to your product portfolio. For further information go to: www.bemax.co.uk
Arthur Smith, via email

CAN YOU HELP?

Can anyone suggest a program that can design and print CD labels and jewel case inserts? In particular I want one that will print information on the spine of the insert card so they can be differentiated in a storage rack.

Paul Mangan, via email

As a budding astronomer with a very small telescope my attempts at stargazing are continually frustrated by cloud cover and light pollution. I remember reading somewhere that members of the public would one day be able to access live images from large telescopes around the world, via the web, does anyone have any more information?

Chris Miller. Via email