contents elektor december 1974 _ 7

introduction .......... . 5
from din to equa-standards 8
tup - tun - dug - dus ..... . 9
Wherever possible in Elektor circuits, transistors and diodes are simply marked 'TUP', 'TUN', 'DUG' or 'DUS'.
This indicates that a large group of similar devices can be used without detriment to the performance of the
circuit. In this article the minimum specifications for this group are listed, with tables of equivalent types.

swinging inductor 12

digital rev counter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Until recently, the speed of a car engine (r.p.m.) was measured with an analogue system. It stands to reason that
a digital method would do equally well. In principle this can be done with a common frequency meter.

equa amplifier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Literally thousands of circuits for transistor-amplifiers have been developed, all of which were later marketed
under the banner of hifi. The brands that meet the Equa-standards laid down in this issue can, however, be
counted on the fingers of one - possibly two - hands.

output power nomogram 22

divide by 1 to 10 ..... . 23
electronic candle 23
Naturally, the electronic candle can be lit with a match (but a pocket torch will do the job too!); it can be
blown out or 'nipped out' with the fingers.

mos clock 5314 ........................................ . 24

The 'brain' in the digital clock described in this article is the clock-IC MM5314, which needs only a few
external components. The time of day is indicated by seven-segment Ga-As displays.

distortion meter 29
The distortion in factory-produced or home-made amplifiers is frequently unknown; designers sometimes give
specifications, but these are not always reliable. Since distortion meters are usually expensive, Elektor
Laboratories have developed a simple, inexpensive, but effective instrument. •

quadro 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 .... or nothing? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

The phenomenon of 'quadrophony' has already been the subject of many publications, but the confusion only
seems to increase with every new attempt to clarify the issue. This article may bring a little light into the
darkness, by describing and comparing the most important systems that have been proposed so far.

tunable aerial amplifier .............................................. 38

The aerial amplifier described in this article is characterized, among other things, by its low noise level (1-2 dB),
a voltage gain of 10-20 dB, and a wide tuning range ( 146-76 MHz).

tap sensor .................. ...................... .............. 43

An important alternative to the mechanical switch - rotating or push-button - is the touch switch. This has
the advantages of greater reliability and a higher switching speed, as well as being noiseless and not subject to wear.

flickering flame . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
The simplest possible flasher device is a bi metal switch. This construction can be found in 'blinker bulbs''and in
the starter-switch associated with a fluorescent lamp.
The possibility immediately comes to mind of using a fluorescent-lamp starter as a flasher for Christmas-tree or
other decorative lights.

electronic loudspeaker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
It is widely accepted that the loudspeaker is the weakest link in the high-quality audio chain. This is particularly
the case at the lowest working frequencies,
The manufacturer has the resources and facilities to tackle the problems at the mechanical-acoustical stage.
This article explains that the do-it-yourself approach that provides the best results at the lowest price is invariably
the "electronic loudspeaker".

loudspeaker diagnosis ............................... ................ 53

This short article, intended to accompany the 'electronic loudspeaker' in this issue, outlines the way in which
a knowledge of the basics of electrical engineering can give access to the 'mysteries of the moving-coil'.

steam train . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
This article describes a simple method of building an electronic circuit of few components that will produce the
sound of a real steam train.

steam whistle ............. ....... . .. ... . ....... _. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

Many model railways still run on 'steam'. For greater realism the steam locomotives are nowadays often fitted
with an artificial smoke device. They become even more realistic when an imitation steam whistle is also provided.