Tuesday 31 December 2013

Can a Kenwood Radio be used to Communicate with a Motorola Radio?

To answer your question (that is, after all, why I’m here): It depends entirely on which models you are planning to use. For example, if you had two PMR446 variants that were both on the same band, they ought to work fine (even if one was Kenwood and the other was Motorola).

If two radios are the same basic type and set to the same channel, then I don’t personally see why they wouldn’t work. However, if they aren’t of the same type, then they probably won’t work, it’s that simple.

Two-way radio technology is both simpler than you’d think it would be and more complicated than it first appears (if that makes sense), so its always best to make sure you have access to good kit that is easy to use. Personally, (if it is at all possible for you) I’d suggest spending out a bit and getting a new set, I’ll explain why below…

Your question does incur a dangerous element, so I feel I’d better warn you. Make sure that you understand, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that your license covers the frequency you are using. For most of the frequencies you’d likely to be using in order to connect the two devices, a special license is required. Transmitting without a license is a serious crime and you could spend up to two years in prison.

As ‘Robert J’ from ‘Yahoo! Answers’, suggests, the reason it’s considered to be so serious an offence is because you can actually endanger lives by interrupting radio transmissions from ambulances or police cars. I hate to sound like a square here, but in this instance, the rules exist for a reason.

Anyway, you really need to do your homework on this one and it may actually turn out to be easier and cheaper for you to just buy a new set of radios from either Kenwood or Motorola. If you were running a business, I’d go as far as to actually recommend you take this step.

However, if you’re only using the radios for personal projects, then provided you check them out and stick to the rules, you shouldn’t have a problem.

Friday 27 December 2013

Find any better TV sound system than bose and we will match it

When I was young and inexperienced about the ways of the world, my Mum used to buy me those electric toothbrushes that you see on TV.

Those things don’t actually have a very long shelf life, but they do work a treat (it was 27 years before I needed my first filling). Therefore, whenever an old one bit the dust, my Mum would somehow stump up the money and replace it. Good as gold.

One of the many disillusions I’ve endured since leaving home about six years ago, (first for Uni and then for the big, scary real world) is that you have to pay for your own stuff. Like, all the time. For example, the other day our washing machine broke and it cost the best part of £40 to repair it (amazingly, all that palaver was just because the button had come off of my girlfriend’s trousers and gotten caught somewhere in the mechanism). The week after that, our food bill spiralled upwards to almost twice its previous amount with no warning from our local recession-maligned supermarket. As a matter of necessity, my much-loved electric toothbrush was forced out of my life.

So, last week, with a little more money in my pocket than usual, I ‘treated’ myself to a new toothbrush and, wouldn’t you know it? The damn thing died on me this morning. For **** sake!

What does this have to do with the Bose TV sound system? Not a lot, but I was pissed about it and I wanted to vent.

Actually, the two products do have quite a lot in common (in a good way). Like my preferred brand of toothbrush, the Bose TV speaker doesn’t come cheap, however, it is also arguably the best product of its kind and, like the toothbrush; no home should be without one.

Your average flat panel TV screen doesn’t have wonderful speakers to match its exceptional picture; you’ve probably noticed. The size and shape of those speakers are all wrong for anything but the most basic aural experience. Today’s average flatscreen TV viewer hooks an external sound system up to the TV as a matter of course.

What I’m saying, then: is if you’re going to buy speakers; buy Bose.

With a flawless, easy set up and a smart, compact design, Bose’s new TV sound system provides you with a broader, more detailed sound. You can hear every bone crunching in your favourite high-octane action fest, or experience fully the subtle nuances of heartbreak in your favourite rom coms (probably).

Using proprietary digital signal processing (look it up – I have a word limit and I wasted almost half of it talking about a toothbrush), these speakers adjust and optimise the sound at almost any volume level. In practical terms, this basically means that you won’t have to turn the sound right up to hear the dramatic whispery bits, only to be deafened, in turn, by the sonic assault of the massive explosion-y bits.

This speaker array will bring audio quality into your home that is damn close to cinema level and perfectly compliments a Blu Ray/Plasma screen setup, in fact, I’ll go one better: it completes it.

On the downside, this system is not the cheapest. However, sometimes it’s worth shelling out a little (OK, a lot) extra in order to get the nicest product on the rack. When I consider how much time the average family spends watching TV, it makes sense that they’d want to invest in a superior product. Anyway, the point is this; whether its oral or aural technology you’re after, it pays to buy the best.


THE SHIFT TO DIGITAL, why NASCAR choose Motorola

NASCAR officials have enthusiastically embraced MOTOTRBO, and they applaud the benefits it has brought to the NASCAR experience. Smooth Management of Communications Traffic MOTOTRBO “does a super job for us,” according to Kerry Tharp, Director of Communications, NASCAR. “You have to communicate pre-race, during the race, and most importantly for us, post-race because when the race is over, that’s when our media operation kicks in for us full-bore. We bring in our top three drivers for interviews; we bring in our winning driver to the victory lane, and we also check in on the garage to make sure that post-race is going along as it should. We have to make sure we’re communicating quickly and concisely. Through MOTOTRBO, we’re able to do our jobs a whole lot better than we have in the past.”

A Clear Road for Communications Digital provided a measurable improvement over NASCAR’s old system, which sometimes had a slower response time. “MOTOTRBO has taken NASCAR to a whole new level.” Steve Lowery, Chief Scorer, NASCAR, explains, “With the old system, there was a lot of interference. Sometimes you couldn’t hear at all because of static. With MOTOTRBO, it’s much clearer.”

Consistency and Reliability

 You’d Expect from a Winner According to David Hoots, Managing Event Director, NASCAR, one of the most important benefits is “extended battery life because some of our days are extremely long. We have to be able to communicate consistently and reliably. MOTOTRBO has done a super job for us.” Hoots adds that MOTOTRBO is the first step toward an even more comprehensive communications system: “We took the opportunity to start with a very solid foundation and we will grow with the capabilities the radios offer. With a digital system, we’re going to reap the benefits for years to come.” “ With the old system, there was a lot of interference. Sometimes you couldn’t hear at all because of static. Now, with MOTOTRBO, it’s much clearer.”

Robust Enough for the Toughest Environments The NASCAR study, Hoots recalls, determined that the organization needed “one clear and uninterrupted communication system, and because we move from venue to venue, we’re faced with a big challenge.” The robust, durable and adaptable MOTOTRBO system was able to move from location to location – over 56 events every year, almost every month of the year – for quick deployment and certain performance. “Reliability,” says Hoots, “is of utmost importance. We cannot have a product that is going to fail. We must have the most robust system possible, so MOTOTRBO is the right system for us.” According to Michael Helton, President, NASCAR, “Fans have become interested in the entertainment aspect of listening in, so we still want an analogue system going out for fans who still use analog radios.” The ability of MOTOTRBO to support digital and analogue communications made it the perfect selection for

this blended environment that had to accommodate fans in the stands who want to scan for instant updates using older analog radios.

Twice the Capacity

MOTOTRBO is able to manage large numbers of radios by utilizing TDMA – time division multiple

access – which divides the channel into time slots for greater spectrum efficiency. TDMA enables each single repeater to do the work of two repeaters for enhanced call management with private, group, and system-wide calling capability. Digital Means Clarity MOTOTRBO supports audio quality with digital clarity and noise-canceling technology so that everyone is able to connect with one another and communicate more efficiently. MOTOTRBO radios contain a digital signal processor (DSP) that fine-tunes the audio. When a user connects an IMPRES™ intelligent audio accessory to a MOTOTRBO radio, the accessory provides the radio’s DSP with a unique set of audio parameters to shape the microphone and speaker frequency responses, ensuring the maximum clarity, volume, and intelligibility of each communication. “ Fans have become interested in the entertainment aspect of listening in, so we still want an analog system going out for fans who still use analog radios.”

Batteries Go Farther on a Single Charge MOTOTRBO is able to maintain consistent, reliable communications. All digital radios provide improved battery life, and because TDMA digital systems

utilize batteries more efficiently, users have received up to 18 hours of operation after quick-charging a standard nickel metal hydride battery. Talk-time is now extended and personnel spend less time returning to base to recharge their radios or pick up fresh batteries.

Robust Enough to Take on the Road

One key advantage of MOTOTRBO is that it’s designed to be packed up, moved to a new location and set up, only to be taken down days later and moved again. To withstand that kind of constant use, a radio has to be strong, and MOTOTRBO has proven to be very strong, robust, and durable.

Source – http://www.motorolasolutions.com/web/Business/Product%20Lines/MOTOTrbo/_Documents/Case_Studies/Static_Files/Events_Nascar_car_racing.pdf


Saturday 14 December 2013

The Samsung 42 inch Smart TV that gives too much and requires very little

It is a simple mistake to make I presume. I work in the dark and, as a result, am often barely getting up at midday. At time of writing, it’s just gone 4AM (and I do not expect to be asleep for at the least another hour). So, I drowsily say goodbye to my gf as she gets up for work at 7AM and then I doze until roughly 10.30 or 11.00, before getting up and going to work on my ‘fun’ tasks like web comics, novels and attending online literature seminars.

Once nighttime rolls around again, I revisit to my trade work (the things that pays), that is why this case will end with the shameless attempt to sell you a telly (just in case you’re wondering).

The genuine highlight of my day is when said gf arrives home from her job. She puts down a LOT of overtime and she goes to two weekly dance lessons, so we don’t get to spend a huge amount of time together, particularly as her working time comes to an end as mine begins (she can also be far less misanthropic than her partner and, as the result, actually carries a air of a social life).

There is a quick, shining phase where we eat food (usually fondly prepared by yours truly) and settle down to watch TV together. We are both Sci-Fi nerds, so we tend to watch a fair bit of ‘Star Trek’ in its a mixture of incarnations, but we also like ‘Cheers’ ‘Seinfeld’ ‘Frasier’ and ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm’ as well as many others.

That may not sound like a great deal of an exciting day, especially since the most fun part is watching tv, however it really is a lot of fun. Now and again I wish it were more fanatical (and I once, in all honesty, actually tried to persuade her to stow away with me on the cruise liner), but watching TV with my other half is basically the high point of the day.

Brace yourself; here comes the sales pitch. Basically, if we had the new Samsung 42 inch LED Television, we could improve that little bit of ‘us’ time even further. On the evenings when we wanted to watch the full movie, particularly a bit as beautifully photographed as my present favorite flick ‘The Hunter’ starring Willem Dafoe, Sam Neill and Frances O’Connor; we’d be totally engrossed.

The Samsung smart Television, with its improved picture quality plus the chance for studio-quality sound output, could provide a new lease of life to any variety of old favourites, in addition to badass newcomers like ‘Skyfall’.

Additionally to that, the Samsung 42-Inch LED TV allows for use of apps like ‘Youtube’, ‘Facebook’ and ‘Netflicks’ all of which might obviously be extra helpful.

I recall being at college and having to write down an essay on how TV was an unpleasant invention that’s tearing at the core of contemporary relationships, all I can say is that, in my current relationship, I’ve found it to be quite the contrary.

often as we do, then you definitely owe it to yourself to spend money on a superb one (unless you possibly can’t afford it, of course, you then owe it to yourself to start saving up and bookmark this page for a later re-read). Happy viewings!

Wednesday 11 December 2013

Pioneering Rock Musician Lou Reed Dies at 71

Rock n Roll poet Lou Reed, a founding member and principal songwriter of the massively influential band ‘The Velvet Underground’ – as well as a globally recognized recording artist in his own right, has died of liver failure, he was 71 years old.

Reed’s songs were groundbreaking in that they openly discussed issues like outsider sexuality and hard drug use and then married these lyrics to alternative, sometimes avant-garde music.

Reed was a recording artist in every sense of the word. Throughout his life and career, his work was challenging, powerful and often divisive. However, he was also no stranger to a catchy, crowd-pleasing pop chorus, as famous hits like ‘Perfect Day’, Satellite of Love’ and ‘Walk on the Wild Side’ will attest. Lou Reed’s work was the ultimate meeting point between the urban culture of the New York City streets and the highbrow insouciance of the uptown art galleries.

Supremely influential to the development of Pop, Glam, Indie, Punk and lots more besides, Reed was considered to be a godfather of alternative sounds.

Lou Reed was born in Brooklyn in 1942, when World War 2 was still raging around the world. He studied at Syracuse University and, around this time, became a disciple of the poet Delmore Schwartz. Upon graduation, he worked for Pickwick records as a songwriter, generating at least one minor hit. Eventually, he met Welsh violinist John Cale and, together with drummer Maureen Tucker and guitarist Sterling Morrison, formed The Velvet Underground.

The Velvet Underground were an instant hit on the New York music scene, so much so that pop artist Andy Warhol became a fan and incorporated them into his various projects. Warhol would eventually be credited as the producer of the band’s 1967 debut album, for which he also provided the artwork. The band were white hot creatively for three years, until their last album ‘Loaded’ was released in 1970.

Commercially, however, the Velvet Underground were completely ignored at the time. It was only later that they would be considered by a new generation of musicians as a seminal, trailblazing band.

Reed’s first solo album (where he was backed by the progressive rock band ‘Yes’) wasn’t a hit, but his glam-inflexed, David Bowie produced follow up, ‘Transformer’ became a worldwide smash and yielded several enduring pop classics.

For the rest of the decade, Reed refused to be pigeon holed as simply a ‘Rock’ or ‘Pop’ performer, instead producing albums like the tragic, story-based ‘Berlin’ or the savagely experimental ‘Metal Machine Music’. ‘Coney Island Baby’ was perhaps his most accessible record after ‘Transformer’, it was a hard-edged song-set that featured a collection of radio friendly alternative rock tunes and it was well received by the majority of fans.

Over the decades, Reed’s rebellious music continued to divide and delight in equal measure. Albums that had some fans and critics cheering had others scratching their heads. He was wholly capable of being supremely heartfelt and candid one minute and yet totally aloof and incomprehensible the next. He was, however, never less than 100% true to his incomparable artistic spirit.

In the 2000’s, Reed became a devoted practitioner of Tai Chi; he based an album on the works of Edgar Allen Poe and he worked as a photographer (which had been a side passion of his for many years). He also became even more heavily involved in social and environmental activism. His most recent record was released in 2011; it was produced in collaboration with Thrash Metal giants ‘Metallica’.

To say that Lou Reed made a huge impact on popular music would be an absolute understatement; to say that Lou Reed is one of the founding fathers of alternative music/culture would be doing the man something of a disservice. In truth, Lou Reed wrote the book on Rock n Roll, before summarily burning it and doing whatever he felt like doing, whenever he felt like doing it. He will be missed.