The Age from Melbourne, Victoria, Australia • Page 30

10 Thursday 5 January 1984 uHHHHHh An Age Special Promotional Feature Compiled by Patrick Hayes VIDEO RECORDERS GOTO 3 att4jQ-T, SANYO $559 NATIONAL NV370 $699 NATIONAL NV777 $949 NATIONAL NV788 $1195 JVC 7200 SPECIAL PRICE wofiOfl Sir no SliWdi JVC 7650 SPECIAL PRICE HITACHI VT19E SPECIAL PRICE TOSHIBA from $599 AKAI HITACHI TOSHIBA SHARP BLAUPUNKT STEREO BEST PRICES! VIDEO TAPES 3 HOURS E180 HITACHI AKAI TDK MAXELL FUJI JVC 3 HOURS L750 MAXELL TDK SONY FROM tl PER The new Silver ST2200: ideal for the drive-in Stereo sound from portable ONLY I I 10 2 HOURS VHS-E120 2 HOURS BETA $110 FROM ONLY PER 10 BULK TAPES HITACHI MAXELL TEAC PER 10 PIONEER C90 $15 PIONEER METAL 46 $25 PIONEER METAL 60 $29 TEAC FOR 90 $9.90 MAXELL UD90 $25 TDK FULL RANGE LOWEST PRICESI By LES CARDILINI A MOTION picture operator in Dromana has come up with an idea which enables his patrons to tune in to the movie program sound on their FM stereo car sound systems, thus providing a much higher fidelity and more realistic sound, especially where the fiim sound track is in stereo as many now are. The idea is claimed to be a world's first for drive-in sound. Basically, the drive-in theatre is set up as a low-power FM broadcasting station enabling the program sound to be picked up on all standard FM stereo gear, including car sound systems and portable FM radios and stereo. Movie-goers at the FM stereo drive-in have the choice of using the traditional, pole speaker which is hung from the car window, ihe FM car radio on mono or stereo or a portable FM radio in or out of the car. The system was demonstrated impressively earlier this month during its official release at the Peninsula Drive-In, Nepean Highway, Dromana, on Victoria's Mornington Peninsula where the new system is now fully operational.

The idea of taking the film sound and transmitting it in stereo, using the popular FM band, was the brainchild of Paul Whitaker of Dromana who operates the Peninsula Drive In. He started work on the system some three years ago, building and installing much of the necessary electronic equipment himself and enlisting the services of Melbourne communications consultant Les Jenkins, who designed and built the stereo transmitter. Present at the official demonstration was Bob Deany, deputy manager of the Department of Communications in Melbourne, who said his office had maintained a keen interest in the development of the Dromana drive-in project for which the usual broadcasting licence is required. One of his department's main interests was to see that new radio services and those already working, such as TV and others, were TUNERS AMFM $99 AMPLIFIERS FROM $99 Pioneer 40W JVC 50W Toshiba 50W IT IS not necessary to have a car radio capable of receiving stereo FM to take advantage of the superior quality sound available at a drive-in theatre equipped with a stereo transmitter. Any portable radio with an FM band will work.

Depending on where the car is located in relation to the transmitter, it may be necessary to have the antenna protruding through a window and possibly sticking up higher than the car roof but most portables should work quite happily inside the car. If the radio has only one speaker it still will receive the signal but the mono sound will not have the "body" of the stereo sound from a two-speaker unit. A suitable receiver would be the new Silver ST2200: it has stereo sound and a cassette recording section but is small enough for parcel shelf or facia panel. Each speaker has a tweeter and woofer to give good wide-range reproduction and the speakers themselves are angled to improve the stereo The ST2200 has six radio bands which cover a wide range of frequencies from long wave to close to the top of the high-frequency short-wave band. The cassette section can record off the radio (yes, that includes film soundtracks) or via its built-in stereo microphones.

Automatic level control sets the proper recording level for distortion-free sound. The ST22C0 has a recommended retail price of $139. More information about it and the locations of dealers stocking it, are available from Shirasuna Australia, 462 City Road, South Melbourne, telephone 699 5222. TURNTABLES $99 SPEAKERS 28" 3 way 12" 3 way $1 19 pair $149 pair ACCULAB SOUND DYNAMICS HITACHI 15" SYSTEM MANY MORE! able to operate without causing mutual interference in the now crowded radio bands. Naturally, but for different reasons, the drive-in operator would not wish to broadcast the FM signal over too great a distance.

Obviously, it is in his best business interests to limit the range of-reception of the film sound to within the precincts of the drive-in past the ticket box a technical feat Paul Whitaker seems to have engineered quite effectively. If you decide to try out the stc eo FM drive-in movie sound, you will find ample assistance available from the drive-in staff but the usual hints for getting best FM performance apply. Those which are listed below can also be applied to the reception of FM stereo, generally, out of doors, in cars or when using portable sound gear while on holidays. First, extend your antenna above the line of the roof of your car. You will find radio reception will be better if you raise the thickest telescopic sections of the antenna before extending the thinner, upper sections.

This is particularly so with those aerials which lock down into the body or pillar of the vehicle, or lay close to the metal pillar beside the windscreen. On portables, the telescopic antennas or "rabbit ears" are used for FM. They should be extended and positioned for best reception. A portable set might have to be lifted up above the car, or placed in the window areas of caravans and other vehicles. Next, it is important that you tune the set accurately to the FM station (you will find the Peninsula Drive-In program on 96.2 on the FM dial but only while the show is on).

Once you have found the station you are looking for, gently turn the tuning knob back and forth until you have the best stereo sound with least distortion. The stereo light will tell you when the program is in stereo. In some instances where reception is poor, you may obtain some improvement by moving the car or the portable set just a metre or so from the bad location. This is more appropriate for weaker signal areas and where cars and buildings cause temporary upsets. Modern solid state sets in cars can be operated for fairly long periods of time, certainly long enough for you to watch a long movie, without running the engine to charge the battery but it would be wise to switch off lights, fans and other power consuming accessories.

Make sure though, that the generator light is not illuminated when the radio is on without the engine running. If you cannot run the radio without the generator light coming on. seek the advice of your car sound specialist who will advise you of a better way to connect battery power to the radio. Some of the ignition parts may be damaged if the ignition switch is left on without the engine running. Alternatively, you could flatten your battery more quickly.

The new FM stereo sound technique used at the Peninsula Drive-In should not be confused with CINE-FI which is another radio sound distribution system used in a number of drive-in theatres. The CINE-FI system transmits a mono radio signal in the AM band. This signal is tuned in to some pre-determined point on the AM dial. The major features of both methods are that there is no need to hook the traditional pole speaker on to the car and that the sound quality is improved to the extent provided for in your own car sound system. Also, because listeners to such a system are not necessarily confined to their cars, the technique has great potential for use in outdoor concert and sporting venues and could become an attractive alternative to $499 40 WATT 5 PIECE SYSTEM JVC 60 WATT 6 PIECE SYSTEM $799 $699 40 WATT 5 PIECE SYSTEM 0 HITACHI 7 PIECE SYSTEM INCLUDING GRAPHIC WATTS $1195 MORDIALLOC ELECTRICAL WAREHOUSE TOSHSOA 40W SYSTEM $499 Opp.

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