Archive : 27 July 2012 год

One of the ancient mysteries of the automotive world is when to change your oil. Your dad probably told you to do it every 3,000-5,000 miles.

Newer cars flash a message on the dash when you reach the prescribed milestone. But, do you truly believe that the useful life of motor oil depends entirely on how many miles you have driven? Doesn't start-andstop driving put more of a strain on it than highway cruising?

Doesn't temperature make a difference? Aren't some vehicles harder on oil than others? Don't some oils last longer than others? Well, you won't need to ponder these questions much longer, because by the time you read this, Lubricheck should be available.

All you have to do is feed four or five drops of oil from the dipstick into the credit-card-size device, press a button, and it will instantly rate your oil on a scale of 1 to 10. Anything up to 7 places it in the "OK" zone; 8 or 9 indicates the "change soon" zone; and 10 means "change now." Lubricheck uses a combination of capacitive and resistive sensing to make the test, and it will even display a flashing red LED if the sample is contaminated with antifreeze, water, or metal. (This makes it useful when shopping for a used car, as it might allow you to detect things like a leaky head gasket.) And, yes, there's an app for that, so you can record and track oil data on multiple vehicles and email customized reminders to users.

Lubricheck is priced at $39.95 and can be found at www.lubricheck.com.

Anew introduction from Murata Power Solutions (www.murata-ps.com) is the MVAB120 series of open-frame, single output, 120W power supplies. Useful for a range of telecom and industrial applications, the supplies are up to 91% efficient and offer fan-free operation using convection cooling. The devices come in three output models — 12, 24, and 48 VDC — and they accommodate standard input ranges from 90 to 264 VAC and 120 to 300 VDC. Measuring just 2 x 4 x 1.35 inches (101.6 x 50.8 x 34.3 mm), they satisfy the 1U form factor specs. The MVAB supplies can deliver a full load in the range of -10°C to 50°C and include overcurrent, overvoltage, and overtemperature protection. They'll run you up to about $50 to $60 each, depending on quantity.