Terk FM-50 Indoor/Outdoor Dual-Drive Amplified FM Antenna Review

In the interest of full disclosure, I have never used this antenna, and I am writing this because none of the other people who have written a review have bothered to properly test it against a standard folded dipole antenna. To do such a test properly, you would need to place both antennae in the exact same location and orientation, not at the same time of course. Terk makes a lot of antennae that include built-in amplifiers, and on the packaging they quote the antenna gain, not the gain of the antenna itself. This is wrong and misleading. Common sense should tell you that if an amplifier could make up for a poor signal coming from the antenna itself, you could turn any crummy antenna into an excellent antenna simply by adding amplification. Unfortunately, it does not work that way. What matters to the receiver is not the absolute strength of the signal, but rather the signal-to-noise ratio. The only way that it is possible for an amplifier located at the antenna to improve the result is if the amount of noise that is being picked up in the transmission line between the antenna and the receiver is greater than the amount of noised added to the signal within that same amplifier. When the transmission line is long, the signal will experience attenuation, and in this case it can make sense to boost the signal at the antenna, the effect of which will be to keep the absolute strength of the signal high relative to the level of noise picked up along the transmission line. Thus, if the amplifier is doing anything at all in a typical home setup, it is only compensating for a transmission line that does not do a good job of shielding the signal from noise. It is therefore no surprise that several people who have experimented with turning off the amplifier have reported that the amplifier does not seem to do anything. The common folded dipole that you buy at Radio Snack or elsewhere uses 300-ohm flat lead transmission wire, which is not particularly good at protecting the signal from noise. Coaxial wire is inordinately superior. People who are reporting good results with this antenna might well get equivalent results with a $5 folded dipole but using two 300-Ohm / 75-Ohm adapters, one located right at the antenna and the other at the receiver so that shielded coax can be used over the distance that separates the antenna from the receiver. In all likelihood, the true reason that this antenna is giving many people better results than a cheap folded dipole, has nothing to do with the built-in amplifier, but is due to the use of coaxial transmission line.

Boston Acoustics Horizon Series MCS100MDNT 5.1-Channel Speaker System Customer Reviews

Product Features

• One box, 5.1-channel speaker system
• Four 3″ satellite speakers with .75″ soft dome tweeters
• 3″ center channel speaker with .75″ soft dome tweeter
• 8″ 100-Watt powered subwoofer
• All speakers feature MagnaGuard magnetic shielding

Technical Details

• Brand Name: Boston Acoustics
• Model: MCS100 System Midnight
• Color Name: Midnight
• speaker_type: Home theater speaker system
• Speaker Amplification Type: Active subwoofer, passive satellites
• speakers_response_bandwidth: 40 – 20000 Hz
• Speaker Connectivity: Wired

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

Horizon MCS 100 5.1-Channel Speaker System Takes the Complexity Out of Home Theater

With the same Deep Channel® Design (DCD) woofers and soft-dome tweeters found in all Boston Acoustics Horizon speakers, this MCS 100 speaker system is an ideal solution for getting great sound in any room. The satellites are equipped with 3-inch mid bass driver and .75-inch soft dome tweeter as well as Reduced Baffle Diffraction Design (RBDD) for wider, smoother sound dispersion. Add the included 8″, 100-watt powered subwoofer and you’ve got a system that’s music to your ears.

Technology is Key

All Horizon speakers share certain key technologies. They all use 1-inch Kortec® soft dome tweeters, for smooth, extended high frequency response out to 25kHz. The woofers feature Deep Channel® Design, or DCD, providing increased bass output without the risk of bottoming out. The woofers all have phase plugs for smoother midrange response and increased power handling. With Horizon, Boston introduces RBDD which stands for Reduced Baffle Diffraction Design. The result is wider and smoother dispersion and more life-like sound. Please click on the hyperlink to learn more. Finally, these models feature MagnaGuard® video shielding, making them safe for use near any type of display.

Features to Please

All Horizon speakers share certain key features. They all have a racetrack shaped, rear port that is flared on both ends. The shape helps reduce the footprint of the port, taking up less room on the back of the speaker. The combination of the flared opening on both ends of the port tube and its rear location virtually eliminates chuffing, or audible port noise. They all have 5-way binding posts to accommodate the use of any thickness of speaker wire or style of termination. They all come with an adjustable footing, allowing them to sit securely on a flat surface either vertically or horizontally and to be angled toward the listening position. They all have an integrated keyhole for quick and easy wall mounting. The keyhole and standoffs on the back of the speaker keep it far enough off the wall to not block the port, maintaining the sound quality that the Boston engineers intended they have. They all feature a soft-touch finish, giving them an elegant high-end appearance and terrific feel.

Customer Reviews

By Mark

The Boston Acoustics Horizon Series MCS100MDNT 5.1-Channel Speaker System is a decent set of speakers as far as 5.1 systems go. The shielding and the cases are good quality. But these speakers may be somewhat undersized for many home theatres. This set is designed well for certain purposes, but you should be warned about it’s limitations to make sure this set is for you.

I happened upon the Horizon MCS set as I was searching for a nice starter set. I was helping somebody just starting their home theatre. They had already purchased a Yamaha receiver that was rated for much more total power as these. That fact, along with the high price, were my main reasons for recommending that they look at alternatives. If not for their insistence, this would not have been one of the sets we chose to test. Ultimately, they returned this set in favor of another, but the point is the same. Make sure that your speakers are a good fit for your amplifier and receiver!

PERFORMANCE

While the bass response of this set is probably more than adequate, the overall output is really only enough for smaller spaces and starter AV systems. Most disappointing is the performance of the center channel. I also previewed the Boston Acoustics Horizon Series MCS130 5.1-Channel Surround Speaker System and the center channel that comes with that set should be the smallest one sold for a 5.1 system. This one seems too weak for a center channel speaker. Some of the speakers included in the satellites also seem to be weak.

That really begs the question, why would anybody without a high quality AV receiver pay this kind of a premium on the speakers? And those who have a high quality receiver would probably want and need more power per channel. If you’re going to spend your money somewhere, get the best receiver you can first. If you just want an entry level set, you can probably get almost this level of performance with more features for less money.

THE PROS

In terms of durability, the speaker cases are really pretty good. In my opinion they are not all that attractive, but the construction should hold up relatively well. The connectors are also top quality. The binding posts make nice strong connections, so there are some positives. My main gripe regarding performance and quality is that the external body components seem to be higher quality than the internals, at least based upon performance.

THE ALTERNATIVES

When it comes to comparing to alternatives, Boston Acoustics is very similar to Bose. Even brands produced by the same parent company give you more for your money.

I am not a purist when it comes to speaker brands. Yet even as somebody who is not a huge Polk enthusiast, I still have to note that the Polk Audio RM6750 5.1 Channel Home Theater Speaker System is a quality set and tends to be priced about half this BA set. The construction is about equal, and that set performs better. In addition to more power, it is designed to accommodate an easy upgrade to 6.1 or 7.1 much better than this BA set.

As another point of comparison, the Onkyo SKS-HT540 7.1 Channel Home Theater Speaker System is a 7 channel set that has more power and a better price point. There would almost be no reason not to choose that instead. Even if you only plan on using 5.1, you can store those extra 2 speakers till you upgrade your AV equipment.

Even the Klipsch Synergy Quintet III Home Theater Speaker System and Harman Kardon HKTS-18 5.1 Channel Speaker System deserve comparison at this price point. This particular BA set may not be as good as other units by BA. They are banking on people buying this based upon brand name alone. For me, that is simply not enough.

CONCERNS AND ISSUES

1. The list price of this set, and BA speakers in general, is excessive. This is a nice quality starter set, but not worth anywhere near the list price.
2. The power rating is good enough for a smaller living room on the order of 150 square feet. But if you have a much larger room, these speakers are underpowered.
3. If you already have a receiver, check the power rating on it. For some people, 100 watts will fit their AV receiver perfectly. Others will find this power rating to be inadequate.
4. If you’re going to buy an entry level set with these kinds of power ratings, why not purchase an all-in-one set instead? It’s a much better value, and other than the shielding there is little noticeable difference at this output rating.
5. If you are determined to buy a 5.1 speaker set, give serious consideration to alternatives, many of which are a better value.
6. Yes, the sound is good. But it’s easier to produce clear sound in lower-powered components.
7. Are you sure you want 5.1 sound? These speakers do not lend themselves well towards growing into a larger set with add-ons. I personally still have 5.1 sound on my primary unit, but most new systems are designed to take advantage of 7.1 sound. That means you will quickly outgrow this set if you are going to a full high-definition home theatre. Do you have BluRay or want to use full HD sound in your home theatre? Give this some thought. You can always buy more speakers, but if you mix and match different speakers you have to take various power ratings into account.

Once again, your receiver choice will be a big factor in this. And some alternative speaker sets are better designed to scale up to 7.1 if you decide to do so in the future.

For the price you are paying for a set that is easily outgrown, it may make more sense to buy an integrated AV speaker system and save your money for a better surround sound speaker system in the future. All in one systems like the Harmon Kardon CP40 Home Theater System are nothing to sneeze at in comparison to an entry level 5.1 speaker-only set like this. The value is much better for most of those sets and over time 5.1 sets are going to only drop further in price or become less common.

CONCLUSION

If you still want to buy components for a 5.1 setup, you can do a lot worse than this but you can do a lot better too. I personally am open to all manufacturers. Check out the alternatives before you pull the trigger.

Happy shopping.

Women’s Golf Apparel – Play the Game in Style

The style of women’s golf apparel helps to add to the overall feel for their game. By recognizing the need for clothes that are versatile, a wide selection of clothes is offered, which is guaranteed to help you find the perfect gift for yourself and your other girlfriend golfers. All things that you would love to wear on the green.

From golf skirts to skorts and shorts, slacks and capris, women’s golf apparel is an ever-changing industry becoming increasingly customized for women golfers. The styles that are introduced along with the color choice and cuts have gradually become marketed especially for the women golf buyer.

Women’s golf apparel’s industry has changed within the year. Verdina, a new women’s golf apparel company created by top executives within the fashion world, has melded the importance of fashion with a functional feel for those wearing the apparel.

This increasingly growing trend within women’s golf apparel allows women to play the game in style. The increasingly use of feminity within the line helps to make each piece more detail-oriented. Women’s golf apparel is becoming more fashionable and flattering for every woman golfer.

While women golfers are a norm in today’s society, the guiding force in women’s golf equipment and women’s golf clothing industries is significant. The growing popularity of this sport with women has helped to expand demand for the equipment and apparel sold especially for woman golfers.

Companies have increasingly marketed toward the new buying market of women golfers —- offering women’s golf equipment and clothing especially designed for female golfers. This growing trend within women-oriented sports has helped to increase the popularity of the game. Thus, making golf a sport for both genders to enjoy playing all 18 holes.

Forehergolf.com – Your source for information on womens golf clothing, equipment and tips

Golf Apparel – The Start Of Good Golf Etiquette

Many of us recall old movie images of golfers in plaid pants, sweater vests, billed caps, and other stereotypical apparel of golfing lore. While clothing on golf courses has changed over the years, proper golf apparel is still expected. And the greater the prestige of the golf club, the greater the expectation you will abide by their dress code.

Most clubs and courses, even the public ones, require that golfers follow a dress code. The most common rule is the collared shirt. Many courses require long pants, not jeans, and golf shoes.

5 Minutes Early Is Late

When it comes to actually starting your game, the primary rule of etiquette is to show up on schedule for your tee time. That means you will have already done everything else in preparation for the start of the golf game. You’ll need time to park your car, warm up, practice, buy balls, change, and pick up a cart. Being early is a matter of consideration for others.

Leave Cell Phones In The Real World

The exclusion of cell phones from golf apparel is another common courtesy on the links. Cell phones should be left in your car or locker. If you do need to bring 1 onto the course for emergencies, keep it turned off.

When you’re on the course, you’ll need to understand how the other golfers in your group want to play. Some let the best score tee off on the next hole, while others let whoever is ready tee off first. You can offend players by not following their rules, even if their rules are, from your perspective, wrong.

Time-Honored Conventions Make Golfing Unique

An obsession with quiet is another characteristic for which golfers are known. Like most traditions, this one is based on necessity. When your object is to hit a small object with a long pole, you need all of your concentration. Even when golfing with friends, respect the fundamental rule of keeping quiet during shots, and standing out of the direct line of vision.

Today’s golfing rules of etiquette can seem archaic — a throwback to days of old. They harken back to a slower paced time when consideration for others was perhaps easier. In the 21st century, golfing provides us a time away from the bustle of everyday living. Though golf is highly competitive, it is, nonetheless, a gentleman’s — and gentlewoman’s — game.

Visit Golf Gear to learn more. Ron King is a full-time researcher, writer, and web developer. Copyright 2005 Ron King. This article may be reprinted if the resource box is left intact.

Golf Apparel – It’s All About Good Golf Etiquette

When playing golf, there are many rules. It isn’t juat a matter of turning up to a golf course, playing a round of golf and then going home. You have to show good golf etiquette to be able to fit in with your surroundings and also to be allowed to play at the golf club.

One of the many rules of etiquette on the links is for each golfer to wear the proper golf apparel. This is one of the most important rules on the golf course. Following a strict dress code on the golf course, is something that most golf clubs and courses, even the public ones, require the golfers to do. Probably the most popular rule is the one of requesting that the golfers wear a collared shirt, although many courses also require long pants to be worn – not jeans of course – and proper golf shoes.

The primary rule of etiquette when actually hitting the links, is to show up on schedule for your tee time. It is important to be considerate of others and for you to not arrive a few minutes before tee off, still wanting to have a few practice swings on the driving range. Give yourself plenty of time, along with practice time, you will also need to find somewhere to park your car, purchase your golf balls, get changed into the correct golf apparel and collect your cart.

Cell-phones are also a big no no. Cell-phones are not part of the correct golf apparel and this should be considered before setting off on the course. They should either be left behind in your car or locker or if absolutely neccessary and needed for emergencies, should be kept in your bag, turned off.

Be sure that, when you are out on the golf course, you have a good understanding of the rules by which the other golfers want to play. Know, in advance, whether they honor the preceding holes score, for insance, by letting the golfer with the best score tee off on the next hole, or do they let whoever is ready to tee off, go first? It is possible, if you aren’t careful, ot offend strangers, if you have decided to join their group when you play, by not playing to their rules.

Along with the plaid pants, sweater vests, flat caps and other stereotypical golf apparel, golfers are also best known for their obsession with silence on the golf course. This does, however, make sense when you are concentrating into putting everything into your swing to hit a tiny ball with a long nearrow stick. Silence is a must!

So, even if you are just playing a round of golf with your friends, make sure to observe the basic rule of keeping quiet during shots and not to stand in the shooters direct line of vision.

Follow the rules, treat others on the course as you would like to be treated and have a great enjoyable game.

Simon Ashton is the founder of http://www.golf-equipment-instruction-guides.com>Golf Equipment Instruction Guides A website created to give advice on purchasing the right Golf Equipment and Instruction Guides on how best to improve your game of golf.
http://www.golf-equipment-instruction-guides.com>Golf Equipment Instruction Guides aims to be an informative, unbiased site for your daily golfing needs and news.

Discount Golf Apparel – How To Find Discount Golf Clothes for Women And Men

Many golfers may be surprised to learn that golf apparel, could easily be categorized as golf equipment. Back in the time when golf was more of a social gathering rather than a major sport, fashion on the course took front and center and the attire made the player. Tightly pressed knickers, Argyle sweater vests, and knee-high stockings were found everywhere yet they really did not offer much in the comfort department.

During the 1970 as golf was picking steam, and some of the best golfers in history were in their highlight of careers the apparel was in a transformation stage. Gone were the regular sighting of knickers, and in were the thin comfortable slacks that allowed for more breath ability. Short sleeve golf shirts were increasingly more popular, and at this point were not shunned by the Tour or the Club policies on attire.

Twenty years later rounding out the 90, companies such as Nike entered the golf Fray. Along with this name came the intentions of developing apparel that would enhance the golfers game, through research and an understanding what the athlete really needs. Once these larger sporting good companies like Nike realized that there was a strong market, for better golf apparel in the form of equipment rather than outfits the trend was set.

As the new millennium has come and gone, golf is now at the level of many other major sports in the world when it comes to better game through better equipment. The leading brands on the market take a strong approach, to the development of shirts that draw perspiration from the body, are made of lightweight materials, and have a comfortable form fitting design. The same can be said for the trousers, and shoes as well. It is well known that if you are comfortable you can easily play better rounds of golf. When it comes right down to it, it is true that from old school to high tech, it still comes down to equipment.

Check out http://www.golf-vacationz.com/articles/ for more articles on golf instruction in arizona and las vegas discount golf.

Corporate Golf Apparel

The way your employees conduct themselves and what brand names they are carrying on their clothing communicates things about the product or services your company is offering to the people. In such matters, the impression you create in turn creates a corporate identity or image for your company in the minds of people.

Your company could also offer corporate gifts to people or promote your corporate golf apparel by offering a huge variety of clothes items and accessories to go with them. People tend to keep these items as a memento of the pleasant moments they have had at your company’s golf games. Some of the best examples of corporate golf apparel are Levi Strauss and Nike.

Corporations prefer to sell long-sleeved golf t-shirts these days mostly to women. Untucked shirts are a popular fashion amongst men these days. Selling the shirts with V-neck, scoop neck or the Cardigan vest types is a great idea. These are some of the most popular types of golf shirts today.

Golf bags, bats and caps are increasingly being sold by most corporations; some corporations hold team events in which they gift pens, custom t-shirts and other fancy items. You could alternatively follow such examples and even offer golf-related magazines, training courses and workshops for golf at a reasonable price. Other promotional ideas are corporate golf holiday packages, where people go on a holiday to play their favorite game. However avoid overdoing promotional programs.

If you need better and more professional ideas, you need to take the services of either an advertising agency or an event management agency.

Corporate Apparel provides detailed information on Corporate Apparel, Custom Corporate Apparel, Custom Embroidered Corporate Apparel, Corporate Golf Apparel and more. Corporate Apparel is affiliated with Engineering Professional Development.

Chef Hats

Chefs wear distinct hats known as the toque blanche or, in more popular words, a chef’s hat, while working in kitchens. One of the main reasons to wear a chef’s hat is to stop any stray hair on the chef’s head from falling into the dish being prepared at that moment. Many chefs wear a head net that covers the entire head and then put on the chef’s hat on that. This locks the hair in place and provides no chance of that hair falling into one of the dishes about to be served to a customer.

Chef’s hats go back a long way, as long as the early 16th century. Although popular fables exist as to how the hat exactly came into picture, it is certainly to hold the hair back while cooking. The only thing to be considered is that even the smallest restaurant needs its cooks and chefs to put on the hats while cooking to avoid any unpleasant scenes due to a strand of hair in the food served to the customer.

Chef hats come in various shapes and sizes, depending on the chef’s number of years of experience, and so it is possible to have a hat as high as 12” for the head chef. Chef hats are made of either stiff cloth like cotton or a cotton mix or can be of the disposable kind like the paper and fiber mix hats. Also the cooks and the apprentices need to wear the hats while in the kitchen. As a matter of fact, it is one of the rules that all the cooks and chefs in the kitchen need to wear the hats to avoid losing points when the food inspector feels like making a surprise visit to the restaurant.

Chef hats come in one-size fits all head sizes that can fit any head size. These usually have the elastic or the Velcro fit and so can fit in almost anyone. Some restaurants that are a part of large chain of hotels or restaurants have their own logo on the hats so as to make them personalized. This lends a definite classy touch while making it obvious as to which hotel the chefs belong.

Chef hats come in different styles depending on the country where they are being made. A slight difference in the shape would give them a unique look. Popular chef hat models are the vertical pleats hats that are commonly used in most small restaurants in all over the world. Even the number of pleats on the hat symbolized the chef’s experience traditionally. A head chef was supposed to wear a chef hat having a hundred pleats, although it is not always true these days.

Chef hats are available in white, black, or a mix of white and black checkers. However, the most popular are the white chef hats that are most commonly used by chefs anywhere in the world.

Chef Hats provides detailed information about chef hats, chef hat history, and more. Chef Hats is affiliated with Sirloin Steak.

Black Chef Hats

The most popularly used chef’s hats are white in color. However, the latest market shows some trendy designer hats that come in different shades such as black, gray, checkered, red, blue and others. The black and the checkered ones are catching up on sales in the market compared to the traditional white ones.

Other models would include the black with checkered borders or the white ones with black or checkered borders. Red chef hats are also in vogue in the present market. Colored hats are mostly available in the cloth variety as compared to the disposable paper kind. The colored cloth chef hats are made of cotton or cotton blend material that can be starched and stiff while being comfortable to wear at the same time.

Colored chef hats are available with adjustable elastic or Velcro headbands, and have a comfortable sweatband built into them. Polyester chef hats are being made currently to give a crisper look than the cotton ones. Also, polyester or polyester blend chef hats are easier to maintain than the traditional cotton chef hats.

Although more and more chefs are using black chef hats, the head chef is still seen to be in a white hat. All the other chefs, cooks and the others working in the kitchen are in a revolutionary change with regards to colored chef hats. Black colored chef hats are also available in different styles like the base ball variety, short hats and such, changing the trend of the chefs wearing only long pleated hats.

Most chefs prefer black colored chef hats these days as the color tends to hide all the sweat and other splattered stains on the hat. Also, since it is a polyester blend it tends to soak up sweat a lot more than the disposable ones. Since they are available in a wide range of model, a deviation from the original plated style, more and more restaurants prefer that their chefs shift to the colored hats than the traditional white.

Although a complete black hat might look way different than a traditional chef’s white hat, white hats bordered or checkered with black tend to make a distinct change in the tradition. They would also not be that different in the styles and only the color could be changed for that unique touch of difference.

Chef Hats provides detailed information about chef hats, chef hat history, and more. Chef Hats is affiliated with Sirloin Steak.

Are Hats Here to Stay – A Hat and Your Health

The hat has once again emerged on the fashion scene and the reason may be due to the dramatic increase in the skin cancer known as melanoma, the deadliest of the known types of skin cancer.

Prior to 1950, melanoma was rarely diagnosed. In recent years, this disease has had a dramatic increase in the under 40 age group. It appears that the years of enjoying the sun, during the warmer months, without wearing a hat has taken its toll on our health and we have finally realized the functional purpose of the hat.

Scientist had predicted for many years, that the effect of increasing uv rays reaching the earth, due to the hole in the ozone layer, would have a wide scale effect upon the human immune system and a devastating effect on the skin. Clinical studies have shown that overexposure to the sun may take years to show up with the effects being in the form of premature aging, age or liver spots and/or skin cancer.

Wearing a hat, that provides shade for your face, neck and ears, can play a major part in the prevention of the effects of the sun upon the skin. The American cancer Society and the Skin Cancer Institute suggest that a hat brim of 2 to 4 inches will provide adequate shade from the sun -
but a wider brim may prove to be better protection for those who have all ready experienced some form of skin cancer. For a hat to provide maximum protection from the sun, it should be one of a tightly woven material, which is usually straw or cloth.

Hats made specifically for sun protection — such as the legionnaires hat, the safari hat, the outback hat — have been around for years and were created to protect the head and facial area from the sun. Most of us associated these hats with specific occupations and geographical locations with hotter climates. Now we know that geography no longer plays a part in whether we actively practice adequate sun protection. The excuses, we used in the past, to justify not wearing a hat are no longer valid. As we continue to erode the ozone layer with hydrocarbons and fossil fuel emissions, uv rays will continue to increase and we will see an even greater rise in the number of people with skin cancer. It no longer matters whether hats are in style or not. Wearing a hat has now become an investment in our future well-being.

Janice Carter is the founder and owner of http://www.isisfashions.com – an internet store for women’s custom made hats.