Archive for March, 2008
March 19, 2008
By Kevin Sinclair
VoIP is a great way to communicate with family and friends at a very low price. However, there are a variety of hindrances with switching to VoIP. This article goes over many of the disadvantages of VoIP, which may have experienced. Additionally, this article will explain how you can improve the quality of VoIP phone service.
Disadvantages of VoIP
Although there are many advantages of VoIP, there are also quite a few disadvantages. Below are four of the most common disadvantages of VoIP.
1. Maintaining a Dependable VoIP Internet Connection
If for any reason, you lose your internet connection, you will not have phone service. Therefore, you must use a cellular phone should this type of situation arise.
2. 911 Access
When you place a 911 call, the location cannot be immediately determined. Unlike PSTN, you must register your phone number online so that should you need to make a 911 call from your VoIP, emergency services will know your location.
3. Networks Have a Large Number of Computers Connected
If your network has a large quantity of computers connected and they are all using the internet at the same time, your VoIP quality will generally be less than desirable. One way to avoid this situation is to invest in an Ethernet.
4. VoIP Poor Quality
Audio quality is one of the largest issues. No matter what your VoIP service offers you, the basic role of any phone is voice communication. If the quality is not up to par, then there is absolutely no point to all of the bells and whistles that come with the service. If you have a lot of background noise, then a VoIP that can handle music, video, caller ID and a variety of other advanced features is practically useless. In the next section, we will address this issue more thoroughly.
Even with all of the advancements of VoIP, there are times when the audio quality suffers. Since VoIP relies completely on the internet connection, anytime the internet suffers so will the VoIP.
Six Ways to Improve the Quality of VoIP
Poor audio quality (disadvantage #4) along with dropped calls, are all complaints that user of VoIP tend to make. Below are six ways the setup of your VoIP can affect the overall quality. By following these simple steps, you can easily improve the quality of your VoIP service.
1. Internet Connection
One of the first recommendations is a high speed internet connection. There are companies which offer VoIP for dial up users. However, the connection can result in poor audio quality. Eventually, you will grow to dislike your VoIP. However, it is not the VoIP, but rather the internet connection. Even if you have DSL, there are occasions when the connection may be slow and your VoIP quality will suffer. Therefore, an Ethernet connection is highly recommended.
2. External Factors
Weather conditions, such as thunder storms, heavy rains and snowstorms can all can an increase in static on broadband lines. In some instances, simply turning rebooting the VoIP can solve the problem. Another solution to reduce the static is for the VoIP service provider to replace the cables with a higher quality cable.
3. Compression Software
The technical details of codecs are a bit too much for this article. If you would like additional information, you can go to Wikipedia. Here is a quick overview of codecs as it pertains to VoIP. When sending data, VoIP compresses it. This is simply because if the data is too large, transmission can be extremely slow and ineffective. Codec is a software program that can be used for data compression. However, a poor quality codec will lead to poor audio quality.
4. VoIP Location and Hardware
The hardware you choose for you VoIP can affect the audio quality. Most of the most important pieces of hardware is the ATA/Router. The VoIP ATA or Analog Telephone Adaptor, brings ordinary phones to the networked world. The adaptor connects a phone handset to an Ethernet adaptor and therefore connects regular, analog phones with VoIP networks. If you are looking for additional information on ATA, check out Wikipedia.
In general, ATAs should have support for security and firewall, as well as echo cancellation and compression technologies. Many technicians have discovered that certain VoIP equipment can interfere with each and possibly create feedback or buzzing noises and dropped calls. Although VoIP equipment and hardware should be places as close as possible to each other, ATA should not be placed near the broadband internet router. The audio quality can be decreased if they are placed too close together.
5. Computer Maintenance and Hardware
There are a variety of different things that can affect the quality of your VoIP service. Therefore, computer maintenance is extremely important in improving the service’’s quality. Make sure that you de-fragment your computer on a regular bases. As well, make sure that you have sufficient memory for the computer and high quality microphone and speakers.
6. VoIP Phone Type/Frequency
The type of phone you have, as well as the frequency can affect the quality of your VoIP. Many people believe that the higher a phone’’s frequency is, the better the quality of VoIP. However, in some instances, a lower frequency phone may fit your connection better. You may want to try a phone with a lower frequency if you are experiencing a lot of audio feedback.
Overall, VoIP is a great low cost alternative for communication. VoIP are not passing through, they are here to stay. Major corporations have done some significant research to fix the disadvantages of VoIP service, as well as improve the overall quality. With all of the improvements continually going on with VoIP, it will soon be accepted by everyone as an acceptable alternative to PSTN.
About The Author
Kevin Sinclair is the publisher and editor of Be Successful News, a site that provides information and articles on how to succeed in your own home or small business. http://besuccessfulnews.com/
March 18, 2008
By Chris Marshall
One of the biggest debates you will find on the Internet is the one over which is better out of Plasma Tvs and LCD Tvs. There are people that will argue for both cases in the plasma verus lcd war and in the end it may be down to personal choice. One of the biggest arguments for Plasma screens is the fact they can produce natural dark colours and black where as LCD Tvs are made using a backlight making a very dark black on screen not quite as impressive as with Plasma Tvs.
One of the first things to consider is what is the difference in plasma and lcd and it is entirely down to the way the televisions operate and produce the picture on the screen. LCD Tvs use technology which uses a backlight and plasma Tvs do not.
When considering whats the best to buy you should go into stores and have a look at what you can expect from each. The picture quality will all depend on the source and what you are using. A great example would be if you played a VHS on a plasma and thought it didnt look good, the picture will only be as good as the source so if you put a blu-ray HD player through a 1080p Plasma or LCD screen it should look fantastic. The main sources for HD now are Sky HD, Virgin Media boxes and Playstation 3s which have in built blu-ray technology. HD-DVD was the biggest competitor to Blu-ray but it is technology which is now seen as dying having lost the war to blu-ray when Toshiba stated they would no longer be manufacturing players.
A lot is talked about the plasma versus lcd tv contrast ratio and again this can make a huge difference but a lot can also depend on the set you go for. Cheaper models will not look as good as the better higher priced ones such as Panasonic or Samsung which are currently the leaders in the market. If you are wanting the best quality picture available then it will require that you buy a top range TV that will cost more than the budget Plasma screens now readily available. When you are looking to compare plasma hd display tv with lcd it will again all depend on the source and what Television you have.
There are fantastic LCD and Plasma Screens available and if you are willing to spend the money then you should be able to get a great TV that will satisfy you and introduce you into the world of High Definition.
Once you have had a look in stores you can also use the Internet to look for big screen tv plasma lcd reviews and price comparison websites. If you spend time and effort looking through the Internet then you should be able to find some good deals on the TV sets and save some money. You can also look at user reviews on the Internet to see which TVs are popular and supposed to produce a good picture. When looking for hd tv reviews television plasma lcd it is a good idea to use as many sources as you can find so that you do get a fair overall view of the TV sets and not just the opinion of one or two that could be slightly biased towards Plasma or LCD Tv sets.
About The Author
Guide to Plasma TVs explores the technology of plasma tv’’s so that you can find out more information before you buy and the effect the technology has on your life. For more information please visit http://www.guide-to-plasma-tvs.com.
March 18, 2008
By Billy Kite
We”ve grown up hearing about stainless steel our whole lives. But how many people actually know what it really is? Let’’s take a look at the process of making steel stainless and some of its general applications.
English metallurgist Harry Brearley invented stainless steel in 1912 while he was researching alloys to protect cannons from erosion. The first commercial production of stainless steel occurred in August 1913. A few years later, stainless steel played a key role in building valves for aircraft engines during World War I. By the 1920′’s, people were finding myriad uses for stainless steel in America. Most famously, the seven arches on top of the Chrysler Building in New York City were clad in stainless steel in 1929.
Chemically speaking, stainless steel is defined as an iron and carbon alloy with a minimum of 11.5 percent chromium content. Its name indicates some of its properties, because it does not stain or rust as easily as ordinary steel. It is also sometimes referred to as corrosion resistant steel. It should not be confused with galvanized steel. Galvanized steel is dipped into zinc to prevent corrosion. Galvanized steel is created when the zinc goes through a reaction with the iron molecules. The most external layer is all zinc, but successive layers are a mixture of zinc and iron, with an interior of pure steel in galvanized steel.
Manganese is often found in many stainless steel compositions. Manganese preserves an austenitic structure in the steel akin to nickel, and it is less expensive. Austenitic stainless steel makes up about 70 percent of the world’’s overall stainless steel production. Super austenitic stainless steels have high molybdenum contents and nitrogen additions, as well as higher nickel content. Because of these additions, they have a tremendous resistance to chloride pitting and crevice corrosion. Other types of stainless steel include martenistic, ferritic and duplex, all of which have different compositions and strengths suited to various applications.
When its composition is 18 percent manganese and 10 percent nickel, it is often referred to as 18/10 stainless steel, which is often used in high-quality flatware. There are many different grades and surface finishes of stainless steel, which makes the material very adaptable to numerous applications. Look at the watch on your wrist. It’’s likely made from stainless steel. It is also to make airplanes, surgical appliances, building materials, cookware, cutlery, hardware, cars and jewelry.
Mill finishes can be applied to flat rolled stainless steel with the use of mechanical abrasives and the rollers themselves. After it is rolled to size and annealed, oxidation is removed and the passivation layer is made on its surface. At this time, a final finish can be added to enhance the appearance of the steel.
For example, a sheet may have a matte finish to it, where the face of the material is abrasively polished leaving a clean but dull sheen to the surface. This is often desired where the material will be used in a high visibility, high use location; the surface will not show scratches and scars as readily as a highly polished finish.
Stainless steel is available in both hot rolled steel sheets and cold rolled steel sheets, and it can also be obtained in plates, rolls, strips, foil and bars.
About The Author
Billy Kite is a researcher writing on behalf of http://www.premiumsteelsales.com.
March 17, 2008
By Jonathan Drake
One of the most heartbreaking experiences you may go though in life is when you suspect your guy is cheating on you. Feelings of betrayal and lack of trust may overwhelm you. Of course, it is important to remember that your suspicions may be inaccurate. However, if you feel it in your gut, then it is probably an issue that deserves further attention and at the very least you probably deserve to find out the truth. If you need to know how to catch a guy cheating the first thing to remember is to keep your eyes and ears open and your mouth shut. At least until you have gathered more information and are sure of just what is going on.
One of the first things you can do when you get an opportunity, is check to see if his pay stub reflects all that overtime that he has been working lately. Look for receipts that may be left lying around or left in pockets when you are doing the laundry. Be immediately suspicious if he starts doing his own laundry but let him do it anyway. After all, if your guy is cheating on you, the least he can do is do his own dirty laundry. If the receipts are from a romantic restaurant in the next county that you have never visited, keep the receipt for future reference. Look over the credit card bill, unexplained charges can often point you in the right direction about your guy’’s extracurricular activities.
One of the best places to catch a guy cheating is the cell phone bill. Look for unfamiliar numbers or even your friends numbers. Sadly, you would be surprised how often you already know your spouse’’s mistress. If you do spot any suspicious numbers or calling patterns try a reverse phone number lookup service. They may be of help to you. You can find out names, addresses, and other personal information. While land line numbers are fairly easily traceable, cell phone numbers are not listed in the public databases and therefore a reverse phone number lookup service is usually required. Cell phone records are one of the best and least intrusive ways to find out if your guy has been cheating on you.
Now I know you may feel guilty about spying on your partner, but you need to know the truth, even if you don”t want to. This is how to catch a guy cheating on you. It goes without saying that communication is the best option but unfortunately there are times when you need to take matters into your own hands. After all, and please pardon the cliche, but the truth really will set you free.
About The Author
Jonathan Drake recommends running a FREE reverse phone number search at http://PhoneDetective911.com to first see if more information about a phone number exists before ordering a lookup.
They offer 100% guarantee as well.
March 16, 2008
By Ian Armstrong
The process of tracing a name and address using only a phone number is called a ”reverse phone look-up”.
Using a reverse phone lookup is much like using a telephone directory, the only difference being, you start off with a name and look for the phone number in a directory, whereas with a reverse phone look-up you start off with an unrecognizable phone number and look for the person’’s name and address using several various sources.
How to trace a name and address from almost any phone number
While the process of tracing names and phone numbers of listed landlines, whether business or residential, is surprisingly straightforward and easy; the process of tracing calls made from cell phones and unlisted numbers can be quite complex.
Before you initiate a reverse phone lookup you may want to open up your old address book or look through your stack of business cards just to make sure that the number does not belong to a long forgotten friend or business acquaintance that you have not heard from for some time.
If the number you are cross checking is a landline phone number, you can easily find the person it belongs to by doing a ”reverse search” of the number.
If it is a residential line, you can get all the details you need at Whitepages or Switchboard. Business addresses can be traced at Superpages and Yellowpages. Whocalled is the place to go to for commercial calls and scammers as well as telemarketers.
By now you should have ideally found what you were looking for unless the caller was using a cell phone or an unlisted phone.
If you have not managed to find the name and address yet, then your next option is to look up information on the phone number using any of the major search engines including Google, Yahoo!, MSN or Phone search.
These search engines do a thorough search of almost all the websites on the public internet. All you have to do is enter the phone number and do a search. You could do several searches by typing in the phone number differently each time.
If you have a 9-digit number, 123456789, here are some of the ways you can enter the number:
123456789
0123456789
012-345-6789
If none of these work, do another search putting each of the combinations of in quotation marks in this manner:
“123456789″
“012345678″
“012-345-678″
If you still do not succeed despite trying all the above methods, it may be time to employ a reverse cell phone look up using a reputable phone-trace company.
These companies will help trace you a name and address from a phone number using their huge database of records that have been accumulated from data brokers, public information and several other confidential sources.
Earlier, when your phone rang, your only option was to answer it and find out who the caller was. If it was a wrong number or a prank call; tough. You would only know after you answered. Ignoring calls from unidentifiable callers could mean you may miss a few calls from genuine friends or business colleagues.
Some of the ways that reverse phone lookup helps include:
Obtaining the name of the caller - If you are being plagued by repeated obscene, threatening or plain prank phone calls from a number you do not recognize, reverse phone lookup helps you obtain the name of the person behind those calls.
Obtaining the address of a long-forgotten friend - If you have a friend’’s phone number but have misplaced the address, a reverse phone lookup can quickly retrieve it for you.
Conducting Background checks - Employers can find out more about prospective employees and potential dates can do back ground checks on each other by simply using the employees” or date’’s phone number to conduct a reverse phone lookup.
Recollecting an acquaintance’’s name - If you met an interesting person at a function and only wrote down the person’’s phone number, a reverse phone lookup would get you out of an embarrassing spot by helping you put a name to the number.
Screening your phone calls - If you are busy in the office and do not want to be disturbed unless it is urgent, a quick reverse phone lookup will help you ascertain who the caller is even before the phone stops ringing. You can then quickly decide whether or not you want to take that call.
With the ability to find names and addresses for you, the net’’s various reverse phone lookup resources are set to make phone indexes and address books obsolete.
About The Author
Ian Armstrong is a recognized expert in the online investigation industry.
Ian recommends using http://www.ReverseCellPhoneRecords.com for reverse cell phone lookups, for as little as $14.95.
March 16, 2008
By Ian Armstrong
There are several reasons why you may, at sometime or the other, want to conduct a reverse cell-phone lookup to find out who is the person behind a particular cell phone number.
Why Conduct a Reverse Cell-Phone Lookup:
It could be because of persistent scandalous, threatening or blank calls from a cell-phone number that is unrecognizable.
Or perhaps you”ve seen that cell phone number once too often on your spouse’’s incoming or outgoing call records.
Maybe you”d really like to get in touch with old friends who”ve moved out of the neighborhood and all you have is an old phone number but no forwarding address.
It could be that you have a cell-phone number written on a piece of paper with no name written alongside and you cannot remember whether it belongs to the President of the company or to that gorgeous babe you met at the party the other night. If you were trying to make a date, you wouldn”t want to call the wrong number, would you?
While conducting a reverse phone look-up on land lines is easily done through major search engines including Yahoo!, Google or MSN as well as through sites such as WhitePages and Switchboard, you may not find it that easy to conduct a reverse phone lookup on cell phones.
This is not only because of the transient nature of cell phones but also due to stricter privacy restrictions that apply to wireless numbers.
Publishing cell phone numbers in either offline or online directories without the explicit permission of the owner is considered a violation of federal law.
Therein lies the incongruity of modern technology.
With everyone carrying around cell phones these days it is getting increasingly easier for anybody to infringe onto another person’’s personal space by harassing them with unwanted calls, while the perpetrator’’s privacy remains protected.
It may be difficult to find the name and address behind a cell phone number, it is by no means impossible. Here’’s how you can find out who’’s behind a cell phone number in 3 easy steps:
Step 1
Before trying out any external source you may first want to check out your updated as well as your old address book and determine whether or not you actually have the phone number. While you are it, you could also look through all your business cards and also your contact list on the computer.
Step 2
Once you”ve made sure that you do not have the number in your records, you could try out the internet. There are two ways you can find out who’’s behind a cell phone number on the internet. One is by using major search engines and the other is by looking on popular social networks.
Search Engines - Conducting a search through one or all of the major search engines including Google, MSN and Yahoo! is fast, easy and free. All you need to do is enter the cell-phone number you are checking up on and if that number exists anywhere on the World Wide Web, it’’s yours for the asking along with all other pertinent details.
Social Networks - Popular social networking sites such as MySpace, Facebook and Orkut have a large member base with profiles and personal information about their members posted on the site. This personal information very often consists of the member’’s address as well as the cell phone number.
Just go to the various social networking sites and enter the pertinent cell phone number and you may just get lucky at one of the sites if the person you are looking for is a member of that particular site. Some of the other sites you could try looking are USFreeAds, Kijiji, BoardTracker and Craiglist.
Step 3
No luck yet? If you are still determined to find out who’’s behind a cell phone number, you could use a premium service that will help you find the information you are looking for.
For a fee that could range anywhere between $20 and $100, these companies will provide you access to proprietary cell phone info databases. This fee enables you to access all the available records of the person who is behind the cell phone number you are tracking.
While you may have second thoughts about paying this sum of money just to try and flush out a merely irritating “phone-pest”, it could be money well-spent if it is a question of safeguarding your privacy and protecting your relationship and your family.
Moreover, most sites offer clients a “No Hit - No Fee” guarantee, which means you have nothing to lose. If the search turns up zilch, you pay nothing and if your search is successful, you”ve found what you”ve been looking for.
About The Author
Ian Armstrong is a recognized expert in the online investigation industry.
Ian recommends using http://www.Cell-Phone-Reverse-Lookup.com for reverse cell phone lookups, for as little as $14.95.
March 15, 2008
By Steve Lane
Imagine being able to walk down the street in any neighborhood without being afraid of violent crime. Better yet, imagine giving the same sense of security to your friends and family. Modern technology makes this peace of mind possible. Tasers take the fear out of daily life for you and your loved ones.
How many times have you found yourself a bit too close to danger for comfort? We all have had suspicious characters walk up to our cars while we were stopped at a red light. The instant surge of adrenaline makes your heart race as you try to determine if you are in danger. But you don”t have to feel panic if you know that you can defend yourself. A taser kept in the car makes you feel less threatened by crime.
Keeping a taser in the car gives you peace of mind even if you aren”t in imminent danger. Many of us have experienced car trouble in bad neighborhoods. You shouldn”t have to feel like a sitting duck. With a taser in your glove box, you will feel confident and secure no matter where your travels take you. You”ll be able to fix your flat tire or wait for a tow truck without being scared of every passerby.
If you have an elderly relative or teenager, you will sleep better at night knowing they can defend themselves with a taser against an attacker. Guns and knives are too scary and violent to give to your parents or your children. A taser is much more manageable. They will only incapacitate attackers, not wound or kill them. They will give your loved one the time they need to escape from their assailant.
Perhaps you or one of your family members has been the victim of a violent crime. Carrying a taser will help them feel confident enough to resume their normal activities. If you are afraid to go out of the house because you were victimized by a criminal, owing a taser will help you reclaim your independence.
Many police officers carry tasers for situations where they do not want to use their guns. They provide an effective alternative to firearms. Police officers prefer to use tasers over guns because they don”t have to risk killing another person, but they can effectively subdue a threatening criminal.
Choosing to buy a taser is a wise decision for self defense. A taser uses air cartridges to shoot cables at a range of 15 to 21 feet. This means you can stay away from your attacker while defending yourself. The cables then deliver an electric current that will disable the criminal’’s nervous system for a short period of time. This will allow you or your loved one a chance to escape the violent situation.
Check your local laws to find out if you can legally carry a taser. Some cities and states do not allow them. Call your local law enforcement officials to be sure you are allowed to purchase and carry them in your area.
While you have a legal right to defend yourself, you will still have legal and emotional problems down the road if you choose to defend yourself with a gun, knife or any other potentially deadly weapon. With a taser, you conscience and your criminal record will remain clean even if you have to defend yourself from criminals with force.
Hopefully, you will never need to use your taser. Even if you don”t have to use it, it is a wise purchase for yourself and those you love because it will provide you with a sense of security. You can”t put a price tag on something as valuable as peace of mind, and that is what you purchase when you buy a taser.
About The Author
Steve Lane is an expert in the field of self defense, home security and crime prevention and operates an online business Self Defense Shop. Visit his store to learn some ways you can protect yourself and your loved ones from crime at http://www.laneselfdefense.com
March 15, 2008
By Jonathan Drake
Why would anyone use a reverse phone number lookup directory? Why would you want to see who a number belongs to? Think about that for a minute, and you may see why it could be useful. Perhaps you have a teenage daughter and your phone rings late in the night but when you go to the trouble of answering it, they hang up. Perhaps you were expecting an important call and want to know if that call you missed was the expected caller but don”t want to call and ask directly. Perhaps your spouse gets a lot of calls and acts very secretive about them or perhaps you find a lot of late night calls on his or her cell phone call history. Wouldn”t you like to know who the caller is and where they live? Of course you would. That is where a reverse phone number lookup comes in
Before the popularity of cell phones it was easy to find out who was on the other end of the line. Land line residential and business phone numbers can be looked up either in a regular phone book or a reverse number lookup directory. For cell phones there is no phone book because the cell phone companies are expected to guard their customer name and number lists.
Like I said cellular companies are “expected” to guard your information but for the right price they will give out customer info to a reverse number lookup directory service provider. Reverse phone number lookup services pay a fee to the cell phone provider for access to their name and number databases. The service will normally charge a small one time fee that gives you unlimited access to their service.
I have seen many free sites advertised for reverse phone lookup directories but unfortunately none of them are ever free. After you click through several pages of ads on the website, you will find out that they are either not free or that they only lookup land line numbers. You want to bes sure that the service you go with has a complete, accurate, and up to date reverse cell phone directory. Be sure to also look for a 100% money back guarantee.
Before you pay for a reverse phone number lookup service however, I recommend you find one that offers a free initial search that tells you if they do have information on the number in question. That way you don”t waste time going through the irritating process of requesting a refund.
About The Author
Jonathan Drake recommends running a FREE reverse phone number search at http://PhoneDetective911.com to first see if more information about a phone number exists before ordering a lookup.
They offer 100% guarantee as well.
March 13, 2008
By Tarang Bhargava
Purchasing an electronic gadget is a mind-numbing task. You can never be sure which minute the technology will change and your recent buy will become nothing but a piece of trash. So, when you want to buy a digital camera, then there are plenty of things, which you must know, which will help you (hopefully!) to get the right camera for you.
One of the most important things for digital camera is that it should be one of the latest available in the market. The more popular, the better! This will give you a sense of emotional security that you will not be the first victim of any new bug or fault that model faces.
Another factor is cam’’s look. Gone are the days when gadgets were bought for the purpose. Now an enhancement to the purpose is that you should be able to flaunt it. It hardly does matter if it has a big screen or small screen, whether it is 2 mega pixel or 1.5 mega pixel - the camera should have a good non-edgy shape, catchy colors. Now a days, only the shoes or footwear don”t talk about a man’’s personality, but also the gadget he carries. So, your camera should not look ”boring” or very ‘’serious” in nature.
The next thing in priority should be the size of your camera. Frequent users will definitely prefer a digital camera that is small and compact in size. The weight and size should be slick to be able to easily put the camera in their pocket or hang it by a string. Large and bulky models, even if they have better features are not advisable because they become very cumbersome for use.
Apart from you using the camera, your family might also need it like your children might need it on special occasions. So, it becomes necessary to keep in mind that you should also hunt for some ”fun” features in the digital camera.
The next most important thing is its ease of use. It is important that the camera has a simple system through which you can easily take pictures and also quickly. However, you really do not need to worry about this aspect a lot because today’’s in today’’s digital era, where there is cut throat between the all the dig cam companies, most of their models are very easy to use.
Last but not the least, is the price. With the features and the added technologies that are there in the market, the price of a dig cam can be as low as 10,000 and as high as 50,000. So, it really depends on your pocket. Start simple and upgrade so that if you grow out of the digital camera that you buy yourself a new one.
Happy clicking!
About The Author
Tarang Bhargava is the CEO of Vexat Inc. & has an affiliate marketing experience of 6 yrs.
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March 13, 2008
By Billy Kite
Ever wonder how they get those holes in that stainless steel sink so that the fixtures and drain can be installed? Maybe you”ve seen the Majestic Roof Garden Hotel in Adelaide and wondered how the precise steel facade was created. Modern laser cutting has provided the means to creating such high quality cutting of stainless steel.
Laser cutting is a technique that allows faster and higher quality cuts than traditional torch cutting or other methods. Since modern laser cutting is computer controlled a more precise cut can be easily made. This precision allows holes with a small diameter to be made in various pieces of steel.
Typical laser cutting involves focusing the laser beam through a lens onto the surface of the material being cut. The laser either moves along the cut surface or the material itself is moved as the laser remains stationary. An assist gas, usually nitrogen or oxygen, is blown along the material to remove any excess molten metal from the edge. Each of these gases has its advantages and disadvantages.
Using oxygen as an assist gas allows for much higher speeds of cutting. It is also more cost effective. The exothermic reaction, a reaction that generates heat, allows this to happen, as well as providing for a better cut. Unfortunately, this same reaction causes oxidization and leaves an unattractive brown scale on the edge. This must be removed with de-scaling measures; either chemical or mechanical, before it is to be welded. One of the major disadvantages of oxygen assisted laser cutting is this extra step.
On the other hand, using nitrogen as an assist gas results in a much cleaner cut. As nitrogen is an inert gas, there is no exothermic reaction between it and the stainless steel. This prevents oxidization from occurring, leaving a shiny edge instead of the scaled edge. By keeping the cut edge clean, nitrogen assisted laser cutting prevents the time consuming step of de-scaling after the cut is made. Nitrogen assisted laser cutting is slower than oxygen assisted cutting, however, and requires a high purity level in the gas supply. Also, as there is no exothermic reaction, the gas must be used at a high pressure. Nitrogen is also more expensive to use than oxygen.
Most laser-cutting operations today use nitrogen as the assist gas because of the reliable results. Nitrogen can be a costly gas, though. When cutting thicker pieces of stainless steel, the cost of the gas can run as high as ninety-percent of the operating cost. Fortunately, nitrogen generating equipment helps offset this cost. This equipment uses carbon molecular sieves to take oxygen out of compressed air, leaving a relatively pure source of nitrogen available to use in precision laser cutting.
With these advances in nitrogen cutting technologies, as well as higher powered lasers being used on the material, it’’s no wonder that this is quickly becoming standard practice. Avoiding the extra task of de-scaling is a major advantage in nitrogen use. A simple stainless steel piece can be a picture of beauty when it is sharp, precise and possesses a shine all over.
About The Author
Billy Kite is a researcher writing on behalf of http://www.premiumsteelsales.com.