 A
AAC Similar to MP3, this is an improved format for digital sound A/C Auto Changer ABC Automatic Bandwidth Control AC Abbreviation for alternating current. An electic current that reverses its direction at regularly recurring intervals AH A battery capacity rating that means: the higher it is, the longer the operating battery life. ALLOY Is a hybrid of two or more elements, at least one of which is a metal, and where the resulting material has metallic properties. Commonly used in alloy wheels and is most often an alumnium or magnesium metal alloy. Alloy wheels differ from normal wheels, because of their lighter weight, which improves performance ALUMINIUM V BRAKES Specialist lightweight and heat resistant brakes available for bikes ALUMINIUM RIMS Specialist lightweight rims available for cars AMPLIFIER Is a device that will convert a signal with a small amount of energy into a similar signal with a larger amount of energy. In car audio terms, the amplifier turns the small audio signal from the stereo into a much louder sound to be sent to the speakers ANALOGUE Signal whose value varies continuously over time. For example, when a person speaks, the sound wave is an analogue signal, varying smoothly as they talk. Analogue signal information differs from digital signals, which move sharply between fixed values. ANTI-GLARE SCREEN Reduces the impact of bright light such as direct or reflected sunlight or artificial light such as car headlamps at night AUX Most commonly refers to an auxiliary input on an electronic device, enabling another device to be connected to it AV Audio-Visual 
B BACK ON TRACK FUNCTION A car stereo function which uses electronic memory to store the position of the audio file it is playing so that if it is turned off or loses power, it can resume that same position once turned on again BLUETOOTH Bluetooth provides a way to connect and exchange information between devices such as mobile phones, laptops, PCs, printers, over a secure, globally unlicensed short-range radio frequency BOOSTER SEAT Booster seats "boost" the child and allow the adult seat belt to sit firmly across the collar bone and chest, with the lap portion fitted to the hips.
BTM Best Tuning Memory. A feature which the tuner selects radio stations by signal strength, and assigns them to presets in numerical order, according to their frequency value BURR BROWN The Burr-Brown Corporation was a United States technology company which designed, manufactured, and marketed a broad line of proprietary, standard, high-performance, analog and mixed-signal integrated circuits (ICs) used in electronic signal processing. The company's products were used in a wide range of applications: telecommunications, test and measurement, medical and scientific instrumentation, digital audio and video, personal computing and multimedia.
C CALLIPER BRAKES A bike braking system that is centrally mounted to the frame. Two arms with spring mechanisms to provide the movement at the brake pads to the rim CANTILEVER BRAKES On bikes, Cantilever brakes have each arm attached to a separate pivot point on one side of the seat stay or fork just below the rim. The tightness of the brakes prevent the arms from being able to flex, increasing braking effectiveness. CAR - MOUNT A secure, simple to attach device which allows for electronic devices to be placed upright and accesible on the dashboard and held in place. CD Compact Disc CD CHANGER A device that can hold several CDs and switch between them as and when required CD:R Compact Disc-Recordable CD:ROM Compact Disc Read Only Memory - An optical digital storage device, of high capacity, capable of being read from but not written to CD:RW Compact Disc-Rewrittable CEQ An advanced sound equaliser function available on some stereos CHAIN GUARD Any of several types of protective baffle used to prevent the chain from entrapping a trouser leg, and to protect the cyclist's leg and clothing CHANGER CONTROL Can operate the same brand or compatible CD or MP3 multi-disc changers CHILD SEAT Car safety device which is used to transport children safely in cars, fitted accorded to their weight and size CRANKS The arm which connects the pedal to the bottom bracket axle on a bike. Sometimes called a "crank arm" CRANKSET On a bike, a "crank set" would consist of the two cranks, the chainwheel(s), and the stack bolts that hold the chainwheels to the cranks. In some cases, it would also include the bottom bracket axle and bearing assembly
D DAB Digital Audio Broadcasting, also known as digital radio. Crystal clear, quality, digital sound with exclusive stations DAB READY Can recieve DAB with the purchase of an additional add-on box DAC A Digital to Analog Converter is an electronic device, which takes input information in digital form and converts it to an analog output containing the same information DASHBOARD DISK A small attachment which fits securely to the dashboard in a car, in which a sat nav device can be placed and operated safely DC Abbreviation of the term Direct Current. Electric current flowing in one direction only DETACHABLE FASCIA Refers to the front part of a car stereo which can be removed by the driver for security reasons to prevent unauthorised access to the stereo DIMMER Electrical device which controls the amount of electricity passed to a lamp and therefore the intensity of the light DIN A standard size for car accessories and radios. 1-DIN is measured at 2"(H) x 7"(W). A 2-DIN is 4"(H) X 7"(W)
DOLBY DIGITAL Six-channel digital audio standard that is part of the US digital television standard and also used on DVDs; also called AC-3 or Digital 5.1. The channels consist of front left, front right, front center, surround or rear left, surround or rear right, and a separate subwoofer DOLBY PRO-LOGIC A surround system where a 4-channel audio track is recorded as 2 channels and then is restored to 4 channels for play, creating a ?home-theatre? sound reproduction DUAL ZONE FUNCTION A feature that appears on some in car technology. It allows rear-seat passengers to enjoy DVD movies whilst front seat passengers can listen to radio programmes up front DVD Digital Versatile Disc DVD-ROM The next-generation video CD and high-capacity CD-ROM; the disc is the same diameter as a CD-ROM, but can be recorded on both sides. Each side holds 4.7GB, equivalent to seven CD-ROMs, or 14 CD-ROMs, if both sides are used. DYNAMIC STATUS BAR An on screen indicator that shows how far through an activity the unit is or it's "current status''. For example this may be how far through a track you are on a CD player or how far through calculating a route you might be on a Sat Nav
E EQ - 3 3 band equaliser EQUALISER Audio device with multiple frequency controls for adjusting sound tone quality
F FASCIA The front part of a car stereo / in car DVD player, containing all the controls used to access the device. FL DISPLAY Fluorescent (FL) display technology not only gives you better resolution - 130x39 dpi - than conventional LCDs, but it also lets data transition faster for smooth, clean, solid movement of graphics FLIP DOWN Describes the movement action for some DVD player screens, to expand them out to be made easily fully visible FM Frequency Modulation. A type of radio broadcasting FREEWHEEL In reference to Go-Karts, Freewheel refers to the type of wheel that is for forward riding only and is a standard feature on the economy models FRONT SUSPENSION Springs and shock absorbers that are used in various configurations to provide a comfortable ride
G 'GARMIN LOCK' Garmin's anti-theft feature disables the unit from performing any functions until a specific 4-digit PIN is typed in or the unit is taken to a predetermined location. GATSO CAMERAS Accounting for 90% of all fixed speed cameras in the UK, the rear facing Gatso uses radar technology, and can be used for fixed speed cameras, in-car mobile units, on tripods and can even be used from moving vehicles. GHz Gigahertz. A measure of signal frequency expressing thousands of million cycles per second GIGABYTE (GB) Expression used to describe storage capacity or amount of data. One gigabyte is about 1024 millions of bytes/characters GPS Global Positioning System. GPS is a satellite - based navigation system GPS ANTENNA The component in any GPS ground level device which is used to send and recieve location information from the nearest satellite in orbit GTM The Gross Trailer Mass is the mass of a trailer and its load transmitted through the trailer axle, or axle group, when connected to the towing vehicle.
H HALOGEN A type of incandescent lamp with higher energy-efficiency that standard ones HD High Definition is the largest digital format. This standard is still being developed, and is rapidly gaining popularity. The quality is superb, and almost as good as film HI-BACK BOOSTER SEAT A high-back booster seat is a belt-positioning booster car seat that has a tall back portion that gives extra support and protection to your child's upper body HIGH TENSILE STEEL Low-alloy steel having a yield strength range of 50,000 to 100,000 pounds per square inch (3.4-6.9 × 108 pascals). Also known as high-strength steel HOME DOCK A device that is used to store an iPod / mp3 player at home. Whilst plugged into the home dock, the music on the mp3 player can be played through an attached stereo system HS IV Tuner HT High-tension meaning high voltage Hz Hertz. A unit of frequency equal to one cycle per second
I ISO International Standards Organisation iPOD A brand of portable media players designed and marketed by Apple computers INFRA-RED Infrared radiation is radiation at a longer wavelength than visible light, which means it cannot be seen by the naked human eye
J JPEG PICTURE VIEWER JPEG Viewer is a very easy picture browser for .JPG and .JPEG files
K KU Radar frequency band. The set of frequency between 12.5 and 18 GHz
L LCD Liquid Crystal Display refers to the technology that new flat panel monitors use, which are less bulky and have reduced power consumption than traditional monitors LED Light Emitting Diode. A semiconductor device that emits visible light when conducting current LW Long Wave. A type of radio broadcasting LI-ION BATTERY Lithium-ion batteries are a type of rechargeable battery commonly used in consumer electronics. They are currently one of the most popular types of battery for portable electronics LASER DETECTOR Laser detectors are designed to sense the frequency of transmissions from police radar and laser speed detection equipment (radar and laser guns and some fixed cameras, e.g. Gatso) and alert you to their presence
M MB Short for megabyte (1,024 kilobytes or 1,048,576 bytes). This unit is typically used to measure random access memory (RAM) and hard drive space in computers MD MiniDisc, the 6cm magneto-optical re-writable disc format developed by Sony for audio and date storage MMC Microsoft Management Console. A containter utlity that takes different management tools called "Snap-Ins" MOTORISED FASCIA Face slides out making it easier to insert a disc MP3 A compressed audio format that is popular for downloading across the internet and for use with memory based audio players. Files may be recorded on CD:R or CD:RW media for playback in compatible DVD players, audio CD players, and CD-ROM drives MW Medium Wave. A type of radio broadcasting MAX GAIN SWITCHER ********************************************* MOS-FET Acronym for metal-oxide semiconductor field-effect transistor. These are used in many scenarios where you want to convert voltages MPEG Moving Picture Experts Group. It is the file format that is used to compress and transmit movies or video clips online. MULTI-PROFILED TUBES Multi profiled tubes are used in the frames of specialised bikes and are lightweight and durable with treaded holes to make it easy to fit mudguards and other attachments
N NAVPIX TECHNOLOGY A NavPix photo carries its exact location data, which a Navman Sat Nav uses to navigate to. The NavPix technology is based on highly accurate geographic information being included as part of the data stored with a photographic image. You can then use those NavPix images when planning routes on your Navman device.
O OHMS The unit of measurement for electrical resistance. The higher the value, the greater the resistance OEL DISPLAY OEL - Organic Electroluminescent - displays were introduced to the world by Pioneer in 1999, and headunits have never looked the same since. OEL displays have some intensely great advantages over normal displays. You can read the display from wide angles and even in bright sunlight. Since it?s easier to read, it?s also easier to control, and you can keep your eyes on the road longer. It?s a self-emitting device, so there?s no need for backlighting and it?s really efficient to operate, power-wise.
P PC Personal Computer PDA Personal Digital Assistant POWER OUTPUT Maximum power that a stereo can produce, measured in watts PRE-OUTS Plug in connections on the stereo that allows you to add an external amplifier. Number of outputs and voltage as indicated PSI Pressure per square inch; a measurement of pressure POI A point of interest, or POI, is a specific point location that someone may find useful or interesting PLUG & GO A series of hands free car kits for mobile phones PICT An Apple Macintosh file format for saving raster (pixel based) images. The file format is uncompressed
Q N/A
R RADAR Radio detection and ranging. An electronic instrument that uses radio waves to find the distance and location of other objects. Used to avoid collisions, particularly in times of poor visibility RCA An RCA connector is a plug and a jack designed for use with coaxial cable for frequencies ranging from the very lowest up to several megahertz. An RCA connector is sometimes known as a phono plug and jack. The yellow connection is for video and the red and the white are for audio RDS Radio Data System. The LCD display on the radio will display the radio station name and depending on the model of radio, some program information as well REAR SUSPENSION System where a variety of beam axles and independent suspensions are used to provide support to the driver / rider RECHARGABLE Once a battery has completely discharged, it may be restored to the fully charged state by the passage of an electrical current through the cell RESOLUTION The number of pixels per square inch on a computer-generated display; the greater the resolution, the better the picture RMS Root-Mean-Square. An amplitude measure of an electrical signal that reflects the net power capability of the signal or speaker. Note that this differs from the peak power, which reflects the maximum instantaneous power capability ROTARY ENCODER A rotary encoder, also called a shaft encoder, is an electro-mechanical device used to convert the angular position of a shaft or axle to an analog or digital code RPM Revolution Per Minute or the number of full turns per minute
S SAT NAV Satellite Navigation SD Small media type (same as MMC) that has extra connections to secure data SPD Speed. Refers to the number of gears in the context of bikes SRAM GRIPSHIFT Handlebar mounted gear shifting system which can be used on a bike SHIMANO GEARS Advanced gears that are found on more professional bikes SIRF RECEIVER A SiRF receiver gives dramatically better performance for getting a GPS signal from satellites and getting you a location on your GPS STYLUS A stylus is a writing utensil often used when interacting with touch screen devices such as PDAs to provide more accurate selections. They often look similar to a modern ballpoint pen and can be heavily curved to be held more easily
SUBWOOFER A subwoofer is an individual speaker commonly found in home theater sound systems that processes bass sounds as low as 15 hertz STABILISERS Additional small wheel attachments used on children's bikes to provide additional stability and balance, as well as preventing the bike from falling over SUSPENSION A system of linkages that connects a vehicle to its wheels STUNT PEGS
These usually take the form of two metal rods which are attached to the sides of the two front tyres and are used to perform BMX tricks on
T TFT Thin Film Transistor. An LCD screen technology originally used in laptops but now also used in many desktop monitors as well 2D Two-dimensional, as in 2D graphics and flat images 3D Three dimensional. Having three dimensions. Normally taken as height, width and depth TMC TRAFFIC RECEIVER Provides real-time traffic information to compatible Sat Navs. Alerts users to local traffic tie-ups, displaying graphical map reference on compatible products TOUCH SCREEN A display screen that acts as an input device by responding to the touch of the user TRAFFIC MASTER Trafficmaster has developed a suite of services in the UK, which includes Fleet Director and the award-winning Smartnav, an intelligent route finding service that uses satellite navigation and live traffic information to find best routes and guide drivers around congestion TURN BY TURN Turn-by-Turn Navigation is the simplest and smartest navigation system. This new system provides automated voice-guided driving directions to subscribers while they are "on the go" in their vehicles. Drivers can stay focused on the road and be guided at each turn towards their final destination TWEETER A speaker driver designed to reproduce high frequencies; usually those over approximately 5,000 to 10,000 Hz
U UI User Interface. The part of a computer program, application, or machine that is concerned with interacting with a human user. Some examples of user interfaces include GUIs, command line interfaces, telephone keypads and displays, and steering wheels on cars USB Universal Serial Bus. Refers to the standard port on a computer used to connect external devices such as pen / flash disks and optical mice
W WMA File extension of the Windows Media audio format WIDESCREEN The term widescreen is used to describe a variety of forms of film projection in which the aspect ratio (width-to-height proportion) of the picture is greater than the 4:3 format adopted as standard WAAS-CAPABLE Waas is a system of satellites and ground stations that provide GPS signal corrections, providing improved position accuracy, up to five times better than standard positioning means. A WAAS-capable receiver can give you a position accuracy of better than three meters 95 percent of the time WATT A scientific unit of electrical power commonly used to describe the rate of energy consumption of an electrical appliance WIRELESS Radio-based systems that allow transmission of information without a physical connection
X XENON Xenon light outputs more than three times the brightness of a normal halogen light, whilst consuming less than half the power under normal use
Y N/A
Z N/A
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