SILICON CHIP
Publisher & Editor-In-Chief
Leo Simpson, B.Bus.
Editor
Greg Swain, B.Sc.(Hons.)
Technical Staff
John Clarke, B.E.(Elec.)
Robert Flynn
Advertising Manager
Paul Buchtmann
Regular Contributors
Neville Williams, FIREE, VK2XV
Bryan Maher, M.E. B.Sc.
Jim Yalden , VK2YGY
Garry Cratt, VK2YBX
Jim Lawler, MTETIA
John Hill
David Whitby
Photography
Bob Donaldson
Editorial Advisory Panel
Philip Watson, VK2ZPW
Norman Marks
Steve Payor, B.Sc. , B.E.
SILICON CHIP is published 1 2 times
a year by Silicon Chip Publications Pty Ltd . All material
copyright (c). No part of the contents of this publication may be
reproduced without prior written
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2017 .
Printing: Masterprint Pty Ltd ,
Dubbo, NSW 2830.
Distribution: Network Distribution
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refer to the subscription page in
this issue.
Liability: Devices or circuits
described in SILICON CHIP may be
covered by patents. SILICON CHIP
disclaims any liability for the infringement of such patents by the
manufacturing or selling of any
such equipment.
Address all mail to: Silicon Chip
Publications Pty Ltd, PO Box
139 , Collaroy Beach, NSW
2097. Phone (02) 982 3935 .
ISSN 1030-2662
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2
SILICON CHIP
PUBLISHER'S LE'l-l'ER
Servicing and
serviceability
When you are about to buy an electrical appliance or piece of electronic equipment, do you stop to think about how you might service it?
With many purchases, this may not be an important factor but with
others it will be. Say, for example, you want to replace the power cord
or the brushes on your fancy new electric lawn edger. Sure, you may
not need to do this for years and years but when the day arrives a
small repair job may- mean the difference between discarding or
replacing the appliance.
This is why we have included the feature on screws and
screwdrivers in this issue. Over the last few years there has been a
small revolution in the manufacture of a great deal of electrical and
electronic equipment. The end result is that you, the purchaser, can't
gain access to the interior, to do even the most minor of repairs. That
this is wrong is obvious. That it is a deliberate move on the part of
manufacturers to prevent their equipment being repaired by buyers is
also obvious.
There are a number of things you can do about this development.
First, you can find out about the different types of screw fastener now
being used by reading the article in this issue. Second, you can now
purchase the screwdrivers you need from speciality tool suppliers.
Third, and this is most important, you can decide, at purchase, that
you won't buy equipment which is deliberately designed to prevent
you from gaining access to its interior. Ultimately, you may be making
a choice between a piece of equipment which can be repaired in the
future and one which must be thrown away when it fails, no matter
what the cause.
Consider that we are not talking about economics here. It often costs
more for the manufacturers to use tamper-proof fasteners in their products. They are making a decision to make their products unserviceable or, at least, not accessible by people without special tools and
equipment.
Nor are we talking about voiding of warranties. On a lot of equipment, if you break any seals or leave evidence of having made any
modifications inside, the warranty will be null and void. That is OK.
We can live with that. After all, if equipment is under warranty and it
fails, it should be returned for service.
What we are attempting to do is to make you, the consumer, a little
more informed when you go to make your next purchase. It could save
you a lot of money in the future. And, by having the right screwdriver
on hand to do a repair job, you will have more choice about whether
you fix or replace an appliance.
Leo Simpson
