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Publisher & Editor-in-Chief Leo Simpson, B.Bus. Editor Greg Swain, B.Sc.(Hons.) Technical Staff John Clarke, B.E.(Elec.) Robert Flynn Reader Services Ann Jenkinson Advertising Enquiries Leo Simpson Phone (02) 979 5644 Regular Contributors Brendan Akhurst Garry Cratt, VK2YBX Marque Crozman, VK2ZLZ John Hill Jim Lawler, MTETIA Bryan Maher, M.E., B.Sc. Philip Watson, MIREE, VK2ZPW Jim Yalden, VK2YGY Bob Young Photography Stuart Bryce SILICON CHIP is published 12 times a year by Silicon Chip Publications Pty Ltd. A.C.N. 003 205 490. All material copyright ©. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the written consent of the publisher. Printing: Macquarie Print, Dubbo, NSW. Distribution: Network Distribution Company. Subscription rates: $49 per year in Australia. For overseas rates, see the subscription page in this issue. Editorial & advertising offices: Unit 34, 1-3 Jubilee Avenue, Warrie­ wood, NSW 2102. Postal address: PO Box 139, Collaroy Beach, NSW 2097. Phone (02) 979 5644. Fax (02) 979 6503. ISSN 1030-2662 PUBLISHER'S LETTER Loud car stereos are a menace Not so long ago, the loudest vehicles on the road were trucks, buses and the occasional large motorbike. But now there are vehicles which challenge them for the title and they can often be quite small, such as Daihatsu Charades and Holden Barinas. The reason these and other cars are so noisy has nothing to do with their engines and everything to do with their sound systems. By now, most people will have experienced the noise of these machines. It is most unpleasant. For example, you may be sitting at the lights or stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic when suddenly you will be immersed inside a giant drum which is being beaten mercilessly Boomp Boomp Boomp... You immediately say "What the (expletive deleted)!" and check your windows to see that they are wound up tight. If you are lucky, the cretin will move on and relative peace will reign again. Or perhaps you have been sound asleep at night and have been woken by an almighty tribal drum pounding out a primitive rhythm which then thankfully passes by - you don't hear the car, just the sound of the drum. You softly mutter an incantation, hoping that the driver soon meets his destiny and then try to go back to sleep. Now I am not against people spending money on good sound systems for their cars. If I was, this month's article on car sound systems would not appear. But clearly, immensely powerful car sound systems have become the latest toy of some anti-social, inconsiderate and straight-out stupid motorists. Sooner or later, these people will become the target of police, just as people in hot cars, on motorbikes or those with CB gear used to be. It wasn't that the gear that these people were using was bad in itself, it was just that some of them were anti-social. I and many other people object stenuously to loud car stereos. It is stressful enough to drive in today's fast and heavy traffic without being subjected to that sort of noise. Nor do I believe that anyone driving with that level of noise in their car could possibly be driving safely – it is bad as being affected by drugs or alcohol. And the damage to these persons' hearing doesn't bear thinking about. Sooner or later governments will get around to legislating against this sort of behaviour. When they do, it might be a blanket prohibition against car stereos above a certain power, or a certain number of knobs or something equally arbitrary. Or maybe they will confiscate the equipment after the first warning. Now that I could agree with! So if you are one of these people who like to turn up the wick so everyone within 500 metres can hear your taste in music, please cool it. You will be doing everyone, and yourself, a big favour. Leo Simpson WARNING! SILICON CHIP magazine regularly describes projects which employ a mains power supply or produce high voltage. All such projects should be considered dangerous or even lethal if not used safely. Readers are warned that high voltage wiring should be carried out according to the instructions in the articles. When working on these projects use extreme care to ensure that you do not accidentally come into contact with mains AC voltages or high voltage DC. If you are not confident about working with projects employing mains voltages or other high voltages, you are advised not to attempt work on them. Silicon Chip Publications Pty Ltd disclaims any liability for damages should anyone be killed or injured while working on a project or circuit described in any issue of SILICON CHIP magazine. 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. SILICON CHIP also disclaims any liability for projects which are used in such a way as to infringe relevant government regulations and by-laws. Advertisers are warned that they are responsible for the content of all advertisements and that they must conform to the Trade Practices Act 1974 or as subsequently amended and to any governmental regulations which are applicable. 2  Silicon Chip