Fullscreen HTML5Med Res (??MB)HTML4

Publisher & Editor-in-Chief Leo Simpson, B.Bus. Editor Greg Swain, B.Sc.(Hons.) Technical Staff John Clarke, B.E.(Elec.) Robert Flynn Rick Walters Reader Services Ann Jenkinson Advertising Enquiries Leo Simpson Phone (02) 9979 5644 Regular Contributors Brendan Akhurst Garry Cratt, VK2YBX Marque Crozman, VK2ZLZ Julian Edgar, Dip.T.(Sec.), B.Ed John Hill Jim Lawler, MTETIA 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) 9979 5644. Fax (02) 9979 6503. PUBLISHER'S LETTER Ignorance & hysteria often carry the day Anyone who follows the news and people’s reactions must often wonder whether Australians really are as keen on new tech­nology as we are made out to be. Often, the reaction is one of fear and loathing, or more precisely, hysteria and ignorance. These comments have been prompted by the recent action by parents with children at a preschool centre in Harbord, a Sydney beach-side suburb. The parents are reacting against the installa­tion of a cellular phone transmitter tower some 50 metres away from the centre. Predictably, all the local politicians have jumped on the bandwagon and are saying how bad all the “unknown” health risks are and so it goes on. In the middle of all this, Telstra is in a no-win situation. It has legally installed the transmitter site and complied with all the regulations. Now really, it is about time that such whingeing wimps ceased to get any publicity for their irrational fears and state­ments. And as for the pollies, they are being hypocritical as usual. You can bet that all politicians and council officials who have made supporting noises for this band of parents will have mobile phones and use them constantly. By doing so, they are subjecting themselves and all around them to much higher RF fields than would be present in the preschool yard. Do they really think there is a risk? I’ll bet they have never thought about it at all. Furthermore, you can bet that some or most of the parents who are so concerned about their little darlings’ health risks will have mobile phones as well. Do they refuse to use them in their car when their little darlings are strapped into the back seat? I think not. I’ll bet they use them while driving too, a more immediate risk to health. If any of these people really has a concern about the health risks of mobile phones, why do they continue to use them? The truth of the matter is that no-one likes these cellular phone transmitters because they are ugly. Telstra and the other mobile phone operators would be wise to do some design work to disguise them but apparently that has not occurred to them yet. So in the meantime, we get people whingeing about the health risks. It has to stop. If they honestly thought about the health risks, they would realise that their children are exposed to a far greater risk from running around in the Sun than from any exposure to a cellular phone transmitter. But I doubt that honest thought comes into the process at all. What we are dealing with is ignorance and hysteria and sadly, they often carry the day. Leo Simpson ISSN 1030-2662 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