This is only a preview of the November 2000 issue of Silicon Chip. You can view 38 of the 96 pages in the full issue, including the advertisments. For full access, purchase the issue for $10.00 or subscribe for access to the latest issues. Items relevant to "Santa & Rudolph Christmas Lights Display":
Items relevant to "2-Channel Guitar Preamplifier":
Items relevant to "Message Bank & Missed Call Alert":
Articles in this series:
Purchase a printed copy of this issue for $10.00. |
PUBLISHER’S LETTER
www.siliconchip.com.au
Publisher & Editor-in-Chief
Leo Simpson, B.Bus., FAICD
Production Manager
Greg Swain, B.Sc.(Hons.)
Technical Staff
John Clarke, B.E.(Elec.)
Peter Smith
Ross Tester
Rick Walters
Reader Services
Ann Jenkinson
Advertising Enquiries
Rick Winkler
Phone (02) 9979 5644
Fax (02) 9979 6503
Mobile: 0414 34 6669
Regular Contributors
Brendan Akhurst
Louis Challis
Rodney Champness
Garry Cratt, VK2YBX
Julian Edgar, Dip.T.(Sec.), B.Ed
Mike Sheriff, B.Sc, VK2YFK
Philip Watson, MIREE, VK2ZPW
Bob Young
SILICON CHIP is published 12 times
a year by Silicon Chip Publications
Pty Ltd. ACN 003 205 490. ABN 49
003 205 490 All material copyright
©. No part of this publication may
be reproduced without the written
consent of the publisher.
Printing: Hannanprint, Dubbo,
NSW.
Distribution: Network Distribution
Company.
Subscription rates: $69.50 per
year in Australia. For overseas
rates, see the subscription page in
this issue.
Editorial & advertising offices:
Unit 8, 101 Darley St, Mona Vale,
NSW 2103. Postal address: PO Box
139, Collaroy Beach, NSW 2097.
Phone (02) 9979 5644.
Fax (02) 9979 6503.
E-mail: silchip<at>siliconchip.com.au
ISSN 1030-2662
* Recommended and maximum price only.
2 Silicon Chip
Anyone should be
able to do their own
house wiring
Over the last few months we have had a lot
of correspondence on the subject of whether or
not an electrical licence should be required to do
repairs on electrical equipment or even assemble
a 240VAC mains-powered kit.
Some of the correspondence has been quite
heated, so much so that we have not published
it. Some letters from electricians feel that others
are unfairly attacking them while some corre
spondents have asked that their names not be published because they are
afraid that the official body concerned may victimise them in some way. All
of this is a pretty unhealthy state of affairs.
Up until a week ago I felt that the situation was pretty hopeless. The
official bodies were not likely to review their existing regulations to free
things up and many people would continue to do much as they always have,
disregarding authority and their “petty” rules. Our view was that electricians
should be the only ones to work on fixed mains wiring in buildings and
homes but that assembly and repairs on mains-powered equipment is none
of their business. That was what I wrote in the “Publisher’s Letter” in the
September 2000 issue.
Then a week ago we received a letter from Otto Hoolhorst and this has
blown the lid off the whole topic. You can read his letter on page 59. The
essence of his letter is that anyone in New Zealand can do their own house
wiring and that includes the switchboard! Not only that, they have been
doing it since 1992!
Mr Hoolhorst has been kind enough to send me the relevant NZ legislation
(Electricity Act 1992), their Codes of Practice booklets and so on. It is all laid
out in black and white and is very straightforward. They can do it all - legally.
Now apart from the accent, New Zealand is not a radically different country from Australia and in fact, they use the same electrical fittings and same
electrical standard as we do: AS/NZS3000. So if New Zealanders can do their
own electrical wiring, why can’t we? In fact, our New Zealand readers must
be wondering what all the fuss is about. There they are, happily wiring up
everything within sight and they’re not dying like flies because of hazardous
wiring. No-one, in fact, has died in New Zealand due to hazardous wiring
created by a householder.
So let’s get some common-sense into this whole scene. Let’s lobby the politicians to have most of the regulations scrapped. Let’s make it unnecessary
for electrical licenses for people who repair electrical equipment, assemble
electrical equipment and for anyone who wants to do home wiring.
There will still be just as much work as ever there was for licensed electricians - they won’t be put out of business. There will still be plenty of people
who are capable of doing electrical wiring who will still want it done by a
tradesman. Why fiddle about doing wiring when you don’t have the time or
inclination? But if you want to do it, and can do it, why shouldn’t you have
the right to do it? New Zealanders can and so should we.
Leo Simpson
|