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SILICON SILIC CHIP www.siliconchip.com.au Editor Emeritus Leo Simpson, B.Bus., FAICD Publisher/Editor Nicholas Vinen Technical Editor John Clarke, B.E.(Elec.) Technical Staff Jim Rowe, B.A., B.Sc Bao Smith, B.Sc Tim Blythman, B.E., B.Sc Technical Contributor Duraid Madina, B.Sc, M.Sc, PhD Art Director & Production Manager Ross Tester Reader Services Ann Morris Advertising Enquiries Glyn Smith Phone (02) 9939 3295 Mobile 0431 792 293 glyn<at>siliconchip.com.au Regular Contributors Dave Thompson David Maddison B.App.Sc. (Hons 1), PhD, Grad.Dip.Entr.Innov. Geoff Graham Associate Professor Graham Parslow Ian Batty Cartoonist Brendan Akhurst Silicon Chip is published 12 times a year by Silicon Chip Publications Pty Ltd. ACN 626 922 870. ABN 20 880 526 923. All material is copyright ©. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the written consent of the publisher. Subscription rates: $105.00 per year, post paid, in Australia. For overseas rates, see our website or email silicon<at>siliconchip.com.au Editorial office: Unit 1 (up ramp), 234 Harbord Rd, Brookvale, NSW 2100. Postal address: PO Box 139, Collaroy Beach, NSW 2097. Phone (02) 9939 3295. E-mail: silicon<at>siliconchip.com.au ISSN 1030-2662 * Recommended & maximum price only. Editorial Viewpoint Nannies want to stop you building mains-powered projects Just before this issue went to press, I received a product safety complaint via NSW Fair Trading, alleging that SILICON CHIP magazine is unsafe. Apparently, this is because we explain how to build mains-powered devices, such as the Touch & IR Remote Control Dimmer featured in February and March this year. We take many steps to ensure that our readers, and anyone who builds these projects, is fully aware of the hazards and also the steps to be taken in order to safely build, test and operate those devices. If you read last month’s construction article for the Touch & IR Dimmer, you will see that right up front we point out that you need a licensed electrician to wire up the dimmer. Be it on your own head if you ignore that advice! And we provide numerous safety warnings when circuits are directly powered from mains or involve high voltages, including a general warning published in every issue of the magazine, on the second-to-last page. Critically, we also provide detailed instructions explaining how to safely build and test these devices. If you follow those instructions carefully, you will be fine. We design our projects to comply with the relevant Australian Design Rules, so assuming you follow our instructions and don’t skip any steps, the finished product will be safe. These steps include Earthing metal chassis, properly insulating and anchoring all mains conductors and adding extra insulation where necessary. Our Technical Editor has a great deal of knowledge and experience with Australian electrical standards and he will scream in my ear if he thinks anything we’re planning to publish is sub-par or illegal. He points out that the history of publishing mains-powered designs for the general public to build goes back nearly 100 years to the early days of Wireless Weekly. Radio, TV & Hobbies and Electronics Australia continued that tradition; and for nearly 32 years now, so has SILICON CHIP. We are not aware of anyone being injured due to an electrical shock from any SILICON CHIP design, although we are aware of a Coroner’s Court finding related to a project in another magazine which resulted in a death because a reader took short-cuts in a mains powered project. While I am a very risk-averse person, I have no qualms designing, building and testing mains-powered devices, simply because I use common sense. I keep all parts of my body well away from all conductors when powering up mains devices, and I make sure they are unplugged and capacitors have discharged before working on them again. I have never received an accidental shock. But if the nannies get their way, we may not be able to present mains-based designs in the magazine any more, meaning you will not have a chance to read about them or build them. I don’t know about you but that makes me angry. Mains power is dangerous. It can easily kill you if you manage to connect your body between Active and Neutral or Active and Earth. But it isn’t that hard to stay safe. Read our articles carefully, follow our advice, use common sense and you will be fine. We do things which can kill us every day: cross the road, drive to work, eat a sandwich, lift weights, climb a ladder etc. We accept these minimal risks and we do what we can to reduce them. Why should building mains-powered electronics projects be any different? Do you think SILICON CHIP magazine is really “unsafe”? Hint: don’t try to swallow it. You might choke. Printing and Distribution: Nicholas Vinen Derby Street, Silverwater, NSW 2148. 2 Silicon Chip Australia’s electronics magazine siliconchip.com.au