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SILICON SILIC CHIP www.siliconchip.com.au 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 Founding Editor (retired) Leo Simpson, B.Bus., FAICD 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 (12 issues): $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. Printing and Distribution: Editorial Viewpoint Finally . . . an article that isn’t (just!) about the virus . . . First, I probably should explain that we are (at the time of writing this) still in operation, despite the doomsday virus. We’re doing our best to make sure that all readers can still get the magazine. As long as our printers can print it and Australia Post can deliver it, you’ll continue to get it. Never has being a SILICON CHIP subscriber made more sense! And if you usually buy it from your newsagent but can’t now, just order a copy (best way is via our website) and we’ll send it out. We’ve reduced the price so it won’t cost you any more (well, maybe a bit more if you’re in New Zealand). We explain our special “anti corona virus” offer in more detail on page 35. If for some reason we can’t send out magazines for a time, we have plans in place to make digital copies available until the situation is resolved. With that out of the way, what I really wanted to write about this month is why you might be interested in buying copies of our older magazines in PDF format (see page 95 for details on this offer). Highlights of the PDFs on USB One of the major reasons you may wish to purchase SILICON CHIP PDFs on USB (which also gives you download and online viewing access) is that for every level of electronics involvement, SILICON CHIP makes a great reference. If you’re designing your own circuits, you can often find useful snippets in our projects and also in Circuit Notebook. And it’s much easier to look stuff like that up electronically rather than in bulky paper copies. You can print out any pages that you might need, for example, if you want to build one of our projects. But there’s also a lot of great content from the magazines way back in the 80s and 90s, even if some of the projects from those early issues are now obsolete (not all are; you might be surprised!). For a start, every Serviceman’s Log column is highly entertaining. When life returns to normal, I plan to go through and read them all from the start. It doesn’t matter that so many of them are stories about servicing now-obsolete CRTs, VCRs etc. It’s still fascinating to read about the Serviceman’s approach, the customers, the various pitfalls along the way, and the (usually) happy ending. Then there’s the 24-part Story of Electrical Energy, starting in July 1990 and finishing in June 1993. Much of that is still relevant today (and even if not, still very interesting). Similarly, the 29-part series on The Evolution of Electric Railways from November 1987 to March 1990 is a fascinating read, whether you’re heavily into trains or not. Neville Williams, of EA fame, wrote a column called The Way I See It for SILICON CHIP from November 1987 to December 1989. It’s a bit off the beaten path, but nonetheless can be quite thought-provoking. Some of the early computer stories are interesting, just from a historical perspective. I had forgotten how primitive – and expensive – PCs were in the late 80s and early 90s! There’s a lot more worth reading about, but I’ve run out of space (I blame the coronavirus). Anyway, purchasing our PDFs on USB not only gives you a great way to spend time if you’re stuck at home, but it also helps us keep your magazine running during these difficult times. Regardless, if you do buy them, I hope that you get lots of enjoyment from them. Nicholas Vinen 24-26 Lilian Fowler Pl, Marrickville 2204 2 Silicon Chip Australia’s electronics magazine siliconchip.com.au