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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. Advertising Enquiries Glyn Smith (02) 9939 3295 adverts<at>siliconchip.com.au Regular Contributors Allan Linton-Smith Dave Thompson David Maddison – B.App.Sc. (Hons 1), PhD, Grad.Dip.Entr.Innov. Geoff Graham Associate Professor Graham Parslow Dr Hugo Holden – B.H.B, MB.ChB., FRANZCO Ian Batty – M.Ed. Phil Prosser – B.Sc., B.E.(Elec.) Cartoonist Louis Decrevel loueee.com 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 (Australia only) 6 issues (6 months): $65 12 issues (1 year): $120 24 issues (2 years): $230 Online subscription (Worldwide) 6 issues (6 months): $50 12 issues (1 year): $95 For overseas rates, see our website or email silicon<at>siliconchip.com.au Recommended & maximum price only. 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. ISSN: 1030-2662 Printing and Distribution: Editorial Viewpoint Our binders are made in Australia I realise that only a subset of our subscribers use binders to keep their magazines (obviously they are not very applicable to online subscribers), but we do still sell quite a few. Recently, I was faced with having to decide on whether to continue selling them despite significantly increased manufacturing costs and the resulting relatively small profit for us. I decided that we should still sell binders so that people who have amassed a collection of Silicon Chip magazines in binders can continue to do so, and the good news is that the new binders should look the same as our existing stock. During the ordering process, I discovered that not only are the binders themselves made in Australia, but all the parts for them are too. The metal brackets holding the wires at either end are critical parts of the binders. As very few companies still offer this type of binder, they were no longer available, so we had to have a very large quantity of them made especially for us. That was a costly exercise but it was the only way that we could continue to offer the same product. And the company that is making those brackets is based in Queensland. All the other parts of the binders, such as the inner card, vinyl wrapping and spring wires are locally sourced, and they are all put together and printed in Smithfield, NSW. That’s good news – by buying our binders, you are supporting local industry (and Silicon Chip magazine too). Unfortunately, manufacturing in Australia isn’t cheap; we’ve had to pay almost precisely 10% more per binder for this batch than the last batch. So regrettably, we will have to raise the prices of the binders by 10% at the end of September. Another small compromise we’ve had to make to keep the price reasonable is to reduce the number of wires supplied in each binder from 14 to 12. I don’t think that is a big problem since it’s impossible to fit more than 12 issues of recent years of Silicon Chip in a binder due to the number of pages we’re printing. We will sell extra wires separately for anyone who needs them, at a low cost. They might be useful for those using our binders to house other, thinner magazines. Another consequence of having to get so many brackets made is that we have almost certainly assured a continued supply of binders for the next ten years or more, so those who are using them will be able to continue using them for the foreseeable future. New Zealand delivery problems It’s very frustrating that we mail magazines reliably and consistently but sometimes, they are not delivered to subscribers or arrive very late. Unfortunately, we have found ourselves in that situation with New Zealand subscribers over the last few months. Despite repeated enquiries and complaints, nobody has been able to explain why it has happened. I apologise to subscribers who have been affected by this. We are currently trying to find out if there are any other options for sending magazines overseas we can use that will be more reliable. The challenge is finding a reliable method that is not so expensive that we will have to increase overseas subscription rates again – that is something we definitely want to avoid if we can. We have heard from some overseas readers not based in New Zealand that they have also received their magazines late, but with the magazines travelling much further, it’s hard to say whether the cause is the same. Any solution we come up with for New Zealand readers will hopefully also improve the situation for our other overseas subscribers. by Nicholas Vinen 24-26 Lilian Fowler Pl, Marrickville 2204 2 Silicon Chip Australia's electronics magazine siliconchip.com.au