2 Silicon chip Australia’s electronics magazine siliconchip.com.au
Nannies want to stop you
building mains-powered projects
Nicholas Vinen
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
[email protected]
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 AkhurstSilicon 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 copy-
right ©. 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 [email protected]
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: [email protected]ISSN 1030-
* Recommended & maximum price only.Printing and Distribution:Derby Street, Silverwater, NSW 2148.SILICON
CHIPwww.siliconchip.com.au
Editorial Viewpoint
Just before this issue went to press, I received a prod-
uct safety complaint via NSW Fair Trading, alleging
that SILICON CHIP magazine is unsafe. Apparently, this
is because we explain how to build mains-powered de-
vices, 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 electri-
cian 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 pow-
ered from mains or involve high voltages, including a general warning pub-
lished 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 an-
choring 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 any-
thing 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 Wire-
less 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.