Practical
Electronics
Editorial offices
Electron Publishing (Aust.) Tel +61 2 9939 3295
Unit 1, 234 Harbord Road Email pe<at>pemag.au
Brookvale NSW 2100
Web www.electronpublishing.com
Australia
Address mail to:
Electron Publishing (Australia)
PO Box 194, Matraville NSW 2036
Australia
Advertising enquiries
+61 2 9939 3295
pe<at>pemag.au
Editor
Nicholas Vinen
Publisher
Nicholas Vinen
Digital subscriptions Stewart Kearn Tel 01202 880299
Online Editor
Alan Winstanley
Web Systems
Kris Thain
Production
Bao Smith
Technical staff
Tim Blythman, John Clarke
Print subscriptions
Practical Electronics Subscriptions
PO Box 6337
Bournemouth BH1 9EH
Tel
01202 087631
United Kingdom
Email pesubs<at>selectps.com
Technical enquiries
We regret that technical enquiries cannot be answered over
the telephone. We are unable to offer any advice on the use,
purchase, repair or modification of commercial equipment or the
incorporation or modification of designs published in the magazine.
Questions about articles or projects should be sent to the editor
by email: pe<at>pemag.au
Projects and circuits
All reasonable precautions are taken to ensure that the advice and
data given to readers is reliable. We cannot, however, guarantee
it and we cannot accept legal responsibility for it.
Some projects and circuits published in Practical Electronics
employ voltages that can be lethal. Do not build, test, modify or
fix any mains-powered equipment unless you fully understand
the safety aspects involved and you use an RCD (GFCI) adaptor.
Component supplies
Silicon Chip Publications may offer kits or other parts for making
our projects, but not in all cases. When kits are not available,
readers will need to find and source parts themselves. We advise
readers to check that all parts are still available before commencing
any project in a back-dated issue.
Advertisements
Although the proprietors and staff of Practical Electronics take
reasonable precautions to protect the interests of readers by
ensuring as far as practicable that advertisements are bona fide,
the magazine and its publishers cannot give any undertakings in
respect of statements or claims made by advertisers, whether
these advertisements are printed as part of the magazine, or in
inserts. The Publishers regret that under no circumstances will
the magazine accept liability for non-receipt of goods ordered,
or for late delivery, or for faults in manufacture.
Transmitters/bugs/telephone equipment
We advise readers that certain items of radio transmitting and
telephone equipment which may be advertised in our pages
cannot be legally used in the UK. Readers should check the law
before buying any transmitting or telephone equipment, as a fine,
confiscation of equipment and/or imprisonment can result from
illegal use or ownership. The laws vary from country to country;
readers should check local laws.
2
Volume 53. No. 11
November 2024
ISSN 2632 573X
Editorial
The challenges of making electronics work worldwide
One of the challenges we constantly face when developing
electronic projects is making it so that people just about anywhere
in the world can build them. We do most of the design work in
Australia but they need to be suitable for readers in the UK and
Europe (and also the USA) as most PE readers live in those areas.
Mains-powered projects are a particular challenge, with varying
voltages, plugs, sockets and so on. Using IEC plugs/sockets and
universal switch-mode supplies helps a lot but those things can
get expensive, and sometimes they just aren’t suited to a particular
design.
Parts sourcing is also a challenge. We try to use ‘generic’ parts where
possible, but sometimes a suitable one isn’t available and it can be
a real chore trying to find overseas suppliers that have compatible
parts. Some suppliers even sell parts that are unique to them! At
least many major suppliers like DigiKey, Mouser and Farnell will
send parts to just about anywhere.
No Audio Out column this month
Jake Rothman was simply too busy to write his usual Audio
Out column this month, although he did manage to pen a short
Practically Speaking item. We expect normal service to resume as
soon as his other commitments allow.
Some PCB orders were accidentally delayed
Apologies to readers who ordered PCBs during August and the first
few days of September and didn’t receive them until several weeks
later. We had an error in our configuration that caused some orders
not to be sent to the shop manager.
It wasn’t until someone complained they had not received their
PCB that we realised what was going on. It should be fixed now,
and everyone who ordered a PCB or PCBs during that period should
have them by now.
Contacting us
Part of the reason we didn’t realise there was a problem with
PCB orders is that some customers emailed Electron Publishing
(UK) regarding orders; they are no longer directly involved in the
magazine. We are not sure where those emails go but it seems to be
a black hole. Apparently, those old addresses were still on the PE
website for a while after we took over; they have now been changed.
For order enquiries, or other emails related to the magazine, please
use our newly set up email address: pe<at>pemag.au
Nicholas Vinen, Electron Publishing (Australia)*
Publisher & Editor,
Practical Electronics Magazine
* a division of Silicon Chip Publications Pty Ltd.
Practical Electronics | November | 2024
