Practical
Electronics
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Practical Electronics
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East Sussex BN1 3RA
Editor
Matt Pulzer
General Manager
Louisa Pulzer
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Alan Winstanley
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Kris Thain
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Matt Pulzer
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We regret technical enquiries cannot be answered over the
telephone. We are unable to offer any advice on the use, purchase,
re air or odification o co
ercial e ui ent or the incor oration
or odification o designs u lished in the aga ine. e cannot
provide data or answer queries on articles or projects that are
ore than five years old.
Questions about articles or projects should be sent to the editor
by email: pe<at>electronpublishing.com
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.
A number of projects and circuits published in Practical Electronics
employ voltages that can be lethal. You should not build, test,
modify or renovate any item of mains-powered equipment unless
you fully understand the safety aspects involved and you use an
RCD (GFCI) adaptor.
Component supplies
We do not supply electronic components or kits for building the
projects featured, these can be supplied by advertisers. We
advise readers to check that all parts are still available before
commencing any project in a back-dated issue.
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Although the proprietors and staff of Practical Electronics take
reasonable precautions to protect the interests of readers by
ensuring as ar as ractica le that advertise ents are ona 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
Volume 49. No. 4
April 2020
ISSN 2632 573X
Editorial
The vulnerability of global supply chains
You wouldn’t think that a market in central China would have
much to do with PE, but as the suspected ground zero for the
current coronavirus health crisis and the subsequent knock-on
effects in the rest of China I have been forced to understand in a
practical, not just theoretical sense just how interconnected we
are these days. Our PCBs are made in China, mainly through a
trio of leading manufacturers. All of them have had to go through
a period of shutdown and limited working, which resulted in an
entirely understandable delay in our orders reaching us. Despite
what must be very difficult working conditions, our suppliers
have now delivered and we have an up-to-date inventory. Over the
last few weeks some of you have written asking when PCBs will
appear, and I’d like to thank you for your patience.
PE Mini-monitors
That’s the good news, the not so good news is that Wavecor – the
supplier of our LS3/5A-style Mini-monitor drivers – are, at the
time of writing, still shut down, and not due to reopen until 1
March at the absolute earliest. I was about to place a large order
for their drivers when they were forced to close, so unfortunately
we will have to wait a month or two until we can complete the
project. Disappointing, but I am confident we will get there.
This month
Now let’s focus on this month’s magazine. We have three superb
projects that are about as different as it’s possible to be. First up, a
highly unusual display – the Flip-dot. A clever blend of electronics
and electro-mechanical parts that’s fun to watch – and listen to!
For those of you who like to build unusual clocks – or any other
kind of messaging system – this is a must-build project.
Next, a first for PE, as we start a two-part foray into using FPGAs.
These ultra-flexible ICs are undoubtedly useful, but have a
reputation for being a tough nut to crack without the benefit of
professional tools (with professional pricing). Well, not anymore
– a £20 development board and free software is all you need now,
and we’re here to get you up and running.
Last, we have a superb, high-fidelity preamplifier. It boasts not
only advanced tone controls, but also IR remote control. There’s
quite a choice of configurations, so if you’re in the market for this
preamplifier then do ensure you read the options list at the end of
this month’s introductory article.
Of course that’s not all. As always, our hardworking columnists
have cooked up a smorgasbord of electronic delights for you to
feast on… so read on!
Matt Pulzer
Publisher
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
e ore uying any trans itting or tele hone e ui ent as a fine
confiscation o e ui ent and or i rison ent can result ro
illegal use or ownership. The laws vary from country to country;
readers should check local laws.
Practical Electronics | April | 2020
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