Valves! Pfft, they went out with The Mavis Bramston Show, didn't they?
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Valves! Pfft, they went out with The Mavis Bramston Show, didn't they?
Actually, it's funny waiting for the amp to warm up. Reminds me of the olden days when you'd turn the telly on and wait for the picture and sound.
It's all instant gratification in this digital age isn't it?
:D
Has it got a spring reverb in it? They make a lovely sound if you try to move the amp while it's turned on. Fender Chorus :)
Is there a difference between advice and information.
I know I always want to see what the tradie is up to. I'm interested OK. I might learn something that I can apply to something that I am allowed to do.
A technique, a tool, a safety measure that I might not have thought of.
I Also like to be across the why's and wherefores so I can talk intelligently to a tradie so I give them some sort of indication of what needs doing or what exactly needs fixing.
Surely all this information can contribute to a better informed purchaser and a more intelligent world ... that's why I'm on the forums ... if I can't find the info here that I want I'll just keep looking til I find it.
adios amigos
I have collected some great information from these two threads but I now think it's burnt itself out and I feel there will be arguments and interpretations of the law til the cows come home and people will still be after some intelligent information with regard to 240v and will look here or elsewhere.
Here is some of the fun you can have with tubes/valves... seeing as it is a wood working forum.... Oh and I also did all the covering and the electronics as well. It is a 5F6A 1959 Fender Bassman clone (not a kit either I purchased all the individual components and made the turrent board and all. The finised amp is pictured with my Scot Wise guitar ( a luthier from Margaret River WA)
Nah, it's just a little 5 watter.Quote:
Originally Posted by silentC
Cool little amp though and the web is full of instructions on how to modify it. :D
I don't think anybody has made a spring reverb mod for it but then again it wouldn't surprise me if somebody had. :wink:
Nice job mate!Quote:
Originally Posted by sundancewfs
Unfortunately legislation is not the easiest thing to interpret. Legislation usually has an ACT, which sets out the broad requirments. ACTS have subordinate legislation called, REGULATIONS, which spell out the various componenets. Some ACTS can have several REGULATIONS, as is the case with electircity. To compound it even more some REGULATIONS are intorduced only to amend existing ACTS and/or REGULATIONS.
These are then broken into DIVISIONS and PARTS , like chapters in books. Some sections/regulations only relate to certian DIVISIONS/PARTS and have no effect on other PARTS.
When reading regulations you need to read the entire section as a part of the PART.
Depending on when it was written some legislation is even harder. There was a major re-write around 1958 when they didn't use punctation and flowery legal words no one understands, "to wit" as an example (means namely) Although now written in a more simple English, it is by no means easy for the uneducated in legal writting.
Unforetunatley Sturdee has misinterpreted some of this in the first post
Prescribed class of elecrical work is in the Electricity Safety (Installations) Regulations 1999Quote:
Originally Posted by Sturdee
regulation 301 in particuolar.
This relates to
"electrical installation" means electrical equipment that is fixed or to be fixed in, on, under or over any land;
"electrical installation work" means installation, alteration, repair or maintenance of an electrical installation;
In other words Fixed
Regulation 57 only applies to products offered for sale, i.e. new.Quote:
Originally Posted by Sturdee
Every electical appliance offered for sale has to meet certain saftey standrds, eg insulation overheating etc. Much the same way as the ADR's dictate requirements for new cars.
RIght but you can find plenty of practical advise on how to beat speeding tickets, "hide" money... Pretty well the same thing as saying it maybe illegal but it's all right.Quote:
Originally Posted by silentC
This is also my understanding from the perspective of one who is working in the field (but not a licensed electrician).Quote:
Originally Posted by bpj1968
Previous contact with the Victorian OCEI (Office of the Chief Electrical Inspector) many years ago, the OCEI effectively told me something like:Up to the power point - we care, beyond the power point - do what you like.This was in relation to doing your own (non-fixed wired) appliance work. It maybe different if you are doing it for someone else.
Chris
Hey silent, isn't that why they stopped sex education in schools, telling the kids how to do it safely just encouraged them...Quote:
Originally Posted by silentC
:)
Pulse
Did they? I wouldn't know. They only introduced it the year before I left (Miss Carter was a popular favourite amongst us kids) and neither of my kids is old enough to do it yet.
Fortunately people do take the laws governing who you can do it with and under what circumstances a bit more seriously than some other laws. And you get to go to jail if you break them.
I realize that the laws are probably much different in Australia and Canada but one law that should be universal is common sense which is what I try to use.Quote:
Originally Posted by gregoryq
I'm not a licensed electrician, mechanic, plumber, or carpenter. I am a jack of all trades, master of none. Ever since I have owned a car I have said that if I had to pay someone else to fix it I could not afford to drive so I fixed it myself. Rebuilt motors, transmissions, brakes etc. Have even bought 2 identical cars, 1 front end wrecked and the other with rear end wrecked. Stripped them down as necessary and cut them in half then welded the 2 good parts together, painted the whole veichle same colour and put the striped parts back on and had a car that was less than a year old at about 1/3rd the price of buying one. Most people had to be shown where I joined them before they would believe it.
When it comes to plumbing or electrical I still do most of my own repairs or installations. Depending on what it is, it may have to be inspected but that has never been a problem. If an electrical switch, a receptecle, new plug on cord, new ceiling fan etc. needs replacing or installing I am the one that is going to do it. If I had to call a plumber or electrician every time I need a new switch or the plumbing needs fixing I'd be in the poor house in short order.
I have been blessed to have good mechanical ability/knowledge. It is not something that everyone has. If you don't feel comfortable doing something, then don't do it. I have a brother in law that is a bank manager. He knows money and how to invest but I doubt that he knows the difference between a switch and a receptecle. He would never attempt any of the above. He calls me or an electrician.
Don
As it is, there is not enough sparkys to do the work (especially in WA where we have a great shortage of tradies of all sorts). I cannot wait 2 months to get a sparky to fit a new light.
It is only 2 wires after all. (well also the erfy, but no polarity required for lights - I think):U
Les
Unless you find yourself on the wrong side of the switch, thinking it's off.Quote:
Originally Posted by lesmeyer
I know (or think) that Les is joking...but it raises the point that if you aren't going to learn how to do it at least as well as a real sparky, don't do it. You have a responsibility to yourself and the next guy to do it correctly, and not make mistakes like swapping active and neutral leads.Quote:
Originally Posted by lesmeyer
Yes, it is tongue in cheek the comments. Seriously, some electrical work I do myself. I am a trained telecomms technician and we were taught electricity as well. When I can do the job just as well or even better than a sparky, I will do it myself. I do get a very good sparky in for jobs that need new circuits etc. I know how to handle electricity and also know what all the wires are for (including the various specs).
I also do wish to state that if one is in any way uncertain about what to do in this regard, get a sparky to do the job.
As far as all the legalities are concerned, I do not wish to stir the hornets nest. The laws that tell me what I can and cannot do is insulting to me. It is better that I ignore them and not discuss them.
Regards
Les
I can't comment on the legilslation, but when runing my sharpening shop I recieved many requests to repair animal clippers ( yes electric ones), I contacted the office of the technical regulater in SA. I was informed in writing that no licence of any sort is required to work on "non permananlty wired" electrical appliances in SA
The good old Australian Nanny State.
I beleive in the US anyone can do the wiring you just need a sparkie to connect up.
Probably like the legal profession (QC's), doctors (College membership) the sparkie profession first collective imperative is to ensure enough work for their members.
I say 'thank God for earth leakage detectors'
The previous arguments about legislation and control notwithstanding, there are a number of reasons why we should have control over who does electrical work, and only the least important of those is that sparkies should be garaunteed jobs.
I've said it before and I'll say it again: go down to Bunnings on a Saturday or Sunday and take a look around you at the people shopping there. Do you really want these people installing powerpoints in your future house, or your kid's next rental?
No I don't, Thats a great debating point Silent, just the idea send shivers down one's spine, however........Quote:
Originally Posted by silentC
In a less regulated society I would commision a survey of the wiring before I bought the house, as I would know that no regulatory body had oversight.
I think its all about personal responsibility versus State regulation.
I wonder if there are more fires/electrical accidents in the US than here?
Yeah we've been down that path. Nothing conclusive but we certainly don't seem to be any safer than the US or the UK.
The other point that people keep making is that we are happy to tell people how to use tablesaws, or modify their chainsaws, or rip walls out of their houses.
Actually, I think that being 'happy' about it is not quite right. I often shake my head when I read some of the things people suggest or propose. I'm afraid I don't have a lot of faith in my fellow man, which just makes it all the more impressive when I see some of the really clever things some people can do :)
Just to put a bit of scary reality in here, a few years ago up here in a cairns caravan park 2 people were electrocuted and one, a 17 year old boy died. They touched the pipe holding a light, the type of lights you see in these places, 50mm gal water pipe with a spherical light on top. During the police investigation it was found that the previous owner of the van park had, 10 years earlier, installed the lights himself and he wasn't a licenced electrician. The police tracked him down and charged him with manslaughter.
The point here is, if you wire something in your house or garden and later, maybe after you sell the house, someone is injured and killed you may find yourself in gaol.:oo: :oo:
Back again to own up to a mistake I made.
It is not as clear cut as I made it up to be. In urban areas in SA it is indeed necessary to have a "worker registration" (i.e. to be qualified) to do fixed wiring work. Right or wrong, only cockies are exempted.
The misunderstanding was due to the fact that a "licence" is only required to charge for work, on that count I was correct.
As regards the topic of this thread I was also correct (sorry if somebody already said this, I have not read the posts since my last ETA: yep, China said it.): Regulation 4 of the Plumbers, Gasfitters and Electricians Act makes it clear that on your side of the plug it is your business.
Other States should be the same, but I can't tell.
Does the work done under one of these "worker registrations" need to be tested by a qualified person?Quote:
it is indeed necessary to have a "worker registration" (i.e. to be qualified) to do fixed wiring work
Quote:
Originally Posted by silentC
Well when I did mine it was - BUT - I recon that's a trick question SilentC :)
The registered worker IS a qualified person, ie an electrician.Quote:
Originally Posted by silentC
See, in NSW I could do the wiring myself under the direct supervision of a sparky who is a licensed supervisor. That would mean he had to be on site telling me what to do. When it was finished, he would then have to test it himself and fill in paperwork to be submitted proving that the tests were done. This would apply to any work, whether it was a new house, a renovation, or just putting a new point in the shed.
SA might be behind the times with this, they don't seem to have an equivalent of the Electricity (Consumer Safety) Act, so it's probably a grey area. QLD could be the same. The question is, how much longer will it remain that way?
So you have to be an electrician to become a registered worker?Quote:
The registered worker IS a qualified person, ie an electrician.
Now we are moving the goalposts... and restarting possible equivocation about "licensed supervisor". SA does indeed have an Electricity Act, I mentioned before section 60 setting the obligation to ensure safety, which assurance can be obtained by getting a Certificate of Compliance.
Here, there or anywhere, playing with electrical equipment that is not connected to the mains is not "wiring". Again, I have not perused the legislation, but this is common sense. (The ghost of Voltaire just jabbed me... never mind). If you dig the ditches, lay the cables, etc. it is fine: indeed, to overcome a timing problem when the electrician was too busy to come before the carpenter put in the kitchen cabinets, he was quite happy to give me the appropriate cable to lay and then he came and connected the appliances. At the end, he is the one certifying that all my mistakes, if any, have been corrected.
yes, that is the legal term. Have not read the details, for example an apprentice is registered but must be supervised, etc.Quote:
Originally Posted by silentC