Re: Cable debate ...

In article <4de7c2d478dave@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Dave Plowman (News)
<dave@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> In article <VA.00000e02.00646654@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Roderick
> Stewart <rjfs@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> > There's a lot of dodgy design nowadays, the commonest manifestation
> > being the "lumpy mains plug" type of power supply with no switch,
> > connected to the equipment via one of those horrible little co-axial
> > connectors with no standardisation of physical size, voltage or
> > polarity - if it even has a polarity, because some of them are AC and
> > some of them are DC. The only power switch is in the low-voltage
> > circuit, and being fitted to the equipment itself probably gives the
> > unsuspecting owner the comfortable feeling that when it's switched off
> > it's switched off.

FWIW I also find it annoying that these have no real standardisation of the
connectors that distinguish ac from dc, polarity, etc.

> If someone thinks a wall wart fed device is totally isolated from the
> mains when switched off locally, let Darwin's law apply. However,
> perhaps the majority of devices these days need permanent power to
> maintain settings or to allow the use of a remote, etc. So really no
> different from a VCR which has always remained powered up to keep the
> clock running.

Well, I also wondered about this. For example the DTTV RX I have has no
power switch and holds user settings. It seems to be the modern asumption
that kit should be 'on standby' when not in use, and the implication is
that power is connected all the time. So far as I can see, the main reason
is often 'so that you can use the remote control to turn it on'. Thus
avoiding the tedium of having to walk across the room. :-)

Yet I switch it off at the mains overnight each night, and it still comes
on in the morning remembering the settings, including what station we were
watching when it was turned off.

Must confess to being old fashioned about this. I dislike leaving things on
standby for hours when unattended unless (like a clock) this may be
necessary for its function. Partly a matter of fire risk. Partly a dislike
of wasting energy.

Slainte,

Jim

--
Electronics http://www.st-and.ac.uk/~www_pa/Scots_Guide/intro/electron.htm
Audio Misc http://www.st-and.demon.co.uk/AudioMisc/index.html
Armstrong Audio http://www.st-and.demon.co.uk/Audio/armstrong.html
Barbirolli Soc. http://www.st-and.demon.co.uk/JBSoc/JBSoc.html
.

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