13-11-2015, 05:38 PM
I guess the definition of low/high voltage is a relative term, and when set against the voltages in electrical transmission and distribution systems, domestic mains voltage is 'low', but I think to lay people such as me, any voltage that's high enough to pose a risk to life and limb would be considered high voltage.
The European Community Low Voltage Directive (LVD) 2006/95/EC covers equipment with a voltage at input/output terminals between 50 and 1000 volts for alternating current (AC) or between 75 and 1500 volts for (DC).
The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) defines supply system low voltage as voltage in the range 50–1000 V AC or 120–1500 V DC.
British Standard BS 7671:2008 defines supply system low voltage as:
50–1000 V AC or 120–1500 V ripple-free DC between conductors;
50–600 V AC or 120–900 V ripple-free DC between conductors and Earth.
As to 'tube' or 'valve', 'plate or anode', I don't find them confusing terms - what is often open to misinterpretation is 'valve base' when people mean a 'valve holder'. I consider a valve base to be just that - the base of a valve which plugs into the valve-holder.
When I was active in amateur radio, I always used the American terms 'antenna' in preference to 'aerial' because I think it's a more descriptive term, comparable as a noun for the protuberances on an insects head, whereas 'aerial' can be used in many other ways - an aerial cable car, aerial combat or whatever.
As to US English, It's often suggested that American spelling is inferior to other forms and that the "creeping Americanisation" (Americanization?) of English is a bad thing, but many American-English spelling conventions make better sense than English-English. For example, In America the verb "travel" becomes the noun traveler by adding er. However, in English-English it gains a second (redundant) l - traveller. It's no wonder that the English have trouble spelling when two words like full and fill, when joined into one lose two letter ls and become fulfil.
"Ize" ending rather than "ise" (eg Initialize) seem more logical and program more logical than programme. In the UK we refer to a concert programme but a computer program. The latter will surely win the day with the passage of time.
There are countless more examples where US English makes more sense:
US penciled, stenciled, traveled - penceling, stenceling, traveling are grammatically more logical than the English versions which have an added (redundant) second l.
I don't think that any one version of English has any merit over any other because each version is full of idioms and loan words borrowed from other languages. All that matters is "when in Rome"...(bonnet/hood, boot/trunk, car/auto car park/car lot, etc).
I'm not pedantic about grammar and spelling conventions, and I'm pleased that since its inception, this forum hasn't treated posters as though their posts are homework, to be handed in for correction and interference by judgemental moderators (whose own grammatical and spelling errors often go uncorrected by the way), and resubmitted to the world to see, sometimes with corrections in red ink as has happened elsewhere, though that intensely annoying trait seems to have subsided. If a moderator can interpret what's been written, then so can others.
It's said that Shakespeare spelt his name five different ways, none of which were how we spell it.
As much as anything, it was William Caxton - or rather the printing press - that helped standardise English spelling conventions.
Waffled and dribbled Yorkie.
The European Community Low Voltage Directive (LVD) 2006/95/EC covers equipment with a voltage at input/output terminals between 50 and 1000 volts for alternating current (AC) or between 75 and 1500 volts for (DC).
The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) defines supply system low voltage as voltage in the range 50–1000 V AC or 120–1500 V DC.
British Standard BS 7671:2008 defines supply system low voltage as:
50–1000 V AC or 120–1500 V ripple-free DC between conductors;
50–600 V AC or 120–900 V ripple-free DC between conductors and Earth.
As to 'tube' or 'valve', 'plate or anode', I don't find them confusing terms - what is often open to misinterpretation is 'valve base' when people mean a 'valve holder'. I consider a valve base to be just that - the base of a valve which plugs into the valve-holder.
When I was active in amateur radio, I always used the American terms 'antenna' in preference to 'aerial' because I think it's a more descriptive term, comparable as a noun for the protuberances on an insects head, whereas 'aerial' can be used in many other ways - an aerial cable car, aerial combat or whatever.
As to US English, It's often suggested that American spelling is inferior to other forms and that the "creeping Americanisation" (Americanization?) of English is a bad thing, but many American-English spelling conventions make better sense than English-English. For example, In America the verb "travel" becomes the noun traveler by adding er. However, in English-English it gains a second (redundant) l - traveller. It's no wonder that the English have trouble spelling when two words like full and fill, when joined into one lose two letter ls and become fulfil.
"Ize" ending rather than "ise" (eg Initialize) seem more logical and program more logical than programme. In the UK we refer to a concert programme but a computer program. The latter will surely win the day with the passage of time.
There are countless more examples where US English makes more sense:
US penciled, stenciled, traveled - penceling, stenceling, traveling are grammatically more logical than the English versions which have an added (redundant) second l.
I don't think that any one version of English has any merit over any other because each version is full of idioms and loan words borrowed from other languages. All that matters is "when in Rome"...(bonnet/hood, boot/trunk, car/auto car park/car lot, etc).
I'm not pedantic about grammar and spelling conventions, and I'm pleased that since its inception, this forum hasn't treated posters as though their posts are homework, to be handed in for correction and interference by judgemental moderators (whose own grammatical and spelling errors often go uncorrected by the way), and resubmitted to the world to see, sometimes with corrections in red ink as has happened elsewhere, though that intensely annoying trait seems to have subsided. If a moderator can interpret what's been written, then so can others.
It's said that Shakespeare spelt his name five different ways, none of which were how we spell it.
As much as anything, it was William Caxton - or rather the printing press - that helped standardise English spelling conventions.
Waffled and dribbled Yorkie.
Regards, David.
BVWS Member.
G-QRP Club Member 1339.
'I'm in my own little world, but I'm happy, and they know me here'
BVWS Member.
G-QRP Club Member 1339.
'I'm in my own little world, but I'm happy, and they know me here'
