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Old 1st May 2020, 7:52 pm   #1
Philips210
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Default Practical Electronics magazine

Hi.

I have for many years now, had the Practical Electronics (formerly EPE) magazine reserved each month for me by WH Smith. I've tried on several occasions throughout April to pick up the May issue but have been told there are delays due to the coronavirus.
I tried to see if there has been a problem with the publishers but have not been able to shed any light on the matter. So, my question is, has anyone else experienced any problems on this? I am probably one of the rare breed these days by having it reserved by the newsagent rather than a direct subscription.

Any help or confirmation about the situation would be appreciated.

Regards,
Symon
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Old 1st May 2020, 8:52 pm   #2
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Default Re: Practical Electronics magazine

They have this notice in the May issue:-
__________________________________________
UK readers
If you subscribe to PE in the UK then we expect little
delay or interruption to the delivery of your magazine.
For non-subscription readers in the UK, we sell
most of our copies through WHSmith and a few
other outlets such as supermarkets and independent
newsagents. At present, we expect them to stay open
and receive PE as before, but we do not control this
and hence cannot off er the same reassurance of
availability that subscribers enjoy.
If you would like to save money – over a pound per
issue – avoid the disappointment of an issue selling out,
and more importantly, avoid the risks of leaving your
home for physical shopping then perhaps consider
subscribing – just visit: https://bit.ly/pe2020-subs
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Old 1st May 2020, 8:58 pm   #3
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Default Re: Practical Electronics magazine

Sorry, not helping with the question posed, but as a matter of interest, when did the title change back to Practical Electronics?
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Old 1st May 2020, 9:05 pm   #4
Philips210
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Default Re: Practical Electronics magazine

Hi George.

Thanks for the information I'll reply to your PM shortly.

Regards,
Symon.

Quote:
Originally Posted by buggies View Post
They have this notice in the May issue:-
__________________________________________
UK readers
If you subscribe to PE in the UK then we expect little
delay or interruption to the delivery of your magazine.
For non-subscription readers in the UK, we sell
most of our copies through WHSmith and a few
other outlets such as supermarkets and independent
newsagents. At present, we expect them to stay open
and receive PE as before, but we do not control this
and hence cannot off er the same reassurance of
availability that subscribers enjoy.
If you would like to save money – over a pound per
issue – avoid the disappointment of an issue selling out,
and more importantly, avoid the risks of leaving your
home for physical shopping then perhaps consider
subscribing – just visit: https://bit.ly/pe2020-subs
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Old 1st May 2020, 9:08 pm   #5
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Default Re: Practical Electronics magazine

Quote:
Originally Posted by Dave Moll View Post
Sorry, not helping with the question posed, but as a matter of interest, when did the title change back to Practical Electronics?
Hi Dave.

The Everyday Practical Electronics (EPE) name changed back to Practical Electronics in the April 2019 issue.

Regards,
Symon
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Old 2nd May 2020, 8:43 am   #6
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Default Re: Practical Electronics magazine

Many thanks for that. I have added it to my timeline of Practical magazines (attached).
Attached Files
File Type: pdf Timeline of Practical magazines.pdf (69.1 KB, 71 views)
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Old 2nd May 2020, 11:37 am   #7
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Default Re: Practical Electronics magazine

In this respect the naming tells us more about the movements of publishing empires than about the magazine itself.

Anything beginning 'Practical' marked one empire. I think the Everyday prefix was put on as the title got sold to a different empire. They're rather territorial, so think of dogs marking lamp-posts.

At least we were saved from 'What Everyday Practical Electronics International'

David
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Old 2nd May 2020, 12:20 pm   #8
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Default Re: Practical Electronics magazine

Quote:
Originally Posted by Radio Wrangler View Post
I think the Everyday prefix was put on as the title got sold to a different empire.
To be accurate, the Everday prefix was added as a result of Practical Electronics being merged into an existing title of Everyday Electronics, though that does mean that it was indeed sold to the different empire that was producing Everyday Electronics.
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Old 2nd May 2020, 12:44 pm   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Dave Moll View Post
Many thanks for that. I have added it to my timeline of Practical magazines (attached).
Thanks for providing a timeline of the Practical series of magazines, that's good to read.

Regarding Practical Electronics, Practical Wireless, etc, my favourite period for these magazines is from the mid 1960s to the mid 1980s. After then there seemed to be far fewer projects to build and much more content in relation to product reviews particularly in the case of PW. I still buy PW occasionally, probably about 4 or 5 issues per year.
In the earlier years of eBay, I managed to collect large numbers of missing issues for PE and other magazines. These being stored in the loft in many boxes.
Now we have the American Radio History website, if only we could have a crystal ball to look into the future! I find though, it seems good to actually have the magazine in hand and thumbing through the pages.

Regards,
Symon

Last edited by Philips210; 2nd May 2020 at 12:52 pm.
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Old 2nd May 2020, 12:56 pm   #10
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Default Re: Practical Electronics magazine

Yes, I too prefer to read a paper magazine. In fact, I have a complete run of PE magazines from its inception in 1964 through to its merger with EE in 1992, and a fair few EPE up to about 2009.
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Old 2nd May 2020, 4:29 pm   #11
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Default Re: Practical Electronics magazine

Another date for your timeline was when Everyday Electronics started in November 1971 as an offshoot of Practical Electronics.

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Old 2nd May 2020, 5:48 pm   #12
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Default Re: Practical Electronics magazine

There was also ‘ETI’ (Electronics Today International) which on the EE/EPE section of American Radio History says was bought by EE/EPE in 1999, but according to the ETI section, it says that ETI merged with EE/EPE in 1997.

ETI in the UK ran from April 1972 and was originally an Australian magazine. The info states that all major projects were Australian. PE readers will know that is also the case today and has been for some years in that most, if not all, contractional projects in PE first appeared months before in Silicon Chip magazine in Oz. I occasionally look at the mag in Smiths, but the stumbling block for UK is sourcing the components (Jaycar etc), and they’re invariably PIC based.

There were versions of ETI in the UK, Germany, Canada, the Netherlands’s and Indonesia.

It’s eventual demise started to loom when - faced with falling circulation - from 1997 it tried to increase its revenue by going to 13 issues per year, which was doomed to failure as advertisers were disinclined to pay for 13 issues when - with a declining circulation the cost of the adverts exceeded any commercial benefit derived by advertises. That was compounded by the lack of editorial material which had to be spread more thinly across 13 issues.

https://www.americanradiohistory.com/ETI_Magazine.htm
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Old 2nd May 2020, 8:21 pm   #13
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Default Re: Practical Electronics magazine

Thanks, Keith, for the information about EE. I hadn't realised that it was originally an offshoot of PE. The split-off is duly added in.

If we can establish an actual date (issue) when ETI was merged with EPE, I'll include that as well. The final issue on the ARH site, dated 1-28 January 1999 states "next issue 29th January 1999", so presumably it continued further into 1999 before merger.

Given that ETI was still being published in 1999, I'm puzzled by the comment (in the EE section) about ETI having merged with EPE in 1997.
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Old 2nd May 2020, 9:22 pm   #14
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Default Re: Practical Electronics magazine

Hi Dave.

The first issue was March 1999. The then Editor, Mike Kenward gives a welcome in the leader page.

Regards,
Symon.
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Old 2nd May 2020, 9:39 pm   #15
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Default Re: Practical Electronics magazine

Hi

Regarding EPE/PE, I actually preferred the magazine before the Silicon Chip magazine influence. I didn't mind the monochrome circuit diagrams which strangely seemed easier to read and had component reference numbers on all components and clearer parts lists as well. I also liked the font of the circuit diagrams.

As David G4EBT mentions, component availability can be a setback with the latest magazine projects. The old format had a Shop Talk slot carried over from the days of Everyday Electronics which was useful. You could see the magazine made an effort to provide pointers to suitable suppliers of components for their projects.

I guess I should move with the times but I also have to agree there does seem an excessive amount of PIC based projects in their magazines. It would be nice to see some good old analogue electronics circuits a little more often.

Regards,
Symon
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Old 3rd May 2020, 9:26 am   #16
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Default Re: Practical Electronics magazine

Quote:
Originally Posted by Philips210 View Post
Hi Dave.

The first issue was March 1999. The then Editor, Mike Kenward gives a welcome in the leader page.

Regards,
Symon.
Thanks. Now incorporated into the timeline.
Attached Files
File Type: pdf Timeline of Practical magazines.pdf (69.3 KB, 48 views)
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Old 9th May 2020, 10:26 pm   #17
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Default Re: Practical Electronics magazine

Quote:
Originally Posted by David G4EBT View Post
There was also ‘ETI’ (Electronics Today International) which on the EE/EPE section of American Radio History says was bought by EE/EPE in 1999, but according to the ETI section, it says that ETI merged with EE/EPE in 1997.

ETI in the UK ran from April 1972 and was originally an Australian magazine. The info states that all major projects were Australian. PE readers will know that is also the case today and has been for some years in that most, if not all, contractional projects in PE first appeared months before in Silicon Chip magazine in Oz. I occasionally look at the mag in Smiths, but the stumbling block for UK is sourcing the components (Jaycar etc), and they’re invariably PIC based.

There were versions of ETI in the UK, Germany, Canada, the Netherlands’s and Indonesia.

It’s eventual demise started to loom when - faced with falling circulation - from 1997 it tried to increase its revenue by going to 13 issues per year, which was doomed to failure as advertisers were disinclined to pay for 13 issues when - with a declining circulation the cost of the adverts exceeded any commercial benefit derived by advertises. That was compounded by the lack of editorial material which had to be spread more thinly across 13 issues.

https://www.americanradiohistory.com/ETI_Magazine.htm
Interesting and more so as I've got a copy of "ETI Circuits Book No1" sitting on my desk. It's now a bit bedraggled as years ago my mags were put in a box in the spare room ,where dog also resided with hr pups. Lassie was an old street dog and needed room to get some time from pups. She had good taste, but unfortunately made a relief bed in the box my mags were stored in and they suffered.
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