A long time ago I built a "touch switch" that essentially worked because a human body is a reasonably good antenna for the 60Hz Hum that's all around us these days. Touch an otherwise unterminated pin of a generic op-amp configured for "infinite" gain, and I got a nice 60Hz waveform at the output suitable for driving a flipflop and relay... Since then, op amps have only gotten better. Is it possible to build a circuit NOW that reliably detects 60Hz hum with only a small internal antenna? How close to power wiring would it have to be? In particular, can I make reliable lithium power-fail safety lights that I can just stick to a wall anywhere in the average USian home? BillW -- http://www.piclist.com PIC/SX FAQ & list archive View/change your membership options at http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/piclist