Peter,

On Thu, 26 Oct 2006 09:14:15 +0100, peter green wrote:

> > Unexperienced developers might risk their lives, and even design
> > hazardous equipment that can risk the end users' lives

> also doesn't transformerless imply not isolated from the mains? mains
> neutral cannot be depended on to stay at near eath potential!

Quite!  And under UK regulations Neutral conductors are to be treated as live, and isolated from touch contact in the same way.  A design such as the 
one under discussion would only be allowed if it was double-insulated (Class II) such that nothing metal could come into contact with people.  And 
the dropper-capacitor would have to be properly rated ("X2", possibly?) for series connection with the mains, which includes the provision that 
failure must be open-circuit, which the article doesn't mention.  I can just see people grabbing the nearest electrolytic of the right value...

Darwin applies!  :-)

Cheers,



Howard Winter
St.Albans, England


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