FAQ

FAQs (frequently asked questions) are answers to the most frequently asked questions about this website.

You can change your password and login name but not your nickname. Your nickname is fixed and can not be altered because your entries in the Forum will be shown and archived under this unique name. Your password and login name can be changed with "Edit Profile", when you are logged in you will see this in the lower left-hand corner of the screen ('My Elektor'). Clicking on it enables you to change your password and and login name.

No, in the registration process you can register as a website user and E-weekly subscriber at the same time.

No problem. Click on ‘Password forgotten?’ (you will see this in the lower left-hand corner of the screen). After supplying your e-mail address and submitting the request you will receive an e-mail containing your password. You cannot request your password from us by email, telephone, fax or other correspondence.

If you want to use our Forum or News Archive you will need to register once only. You will be able to select your own nickname and password.

Verification codes for site registration are sent by an automated system. It may take up to one hour before your code is sent.

Please note that you may not be able to receive your code if:

1. your email service is protected by a sender-authentication system

2. your inbox is full or otherwise inaccessible

3. your email/internet provider blocks our email for any reason, including spam filtering

Please make sure none of the above applies.

 

It is possible to resend the verification code. After finalising the registration on the website you are automatically are logged in, but you have limited user rights. If you are logged in, you can resend the verification code to your email address (your login). 

Yes, you can choose your own password as you like in the registration process. After registration you will receive an e-mail from us containing a verification code. After using this once, you have full access to our Forum and you will receive a weekly free electronic newsletter (E-weekly). Additionally you will receive 10 Elektor Credits for free, which gives you the possiblity to download an article from this website.

Elektor International Media bv will ensure that your data is stored safely by using SSL, an advanced security system for Internet, to protect data. To guarantee the safety of the ordering process, all critical data — including customer name, address, and credit card number — will be saved in encrypted form at a Secure Server. That way, all credit card and address data will be protected in Elektor’s order system.

For your convenience and safety, SSL has been implemented on the Subscription and Shop Checkout pages.

 

SSL is indicated by a padlock symbol in the lower status bar of MS Internet Explorer.

Yes, simply use the Search box in the left-hand top corner of the screen.
Note that you will get the best results when you enter correct, unique and complete information. The search engine will attempt to find a perfect match with the information you entered. At the same time it will look for items matching an alternative spelling as well as for highly similar words.

Yes. To find an Elektor product, type an asterisk (*) after the main article number. Do not use the hyphen and any of the numbers behind it, as found in the magazine articles.

For example: typing 030403* returns the products 030403-1 (PCB), 030403-11 (disk) and 030403-41 (PIC microcontroller).

Our ambition is to offer you optimum ease of surfing and on-line buying. Our website and help services are tailored to assisting you while shopping. If you have any suggestions, complaints or questions about our products or services, please go to the upper right-hand corner of the screen, click on ‘Service’, then on 'Feedback' and state your problem. We will answer you as quickly as possible.

Go to ‘SHOP’. You will find our complete product range in the left-hand column. On the left-hand side of the site you will also find shortcuts to the various categories of products.

On this website, Elektor Credits (a.k.a. 'E-Credits' or 'Credits') are used to download magazine articles as PDF files. The Elektor Credit is a virtual currency on this website.

It is no longer possible to order a PDF file using external payment providers (e.g. BT or Click&Buy). Response from  users of our previous release website indicated that the BT/Click&Buy payment procedures were cumbersome. That is why you can purchase Elektor Credits directly from us. The downloading of magazine articles is now also much cheaper. However, the biggest advantage to you  is a much faster payment process.

 

Elektor Credits can only be paid for using a credit card (Mastercard or Visa) or PayPal. Non-subscribers to the printed magazine can only buy Elektor Credits in batches of 10. Registered website users who are also subscribers to Elektor magazine may also buy batches of 60 and 120 E-Credits at discount rates.

 

How does it work?

You buy Elektor Credits in the SHOP section on this website. You will get 10 free Elektor Credits after a verified and confirmed registration to the website. Magazine subscribers even get 30 Elektor Credits.

 

After buying Elektor Credits or confirmation of registration you will immediately see the amount of Credits in de lower left-hand corner ('My Elektor').  If you have enough Elektor Credits you can download the magazine article(s) of your choice. The process is simple: on the webpage for the magazine article, click on the pdf file you would like and then on 'Download' .

 

How much does one article download cost?

Most magazine articles cost 10 Elektor Credits.

Through the printed magazine, subscribers and buyers of newsstand copies can browse and read published articles, circuit diagrams and PCB layouts.
Non-subscribers as well as subscribers / buyers wishing to have digital (PDF) copies of published articles and diagrams have to pay a small charge per file download.

Elektor invests in high-quality information and service, through the magazine and allied products as well as its website. To recover some of the substantial and permanent investments relevant to these services, a small compensation is necessary. With just a few exceptions, the software items belonging with published articles and projects remain free to download from our website.

 

When registering to this website you will get a complimentary batch of 10 Elektor Credits (once only per email address). Elektor Credits enable you to download a PDF version of a magazine article. After supplying the subscription number and surname, Elektor Electronics magazine subscribers receive 30 Elektor Credits for free.

 

Many software items, manuals, supplementary documents, updates, etc., related to published projects can be downloded at no charge. This is indicated at the right-hand side next to the article overview.

1. PCB artwork files (.pdf)
These downloads normally cost 10 E-credits as they represent additional value over the version printed in the magazine:

a. the coppertrack images are at true scale.

b. the file can be printed locally on a high-resolution printer.

c. reflected (true reading) and reflected (mirrored) versions of the copper track layouts are included in the file.

d. the image has no surrounding texts or graphics.
If PCB copper track layouts cannot be included in the relevant magazine article (usually for reasons of space), they are always available free of charge as a pdf file.

2. Software downloads (.zip)
No changes apply to most software downloads with published articles and projects. Note that some authors by contract do not allow us to distribute their software freely.

Elektor Credits as well as all paid, digital Elektor products cannot be revoked by the customer. Unclaimed Elektor Credits cannot be paid back in any way.

The virtual shopping cart is in principle the same as the real thing in a supermarket. You can drop several articles in the cart whithout any obligation to actually buy them. You can always view the current contents of your shopping cart, no matter where you are on the site. To view the contents of your shopping cart, just click on the shopping cart symbol on the left-hand side ('My Elektor'). If you are browsing through the shop and you want to drop an article in your shopping cart, simply click on the ‘shopping cart’ symbol. You will always be able to delete any article from the shopping cart by clicking on ‘shopping cart’, then click on ‘delete’ next to the relevant item. Now click on ‘order’.

It is possible to place your order from anywhere in the world. Subject to postal services, legislation and import restrictions, articles can in principle be delivered to any location in the world.

 

Orders to overseas destinations will only be supplied if they are payed for in advance by Credit Card or PayPal. This does not apply if you are an Elektor Electronics approved account holder.

- By credit card (Visa, MasterCard). By way of our SSL-protected web pages and server connections, you can safely enter your credit card data.

 

- By PayPal. After settlement through PayPal you will receive a confirmation on this website.

 

- By cheque. Cheques should be made payable to "Elektor International Media" bv (the publishers of Elektor magazine). We can only accept cheques drawn un UK banks , from UK resident customers only.

All stated prices are inclusive of UK VAT (value added tax).

You have 7 days from receipt of your order to inform us you want to cancel the purchase. Article and software downloads are excluded from cancellation.

 

In case you want to cancel your agreement with our Terms of Business you need to report this in writing (by e-mail, letter or fax) to Elektor Customer Services immediately. The returning of goods to Elektor is at the customer’s cost and risk.

If you receive a product that is broken or faulty, you may return it to Elektor International Media.

 

Please enclose a note with a short explanation and the reason for returning the goods. Elektor Customer Services will reply as soon as possible and send you a replacement product.

You can. These are the alternatives:

- Using the Order Form found in any issue of Elektor magazine.
- By phone, simply call Elektor Customer Services on (+44) (0) 208 261 4509.
- By fax to (+44) (0) 208 261 4447.
- By e-mail: Go to ‘Service' and click on ‘Feedback'. You can use this form to order but not directly as you will merely enter into email correspondence with our sales staff. Please do not send personal data in this way, until requested to so so by ElektCustomer Services.

It is normal that customers are asked for an additional password or code while checking out from our online shop. This is an extra security measure implemented by credit card companies to protect their clients from fraudulent use of credit cards.

Should you need any assistance with this additional security measure we kindly ask you to contact your local bank or credit card company.

On the Elektor website you can download published articles (currently dating back to 2000) against 'payment'  in Elektor Credits. Go to ‘Magazine’ or ‘Construction Projects’ and pick the magazine article you want to download. With every article you’ll find this identifier:

download PDF (xxxxx-x) (article number).

Click on it and download the article for the number of Elektor Credits stated (usually 10 Elekor Credits). Elektor Credits can be purchased in the online shop in batches of 10, 60* or 120* units.

 

* for magazine subscribers only.

 

Unfortunately that is not yet possible. In the mean time, please send your name, subscription number, old and new address to:

 

Elektor Subscriptions Dept.

Regus Brentford

1000 Great West Road

Brentford TW8 9HH

United Kingdom

 

Tel.: 00 44 (0) 208 261 4509

Fax: 00 44 (0) 208 261 4447

Please review the subscription conditions published in every issue of the printed magazine. Subscriptions are not automatically extended, but you may still cancel your subscription in writing. For this, send a note to our subscription department:

Elektor Subscriptions Dept.

Regus Brentford

1000 Great West Road

Brentford  TW8 9HH

United Kingdom