Electrical Apparatus
The Magazine of Electrical &
Electronic Application & Maintenance

October 2005 Columns and Departments

Back issues
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• Editor's Comment Perspective on current and upcoming issues... by Horace B. Barks, Executive Editor 
  In this issue:  Hurricane Katrina: the good news and the bad .. A reminder, EIC/EM Expo this month in Indianapolis ... Coming in the November EA ....

• Let's Solve Your Problem The longest-running and one of our most popular features, Let's Solve Your Problem answers real questions posed by people in plants and service shops around the U.S. and abroad. Selected Q&A's from this column are available in our popular Let's Solve Your Problem books.  Edited by the EA staff 
  In this issue: Are core tests practical for use with transformer? ... Finding subtransient reactance for motors ... Once again: the question of ASD circuit length .... Does capacitance change with applied voltage? ... Sigle phase rotor test conditions may vary ... Does inverter-duty mean special varnish or resin? .. The NEC and wiring inside equipment ... How large a motor can still be Design B? ...

You are invited to send questions to this department. Your identity will be kept confidential, but we ask that you include your name, affiliation, postal (not e-mail) address, and telephone number. If you'd like a pre-publication reply, enclose a stamped envelope and we'll try to respond promptly. We cannot provide personal consultation or supply winding data.

• Letters  Comments and questions from readers of Electrical Apparatus
  In this issue:  Job training, from Steve Davis, Climax Michigan ... Kind words from Bill Lockley, Lockley Engineering co, Calgary, Alberta, Canada ... John C. Flower, Generation technician, City of Eaton Rapids, Michigan ... John Ranieri, Ranieri Electric Motor Service, Dafter Michigan ... and Carl H. Miller, Jr., Refrigeration & Electric, Little Rock, Arkansas....

Electrical Apparatus invites letters, 250 words maximum. All letters, including e-mail, must include name, company, title or position, phone number, city, state or province, and country. We October edit your letter for clarity and space.— Editor

• EA reader at ease  ... Stories featuring unusual or interesting avocational interests of our readers.
  In this issue - Old houses mended   Ron Gillitzer, a repair manager with Decatur Industrial Electric of Decatur, Illinois, repairs and rehabs houses for resale...
  By Joseph S. Hoff, EA Special Features Editor

  Do you know someone working in the electrical aftermarket with a hobby or interest that could be featured in "EA reader at ease"? Tell us who they are, what they do, and how we can contact them to find out more about their special passions. Send your suggestions to Electrical Apparatus, 400 N. Michigan Avenue, Suite 900, Chicago, III. 60611; (312) 321-9440; Fax (312) 321-1288; e-mail eamagazine@barks.com

• Business and financial briefs  News of expansions, relocations, annual reports, and more, about companies serving the electrical mechanical industries  ...Edited by Kevin Jones
  In this issue: A.O. Smith expands offshoring motor design ... Magrols, Inc., opens Shanghai sales office ... ITT Industries sends pumps to New Orleans ... Longo Electrical-Mechanical Inc. opens Philadelphia-area facility ... EIS is named a Rockwell key supplier ...  Certification Briefs:   Thomas & Betts of Memphis ... The P.D. George Co of St. Louis ...

• Trade associations,  professional societies and government activities  News of non-profit  government, and other organizations serving the electrical mechanical industries.   Edited by the EA staff

  In this issue - New Standards Institute and National Association of Corrosion Engineers cancel New Orleans meetings because of Hurricane Katrina ... Katrina victims warned about electrical contacts by the National Electrical Manufacturers Association .. Controversial energy law finally passed by Congress ... 313 exhibitors from 36 nations expected at the Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute's and American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Airconditioning Engineers' AHR Expo ... Professional Electrical Apparatus Recyclers League (PEARL) announces 2006 convention ... Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers issues first complete guide for gas-insulated transmission lines ... $250,000 pledged to National Association of Electrical Distributors ... Power transmission distributors sales rising according to the Power Transmission Distributors Association ...  Evan Gaddis to be president of the National Electrical Manufacturers Association ... ARI and ASHRAE approve cooperative agreement for standards development ... Electrical Apparatus Service Association .... Cooper Industries' chairman to receive award at EIC/EME ...
  Edited by the EA Staff

  Note:  the 2005 EMBR lists contact information for more than 140 associations ... Update or add your listing to the 2006 EMBR.

• Training Briefs Announcements of workshops, seminars and instructional materials, and our Training Index, listing program topics featured in Training Briefs in the past year  ... Edited by the EA staff
  In this issue:  Nanotechnology, from Nano Science and Technology Institute, www.nsti.org ...  Motor service and repair, from the Electrical Apparatus Service Association, www.easa.org ... Electrical grounding, from Luncole XIT Grounding, www.lyncole.com ... Electrical safety, from the Thomas A. Edison Institute, www.TAEdisonInstitute.com  ... Power Quality, from PowerCET Corp., www.powercet.com/download/courscat.pdf ... Industrial truck safety, from Vast Consulting and Marketing, vast@wi.rr.com ...   Drives and controls, from Bosch Rexroth Corp, www.boschrexroth-us.com  ... Servomotor training, from Quality Solutions Company, www.motor-solutions.com  ... Professional certification, from The Association for Facilities Engineering, www.afe.org ...

  Producers of workshops, seminars, and instructional materials are encouraged to mail announcements to Training Briefs Editor, Electrical Apparatus. There is no charge.

• Calendar Briefs - Upcoming trade shows, symposia, and events... Edited by the EA staff
  In this issue - conferences, meetings, conventions and more, from October 2005 through June 2006 ...

• Standards briefs  updates of standards and related information... In this issue:  International Electrotechnical Commission attempts to streamline standardization ... Underwriters Laboratories addresses controls and generators ... Plastic conduit requirements revised by the National Electrical Manufacturers Association ... Edited by the Electrical Apparatus staff. 

• Trilingual summary For our international readers, each month one featured topic is presented in French, Spanish and German. In this issue - "'Catching the wave' in a-c machines" (read an online English summary)

• New Books Recently published books, reviewed by our editors. In this issue  - Power from the Mountains, by Barbara Wolcott, Central Coast Press Reviewed by RLN.

• Safety and health in the workplace   In this issue - Managing hazardous wastes - What we need to know about managing and disposing of toxic chemicals
  By Richard B. Elsberry, EA Contributing Editor
   

• Accounting for management  Business financial planning, tips, information and best accounting practices In this issue - Accounting for 'shrinkage' - How a process called 'backflushing' can uncover items and materials that disappear unaccountably...
  By William H. Wiersema, CPA, EA Contributing Editor and author of Steps to a Successful Service Shop.

• Say It Right ... The popular column about language in the workplace   In this issue -- Be specific about 'dual voltage' - The phrase means much more than just 'operable at two different voltages' ...  by Richard L. Nailen, P.E., EA Engineering Editor 

• Names and Faces ... News and photos of industry people on the move and in the news... In this issue -- Robert Flicker and Christopher Pruitt, of East Penn Manufacturing Co., Inc. (both are pictured above left)  ...Jason Ban and Rebecca Eggleston of Harrington Hoists, Inc. ... Scott Lansing and George Boyajieff of Power Efficiency Corp ... Donald Hendler and Stephen Sokolow of Leviton Manufacturing Co (both are pictured above right) ... Steve Darby of DarbyElectric .. JosephS chmalzried of Keystone Electronics Corp ... Malcolm O'Hagan of the National Electrical Manufacturers Association ... Kevin Stein of Cooper Industries... Donald Wiseman of Michelman ...  Edited by the EA Staff
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• Electronics (Automation briefs)  - the latest in products for electronics and systems applications  In this issue, products for - communications, from B&B Electronics ... motion control, from Gee Plus, Rockwell Automation, Yaskawa and Baldor  ... automation , from Richco, EAO Switch Corp and ASI  ... testing and measuring, from Fluke and B&K Precision ... test equipment \, from Saelig and Infrared Solutions ...  Edited by David P. Tryling 

To submit products for "Automation Briefs" include a photo and website URL to a page where our readers can learn more about your product over the web (URLS are published in the magazine.)  Fax or conventionally mail press releases or announcements to Electrical Apparatus, 400 N. Michigan Avenue, Suite 900, Chicago, IL 60611; Telephone (312) 321-9440; Fax (312) 321-1288; or email eamagazine@barks.com .

• Product briefs Photos and announcements of new products. In this issue -  ... Interconnections from EGS Electrical Group, Cooper Bussman, and Thomas & Betts ... Circuit Interrupters from Cooper Bussman and Selco/ECC  ... Measuring Equipment, from CR Magnetics, Balmac, AEMC Instruments, Accumetrics Associates, and Strandberg Engineering Laboratories ... new products from Electro Static Technology and AGM Container Controls ... Motors and Gearmotors from Bison Gear & Engineering Corp ... Safety produs from Jordan David, and Brady Corp .. Switching Devices from NKK Switches, Electroswitch, and Amperite .. Tools from the Eraser Co., LEDtronics, Makita USA, Gardner Bender, Klein Tools, and Q-Lighting ... Test Instruments from Ideal Industries  ...Edited by the EA Staff. 

Mail announcements of new products and literature to Editorial Department, Electrical Apparatus (page 2). No faxes, e-mail, electronic submissions (CD-ROM's, etc.) or follow-up calls, please. There is no charge for publication, which does not constitute endorsement, nor can we verify product claims.

• Cy's Super Service, Motorhead and Generatorhead Comic strips featuring characters from our favorite cartoonists. 

• Direct and Current Breaking news of interest to the industry, from The Editors of Electrical Apparatus.
  In this issue: The US Postal Service and Hurricane Katrina ... work-related accidents ... wireless laptops ... New Zealand and other 'business friendly' countries ... nuclear power plants ... airline deregulation ..
  By the Editors

• Engineering Education   
  A glimpse into today's engineering classroom in a quarterly feature which reports on college and university courses relevant to expanding electromechanical activities, as well as pre-college programs.  
   By Josh Hoff

  Engineers in the US number more than two million, and job openings for electrical engineers are expected to increase 21%-35% by 2006.  This trend is inspiring new and diverse engineering education programs across the country, from pre-engineering to nanotechnology. Send information about engineering education programs and events to Electrical Apparatus, 400 N. Michigan Avenue, Suite 900, Chicago, III. 60611; (312) 321-9440; Fax (312) 321-1288; e-mail eamagazine@barks.com

• Electrical Manager ...A potpourri of news and features, selected and edited for maintenance and service managers. 

  "Electrical Manager" is a copyrighted feature of Electrical Apparatus.  Any kind of reproduction, including electronic transmission, without permission of Barks Publications is illegal and is prohibited. 

• Literature Announcements of guides, catalogs, brochures, product specifications and other literature. 
  Edited by the EA staff   

Mail announcements of new products and literature to Editorial Department, Electrical Apparatus (page 2). No faxes, e-mail, electronic submissions (CD-ROM's, etc.) or follow-up calls, please. There is no charge for publication, which does not constitute endorsement, nor can we verify product claims.

• Classified Advertising Equipment, jobs, businesses, business opportunities and services.

• Deaths  - Obituaries of industry people..

• Web briefs ...  Selected websites for the electromechanical specialist, annotated with details of especially valuable content.  Edited by the Electrical Apparatus staff. 

• International Briefs -Edited by the EA Staff

• EMBR update  - changes to the Electromechanical Bench Reference 2005, the annual buyers' guide that readers received with their December 2004 Electrical Apparatus.  Following publication of the directory, corrections and additions appear in subsequent issues of the magazine. 

• Certification briefs  Updates on certification Edited by Kevin Jones

• Utility Briefs  News of the utility industry .. Edited by Kevin Jones

• Braintrainers  Puzzles you and your colleagues can solve for fun and, if your answers are correct, for recognition in Electrical Apparatus. by Lillian Nielsen, Special Correspondent 

• Question of the month

• Advertising Index  An easy to use reference to the advertisements in Electrical Apparatus magazine.