Electrical Apparatus
The Magazine of Electrical &
Electronic Application & Maintenance

February 2007 Columns and Departments

Back issues
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• Editor's Comment Perspective on current and upcoming issues. In this issue - Electronics trash ... We're proud to be in the business press ... Gerald R. Ford, friend of the business press ... by Horace B. Barks, Executive Editor

• 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.  In this issue - A-C or D-C hipot tests for D-C windings? ... Can capacitors be used on lower-voltage circuit?  A misunderstanding about cable voltage rating ... All stainless steels are not created equal ... How close together can two motors safely be? ... Is a floating neutral a problem for a motor? ...Edited by the EA staff 

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 - Mixing bars in a squirrel cage rotor, from Chase Fell, Engineer, Precision Rotor Services, Docena, Alabama ... Constant for full- to no-load? from Lew Mermelstein, Ames Research Center, Mofffett Field, California ... Joint failure caused by poor terminal contact, from David Bredhold, Application Engineer, Eaton/Cutler-Hammer, Louisville, Kentucky ... Kind words, from Frank Cluff, Electric Motor Shop Manager, Abitibi Consolidated, Taylor, Arizona, and Rich Nabuda, Chief Electrical Engineer, USS Hornet, US Navy, Alameda, California

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 may edit your letter for clarity and space.— Editor

• Business and financial briefs  News of expansions, relocations, annual reports, and more, about companies serving the electrical mechanical industries. In this issue - P&H MinePro Services Australisai buys G&D Donnelly electric motor repair business ... Abby Mfg. Co acquires Steelcraft Corp ... Emerson Electric buys marine valve supplier Damcos Holding AS ... Sonepar USA acquires regional distributors Cooper Electric Supply and Fairview Electrical Supply Corp. ...Klein Tools chairman addresses IBEW ... Baldor-Reliance waiting period ends ... Phelps Dodge merger approved by regulators ... U. S. Dept of Homeland Security proposes regulations for chemical manufacturers ... National Electrical Manufacturer's Association resists European environmental directives ... Shermco Industries donates to Texas State Technical College ... Stahlin Non-Metallic Enclosures receives certification  ...Edited by Kevin Jones

• Trade associations,  professional societies and government activities  News of non-profit  government, and other organizations serving the electrical mechanical industries. In this issue - "Leadership, vision, action" will be the EASA Minneapolis convention theme ... Education events sponsored by Power Transmission Distributors Association ... ASTM International creates 2007 as "The Year of the Student" ...  Hydraulic Institute and Fluid Sealing Association sponsors one-day course on fundamentals of mechanical pump seals... OSHA safety training will be presented online from National Association of Electrical Distributors ... American Society of Safety Engineers offers safety examination guide CD-ROM ...National Electrical Manufacturers Association paper outlines how to evaluate water-damaged electrical equipment ... Electrical Insulation Conference seeks papers for Opryland Hotel conference in September ...   Edited by the EA staff

  Note:  the 2007 EMBR lists contact iinformation for more than 140 associations ... Update or add your listing to the 2009 EMBR.

• Utility Briefs  News of the utility industry. In this issue - Southern California Edison in wind power venture with Allco Finance Group Ltd ... Sierra Club files suit against coal-fired plants in Texas ... Texas utility plan offers choice (but not savings?) ... Duke Energy Carolinas reaches compromise with N. C. Utilities Commission  .. Edited by Kevin Jones

• International Trade Shows  Information and calendar for upcoming shows around the globe. In this issue - PowerEXPO Zaragoza ... Electrotech Expo Instanbul ... Elenex Thailand ...Electronexpo Russia ... Power Days-Graz ... High Techologies Expo, Tel Aviv ... Power Industry and Electrical Engineering, St. Petersburg, Russia .. Electrcal Shanghai, China   .. Edited by the EA Staff

• Standards briefs  Updates of standards and related information. In this issue - Dissension in the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) ranks ... NEMA Executive joins IEC Council .. news from ANSI (American National Standards Institute) ... New standards revisions from Underwriters Laboratories ...  Edited by the Electrical Apparatus staff. 

• Electrical Manager ...A potpourri of news and features, selected and edited for maintenance and service managers. In this issue - as the boomers retire, not everyone is replaced ... How casual should 'business casual' be ... Prepare to be pushed around by Bill Gates ... Beware the downside of employee referrals ... Internet transactions need greater fraud protection ...

  "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. 

• EA reader at ease  ... Stories featuring unusual or interesting avocational interests of our readers.

  In this issue - Brad Nelsen, owner of Nelsen Electric Motor, Salt Lake City, Utah, is an avid off-road sportsman who built a customized jeep that can tackle severe terrain just about anywhere. 

  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 .

• Safety and health in the workplace How companies and their employees can guard and enhance their health and safety.  In this issue - 563 things you need to do to run a safe workplace - Federal regulators stand ready to help with compliance...   By Richard B. Elsberry, EA Contributing Editor

• Accounting for management  Business financial planning, tips, information and best accounting practices.  In this issue - Overcoming the pitfalls of automated inventory records - new tools can be a mixed blessing   ...By William H. Wiersema, CPA, EA Contributing Editor and author of the recently published book, Steps to a Successful Service Shop.

• Calendar Briefs - Upcoming trade shows, symposia, and events. In this issue - events from February to October 2007 ... Edited by the EA Staff

• Literature Announcements of guides, catalogs, brochures, product specifications and other literature.  In this issue - five phase stepping motor/driver packages catalog from Oriental Motor USA Corp .... Controlcat New Horizons catalog of temperature, flow and pressure measurement devices ... Pigalog buying guide for waste management products, from New Pig ...  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.

• Web briefs ...  Selected websites for the electromechanical specialist, annotated with details of especially valuable content. In this issue - American Welding Society— www.aws.org  ... Current Technology, Inc.—www.currenttechnology.com    .. Schneider Electric— www.schneiderelectric.com    ... Leonardo Energy—   www.leonardo-energy.org    ... Solar Electric Power Association—  www.solarelectricpower.org   ... Global-Electron— www.global-electron.com  ... Meterman Test Tools—  www.metermantesttools.com  ... Electricity Storage Association— www.electricitystorage.com     ... Turvac, Inc.—  www.turvac.com   ... Overland Conveyor Co., Inc.— www.overlandconveyor.com  ... ElectricSmarts Network— www.electricsmarts.com  ... Hi-Tec designs— www.hitecdesigns.com  ... NEMA Lighting Systems Division— www.lightingtaxdeduction.org  ...  Edited by the Electrical Apparatus staff. 

• Names and Faces ... News and photos of industry people on the move and in the news. In this issue - Jon Wake of The Eraser Company (pictured) ... Richard Williams of the National Association of Electrical Distributors ... Bob Becker of Leviton Manufacturing Co (pictured) ...Edited by the EA Staff

• Deaths  - Obituaries of industry people.  In this issue - Steve Darby, former president of Darby Electric and past EASA president. 

• Training Briefs Announcements of workshops, seminars and instructional materials, and our Training Index, listing program topics featured in Training Briefs in the past year . In this issue - Embedded networks from CAN in Automation ... Motor/generator maintenance, from Jarsco Engineering Corp ... Power quality from PowerCET Corporation ... Motor & drive application, from Baldor Electric Company ... Drives and controls, from Bosch Rexroth Corp ... Motor service and repair from the Electrical Apparatus Service Association ... High voltage maintenance, from Ox Creek Energy ... Professional certification, from The Association for Facilities Engineering ... Infrared thermography, from the Electrical Apparatus Service Association, Flir Systems, and Snell Infrared   ... Edited by the EA Staff

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

• EMBR update  - changes to the Electromechanical Bench Reference 2007, the annual buyers' guide that readers received with their December 2006 Electrical Apparatus.  Following publication of the directory, corrections and additions appear in subsequent issues of the magazine. 

• Product briefs Photos and announcements of new products. In this issue - Insulation, from Dow Corning ... Measuring equipment, from Fluke ... Safety eyewear, from Klein Tools ... 12 volt valve-regulated lead-acid battery, from Energsys ... Transparent vacuum sealable packaging from Cortec Corp ... Switching devices, from Elecvtroswitch and Hubbell Wiring ... Tools, from Thomas & Betts, Wera, Makita, the Eraser Company, Streamlight, Inc., Wright and Bondhus ... Test instruments from All-Test Pro, Extech, B&K Precision, Megger, Fluke, and Extech  ...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.

• Direct and Current Breaking news of interest to the industry. In this issue - Distributors see improvement .. Seven percent growth in consumer electronics sales ... Small business sours on online advertising ... Is 2007 the year of the backup? ... Social security checks will increase... Using cell phones to check in at airports ... Associations for the blind argue over currency .... from The Editors of Electrical Apparatus.

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

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