Electrical Apparatus
The Magazine of Electrical &
Electronic Application & Maintenance

October 2007 Columns and Departments

Back issues
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• Editor's Comment In this issue - Successful small business in a small city in a small state - Husband and wife team Kenneth and Sue Hall have seen their company grow well beyond the potential in Morgantown, West Virginia ... When thinking inventory, consider cycle counting ... Drives and currents engage our readers in the "Letters" column ... by Horace B. Barks, Editor and Publisher

• 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 - Are there tests for surge protection devices ... Renumbering of IEC standards causes confusion ... Power factor not a factor in sizing of motor wire ... Four VPI treatments: Are they better than two?  ... What hipot voltage for temperature detectors? ... Is arc flash a problem for low-voltage circuits? ... Confusion about coil pitch or span  ...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 - Is current rememdy different with drives? From Dale Hamil, President, Illinois Electric Works, Granite City, Illinois ... Using a-c or d-c to dry out winding - From Richard Nabuda, Chief Electrician, USS Hornet Museum, Alameda, California ... Damping vibration in larger machines - From David Harrison, Market Research Analyst, Dawnbreaker, Inc., North Chili, NY  ...

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

• Trade associations,  professional societies and government activities  News of non-profit  government, and other organizations serving the electrical mechanical industries.  In this issue  - Sales force management to be taught at two-day class by the Manufacturers' Agents National Association ... Lean manufacturing the focus of Association for Manufacturing Excellence ... Electrical Apparatus Service Association halts phone support ... American Society of Safety Engineers adds two new international chapters ... Professional Electrical Apparatus Recyclers League (PEARL) will hold 2008 convention in Costa Mesa, California ... Power Transmission Distributors Association sponsors pavilion at International Exposition for Power Transmission... ...  Edited by the EA staff

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

• Utility Briefs  News of the utility industry. In this issue - Ohio governor advocates 'de-deregulation' ... Flood of nuclear power licenses expected ... KeySpan acquired by British utility ... James Robison, lineman first class at the New Hampshire Electric Co-op, wins 'hero' award from Huskie Tools  ... Edited by Kevin Jones

• Calendar Briefs - Upcoming trade shows, symposia, and events. In this issue - events from October 2007 through June 2008 ... Edited by the EA Staff

• Business and financial briefs  News of expansions, relocations, annual reports, and more, about companies serving the electrical mechanical industries. In this issue - Motion Industries acquires Meier Transmission of Cleveland, Ohio ... Regal Beloit buys Jakel, Inc., HVAC motor supplier ... The Primary Controls Index of the National Electrical Manufacturers Association his a seven-year high ... City Machine Technologies, Inc., makes Inc's 5000 fastest growing companies list ... Klein Tools affiliate buys Heritage Cutlery, Inc. ... Moulthrop Sales to be California distributor for Knight Electronics  ...Edited by Kevin Jones

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

  In this issue - The featured Reader at Ease in the October 2007 Electrical Apparatus is online gamer Donald Gough,shop foreman at Bestway Electric Motor Service in Tucson, Arizona.

  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 .

• Trilingual summary For our international readers, each month one featured topic is presented in French, Spanish and German. In this issue - A new standard for large drives (read an online English summary)

• Web briefs ...  Selected websites for the electromechanical specialist, annotated with details of especially valuable content. In this issue - Danish Wind Industry Association— www.windpower.org/en/core.htm  ... The Solar Guide— www.thesolarguide.com  ... SolarEnergy.com— www.solarenergy.com  ... Advanced Energy Group— www.solarpower.com  ... Monachos— www.monachos.gr/en ... MGE UPS Systems Inc.— www.mgeups.com  ... Magnet Sales and Manufacturing Co., Inc.— www.magnetsales.com  ... National Institute of Standards and Technology— http://standards.gov  ... Techkor Instrumentation— www.techkor.com  ... Edited by the Electrical Apparatus staff. 

• Accounting for management  Business financial planning, tips, information and best accounting practices.  In this issue - Better inventory records - Perpetual records and cycle counting can greatly improve control  ...By William H. Wiersema, CPA, EA Contributing Editor and author of the recently published book, Steps to a Successful Service Shop.

• Safety and health in the workplace How companies and their employees can guard and enhance their health and safety.  In this issue - Disaster preparedness requires an early response plan - Nothing ensures survival in an emergency like forethought ...   By Richard B. Elsberry, EA Contributing Editor

• Training Briefs Announcements of workshops, seminars and instructional materials.  In this issue - Motor diagnostics from All-Test Pro  ... Welding from the Lincoln Electric Company ... Servomotor training from Quality Solutions Co., LLC ... Arc Flash protection from American Trainco ... UPS's and batteries from Ametek Solidstate Controls ... Embedded networks from CAN in Automation ...  Motor & drive application from Baldor Electric ... 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.

• Names and Faces ... News and photos of industry people on the move and in the news. In this issue - Donna Poll (pictured) of ETCO, Inc. ... Barbara Ross and Thomas Hesse of Drives, Inc. ...Robert Dent of Commtest Instruments, Ltd. ... Dave Leonard, Dan Steinbrunner (pictured), Robert Hazenfield and Bill Stenger of Radix Wire ... Phyllis Russell of the Power Transmission Distributors Association Foundation ...Edited by the EA Staff

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• Deaths  - Obituaries of industry people.   In this issue - Jimmie L. Williams Sr., former owner of Bradleys, Inc., Corpus Christi, Texas

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

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

• Direct and Current Breaking news of interest to the industry.  ... from The Editors of Electrical Apparatus.