Electrical Apparatus
The Magazine of Electrical &
Electronic Application & Maintenance

Columns and Departments

Every issue of Electrical Apparatus contains features and information from our columns and departments. See descriptions of each column and regular feature below. 

For typical content, see our  Previous issues 

Back issues
Save postage and handling fees: Order back issues direct from our online webstore.  Current and back issues are $5.00 each. To purchase copies by mail or telephone, using credit card or check, contact Barks Publications, 400 N. Michigan Avenue, Suite 900, Chicago, IL 60611-4104  (312) 321-9440 tel, (312) 321-1288 fax. Non-credit card orders add postage and handling:  $1.25 for first copy, plus $.50 for each additional copy. (No postage and handling is charged for orders placed on the web.)

We welcome your comments and inquiries re: subscriptions and advertising. Please include your name and contact information.  

• Accounting for management  Business financial planning, tips, information and best accounting practices ...By William H. Wiersema, CPA, EA Contributing Editor and author of the recently published book, Steps to a Successful Service Shop.

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

• Automation Briefs  High-tech products of use to the industry.

• 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 

• Business and financial briefs  News of expansions, relocations, annual reports, and more, about companies serving the electrical mechanical industries  ...Edited by Kevin Jones

• Calendar Briefs - Upcoming trade shows, symposia, and events... Edited by the EA Staff

• Certification briefs  Updates on certification Edited by Kevin Jones

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

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

• Deaths  - Obituaries of industry people.  

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

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

  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 .

• EA reader profile  ... Stories featuring Electrical Apparatus readers on the job.

  Do you know someone whose work would be interesting for an EA Reader Profile? 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 .

• Editor's Comment Perspective on current and upcoming issues... by Horace B. Barks, Executive Editor

• 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. 

• Electronics (Automation briefs)  - the latest in products for electronics and systems applications  Edited by David P. Tryling 

• Electropix  Photographs of people, places, equipment and more ...

• 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. 

• Engineering Education    By Josh Hoff
  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.

  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

• International Trade Shows  Information and calendar for upcoming shows around the globe .. Edited by the EA Staff

• 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 

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

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

• 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.

• Names and Faces ... News and photos of industry people on the move and in the news...Edited by the EA Staff

• New Books Recently published books, reviewed by our editors.  See our Book Review webpage, and also Books for the Plant and Shop from Barks Books, including titles from the editors of Electrical Apparatus, including our latest new book, Let's Solve Your Problem - Volume III.

• Product briefs Photos and announcements of new products ...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.

• Question of the month

• Safety and health in the workplace How companies and their employees can guard and enhance their health and safety.   By Richard B. Elsberry, EA Contributing Editor

• Say It Right ... The popular column about language in the workplace  ...  by Richard L. Nailen, P.E., EA Engineering Editor

• Standards briefs  Updates of standards and related information...  Edited by the Electrical Apparatus staff. 

• 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

  Note:  the 2007 EMBR lists contact information for more than 140 associations ... Update or add your listing to the 2008 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

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

• Trilingual summary For our international readers, each month one featured topic is presented in French, Spanish and German.

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

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