Are these electrical training books worthwhile?

[jtedesco1]

Are these electrical books worthwhile? Do they come with CD's?

http://www.yorktech.com/rescom/Req_Textbooks.asp

[Paul W. Abernathy]

Joe,

I would imagine they are fine for teaching the basic principles....when I taught at a community college we did not use any book......all the info was hands on and in labs......sometimes books make it easier for the students so chances are these are only used part of the time....and the rest of the time they are probably in labs doing the wiring and learning with hands on.

[smcarthur]

Joe,
The Residential Construction Academy books are pretty good at covering the basics. They do come with CDs for the instructor which include Power Point presentations, artwork, and a test bank of questions. I wasn't impressed with the CD. The Power Points presentations weren't very good, the clip art was everything but what I needed and some of the questions in the test bank had the wrong answers. Of the three the House Wiring book is the most useful. I haven't used the Print Reading book, we only adopted it this semester (because the print reading section of the RCA book was very limited) and it's for the basics classes and I am teaching the advanced classes.
The Calculations book by Tom Henry is great. He makes things simple and easy for beginners to understand, while still covering the material well enough to help those that have been in the field for a while and are preparing for their license test. Tom Henry also has a lot of other materials to help electricians. He has a key word index that I use. It's like a super index for the NEC, really helps to find things in a hurry. I recommend it to all my students.
I also give my students the addresses of several electrical forums and recommend that they visit and read the post regularly. These are such great learning tools that members should be eligible for CEU's.

[jtedesco1]

Originally Posted by smcarthur

Joe,
The Residential Construction Academy books are pretty good at covering the basics. They do come with CDs for the instructor which include Power Point presentations, artwork, and a test bank of questions. I wasn't impressed with the CD. The Power Points presentations weren't very good, the clip art was everything but what I needed and some of the questions in the test bank had the wrong answers. Of the three the House Wiring book is the most useful. I haven't used the Print Reading book, we only adopted it this semester (because the print reading section of the RCA book was very limited) and it's for the basics classes and I am teaching the advanced classes.
The Calculations book by Tom Henry is great. He makes things simple and easy for beginners to understand, while still covering the material well enough to help those that have been in the field for a while and are preparing for their license test. Tom Henry also has a lot of other materials to help electricians. He has a key word index that I use. It's like a super index for the NEC, really helps to find things in a hurry. I recommend it to all my students.
I also give my students the addresses of several electrical forums and recommend that they visit and read the post regularly. These are such great learning tools that members should be eligible for CEU's.

Thank you for your detailed answer Steve, that's why I posted this question here, after searching for the lines in your signature and discovering that you are an instructor too.

Try it, I found many resumes for some people who don't fill out there profiles using this method via Google.

I also found that Delmar puts out some materials that may be questionable.

I have been involved in some editing of their Grounding Book products years ago, and although the material is well done, there were many errors and problems, sometimes this happens when they are in a hurry to get their products out on the shelves.

Why even the NEC and NECH include errors which they call "Errata" for people to see.

70-05 SB First Printing NFPA 70
70-05 LL First Printing Revisions for Print Version of NEC
Errata

NFPA 70

National Electrical Code

®

2005 Edition
Reference: 2005

NEC®

The National Electrical Code Correlating Committee notes the following errors in the 2005 edition of
NFPA 70,

National Electrical Code.
How to Use this Errata Sheet
This is a list of errata to the first printing of the 2005

NEC ®. A first printing is indicated by the numeral 1
as the last digit in the line of number appearing at the bottom of the inside front cover.
1. Page 70-36 110.26(A)(1): Revise reference to “Table 110.26(A)(1)(1)” to read “Table
110.26(A)(1)”.

2. Page 70-47

210.8(A): Relocate text appearing at bottom of left-hand column that reads
“Receptacles installed under the exceptions to 210.8(A)(5) shall not be
considered as meeting the requirements of 210.52(G)” to the right-hand column
following Exception No. 3 to 210.8(A)(5).
3. Page 70-59 220.14(K): Revise reference “220.14” to “220.14(I)” ..
4. Page 70-73 230.24(A): Revise fourth exception to “Exception No. 4”.
5. Page 70-78 230.72(B): First sentence, revise word “ore” to “more”.
6. Page 70-91 240.93 First paragraph & 240.93(A), (B), (C): Delete entire text.
7. Page 70-126 300.6(A): First sentence, revise “listed” to “approved”.
8. Page 70-139 Table 310.13: Underground service entrance cable – single conductor, revise
thickness of insulation “mils” column from 5 to 45
9. Page 70-150 Table 310.64: 25,001 to 28,000 volts, 1 AWG and 1/0 AWG – 2000 kcmil,
100% insulation level, revise 2.80 mils to 280 mils.
10. Page 70-174 Table 326.80: Revise amperes value for 1750 kcmil from 344 to 315
11. Page 70-176 330.10(B): Revise 770.52 to 770.133.
12. Page 70-182 336.104(C): Revise Class I to Class 1.
13. Page 70-363 502.150(A)(1): Revise 502.100(A) to 502.10(A).
14. Page 70-374 505.9(B)(1) Listing.: Revise second sentence, “Equipment that is listed of for a
Zone 1 location shall be permitted in a Zone 2 location of the same gas or vapor,
provided that it is installed in accordance with the requirements for the marked
type of protection.”
15. Page 70-386 506.9(D) Exception No.2: Revise “500.6(D) and Table 500.6(D)” to “500.8(B)
and Table 500.8(B)”.
16. Page 70-444

547.9(A)(2): Revise 230.24(A) to 230.24.
17. Page 70-584 760.8: Add new Fine Print Note to read, “FPN: One source of information
describing industry practices is ANSI/NECA 305-2001, Standard for Fire Alarm
System Job Practice.”
18. Page 70-590 760.81(C) FPN: Revise second sentence, “Similarly, one method of defining
fire-resistant cables is be by establishing a maximum allowable flame travel
distance of 1.52 m (5 ft) when tested in accordance with the same test.
19. Page 70-591 Table 760.81(G): Revise 760.31 to 760.81 in three references.
20. Page 70-595 770.179(A): Revise title “Types OFND and OFCD” to “Types OFNP and
OFCP.”
21. Page 70-613 Table 820.113: Revise reference for CATVX from “820.179(D) and
820.154(C)” to “820.179(D) and 820.154(D)”
22. Page 70-626 Chapter 9, Table 4, Article 362 – Electrical Nonmetallic Tubing (ENT): Add
Trade Size “2” in second column.
23. Page 70-717 Example D1(a): Under “Minimum Feeder Size” revise “Range (see Table
220.19)” to “Range (see Table 220.55)”.
24. Page 70-722 Example D4(b): Under “Feeder Neutral Load for Feeder from Service
Equipment to Meter Bank (For 20 Dwelling Units) revise “[see Table 220.55
and Table 220.61(B)]” to “[see Table 220.55 and 220.61(B)]”.
25. Page 70-681 Table C.5: Revise table heading from “CONDUCTORS” to “FIXTURE
WIRES”
26. Page 70-686 Table C.6: Revise table heading from “CONDUCTORS” to “FIXTURE
WIRES”
27. Page 70-726 Annex E – Types of Construction: Second paragraph, fourth sentence, revise
“Type 1” to “Type I”.

Issue Date: December 24, 2004

Copyright © 2004 All Rights Reserved
NATIONAL FIRE PROTECTION ASSOCIATION

My students receive a copy of the 2005 NEC 2nd printing, and by now there may be later printings too.

No one is perfect and that's why we all should work together when there are questions, some of which are so old they can vote.

I have lots of information collected during the past 40 years and have the reports of committees, transcripts, and even audio tapes of the meetings I attended, and some where I was an instructor.

I found a whole box of tapes last week in my storage bin, and with the new software and technology was able to transpose some of that material to a DVD.

I listen to them now while driving and may begin to post them on the Internet for sale, or send them to people who would appreciate the content when I retire.

[Paul W. Abernathy]

Joe,

Check out the error in the NEC handbook when it gives comments on the 310.15.B.6 commentary...talking about (1) set of conductors that apply to the section. But in fact their is no defining verbage that limits it to (1) set....

While the actual intent of the section should apply to (1) set.....anyone could argue that if the service was a 400A lets say and had (2) sets of conductors going to each panel....that 310.15.B.6 could still apply.....because the article is too vague.

Gotta love the CODE....

You are right.....no ones perfect...

[jtedesco1]

You should move this reply to where it belongs showing the discussion about the split bus.

Have you any documentation as to the so called "error" you describe?

One set is one set and nothing more, if you disagree call NFPA and get that cleared up for the electrical industry.

See 90.6 too.

[Paul W. Abernathy]

Dont need too....Had the leading industry speaker we BOTH know say I am right after days of debate( have the e-mails to prove it... The NEC Handbook is commentary....and only that.....the verbage on how the 310.15.B.6 is written leaves it open and says nothing of (1) set.

Anyway.....was only adding it because you talked about errors and so on......dont worry I wont reply to another of your posts again and wont move it.....sorry I commented.

I have been informed Mr. Holt will be taking care of submitting this error for the 2011 NEC .

[jtedesco1]

Here is the draft for the 2008 NEC and the ROP's were proposals to change someting here. I have not looked at the NEC ROP to find the Substantiation and CMP actions.

[Paul W. Abernathy]

Joe,

from my understanding they tried to address this but did it wrong, and left the term Service Conductors in the upper portion of the change and still leaves it open for multiple sets.....only the NEC Handbook refered to this in it's commentary but when you actually read the article (315.B.6 ) it does not eliminate the issue.....thought it was interesting.....

[Paul W. Abernathy]

Steve,

I can highly recommend Mike Holts material when your classes are getting into the NEC. He does a great job of explaining items in layman's terms and helping you understand.

Plus the guy is a super nice guy.......and they have some great people like sarina and tara and shawn in the front office that will do anything they can to assist you with books.

Check out this link : http://www.mikeholt.com/index.php?affiliate=1116179721

[smcarthur]

Thanks Paul I'll check it out ASAP