Tag Electrical Fittings

Setting up the Canon 2000D / T7

The Battery

The first thing you need to do is to fully charge your battery. Everybody wants to put the battery on and take pictures straight away, but you should really fully charge your battery first. By fully charging and then draining your battery as you use it, use extend the life of the battery. It only takes three or four hours. Then put the battery into the camera at the bottom of the camera. If you look at the battery then you see that there are electrical connectors on one end and there is a Canon logo on the battery, so to put the battery in properly, you have the connectors facing the camera and the logo facing you and it will go in. Like most modern batteries it will only go in one way so if it doesn’t go in very easily then the chances are you have got it in the wrong way around. When it goes in it will click with the clip at the bottom that keeps the battery in and when you want to take the battery out you just undo the clip and it bounces out

The Memory card

The second thing to do is to put in your memory card. Most professionals tend to use SanDisk memory cards because they will offer a lifetime guarantee for the card. It is worth bearing in mind, though, that they will not replace the content on the card. So if you’ve got a 16 gigabyte card and you’ve got 10 gigabytes of information videos and stills on it and then it becomes corrupted they will only replace the card. It really is essential to have somewhere where you can keep these pictures and videos permanently and safely and that usually means an external hard drive. Like the battery, the card has electrical conductors and it has the logo on the front and if you put it this way so that the logo faces you and it goes into the little slot above the battery then you can just slide it in.

Attaching the Lens

The next thing you need to do is put on the lens. The Canon 2000D or Rebel T7 is an APS-C camera which means it is a crop frame camera. There are two types of 35mm DSLR camera – full-frame or crop frame. The Canon EOS 2000D is a crop frame camera which means that the sensor is slightly smaller and cheaper – and so are the lenses. However, it can still take professional quality pictures and videos. This camera will take either EF-S or EF lenses but the recommended lens group for The Canon Rebel T7 is the EF-S group of lenses. When you change your lens, try to keep the camera tilted so that dust and dirt can’t drop into it. This is because the sensor inside of the camera is very sensitive and if it gets dust and dirt on it then it will damage the sensor and affect your pictures and your videos. It is also incredibly difficult to clean. So when you change lens try to do it quickly. On the side of the lens you will see a white square and if you look on the mount ring on the Canon T7, you will see a white dot. You just need to marry those up and turn the lens clockwise until you hear them click together. Once it has clicked it means it is fixed onto the camera and because it is an EF-S lens it is now able to communicate with the camera and so it will help with autofocus and auto exposure.

The Menus

When you want to go into the menus in the camera it is very important to make sure that you are on Manual Mode and the reason for that is that when you press menu button, you get all the menu tabs going across the top. If you were on a different semi-automatic or a completely automatic option then when you press the menu options you don’t get all the tabs going across the top. When you switch on your camera for the first time the screen will ask you to set the date the time zone and the language. The date and time information will be added to the metadata for each image that you shoot. You can change these details by using the cross keys and pressing set. Once you have set the time and date you can set the date format either the UK version or the US version. Oonce you have chosen the one you want you press that again and then you go on to daylight saving time and you go on to the time zone and region once everything is correct you can just press OK. If you want to go back at any time to change the time the date or the language you will find them in SETUP TAB 2.

Format your Memory Card

If you have a new card or a card that you’ve taken from a previous camera, it is really important to format it so that the card and the camera will work together. The way you do that is by pressing menu button and then go to SETUP TB 1 and here you can see the option to format the card. The important thing to remember here is when you format the card you will lose everything – even pictures and videos which you may have protected will be deleted. So you must know that everything that is on the card has either been copied or is something that you don’t want before you format your card. But if you are happy to do that then you click OK and it will format the card and prepare it for use by this camera.

The Dioptric Adjuster

The next thing to do is to look through the viewfinder and to see if what you can see through it looks sharp. If you don’t have 20/20 vision or if you wear glasses then even though the autofocus on the camera gets the picture absolutely sharp, when you are looking through the viewfinder it may look out-of-focus. By using that dioptric adjuster, which is right next to the viewfinder eyepiece, you can change the focus setting to match your eyesight. But remember that if you have the lens on autofocus the camera will automatically focus the image even if it doesn’t look sharp to you.

The Monitor Brightness

If you find the brightness of the LCD monitor either too bright or too dark then you can change that by going to SETUP TAB 2. Click on LCD brightness and choose to either make it brighter or darker. However do remember that the optimum setting for checking exposure on the live view screen is level 4.

The Auto Off Setting

There is nothing more irritating than the camera switching itself off when you are still trying to compose a picture. Whilst it helps to save the battery life it can interrupt your train of thought and slow you down. You can change the length of time it takes for the camera to turn off by going to SETUP TAB 1 and choosing AUTO POWER OFF. Here you see you will have a choice between 30 seconds and 15 minutes and you can disable it completely if you choose. I find that setting it to one minute is a good compromise.

The ISO Setting

The ISO setting manages the sensitivity of your sensor to the light coming into the camera. The Canon T7 will be on auto ISO setting to begin with which is very convenient in most cases. However you will want to control this at some point – not least because the ISO setting has a direct impact on the quality of your image. It is easy to control the ISO by using the Cross Keys. Press the top one labeled ISO and the ISO options will appear on the LCD screen. As a rule of thumb ISO 100 to 400 is suitable for sunny or bright light, 400 to 1600 for overcast or dusk and 1600 to 6400 for low-light and night-time shots.

File Size and Compression

The next thing to consider is the file size and compression ratio the Canon 2000D will shoot a 24 megapixel file and that is a very high quality image. The JPEG compression rate will decide the quality of the image when it’s stored on your memory card and also how many images you can save on your card. obviously it’s best to choose the best compression rate to make the choice go into SHOOTING TAB 1 and go to the top choice which is image quality. I prefer to choose large file size and best compression quality.

If you want to know more they might not take a look at our manual which has been specially written for this camera in fact we are giving away a sample of our manual absolutely free it contains 2 full course videos including the full video on shooting movies with the Rebel t7 all you have to do is click on the link below and we will send it to you straight away absolutely free.

Source by Jeremy Bayston

Metals are an extremely important resource for our life and livelihood. It is impossible to imagine a world without metals. Over time, we have used metals to build our lives and civilization to take it where it is now and have discovered that some metals are more useful than some others. Further combination of different metals has given us alloys that form the backbone of the infrastructure of our civilization. We have discovered that some metals are resistant to rust while some others are shiny and attractive to look at. Our knowledge has helped us use metals to our advantage and to satisfy our needs.

What is Electroplating

Electroplating is one of the innumerable processes that help us use metals to our advantage. It is basically a process where an object that conducts electricity is coated with a layer of a metal with the help of electric current. Electroplating is mainly used for depositing an adhering superficial layer of metal with certain desirable properties onto a substance which does not have such properties. The property could be anything like wear and abrasion resistance, corrosion resistance, lubricity, aesthetic qualities, etc. Electroplating comes handy for both decorative and functional purposes. The process is also used in industries to build up thickness on undersized machine parts. It is widely used in various industries like automobiles, machinery parts, jewelry, etc. There are many enterprises that offer Electroplating Services as solutions for various kinds of people and industry.

To describe the electroplating process in layman’s terms, it involves immersing the material to be electroplated in a solution containing one or more dissolved metal salts and ions that allow electricity to flow. The dissolved metal salts include those of the metal with which the plating is to be done. Another plate or rod of the metal that will form the coating is immersed in the solution. Now electric current is passed through the solution which results in depositing of the metal on to the material to be plated.

Electroplating Benefits

The benefits and uses of electroplating are varied. It is used both for industrial purposes and decorative purposes. One of the most common is the use of silver-plating for brass or copper electrical connectors. This is because silver has a much lower surface electrical resistance than other metals and thus helps in easy electrical connection. This is widely used in Radio Frequency (RF) connectors since radio frequency current flows mainly on the surface of the conductors. Chrome plating is extensively used for protecting steel automobile parts from corrosion. Noble metals like gold, platinum are extensively used for plating jewelry and decorative items to give them a shiny and attractive finish. Nickel is also used for plating decorative items, automobile and machinery parts against abrasion and corrosion and also to build-up and thicken under-sized machine parts.

Electroplating services offered by different providers thus have very many uses in our daily lives, both in terms of utility and decoration.

Source by Mary R

Loved by enthusiasts everywhere, the Pontiac Fiero is a great little American car. It is also one of the most inexpensive and practical electric car conversions you can find. The right amount of work and determination can allow you to create an Electric Vehicle (EV) with up to a sixty-five mile range at highway speeds with a driving speed of fifty-five to sixty miles per hour. This kind of EV can achieve a top speed of more than eighty-five miles per hour. You can even commute in this great electric vehicle to work, groceries shopping or just plain driving on a lazy Sunday.

If you were to send a Pontiac Fiero to be retrofitted into an electric car by a professional workshop, prepare to invest upwards of $4000. An alternative is to do the conversion yourself at your home garage. How do you retrofit a Fiero into an EV? This article will provide some useful information on the conversion process.

Step one of the conversions is removing all internal combustion engine components of the Pontiac Fiero and leaving all wiring for the chassis in place. Be sure to mark this wiring carefully. Keep the original clutch and flywheel, as well as the transmission. This produces a functional car chassis that works other than the fact that the engine and all related systems are missing. Then, clean the chassis to remove all the old dirt and grease from the old engine. They won’t be coming back, after all.

Most conversions use a manual transmission vehicle for its simplicity. With the internal combustion engine and related components gone, it’s a simple matter to bolt an electric motor in its place. One conversion used a nine inch advanced DC series wound motor, which is bolted to the flywheel. The original four speed transmission is left in place. To remove drag on the Fiero, the starter ring is bolted to the flywheel. It is important to balance the whole assembly before you put it back together. The conversion process literally replaces every part that has fluid running through it such as the gas tank, fuel lines and radiator with electrical wires and connectors.

Source by Ken J. Maxwell

Illumination is a very important part of any remodel and standards brought forth by Richard Kelly (considered one of the pioneers of architectural lighting design) are still in use today.When considering a remodel of your bathroom or kitchen one should not skip over or the importance of a well thought out lighting design. To get started you should familiarize yourself with basic illumination information so you know the right questions to ask your contractor before work begins on your home.

There are three electrical light sources used in most kitchens and bathrooms. They are incandescent, fluorescent and LED. LED lights have become the most popular electrical light source in remodeling but they do require special dimmer switches to operate correctly. LED is so widely used because of the low amount of wattage the light uses, the longevity of the life of the light and the lack of heat produced by the light.

Once you determine what electrical light will work best in your home you next have to consider the way it’s measured. Light is measured in three ways, the flow, the strength and the amount. All three of these are important considerations when planning an effective design.Questions to ask at this stage of the planning may include the following. What will I be doing in the space I am remodeling? What items or objects will I need illuminated? Do I need spot or flood lighting? Is mood important to my space? Is decor important to my lighting design? Finally one must consider their age. People fifty-five and older on average experience half the light as people aged twenty- five, therefore more light should be added to compensate for this factor.

There are six types of fixtures that can be used to add light to a kitchen or bathroom. They are recessed, ceiling or surface mount, semi-surface mount, suspended fixtures, wall mount and portable. A well thought out design will often include several different fixtures with each one having its own function. These functions include task, ambient, accent, wall and decorative lighting. For a kitchen recessed can lighting paired with under cabinet lighting will offer both task lighting and ambient lighting. While pendants hanging over an island are often used as decorative lighting. In a bathroom wall sconces are often used as decorative while surface mount is used as ambient.

With so many fixtures and lighting functions to decide on the free source of light (natural) is often overlooked but it plays an important role in the remodel of a space. Natural light or sunlight has a plethora of benefits. Sunlight is free, it’s a renewable source, it saves energy, it offers a natural source of light, it affects mood, production and health in a positive way and it can warm a room. If at all possible when designing a lighting plan include natural light. The two most common ways to bring light into a design is through the use of windows and skylights. To enhance the illumination from sunlight through these sources one should consider using reflective finishes and reflecting surfaces If your space has a window or skylight already make sure you do all you can to keep this natural light source part of your design.

There are many ways to design an illumination plan so having a clear picture of the wants and needs of the space is crucial to having the right illumination for the project.

Source by Kim M Ward

There is a family in Florida that was exposed to friable fiberglass that has caused a serious health problem for the family. The wife recently had a baby and was concerned about an itching on the skin feeling that she and the other members of the family were having. The family of five experienced a variety of eye, ear, skin, and respiratory problems. She was also complaining about a lot of white dust particles all over her furniture and personal possessions.

Six months prior to this time, the family had a licensed Insulation Contractor blow in additional insulation on top of their existing Builder installed Batting Insulation. They wanted to save money on their electric bill and thought this was the right way to go. Even the Power Company got into the act by giving them an incentive award to increase the R Value of the insulation of the home. Sounds great doesn’t it. Well this is only the beginning of a nightmare for this family.

We were called in to do an Indoor Air Quality Investigation and discovered that they had the old style recessed lighting in the ceilings. There were approximately 20 of these fixtures. The problem with the old style lighting was: there were four slits on the attic side which allowed the heat of the lights to dissipate. These slits were 3/8″ X 2″ long. This equates to approximately a 2″+ hole in the ceiling at each location. Multiply this by 20 lights and you get a 40″ hole in the ceiling total. Wow, that’s a big hole in the ceiling. These holes prevented the lights from overheating and causing a fire. This is a great concept for a fire hazard, but a bad concept for Indoor Air Quality and Blown-In Insulation. The one requirement with these old style lights was you could not cover them with Insulation Batting. We found multiple recessed lights with Blown-In Insulation covering them and inside the lights also.

After doing several air and tape samples, sending them to a lab, the results came back positive for fiberglass in the air and surfaces of areas tested. The first thing we requested the client do was to remove and install the new sealed recessed lighting in the house. They hired a licensed Electrical Contractor, removed all the fixtures and solved the air intrusion problem from the attic. That was only the beginning of the fix, then they had to HEPA Vacuum and clean everything in the home to remove the friable fiberglass particles on the surfaces.

How would you like to live this nightmare for over one year due to the incompetence of one contractor who did not think the job through?

This is only one example of what is going on in our building industry because of poor planning on the part of the contractor. Remember, you get what you pay for; the low bid isn’t always the right person for the job.

If you decide to add insulation to your attic, check with the Insulation Manufacturer and see what their requirements are before hiring anyone to do the job. Have your attic checked out first to see if there are any holes leading into the attic that can allow air intrusion into your home. If you do this, you will not be faced with this type of problem.

Next on the list, have the duct work checked for any type of leakage and sealed. Check all your electrical fixtures in the ceiling and seal them. Make sure the person who does the repairs is competent and knows what they are doing or it will affect you in the long term.

Caution: Follow all local Building Code requirements. Give them a call and talk to them.

If you have any questions, call us at (954) 531-6476.

Source by Art Emiss

Electrical Wire

There is all different types of electrical wiring for different applications. We will break it down for you piece by piece. Most common terms for copper electrical wire would be building wire, THHN /THWN, Romex wire, UF-B Cable and Type SE (service entrance cable). All of these copper wires and cables have their own advantages and disadvantages based on the individual wiring application. Each one will be described in more detail below. Building Wire is just another broad term used in the same way as electrical wire. Since it’s used mostly in the building / construction field its become a popular term.

THHN / THWN Wire

THHN / THWN-2 copper electrical wire is the most basic form of electrical wire which is used in houses, buildings and control circuits not exceeding 600 Volts. All of our THHN electrical wire is dual rated with THWN-2 because the THWN is so popular that South Wire (Largest Electrical wire manufacturer in the USA) decided to put both ratings on all their THHN building wire. It’s composed of soft drawn bare copper strands, covered with a PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride) insulation and a nylon coating for easy installation in cable tray. The 18 awg through 10 awg come in stranded or solid copper. The stranded wire is more flexible, while the solid wire is easier to run / snake through tough areas.

More specifically, THHN wire is run through houses and buildings to light switches, electrical outlets and light fixtures. The smaller gauge sizes of THHN is most commonly sold in 500′ spools which a lot of suppliers won’t cut. WesBell Electronics will cut the #18 – #10 to 100′ spools and cut the #8 – 1000 mcm per foot! That’s right, you can buy 1 foot of wire if needed! WesBell understands that every application is different and doesn’t want contractors to have to suffer excess copper wire. When adding that into the the resale price it could cost you the job! Buy exact lengths, get exact quotes and don’t have any extra copper at the end of it! Copper has jumped back up to over $2.00/lb, so every foot of wire counts!

Romex Wire

Romex copper electrical wires and cables are made up of multiple THHN / THWN wires (conductors). Example; Romex 12/2 is 2 THHN wires and a bare uninsulated ground wire covered with an overall PVC jacket. This way electrical contractors only have to run one bulk wire instead of either running 3 separate wires or individually running each wire. Romex wire is ONLY used for indoor applications. It has NO protection against moisture, gas or solvents. It should NOT be used outdoors even if it’s in cable tray.

UF-B Cable

UF-B (Underground Feeder) copper electrical wires and cables are a slight upgrade from Romex wiring. It has the same concept of THHN conductors wrapped with a jacket except it’s a more complex jacket. The bonus to UF-B Cable is that it can go outdoors and even directly underground. There’s no need for conduit or cable tray and the price difference isn’t that significant. If you need the cable to go outdoors at all make sure you get UF-B instead of Romex because it’s not worth the hassle of replacing the Romex down the road over something roughly 10-15% higher in cost.

Service Entrance Cable Type SE

Sometimes you will see an “R” (SER) or a “U” (SEU) after the Type SE. The R stands for round (more common) and the U stands for flat. Southwire Type SE electrical cable, service entrance cable is primarily used to convey power from the service drop to the meter base and from the meter base to the distribution panel board; however, the cable may be used in all applications where Type SE cable is permitted. SER may be used in wet or dry locations at temperatures not to exceed 90°C. Voltage rating is 600 volts. Southwire Type SE cable is constructed with sunlight resistant Type XHHW-2 conductors or Type THHN/THWN conductors.

Copper conductors are annealed (soft) copper. Cable assembly plus reinforcement tape are jacketed with sunlight resistant gray polyvinyl chloride (PVC). Available as 1 conductor with a concentric ground, 2 conductor with a round or concentric ground, or 3 conductor with a bare ground. SE cable is jacketed with gray sunlight resistant polyvinyl chloride (PVC).

Source by Chris G Bell

The word “Swag” in this lighting context simply means to hang from the ceiling. This definition can be used to incorporate many different lighting fixtures that hang from the ceiling including chandeliers, pendants and others. However, the traditional and most accepted definition is more specific. It strictly points to a fabric lamp shade that has been electrified with one or more electrical sockets/bulbs and hangs from the ceiling usually by a metal chain.

Really good ideas just refuse to go away! Swags were very popular from the 1950’s through the 1980’s. They can be seen on many TV shows and movies from that period. They have remained very popular in many hotels, motels and resorts because they are space saving and economical. Today we are experiencing a huge resurgence in their popularity. They are among the most efficient and economical method of lighting up any area. They are also one of the best reading lights available and can be positioned ideally to put the light right where you want it while saving valuable floor space. They can be direct wired (permanently wired into the ceiling) or they can be portable with a plug in cord just like a table lamp. Swag lamps are being widely used in residential as well as many commercial applications. Large shades are used for large areas and more compact shades for small areas. Swag lamps lend themselves to using a wide variety of light bulb styles especially the very efficient compact fluorescent bulbs. They are truly beautiful with the light beaming through the elegant fabric.

Many features are available such as 1) Pull chain on/off switch 2) In line on/off switch 3) Custom color chain 4) Custom color cord 5) Custom chain and cord length 6) Single or multiple light bulb configuration 7) Chain hung 8) Cord hung 9) Rod hung 10) Diffuser

The shade fabric styles and colors available are nearly endless because practically any lamp shade can be easily made into a portable or direct wire swag lamp.

In summary, swag lamps are very much back in style. They work great near the end of a sofa, behind or beside a chair, over a dining or game table, in a corner, beside or over a bed, over a night stand, over or beside a desk, etc. Use a swag lamp most any place where you want light and you wish to preserve your floor space.

– Jim Hoyle

Source by Jim Hoyle

In the beginning, arranging for the charging station installation will be part of the purchasing process of buying your first Electric Vehicle (EV). All approved chargers by the various manufacturers will be compliant with SAE J1772 standards for electric vehicles and electrical connectors.

You won’t be able to buy the car unless you are willing to install a charging station your home. Consumers who buy the Nissan Leaf will be required to use their exclusive contractor, AeroVironment, for installation of the home chargers. They may be able to install their own charging equipment if they sign a waiver.

The Chevy Volt will come standard with a 110 volt charger which will allow you to charge directly from your home wall outlet. For Volt customers who prefer to have a 240 V rapid charger installed, SPX service solutions is the exclusive contractor for the installation of their rapid charging station.

There is a big difference in the vehicles range due to the size of their battery packs. Chevrolet considers the Volt to be a hybrid vehicle which can be plugged in. GM describes the car as an extended range EV (electric vehicle) with a smaller battery. The LEAF is strictly electric with a much larger battery pack that is 2-3 times the size of the Volts. The Chevy Volts 16kwh battery will probably only ever use 8 kw of it. The Leaf will contain a 24 KWh battery, but will probably need to use 80-90% in order to increase the battery life. In order to fully charge the LEAF, it will need to be plugged into a 110v outlet for the entire day. It is expected that the cost to install a Level II home charging unit will run about $2,200.

Because the Nissan LEAF and Chevy Volt are expected to be the first cars which will require the installation of a Level 2 home charger until 2012, it is expected that the demand for home charging units will remain low, unless a surprising number of first owners opt to have the rapid chargers professionally installed.

Now there are a number of companies entering the charging station market. AeroVironment was the first company to devote itself to developing and building Level II home charging units. The reason they won the contract from Nissan was probably because they were the first one with a product to offer. Most of the other companies that are developing and building charging stations focused on industrial units for commercial and municipal installations. However that is changing as the first mass market electric vehicles are finally ready to launch.

Below are the current companies that manufacture Electric Vehicle Charging Stations

ECOtality- ETec

Now called ECOtality North America, ECOtality has been producing electric charging stations for quite a while. Industrial equipment such as forklifts have used electric charging technology for some time. They have used their experience to market the Minit-Charger for both residential and commercial charging applications. The EV Project which is managed by ECOtalty is seeking to install thousands of charging stations over the next year in the 5 states where the EV’s will first be released. ECOtality also installs stations made by other manufacturers. ECOtality builds both level I and level II chargers but does not make fast DC charging equipment. ECOtality has recently introduced a new line of commercial and home Level II charging stations. It is believed that the new stations-designed by global industrial design firm, frog design-will help update their conservative image.

SPX

SPX has been selected by Chevrolet to be the exclusive service provider for the purchase and installation of the Chevy Volt 240 Volt rapid home charger. SPX will facilitate every aspect of the purchase and installation of the rapid chargers which will charge the Volt in approximately 4 hours. The SPX team will advise homeowners on the requirements to upgrade their electrical service to accommodate the home charging system and will even assist them in taking the necessary steps to qualify for reduced electric utility rates.

AeroVironment

AeroVironment was chosen to be the exclusive home charging installation contractor for the Nissan LEAF. Even though AeroVironment is mostly known for residential installations, they are one of the few companies that sell both Level II and fast charging DC chargers for commercial use. AeroVironment is a well established company that developed unmanned aircraft for the military for many years. The company was responsible for the charger for the Impact, the precursor to the GM EV1 built in the 1990’s. They also developed the charging stations for the EV1, so it is only natural that they would manufacture the new versions of charging stations.

Coulomb Technologies

Coulomb technologies is one of the better known EV charging manufacturers. Coulomb is rapidly building out their membership Charge Point network which will allow their members to pull up to any of their stations and begin charging immediately. Currently most of the 300 stations they have installed are Level I, however they have now begun installing Level II chargers as well.

Clipper Creek

A less well known company, Clipper Creek has been selling chargers for decades. The design of their equipment is not as modern and sleek as some of the newer styles. Their chargers are geared more towards fleet installation rather than residential or businesses. Clipper Creek has made it well known that their products can be installed anywhere. They handle the home charging installations for the Tesla Roadster. These charging stations are meant for Level II charging only and come in a variety of configurations to meet their customers’ needs.

General Electric

The newest entrant in the EV charging station market is GE. They just introduced their new Watt Station charger. The first release is meant primarily for commercial installations, but there are plans to introduce a residential version later this year. The Watt Station is known for its attractive design. Legendary designer Yves Behar is the genius behind the sleek style of the Watt Station. It is also the first model that incorporates Wi-Fi smart technology.

PEP Stations

A little known company called PEP has begun working with Ford to build rugged robust charging stations that can handle rough usage. These units are architectural in design with a concrete base and stainless steel top. These units are primarily marketed to commercial and municipal installations. This obscure company has no track record, so their quality remains to be seen. The designers used high quality automotive grade components, so they are built to be robust.

Better Place

Better Place is known for battery switching techniques. They have now begun installation of vehicle charging stations in Israel and Denmark. So far they don’t have any plans to sell their units for residential use. We mention them here because they may change their strategy to offer residential charging options.

Leviton

Leviton is a huge and well known electrical supply company. They are along established company with a large number of service technicians. Leviton is including a 10 year warranty on their “Evr-green” home and commercial charging stations. The Leviton Evr-Green charging stations can support both Level I and Level II charging and will integrate with Charge Point charging stations. Leviton has also introduced a standard installation method that is the industry’s first pre-wired plug in system for their Level II chargers. This system will enable consumers to make their homes “plug in ready” before they purchase any electric car. This prewired system has a starting price of less than $200, not including installation and is meant to lower installation costs and reduce installation times. The prewired kits are required to be installed by an installer certified by Leviton, but once the system has been installed, the Level II charging station can later be easily added by the consumer.

Currently these are the main players in the electric car charging market place. Only time will tell who will emerge as the market leader and what other new players will join the fray. If you have heard of any other players that are making electric car charging stations, please let me know so that I can include them in this list.

Source by J. Lloyd Dent

Dry ice blasting is a modern method for industrial cleaning which is done with the help of a dry blaster. The blaster is loaded with particles of dry in a huge quantity which are shot out with force and help to clean any unwanted wreckage or debris on surfaces. In broader terms, dry ice is created by freezing carbon dioxide. Cooler than ice, Its also used in stores to keep soft and hard drinks cold before they are purchased. This method of industrial cleaning can be very dangerous if done without taking any precautionary measures. It is important that you follow all the safety rules before opting for this procedure.

Protective Wear

When dealing with a dry blaster, it is advised that the user cover his hands by wearing protective gloves. Thermal gloves, for instance, provide protection even in low temperatures, so in case you touch the ice accidentally, you will remain safe. Moreover, a face shield must also be used to keep your face from coming in contact with the dry ice while the blasting is being done.

Measures for Electrical Safety

Both the dry ice blaster and other associated equipment must be handled with great care and attention. Before beginning the dry blasting procedure, it is important that you check all the equipment for any loose wires or openings. In addition to this, also check your electrical circuits; avoid using them if they appear to be damaged.a face shield must also be used to keep your face from coming in contact with the dry ice while the blasting is being done.

Blaster Hose Safety

Never work with loose hose fittings. Use a wrench when a fitting needs to be tightened and refrain from using the hose above the recommended pressure. Once the dry blasting is complete, leave the hose alone for a while so that all the air is released and then unplug it from the dry blaster. Do not disconnect the hose during operations.In addition to this, also check your electrical circuits; avoid using them if they appear to be damaged.

Safety During Operations

It is advised that a dry ice blaster should always be used in open spaces. A well ventilated area, for example, is ideal for this procedure since it will keep the risk of accidents to a minimum and will limit the exposure to the ever harmful carbon dioxide. Remember, never to point the blaster at another individual, keep it in the place that needs to be cleaned and carefully unplug all equipment as soon as the process of blasting is complete.

Source by Ashlynn T Morris

If you find your headlight bulbs are blowing on a regular basis, then there could be several reasons why it is happening and by identifying what the cause of the problem is, you will save yourself the cost off continually buying replacement bulbs, and the hassle of needing to constantly change them.

Are You Using Your Headlight Bulbs For Long Periods?

The typical expected lifespan of a standard halogen headlight bulb is around 350 to 400 hours, so if you are driving a lot during the long winter nights or even if you keep your headlights on during the day it is possible that your bulbs could only last 2 to 3 months.

Its important to note that if you have fitted upgrade xenon bulbs they will normally last only around 200 hours, because they have been in effect tweaked to improve their light output. For drivers who do use their headlight bulbs for long periods you can reduce the amount of time between changes by fitting long life headlight bulbs.

These tougher car bulbs contain heavy duty reinforced components and so last normally three times longer than standard halogen bulbs, whilst still offering the same lighting performance as normal halogen bulbs.

Are You Touching The Glass Bulb When You Change Them?

If you touch the glass section of the headlight bulb with bare hands, the natural oils within your skin will leave a small residue of grease behind. Once the halogen bulb is illuminated this oil patch will create a hotspot within the bulb and lead to it failing early. Therefore it is a good idea to wear latex gloves when installing new halogen bulbs.

Are The Bulbs Getting Wet Or Suffering Excess Vibration?

Whilst most of the major bulb manufacturers used toughened glass in the construction of their headlight bulbs, they are still vulnerable to the effects of thermal shock. This means that if they come into contact with water that has leaked into the headlight unit, then it is very likely that the bulb will be damaged. It is also important to ensure the bulb is securely installed as otherwise the extra jolts and bumps it will be subjected to can damage the filament

Is The Car’s Electrical System Working Correctly?

When installing the bulbs make sure that the electrical connectors from the lights power lead are firmly joined to the metal connectors on the base of the headlight bulbs, otherwise it is easy to get a short circuit and blow the bulb.

It is also important to check that the alternator is not overcharging the battery and delivering more voltage than the bulb is designed for. Typically the maximum voltage of a bulb is around 13.2 volts.

Are You Buying Good Quality Headlight Bulbs?

Whilst cheaper car bulbs may seem like a good idea, they normally lack the high quality and precision components used by the leading manufactures like Osram and Philips, and will not last as long. High quality bulbs will be marked with the E1 mark, which indicates they have undergone the most rigorous testing and quality standards.

Source by Ethan Melandri