Electronics Forum / Electrical Engineering / July 2005

I wonder how many of you out there who design
circuits imagine yourself riding on an electron as it whizzes
through the circuit as part of your analytic or diagnostic process?
I find this thought process to be particularly useful in software, of

I have found interesting software for electricians.
Did anyone experianced to work with it?
Is it worthy to buy?
You can see programs on www.daslsystems.com

I'm Thor and I need a lighning gun.What do I need ?

Is this still the best standard text to take one from
Maxwell off into the wild blue yonder via our
antennae arrays?

I live in the UK and have a query regarding bathroom sockets for electric
razors: why do they always have a transformer in them?
My electric razor says it works on 240V. Given that UK mains is also 240V,
why the transformer? I have successfully used it off a normal mains socket

I am trying to fix a sound system noise problem, and have some questions
that require electrical engineering expertise. I hope that someone here
can shed some light.
Sound and lighting systems are installed in a large church sanctuary.

I have a continuity checker which consists of a lamp, a battery, a crocodile
clip and a sharp pointer which can detect a break in the line with no
voltage in the circuit.
I have had mine for years but cannot trace where I bought it.

At an auction today I picked up a Bridge Rectifier. It is in a Hoffman
enclosure with a 240/480V to 120V transformer single phase, a bridge
rectifier, some sort of contactor with a Mallroy 200Av hollow cylinder
capacitor ( I think this might be some sort of regulator) and a

I have a gas detector which it has not been possible to determine the
supply voltage - it is either 12 or 24v.  While I wait for any
manufacturer info, can I add a resistor to the unit if it is a 12v unit
to operate it on 24v - a safety device I'd rather have it operating off

Is there shuch a thing as a variable capacitor? I am planning on
tunning my phase converter with run capacitors and did not know which
size would be best. I plan on testing it with no load and full load and
finding the best capacitance to balance my amps and volts.

I'm no electrician so I thought I post a question.  What's the maximum draw
that can be connected to a standard household circuit?  I have a 200amp
panel and just installed a circuit with numerous outlets and a fluorescent
light fixture on a 15amp breaker with 12/2 Romex.  I put two ...

I've been employed for over 25 years in business, the world is changing
in strange and mysterious ways (as in China is sucking us dry....)
So.. this might be a midlife crisis question but so be it...
1) How long does it take to become a Master Electrician?

A colleague and I are having some disagreement on what configuration
the power system we are working on. Kindly look at my (ugly) drawing at
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v395/angkin/eestuff/power01.jpg
On the left is what we saw outside the building, two transformers

possibly a little off topic for you guys but please humour me.
i've got this electrical device which requires a 5 volt input and 2A max
supply. what the hell does the max mean?? can i use a supply which provides
less current?? in general how important is it to match an exact power ...

Hey people ...
     I put up a request for a topic for doing undergrad project .. and
you came up with some great ideas .. well i need your help again .. as
the idea I chose .. the cart with the engine thing .. it has been asked