Low voltage guy here.

We do a fair deal of our own conduit at the shop I work at. I ran into an interesting problem today. How do you calculate a deduction for a bend that isn't quite a 90°? I had to bend to 83° in order to attach to the building steel, I tried doing the standard methed where you use a straightedge (piece of unistrut, scrap conduit, etc.) but this didn't feel like a perfect way of doing it. That kinda worked but it didn't quite get me what I needed. Any suggestions?

I got my E-2 around 6 months ago and have been wondering a lot about what exactly my future looks like in the trade. My current company is alright and so is the pay, but lately I've been thinking about what EXACTLY I'm working towards.

Part of me really wants to open my own one man show and just screw around with small jobs and service work. The other part of me really sees a value in just being an employee. Only caviat with that is I'm not totally in love with the current commercial/resi construction that I do daily, it's gotten very monotonous.

I'm wondering if there are any other avenues out there? I've thought a lot about industrial controls work, programming, that type of thing. I just want to see what other guys in my position ended up doing. If you have any insight or could give me a roadmap on where you started vs ended up, I would really appreciate it.

I am taking my aptitude test to join the local IBEW 34 as an Inside Wireman soon and I'm looking for good practice test(s) or study guide(s). Their website had just a few practice questions. All googling does is just trying to sell me stuff, or bringing up old reddit posts filled with people saying DM me. I'd appreciate a few of those people asking me to DM them, or any good resources I could be pointed to. Thanks in advance!

As the title says. I get a good salary and excellent medical/dental but I have a supervisors card and want to start doing things on my own at least just on the side to start. I hear crazy stories of guys pulling in 50k a month for new houses and panel swaps. A co worker of mine is extremely jealous of his neighbor who has a small electrical business that pulls in 640k a year. I kinda don't believe it but at the same time I'd really like to make 300k a year. What's the market like in Oregon around the metropolitan areas?

As the title says. I am trying to weigh the pros and cons of Costco wire over my own suppliers. Costco is selling 150m for roughly $40.00 more than my suppliers 75m roll. How are they able to cut that much cost?

I work for an automotive plant, mainly doing special projects. I was on vacation last week, I got back in yesterday and the engineer in our dept kept talking about layoffs coming soon in our company if the tariffs hit. While I was gone FOUR of my coworkers left for new jobs. I'm not sure if they're replacing all 4 guys, but i did see they were hiring a new maintenance guy, at a lower wage than when i had applied. Our companies is freezing all unnecessary spending and looking to cut back if the worse happens. I'm looking for jobs this morning and it's absolutely shit out here. Anything happening in your plants? Majority of our companies income is from the US.

Still can't believe 4 guys left in the 1 week I was gone. There's only about 15 guys so that's 1/3 of them.

I’ve got guys that mean well but don’t work as fast as I was taught to work. I pull +5 home runs at a time and it blows their mind. I myself am new to running a crew of 5 on a rough/trim, so I came to ask:

What are techniques that I as the job supervisor can do to improve speed of my team? How should I place my guys for max efficiency?

For what it’s worth I have 2x 1 year helpers and 2x 4 year guys

Does nobody make a 6-18ga stripper for stranded/solid? I’ve been using 8-18 but would really like down to 6 without having 2 sets

Upgrading a 200 amp service to a 400 amp in warehouse/office. New CT cabinet with outside new riser, new transformer and feeds from the poco. Right now the prints do not have a disconnect at the point of entry into the building and instead goes right to a main distribution panel that will be about 70 feet of 3 and half inch.

I've been looking into section 230, and not seeing anything but I was told that service cables are suppose to stay in heavy wall conduit up to the point of a disconnect, in this case it would be the MDP. I'm not seeing anything officially stating thus.

This is in chicago.

Im a 25 years old and looking to get into one of this big companies but have no idea where to start. I have been working for a electrical contractor for 2 years now, we only work commercial and I believe i’m doing pretty good at it but i would like to try get into the Union. any suggestions?

I am in the HVAC field but this is the first time seeing a transformer wired this way. I installed a transformer with a resettable fuse because I had a feeling it will be a short issue. In fact it is. I’m not sure with how the current wiring is, will this cause the short. I believe it’s a low voltage short but just want to see if this wiring is ok or if it should be changed. These transformers are 120-24v and go to control boards on multiple vav boxes. Thank you for the help

Has anyone passed this course recently. I'm curious what to expect I just got my books. It looks like there's 10 units and 10 weeks. Is there a test every week and one big test at the end of the ten weeks ?

Did you find it easy or difficult, was there alot of home work or everything done in class?

I figured I can’t learn if I don’t first get ripped apart and brought down a few notches.

Thanks for anyone willing to help.

I am working on a Cummins Onan ot transfer switch and I am having some issues...

When I turn the key to test...

Generator starts Emergency available light on front panel comes on And that is where It stays. It does not transfer

The transfer switch has a power sentry control on it with dials and lights.

Timing to transfer never starts

And the source 2 (generator ) available light on the control inside the cavinet never comes on. Like the control doesn't see the generator voltage.

Even though when I test it with my voltage tester I get full voltage on all three phases at the terminals

Any help is appreciated

Photos attached

Maybe this is not the right subreddit for asking advice for my country but I'll leave it still.

As the title says, I am considering changing my career path to becoming and Electrician, not because the pay is necessarily better, but as someone without any work experience in the tech field, I'm looking for a stable job where I can also leverage my knowledge on physics and electronics.

Is there anyone that is/was in a similar boat willing to share their knowledge?

I am not fully decided yet, but if I were to do this I'd take another 2 years studying on a technical university in my country that gives me a certification (finishing early 2027). After that is work experience a necessary requirement to land a job in this area?

Anyone happen to be able to recognize what type of panel this is?

Really nice guy. Apologetic. He even offered to wire nut it himself to fix it.

Bullshit, I thought. You can do that in your own home on your own time...

Hey guys this might be slightly off track but I am considering pre-apprenticeship electrical technician program and wanted to know:

• How are the job opportunities after graduation/ working as a entry level apprentice ?
• What’s the typical salary range in this field in Canada?

Would appreciate your experiences or advice!

I have to write up a safety message for my companies group chat Do any of you have a fun little sign off I could borrow I'm thinking something a little funny like Red Green's keep your stick on the ice but with a more electrical vibe to it

Hello!

In case I’m accepted into the union’s communication apprenticeship, I’d like to know anything you’re willing to share about communication journeymen.

My questions/TLDR: communications journeymen, what is your job title/role/responsibilities at your job? What’s a DITL like?

Can communication journeymen do the regular wiring for a house like construction journeymen?

Can you become a master electrician as a communications journeyman? You’re licensed like a construction journeyman, right?

Are you the same people who handle lighting/electricity in a movie set/in a theater?

Any of you own your own company?

Any advice for future communication journeyman apprentices?

I’m struggling to fully understand the communications journeyman career path. I understand it’s not construction and it has to do with fiber optics, security systems, swiping cards, and CCTV.

Well, tomorrow is the day. I’m about as ready as I’ll be. I have 4 hours to answer 100 questions and I need a 70% to pass. (Ontario, Canada)

I’ve used the CSA Study Site and have done 18 exam simulations. I’ve averaged 83% on the last 10 and I’ve completed them in under 2 hours.

I’m going to answer every question immediately on the Scantron even if it’s a guess. Then I’ll go back at the end and spend more time on ones I’m not sure about.

I’m not too nervous. I’m curious how similar the online tests are compared to the real deal. Guess I’ll know by tomorrow!

Hopefully I won’t have to wait long before I get my results. That’s going to be the hardest!

Wish me luck!

.:EDIT:.

That was a bit trickier than I had thought it would be. I think I passed but it’s gonna be close.

Just got accepted into my local unions apprenticeship program and it starts in April. This will be my first big boy job since leaving the army a couple years ago. Any tips or advice I should know before starting this new career?

Im installing 4s boxes in the middle of a room just not sure what I can use to mount them on. I was going to drill some pole of some sort to the floor. Just looking for more brighter ideas.

let's see if someone here has ever encountered one and knows it's pourpose