Greatest Electrical Game Changers

[Mikegh]

RCD

Voltstick

Led lighting

PIR detector

 

[timhoward]

We also mustn’t forget that bastion of electrical safety and quality control, the NICEIC. I’m sure UNG will whole heartedly argued on that one. ?

I’m not biting again ????

 

[Pete999]

I’m not biting again ????

Go on be a devil

 

[ipf]

We also mustn’t forget that bastion of electrical safety and quality control, the NICEIC. I’m sure UNG will whole heartedly argued on that one. ?

Nothing wrong with it AT ALL..........until the millennium, Part Peee and quick courses, and charity eyes filling with spiralling money signs as a result.

 

[timhoward]

.

 

[ipf]

Go on be a devil

I've forgotten what Electrical Trainee stood for.....any chance of a reminder, mate?? ?

edit I'll try Five Wonder Woman, seeing as it's been edited. HA!?

 

[Mikegh]

4 good things:

• PVC instead of VIR
• MCB instead of rewirable fuse
• RCD for all domestic sockets
• LED lighting

4 bad things

• Throw-away LED lights
• Smart meters being anything but smart
• TN-C-S without a requirement for local earth rods
• General deskilling of industry (not just parks)

Good call on the mcb ,rcd and pvc

I would have the RCD and the voltstick/single point contact testers at the top of the list

 

[Pete999]

I've forgotten what Electrical Trainee stood for.....any chance of a reminder, mate?? ?

Proper Apprentice, does that ring a bell as opposed to a boil in the bag sparky tin hat on.

 

[FatAlan]

I suspect I know where this is heading.

Light fittings obviously designed by people who never have to fit them.

 

[DPG]

Light fittings obviously designed by people who never have to fit them.

Ooh yes, that's a good one!

 

[ipf]

Proper Apprentice, does that ring a bell as opposed to a boil in the bag sparky tin hat on.

I mentioned the 'wonders', is all hell gonna break loose, now?

 

[Pete999]

I mentioned the 'wonders', is all hell gonna break loose, now?

 

[nicebutdim]

Proper Apprentice, does that ring a bell as opposed to a boil in the bag sparky tin hat on.

Perhaps the industry could do more bit to assist with that.

I've finally managed to find a local college that 'might' provide me with an adult apprenticeship, but so far haven't managed to find anyone willing to take me on as an adult apprentice. The same college has a huge number of applications from school leavers, most of whom will miss out due to being unable to find placements, so this isn't an issue of age. It's all well and good advocating for proper training, but it's a two way street. Over the last few years I've come to understand that people might undertake short courses out of desperation, rather than a desire to find an easy route.

As it's a Sunday afternoon there's not much I can do to further my future employment prospects, but I can enjoy reading about changes that made a significant difference to the industry.

 

[pc1966]

Light fittings obviously designed by people who never have to fit them.

Black lamp shades.

Did the designer ever wonder what the purpose of a lamp is?

 

[marconi]

OP - Great new idea for a post.

MFTs - Relatively inexpensive considering their safety of use, sophistication, reliability, ease of use, robustness, accuracy, resolution and precision - and for work done usefulness to quality assurance.

'It ain't working and safe until it has been properly tested.......'

 

[Lucien Nunes]

Many of the important foundations for the 20th century electrical industry were laid during the 19th century so let's look a bit further back beyond RCDs and Voltsticks. As with many key inventions, progress was often made in parallel by more than one person or team, so credit for some of these milestones is due also to others too numerous to include:

Arc lamp - Humphry Davy - c.1805
Transformer (principle) - Michael Faraday - 1831
Generator (principle) - Hippolyte Pixii - 1832
Practical generator - Zénobe Gramme - 1871
Filament lamp - Joseph Swan - 1879
Distribution at fixed voltage using transformers - Zipernowsky, Bláthy & Déri - 1884
Practical 3-phase machines - Mikhail Dolivo-Dobrowolsky - 1889
Commercial HV power transmission - Sebastian de Ferranti - 1891
Steam-driven turbo-alternator - Charles Parsons - 1901
Tungsten lamp - Sándor Just & Franjo Hanaman - 1904

Once we get into the 20th century it gets a bit busy - there are literally hundreds of critical developments without which we would not be where we are today.