One for the lecturer's

[mayfair]

I am not trying to be insulting in any way and please remember the last time i attended college was 1979 Charlie T in Newcastle btw. But i see post after post from young lads that seem to know all these silly little numbers and Bs codes, regs etc but dont seem to have a clue about the practical side of things. In my day (my son's words) we did practical examples of testing, wiring, get the AVO's out etc....................Does this still happen? or is more time spent learning parrot fashion all these numbers. Be gentle just asking a civil question, out of interest.

 

[Engineer54]

No ...Your Spot on mate!!!

And i've still got my AVO, just have trouble finding those old flat 4 volt battieries!! haha!!

 

[robsparky1975]

i finished at college back in 2004 and yes its mostly theory based,i did 3 evenings a week for 3 years,2 nights theory,1 night practical,back then all exams you had to write and explain answers,not so sure now think some are multiple choice,and now its called electrotechnical,why did they change from the good old electrical installation 2360.

 

[Phil]

it really depends on the tutors mate tbh. i have seen and had both good and bad. the good ones teach you how and why the bad ones just pull that many past papers out that you learn the questions that much that you just spot the correct answer and remember it. now past papers are good when you deliver the content around it and teach them the reason for the answer but i can assure you these where just teaching the answer

 

[SirKit Breaker]

I am not trying to be insulting in any way and please remember the last time i attended college was 1979 Charlie T in Newcastle btw. But i see post after post from young lads that seem to know all these silly little numbers and Bs codes, regs etc but dont seem to have a clue about the practical side of things. In my day (my son's words) we did practical examples of testing, wiring, get the AVO's out etc....................Does this still happen? or is more time spent learning parrot fashion all these numbers. Be gentle just asking a civil question, out of interest.

Another old dinosaur just like me.

 

[Short Circuit]

i agree that they seem to teach the theory side more than anything in the colleges now, but that isnt a bad thing as the hands on stuff can be learnt as you go along, whereas some people will never look at the regs between update courses.
I went to Charles T too, although it was a little later in the 80's! Thye had moved on to the windy-up megger by then!

 

[nickblake]

when you do alot of testing and fill all those forms in you tend to remember the BS nos im damed if i can remeber reg numbers thats why we have them so we can look them up lol , when i did my 2391 i was the first in the class to do a practical i will remeber the lecturer saying to me when i walked in do you want the bad new or the good new well good new was the lecturer was being assessed bad news was it was by a city and guilds inspector who was also going to assess me to , i was ok on the practicle bit green but we all were that why we we in college theory i was ok not brilliant but i do laugh when you get the guys saying things which just doent make sence reg 134 .2.1 your work trousers are too short !! OK which one of you bright sparks are going to tell me that regulation number is not for the length of your trousers lol

 

[Golden_Boy]

Another old dinosaur just like me.

And Me ........

 

[Adam W]

I think it could be more a case of what you read on the forum - you can point someone to a reg or explain something in words and numbers, but it's difficult to give practical examples other than actually replicating what you're trying to explain then taking a picture, but even that doesn't show how you actually do it in the same way as you could in the workshop.

 

[MarkieSparkie]

Engineer54 your battery really was 'flat' at 4 volts , the flat battery used in the Avo series of multimeters was a 15V Every Ready BLR121.

 

[pushrod]

Not a lecturer, but think it depends a lot on whether you are doing a full time or part time course at college. If you are full time you will normally do a full day per week in the workshop when doing the level 2 2330. If you are part time(one day/evening class) it is more likely that you are already in the trade and so they expect/think you are getting practical experience and learning that side at your work and so concentrate much more on your theory. Don't think there is any emphasis on remembering regs though. The only numbers i remember having to learn was for fuses, plugs, mcbs and rcds.

I don't remember reg nos but if i answer a question for some one i will sometimes look up a number for my answer to help them, and also keep me in practice with the brb.

 

[i=p/u]

well i do 1 day per week and its 4 hour class and 4 hour workshop and as someone above said it depends on the lecturer's . last year had really good tutor and this year he bit more laid back. each to there own, just turn up i say

 

[thekingiam]

when i was in college in 2007 my fellow student had done no practical as the college hadn't the resources to do so,they still got there papers.

 

[telectrix]

Engineer54 your battery really was 'flat' at 4 volts , the flat battery used in the Avo series of multimeters was a 15V Every Ready BLR121.

not all avos mate. the model 7 used a 4.5volt, flat one , like in the old cycle lamps before these stuypid LED things were invewnted. i know, i've got an AVO 7, and i still use it.

 

[Engineer54]

not all avos mate. the model 7 used a 4.5volt, flat one , like in the old cycle lamps before these stuypid LED things were invewnted. i know, i've got an AVO 7, and i still use it.

Yep ....that's the one Telectrix!!! lol!! Well if your still using it, then i guess you can still get hold of those old 4.5 volt batteries, though i've not seen any at all over here. I last had mine calibrated about 10 years ago, and the guy that calibrated it said that it wasn't far out, on any of the ranges!! ....Asking if a discount in his fee was in order then, didn't get very far!! ...haha!!!

I wonder how many of these modern digital multimeter's will still be working perfectly after there 40 years old or so?? ..Not many i fear...lol!!