Systems

 

 

Integrated electrical and low-voltage systems of all types—inside and outside a building—encompass the range of work that electrical contractors do. The articles in this section highlight different types of work, from security, fire and life safety, to traditional electrical power and distribution, to lighting, cabling and more. 

The fire alarm systems industry has changed considerably over the years. Many old-timers can remember a fire alarm system that only detected a fire and sounded an alarm. Nonfire alarm systems did not interface with these fire alarm systems.

The history of classes and styles of circuits is interesting. Back in 1987, a proposal was accepted to start using Styles of Circuits instead of the Class A and B we were all used to. Well, at least some thought so.

As bandwidth demands continue to rise, both copper and fiber cable manufacturers are developing products that offer greater capacity and flexibility.

H&S Electric Inc., Valencia, Calif., has been in business since 1990. Its services include construction, commissioning, consulting, energy analysis, engineering safety, green building/­sustainability, maintenance and operations, systems management, systems design, and technology evaluation.

More on Systems

 
Fiber Standards Enable Low-cost, High-speed Optical Networks
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Welcome to a series of monthly articles focusing on “Premises Cabling Standards and Technology Updates” by Tony Beam, director of global systems marketing for AMP NETCONNECT.

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How Urgent Is E-Commerce for You?
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Tales from the land of construction business-to-business (B2B) e-commerce can be amusing (or depressing). Here are reports from the field to kick off this first monthly E-C column for EC.

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Branding Your Firm in the VDV Market
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Successful electrical contractors have “branded” themselves in the eyes of their customers, which in this context means they have differentiated themselves from competitors in one or more ways.

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Bidding Telecommunications Cabling, Part III: Preparing the Costing
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An electrical contractor’s most difficult task of a telecommunications cabling bid is preparing the costing.

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Accurate Loss Testing of Premises Fiber Optic Links
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Premises fiber optic cabling link testing requires precise referencing methods to obtain accurate and valid results. Loss testing for multimode fiber cabling is specified in ANSI/TIA/EIA-526-14A. This standard contains two test procedures: Method A and Method B.

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Choosing Fiber Optic Connectors and Using Them Properly
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When electrical contractors first decide to get into the fiber optic local area network (LAN) installation business, they have a plethora of factors to consider before ever making a single connection.

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Working with ESCOs: Friends or Foes?
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Some new guys in town could either be your friends or enemies. They are called energy services companies (ESCOs).

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