Entries by Kenny Jackson

Phantom Power

When most people turn an electronic device off they expect it is truly off and not drawing any electricity.  In many cases that is not true.  They still may be drawing “phantom power”,  also called standby power, vampire power, etc.  “Phantom power” was described by the U.S. Department of Energy in 2008 as follows: “Many […]

HDTV for FREE

Tired of paying for cable or satellite TV?  I did two things to get rid of satellite TV service for my home theater system without sacrificing picture quality, or to a large degree, video content.  I’ll describe step 1 in this article.  You can check in later for step 2 on my next article.

What’s That Green Wire For?

One of the most common problems we find with electrical installations, whether it be a do it yourself renovation, or even new construction, is finding that the ground connection is not properly terminated to light fixtures, switches and outlets.  They will work without making that connection, but for devices that include a ground connection, it […]

Attention: Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) issues update regarding Federal Pacific Electrical Panels!

Due to continuing pressure from engineering firms and others concerned with the safety of continued use of Federal Pacific Stab-Lok electrical panels, on February 18, 2011 the CPSC released a revised version of it’s original March 3, 1983 press release regarding FPE circuit breakers.

Plasma TVs – Why they are still, and always will be, superior to LCD and LED TVs

I have followed electronics as a hobby since I was about 10 years old.  Back then I was more into portable stereos (boom boxes) and home stereo systems.  I loved looking at the Crutchfield magazines and reading about the cutting edge stereo technology available.  Back in the mid 1980’s, I got a Yamaha DSP1 digital […]

Outdoor Lighting Maintenance – A Facility Manager’s Guide

Maintaining parking lot, building, and sign lighting is a very important part of doing business.  A well lighted facility gives customers, tenants and employees a feeling of security and confidence at night, inviting visitation and increasing revenue.