Streetcar construction was taken to new heights as the crews completed the first stretch of wiring that will power the streetcar.

The first sections of overhead contact system, or OCS, go along Elm Street from 12th Street to Henry Street.

Watch this story

The wire carries a 750 volt DC. The wires hang about 20 feet off the ground but project executive John Deatrick still wants people to be on guard.

The line carries a strong electric current and Deatrick said you should always assume it's live.

That's why there's a city permit that you have to get if you're going to work around that wire, said Deatrik.

Along with the city permit for anyone doing construction or utility work near the wire, a metro permit will also have to be secured. Anyone seeking those permits will also be required to go through safety training.

Rhinegeist Brewery is along the streetcar route. People working there were excited to see the wires when they got in to work on Wednesday.

I moved here back in August when they were tearing apart the pavement to put in the tracks. And now that the lines are coming up it's pretty cool to see that this is actually progressing. And before you know it we're going to have a stop right in front of the brewery, so that's pretty fun to see, said Luis Gallardo.

The streetcar is expected to be up and running by September 2016.

Read more:
Crews install first stretch of streetcar wires along Elm Street

New Product from Thomas & Betts Saves Jobsite Time and Cost

MEMPHIS, Tenn. The new Steel City 4 Square Open Back Box from Thomas & Betts (T&B) allows for wiring of a pre-installed device from the back, without having to remove the mud ring from the front of the box to make connections.

The simplified installation of the Steel City 4 Square Open Back Box saves time and cost on the jobsite, said Chad Smith, global product group manager at T&B. After making connections, the installer can simply close the box with a blank cover. This is especially ideal for prefabricated assemblies, where access from the back makes wiring connections in the field fast and easy.

Steel City 4 Square Open Back Boxes are available in shallow (1 inches deep) or deep (2 1/8 inches deep) models. Mounting screws on both sides of the box accommodate a mud ring on the front and a blank cover on the back.

Ground clips are also available to connect a ground wire to the box.

For more information about the new Steel City 4 Square Open Back Box from T&B, please visitwww.tnb.com and look for Steel City on the "Brands" tab, or call (800) 238-5000.

Thomas & Betts Corporation, a member of the ABB Group, is a global leader in the design, manufacture and marketing of essential components used to manage the connection, distribution, transmission and reliability of electrical power in utility, industrial, commercial, and residential applications. With a portfolio of more than 200,000 products marketed under more than 45 premium brand names, Thomas & Betts products are found wherever electricity is used. Thomas & Betts headquarters are in Memphis, Tenn. For more information, please visit http://www.tnb.com.

View original post here:
Square Open Back Boxes allow access to back of installed devices.

UESL End Seal Signal Light Kit provides easy to install visual indication of energized heat trace circuit

PITTSBURGH -- Chromalox, a leading manufacturer of advanced thermal technologies, today announced the availability of a new U Series accessory that represents cutting-edge design in heat tracing accessories. The UESL End Seal Signal Light Kit provides visual indication that a heat trace circuit is energized and is designed for use in Energy and commercial building & construction markets. The NEMA 4X rated end seal is designed to terminate one cable and indicate power with a universal voltage LED indicator light.

"The UESL End Seal Signal Light Kit is designed for quick and easy installation with self-regulating and constant wattage heat trace cables," said Chris Myers, product manager, Heat Trace. "With the installer in mind, we designed the product with a single piece clamshell to eliminate all screws, reduce the number of tools and create an easy installation experience."

The UESL End Seal Signal Light Kit is the only product in the industry offer 360-degree visibility. "In addition, the UESL End Seal Signal Light Kit allows users to order one unit for both 120 volt through 277 volt applications," said Myers.

Compliant with the highest global standards, the UESL End Seal Signal Light Kit is Division 2 approved by the Canadian Standards Association and FM Global, with approvals underway through the (ATEX) Directive and IECEx.

The UESL End Seal Signal Light Kit is the most durable and economic product in its class. The universal 120V-277V LED indicator light kit is designed for use with SRL, SRP, SRM/E and CWM heat trace cables and features eight LED lights. The model also provides water-resistant cable entry and corrosion-resistant wiring enclosure.

For more information, visit http://www.chromalox.com.

About Chromalox Around the world, Chromalox is known for advanced thermal technologies engineered for the world's toughest industrial heating applications. We partner with our customers to find elegant solutions to the most difficult and unique heating challenges. Our Heat Trace segment delivers temperature management solutions for piping systems, valves and tanks. Our Industrial Heaters and Systems segment delivers process heating solutions for revenue-generating industrial processes, and our Component Technologies segment delivers component heating solutions for industrial equipment manufacturers. Drawing upon a century of experience, a global footprint, and the most comprehensive set of technologies in our industry, no thermal control project is too large or complex. Founded in 1917, Chromalox is headquartered in Pittsburgh, PA.

CONTACT: Barbara Lee Chromalox, Inc. 412-967-3800 Barbara.lee@chromalox.com

Read more from the original source:
Heat Tracing Accessory visually indicates energized circuit.

SAN JOSE, CA Bentek, a manufacturer of a broad range of OEM power distribution products for the residential, commercial and utility-scale marketplaces, has begun shipment of the Bentek Commercial PV PowerRack-AL for three-phase inverters.

Bentek is pleased to begin shipping our new three-phase commercial Inverter PowerRack-AL, said John H. Buckley, Executive of Sales and Marketing for Bentek. The PowerRack-AL is a cost-effective, easy-to-install racking solution for three-phase commercial inverters.

The universal PowerRack-AL provides a common design that fits ABB, Advanced Energy, Chint, Schneider, SMA, Solar Edge, SolarMax and Solectria three-phase inverters. The Bentek Inverter PowerRack-AL can be shipped directly to any commercial jobsite where three-phase inverters can be integrated and installed on commercial rooftops. Bentek also can integrate commercial three-phase inverters and Bentek AC disconnects in its ISO 9001:2008 factory and ship the Bentek Inverter PowerSkid directly to the commercial jobsite. Bentek PowerSkids, when installed within 10 feet of the PV array, allow for NEC 2014 section 690.12 Rapid Shutdown code compliance while saving the customer time and money in simplifying the installation.

For more information about the capabilities of the Bentek Inverter PV PowerRacks and PowerSkids, please contact Bentek at 1-866-505-0303 or visit http://www.Bentek.com.

About Bentek Founded in 1985, Bentek is a leader in engineered electromechanical and power distribution solutions for industrial applications. Bentek designs and manufactures products such as wiring harnesses, electrical combiner boxes, and custom OEM assemblies for the solar energy and semiconductor markets. Bentek is an ISO certified company. For more information, contact Bentek Solar at 866-505-0303, e-mail SolarSales@bentek.com or visit http://www.Bentek.com.

Read more:
Universal Rack facilitates inverter installation and setup.

To buck migration, the Barefoot College has turned to mothers and grandmothers to light up villages

Satabhaya village, in Kendrapada district of Odisha, is barely 65 km from the district headquarters, but it can be called remote by any yardstick. Located inside the Bhitarkanika wildlife sanctuary, it remains deprived of basic facilities such as roads and electricity.

Abutted by the Bay of Bengal, the village is the only one left standing after the constant ingress by an aggressive sea swallowed up six other nearby villages over the past 40 years. Each time a cyclone comes around, villagers cower behind sand dunes before going back to pick up the pieces in their devastated homesteads. When Phailin struck in October 2013, the villagers managed to scramble to safety, but were far unluckier during the Hudhuds rampage in October 2014.

Eking a living in such harsh conditions, the villagers now see a ray of hope solar lanterns promise to light their path to development.

In Rajasthan, at the opposite end of the country, is yet another remote village, Tilonia, located far from its district headquarters. Here the solar lamp not only lights lives but also fetches an income, as the inhabitants of this desert village manufacture them.

Barefoot engineers

The Barefoot College in Tilonia, established nearly 30 years ago by Bunker Roy, is busy training new batches of the solar mothers and grandmothers, also popularly known as the solar mamas. These barefoot solar engineers rarely have formal education, but the dedication to work for their village is a must in them. So the college narrows its choice of trainees to women who are middle-aged and older, as they are least likely to move out of the village. A young woman, on the other hand, often leaves her village after marriage. So also the men, who are likely to scout for better opportunities outside the village after receiving the training.

In fact, the Barefoot College stresses on the importance of common sense. Common sense is in short supply and people are accustomed to believe that only a paper degree means education, development and empowerment, says Roy. The Barefoot College has proved that urban trained experts and professionals can easily be replaced by paraprofessionals from villages who have never been to college or have technical training of any kind. They learn on the job, through trial and error.

From solar energy to health, and from rural water supply to education, the Barefoot College taps the potential of local villagers to find solutions to a range of needs. Having a better understanding of local problems, they are better able to help fellow villagers and are accountable to their community.

After a six-month training, the solar mamas are adept at assembling solar lamps, relying on colour codes and symbols to guide them. The hands-on practical training equips them with skills that include fabrication of charge controllers and inverters, core winding, printed circuit boards, testing, wiring, installation of solar panels, and repair and maintenance of the lamps. These barefoot engineers have lighted up villages using solar energy not only in the remote areas of Ladakh, Barmer and Sikkim in India but also in Bhutan, Afghanistan and about 20 countries in Africa, says Roy.

Read more:
Solar mamas engineer energy security

The adapters in the Linksys AV2 networking kit were the only ones in their class to be outfitted with three prongs (the Zyxel AV2 MIMO adapters do, too, but theyre MIMO adapters). Avoid these if your home doesnt have grounded wiring, because you wont be able to plug them in. Whats more, their chunky form factor (they have a smaller footprint than D-Link's DHP-601AV, but the Linksys are thicker) makes it difficult to use the second outlet in a duplex.

The Linksys performance was almost identical to that of D-Link's AV2 adapters, between 65- and 70 Mbps, with good-quality video streaming. And like D-Link's, the Linksys adapters have LEDs to show connections to power, a power-line network, and an Ethernet device, plus passwords and push-button security options.

The Linksys PLEK500 HomePlug Ethernet adapters deliver a mediocre price/performance ratio.

Linksys does provide a pair of five-foot Ethernet cables (D-Link's were much shorter, but other vendors use longer cables) and an installation CD (which many people might not be able to usemy notebooks don't have optical drives).

Linksys must think these extras are precious, or maybe it just has an outsized opinion of its own brand: The kit's $130 MSRP is half again as much as that of the D-Link kit, and its higher than any of the HomePlug AV contenders. The price difference narrows on the street, but its still tough to justify the premium if longer cables and a CD are the only significant advantages.

Contributing Editor Yardena (Denny) Arar is a San Francisco-based freelance writer, avid online shopper, media junkie, consummate foodie, and proud possessor of a private pilot's license. More by Yardena Arar

Your message has been sent.

There was an error emailing this page.

Read the rest here:
Linksys PLEK500 power-line networking review: Pricey for its performance

Sparks were flying inside WesBanco Arena on Tuesday as welding work continues for the downtown Wheeling venue's brand-new $850,000 videoboard system.

Components of the new system - which includes digital ribbon boards and a high-definition center-mounted videoboard - began arriving Monday. Wiring work is well underway, along with installation of new steel beams to support the scoreboard.

Arena Manager Dennis Magruder said he received a progress update Tuesday morning, and everything appears to be on schedule for installation sometime next week.

Photo by Ian Hicks / Welding work continues in the rafters at WesBanco Arena in Wheeling, in preparation for the venues new videoboard system to be installed.

"I fully expect we'll be up and running (Jan. 23) as we've told people," he said.

The Wheeling Nailers host the Fort Wayne Komets that evening, the first of two home games on consecutive nights for the hockey club. After that, the Nailers won't play in Wheeling again until Feb. 6.

Although Magruder expects the videoboard will be ready to debut next weekend, he acknowledged that anything could happen, as plenty of work remains to be done.

"You've got all these different contractors coming together, and they're trying to get everything done while we're still having events," he said, adding setup begins today for the OVAC wrestling tournament Thursday through Saturday. "This is a huge undertaking."

WesBanco Arena has hosted three Nailers games since removal of the old center-mounted scoreboard. Magruder said the smaller, auxiliary scoreboards at both ends of the arena will remain in place until the new system is operational.

City officials have identified enhancing the fan experience as a major goal of an overall $5.6 million improvement project at the arena.

Read the rest here:
Magruder: Videoboard Installation on Schedule at WesBanco Arena

Boulder, CO (PRWEB) January 13, 2015

ISONAS Inc., a leading Pure IP access control system manufacturer that has revolutionized the security industry, has been awarded the 2014 Security Innovation Award Municipal Sector, for its work with the City of Bridgeport, Connecticut. This coveted award recognizes the most impressive collaborative project involving the lead integrator, participating security vendors, and the end-user client. ISONAS shares the honor of this award with The City of Bridgeport and the following participating Technology and Service Vendors: A+ Technology & Security Solutions, Inc., IPVideo Corporation, Axis Communications, and Milestone Systems.

ISONAS offers a proven access control solution that provides network-based Pure IP panel-less access control technology. Its network-based PowerNet IP Reader-Controller offers a patented technology that easily integrates with Windows-based software to deliver more simplicity, greater value, and total flexibility over physical access-point security. As a premier partner of A+ Technology & Security Solutions, ISONASs scalable and cost-effective access control solution was the right choice for integrating multiple sites throughout the city, states Rob Mossman, ISONASs CEO. We are extremely honored to be receiving this award along with the prestigious technology and service vendors who participated in the projects success.

The City of Bridgeport installation involved integrated security solutions to protect properties throughout the city, including historic Pleasure Beach, a recently re-opened public park with close proximity to many high-target security risks, as well as the citys 40 public schools. State-of-the-art technology used in the installation included thermal imaging cameras, wide dynamic range cameras, active deterrent systems, wireless video transmission, solar-powered arrays, and video management systems.

Im the father of four kids who were born and raised in Bridgeport. And, Im proud to say that our city is safer and stronger today than any other time that I can remember, said Mayor Bill Finch. Thanks to our partnership with A+ Technology & Security Solutions, we are using state-of-the-art technology to ensure the safety of kids and families in our parks and schools.

Jorge Garcia, Bridgeports Director of Public Facilities, explains, Bridgeport is getting better every day, and we are fortunate to be working with A+ Technology & Security Solutions, as well as so many outstanding technology partners such as ISONAS, to ensure that our citys security needs are being met in a way that creates a safe and vital community today. We are honored to receive the Security Innovation Award, which recognizes our use of leading edge technologies to make this success possible.

The City of Bridgeport is a prime example of how a well-designed, integrated security solution is far more powerful and effective than the sum of its parts, and A+ Technology & Security Solutions is proud to have applied our expertise in technology convergence toward bringing this award-winning project to fruition, said David Antar, President of A+ Technology. We look forward to continued work with Bridgeport as we create a centralized Security Operations Center that will rely on C3fusion software from IPVideo Corporation to tie everything together.

The Security Innovation Award with presented by Secured Cities and Security Technology Executive Magazine at the Secured Cities Event in Baltimore on November 10, 2014.

About ISONAS Inc.

Since 1999, ISONAS Inc. has been leading the security industry and has changed the game in access control technology. ISONAS has raised the bar by being the first access control company to design and manufacture a cutting-edge, IP-to-the-door solution that eliminates needless complexityincluding inconvenient control panels, separate power supply, and dedicated hard-wiring. Our network-based PowerNet reader-controllers offer a patented technology that easily integrates with Windows-based software to deliver more simplicity, greater value, and total flexibility to go places you never thought possible. With 25,000 readers installed worldwide across a broad range of vertical markets, ISONAS provides a proven IP solution that is revolutionizing the industry. For more information visit: http://www.isonas.com

See more here:
ISONAS Honored for Large-Scale City Wide Security Project in Bridgeport, CT

LOCKPORT Work on Niagara Countys new emergency radio network is almost complete except for a lawsuit that is preventing the completion of the antenna tower at Upper Mountain Fire Company in Lewiston.

County Fire Coordinator Jonathan F. Schultz said at a County Legislature committee meeting Tuesday that the erection of a tower at North Tonawanda Fire Department headquarters is to be completed Wednesday. Within the next two weeks, the communications dishes and other wiring installations are to be completed.

That leaves the Upper Mountain tower the only tower that needs to be completed, and then well have a network, County Manager Jeffrey M. Glatz said.

Schultz said the tower at Upper Mountain was practically done before the Town of Lewiston filed a lawsuit Nov. 24, contending that the county violated the towns building code by constructing the tower without a town permit.

The structure, which is 220 feet tall, stands on Moyer Road, within 100 feet of several nearby homes. Town law requires a 500-foot fall zone in case of a collapse.

Besides the town itself, five homeowners near the tower are plaintiffs in the suit against the county, the fire company, and the companies hired by the county to construct the network: Motorola Solutions, the contractor on the $10 million job, and L.R. Kimball, the engineering consulting firm.

The lawsuit is to be heard Feb. 4 by State Supreme Court Justice Mark Montour in Niagara Falls, County Attorney Claude A. Joerg said. Thomas C. Beatty, chief deputy at the Niagara County Sheriffs Office, said the Upper Mountain tower is done except for the installation of two communications dishes. One would face south to link with an antenna at Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center; the other would face east to connect with a tower outside the former Lockport Mattress plant in Newfane.

Other antennas were built at Terrys Corners Fire Company in Royalton; the Lockport composting plant; and at the county jail.

Although the county needed new equipment because of a Federal Communication Commission order that it reduce the amount of broadcast space being occupied by its emergency radio and data transmissions, the county decided to upgrade its full network in hopes that new antennas would help avoid dead spots in remote areas where two-way radios often dont function. One of those is the Niagara River Gorge, which is why Upper Mountain was selected as a tower site.

In another matter at the session of the Legislatures Community Safety and Security Committee, Sheriff James R. Voutour said he intends to change the rank of all of his departments first-line supervisors from sergeant to lieutenant. The change, agreed upon by the Police Benevolent Association, wont alter anyones salary, he said.

See the article here:
Only lawsuit prevents completion of Niagara emergency radio network

MediaCityUKs digital enterprise hub has added analogue testing facilities to it's state-of-the-art labs, to check internet usage on retro equipment.

The SPACE Interactive Media Labs, at The Landing, are some of the most sophisticated user-experience facilities in the UK.

But the newest installation allows advanced testing for any type of broadband connectivity - including both analogue and fibre-optic.

Jon Parker, Director of the SPACE labs said: "Every brand or service provider today needs to be offering a seamless, high quality and consistent user experience and despite the increasing roll-out of high speed fibre connections in the UK, millions of homes and businesses are still set to utilise analogue connections for many years to come.

"This means whether a user is streaming VOD content to a Smart TV, running apps on a tablet or enjoying a multi-player game via a console, theres still a very good chance theyll be accessing the content over copper wiring.

"Therefore broadcasters, software developers and other digital content providers need to be able to ensure that their latest technologies can be delivered successfully over any type of connection.

"It is now entirely possible to test a mobile companion app, alongside a live broadcast via set-top box in order to capture authentic user insight. It is this insight which used correctly mitigates the risk of producing a brand damaging, inferior user experience.

"This is where SPACE Labs come in by offering current, future and now retro-fitted old connectivity.

As many users still access their broadband via ADSL there is an increased demand for services to be tested over copper and analogue networks.

In 2013 The Office for National Statistics reported that 45 per cent of UK households still accessed the ASDL and other digital services via DSL infrastructure delivered usually over telephone lines.

Originally posted here:
Retro testing facilities installed at The Landing