We may receive a commission on purchases made from links. When undertaking DIY electrical projects at home, safety should always come first. Whether you're adding a dimmer switch, installing a new ...

The digital voltmeter is the best basic tool for electrical troubleshooting, because it's calibrated and exact. But remember, the digital voltmeter can't detect a high-resistance fault if the circuit ...

Broadcast consultant Tom Osenkowsky recently constructed a panel with two vu meters and a DPDT switch. The switch allows him to configure the meters to display conventional Left and Right channels or ...

Anyone who has used electrical or electronic products knows that electromechanical components such as cables and connectors are often a source of problems ranging from obvious to intermittent to ...

Unlike a conventional circuit breaker, which detects overloads and short circuits, an arc fault circuit interrupter (AFCI) uses advanced electronic technology to sense different arcing conditions.

Transmitter power is not the sole issue, but rather a combination of power and proximity. The lowly cell phone a few inches away may cause more problems than the broadcast transmitter a mile away. The ...

When you get the call, “The motor won’t start,” you’d best have a logical and systematic plan in place to approach the problem. “Easter egging” just doesn’t work unless you happen to be very lucky!

It’s important to learn and use component-level troubleshooting skills to diagnose and repair electronic problems, even in today’s world. The process involves digging into an electronic device, ...

Rule 1: Read first to learn how the circuit works, then redraw to troubleshoot. Rule 2: When tracing a circuit, always work from the load to the battery, or from negative to positive. Rule 1: Read ...