That understates the case. The books on my desk (NEC, local code book, study guide) cost $250 by themselves. The test cost is $75. The study course, highly recommended, is $500. And the test is like passing the bar, don't count on doing it on the first try.

In some areas, those heavily dominated by labor interests, qualifying to take the test is a separate challenge. I won't get into it here, but there is a strong "you can't get there from here" aspect to getting an electrician's liscence in my area.

And places like Washington State require 8000 documented hours before you can become a journeyman electrician. You also have to have an electrical administrator on site. I got fined $250.00 for shoving romex into an OnQ box with a note to the electrician to hook it up. Around here we act like its radioactive... we don't touch it... we call Dave, our friendly electrician. He knows only a little about what we do so he doesn't try to compete with us. He'll charge us $250.00 minimum for a clock outlet or Max In-wall and more for a panel run dedicated 20A circuit but my next fine would be at least $500.00 anyway so we just bid him right in (we even take a little cut!)

With Washington's rules and my need to continually feed kids and pay a mortgage it is a very safe assumption that I will never be a licensed electrician. This kind of toughness to get in is actually part of what exposes so many electricians to what we do... and makes them feel that it must be easy so they soon "become stereo guys". It would be nice if they had the same restrictions we do and were actually forced to test or spend time in a training program too but around here... once you're an electrician you automatically cun run any wire with no questions asked. Thats why we get Cat5s twisted into non-funtionality, RG6 hammered flat with Romex staples and 22/4 phone wire to subwoofers. Its also been a long time since I've seen Cat5 or control wire of any kind run along with the 18 GA speaker wire to all the VCs that are then wire nutted together. The inspectors, good ol union boys, also don't know shite about this wiring so they automatically pass it as long as the elecrical outlets look right. I guess thats good for me though too as the only time I've ever been called back out after inspection was when one of my guys ran wires through a skylight opening in which the roof light had not been cut out yet during pre-wire... relatively easy fix.

Long rambling response but I agree with consensus. Run proper wire, use licensed guy, and if you want to cover your bases even more get a permit. Once its signed off you are ok if something bad happens.

As it should be. It's a 'life-safety' thing. Aviation, SCUBA, mountain climbing - same thing.


The code is there to protect everyone involved so, Tom, pass it to sparky for now and consider getting licensed (if it's feasible for you) in your area.

Which reminds me, local codes differ. Drastically in some areas. City of Chicago requires it's own license and has some very strict code of it's own yet the suburbs can be all over the place.

One county up an over, we pre-wired a media room and nearby plasma for a new home in Crystal Lake. So I called the city ahead of time. No, local licenses not required. No, romex is not allowed (damn, I always wanted to try a Panamax in-wall). Yes, EMT conduit is allowed "but everything out here is BX." Huh? "BX, all new construction is in BX."

Riiiiight. Sure enough, the whole place is snaked out with armored cabling when we get there. It seemed kinda weird, to me anyhow.

Aside from the low-volt A/V, we roughed in for a recessed fixture behind the plasma to a power protection inlet down below. Made sure to tag both boxes with company name and my own cell number just in case ANYTHING gets called out - good practice anytime you're not the main sparky on the job.

We run into this issue on a regular basis as well. Sometimes we have a sparky do it. Sometimes we tell the customer they must have the work performed. And, sometimes, weill I'm sure you know the other option.

The way it works around here is if you don't pull a permit for the job then it's illegal regardless of who does it and what that persons qualifications are. The sucky part about going and getting a permit is they don't base it on the electrical costs of the job but rather the entire project. This really sucks if your doing something like hanging a runco 3 chip DLP and have to go get a permit for the single electrical outlet you need in the ceiling.

BX in Crystal Lake? That's a surprise. I'm right down the road in Barrington and have not run across that one yet. Must look kind of Aliens-like in the basement with all that serrated metal snaking all over the place; I would start looking for a sweaty Sigourney Weaver with a serious weapon in her hands....

We use the Richard Gray "Power Link" kits all the time for projectors, subwoofers, plasma, etc. All surge protected at the equipment location.

Here is a link to a pdf on their web site

[Link: richardgrayspowercompany.com]

Hope this helps.

Now, is that 8 volts RMS, average, or peak to peak? I need to calculate that with an 8 ohm load to make sure my amps are not exceeding 8 volts.

I may have to start selling those 20 watt per channel table top home theater systems to keep it under 8 volts...

We use the Panamax version. Regardless of which you use they are to be installed by a liscensed electrician. We all know how they work, how to install them, but without that little piece of paper that says we know what we are doing it is illegal.

Hey, I left 3 LSD fiberglass rods in a attic in Crystal Lake back in 1999. Would you mind swinging by and grabbing them for me?

Why not install a recessed AC outlet, the type used on computer dektops to recess the AC outlet behind the plasm in the location near the power cord receptacle. The electrician can often use an existing circuit on the same wall. Then cut the power cord to custom length, put another end on it and plug it in

Is that the "M/W Powerkit - TL"

The Richard Gray and Panamax are not the only, or even the first, to do a remotely wired circuit back to the rack.

A lot of guys on this forum, including myself, have used an assemblage of common electrical house parts in a "custom" method covered at length on other threads...

Install a box mounted "inlet" receptacle right next to the rack, wired through the walls to your local code (Romex, BX, or in conduit) to the box with the clock hanger outlet at the plasma/projo location...

Then plug the male end of an unmodified, heavy duty extension cord into whatever AC line conditioner/surge unit you are using back in the rack, and the female end into the inlet...

The extension cord makes the clock hanger outlet at the end of the circuit live with surge protected and filtered AC from the rack, thereby eliminating the possibility of ground loops (hum bars) and you're not paying for the snake oil in the RG or panamax packages and all the high voltage lines are correctly terminated where they exit the wall, which should make any inspector happy.

This message was edited by 2nd rick on 01/29/05 06:49 ET.

Sure. I left my flippin' mind at a job in Michgan City three years ago. Take a look for it and let me know if the homeowner is using it for a doorstop, OK?

This is great if i lurk long enough and search enough you guys answer almost all of my questions. My Electrition was going to use a clock outlet for a plasma over the fire place. He never knew about the panamax protected outlet. I told him about it and he is going to get several for his truck. Thanks agin everyone.

Funny you should ask. I have to get back in there for hang and install after the closing next week. I'll bet the rods are still there.

I just hope to high hell the Symphony's survived the painters. They were supposed to have been done and gone last time we went out but the builder didn't tell me they were behind schedule. As if he didn't realize this two days prior when I checked in with him.