Technical Resources
Starlink Standard Gen3 in an RV or Cabin: Cable, Wall Socket, Power and Mount, Done Without a Hole in the Window Seal
The Gen3 kickstand dish is the most common Starlink on RVs and cabins and the hardest to install cleanly, because its cable is proprietary and its power draw is triple the Mini's. Here is the sealed, code-clean way.
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Starlink Mini on 12 V: Fusing, Wire Gauge, Cable Entry and Grounding for RV, Van and Boat Installs
The complete 12 V hardwire for a Starlink Mini: which power path, what fuse, what wire, how to get the cable through the wall, and how to bond it. With a parts list that comes to under $150.
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Copper at Record Highs: What the 2026 Price Run Means for Lugs, Ground Rods and Bulk Cable Buyers
Comex copper has spent 2026 above $5 a pound on data center and grid demand, tariff uncertainty and mine outages. How that flows into lug, ground rod and Cat6 pricing, and how contractors are hedging.
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EMT Compression vs Set-Screw Fittings: NEC 358, Raintight Ratings and Where Each One Passes Inspection
Set-screw fittings are cheaper and faster, compression fittings are wet-location rated. NEC 358, UL 514B and the difference between raintight and concrete-tight, with a fitting-by-location table.
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1500 V PV Strings, MC4 Evo2 and the Connector Mixing Problem: What Solar Installers Should Know in 2026
Residential strings are moving to 1500 V, Stäubli's MC4 Evo2 is the new reference connector, and NEC 690.33 now bars mixing connector brands. What that means for jumpers, combiners and the parts bin.
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Compression Lugs vs Mechanical Lugs: What UL 486A/B, NEC 110.14 and Your Inspector Actually Require
When a compression lug is mandatory, when a mechanical lug is fine, what the die color codes mean, and why long-barrel matters on fine-strand cable. A field guide with sizing tables.
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Cat6 vs Cat6A vs Cat8 in 2026: Which Cable Actually Pays Off for Offices, Wi-Fi 7 and Server Rooms
Wi-Fi 7 access points, 2.5G desktops and 25G server links have changed the math. A practical comparison of Cat6, Cat6A and Cat8 on bandwidth, distance, PoE heat and cost per drop.
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NEC 2026 Grounding and Bonding Changes: What Electricians Need to Order Differently
The 2026 NEC cycle tightens irreversible compression requirements, GEC sizing tables and bonding of metal water piping. Here is what changed in Article 250 and which parts to stock before your AHJ adopts it.
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Cat6 vs Cat6A vs Cat8 Patch Cables: Bandwidth, Distance, Bare Copper vs CCA, and How to Spec a Closet
Cat6 vs Cat6A vs Cat8 patch cords for installers: real bandwidth and distance limits, why 24 AWG bare copper beats CCA for PoE, choosing length and color, flat vs round Cat8, and shield grounding.
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Rigid vs EMT Couplings: Threaded, Set-Screw, and Compression — Which Coupling for Which Raceway
EMT set-screw, EMT compression, rigid threaded, and rigid threadless compression couplings: what each joins, why EMT and rigid fittings never interchange (different ODs), and the NEC 344.42 / 358.42 bonding rules.
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EMT Support Spacing and Fastening: NEC 358.30, Straps, Hangers, and Strut Clamps
NEC 358.30 EMT support spacing (3 ft from boxes, 10 ft intervals, the two exceptions), rigid/IMC intervals by size, and how to choose between one-hole straps, two-hole straps, conduit hangers, and strut clamps.
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EMT Fittings Guide: Set-Screw vs Compression vs Raintight, and What NEC 358 Requires
Set-screw vs compression vs raintight EMT fittings: how each grips, what UL 514B, concrete-tight and raintight mean, and the NEC 358.42, 358.10, 300.4(G) and 250.97 rules that decide which fitting you can use.
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