Electro-Mechanical Deductive Reasoning for Heavy Equipment Technicians

“This course is the best I've ever done. Lots of hands-on which is the best and fastest way to learn. This course is making me feel more comfortable in troubleshooting; the instructor was a great teacher and a nice person.”

“I really enjoyed my practical class. Thank you for sharing your expertise, I hopefully will be able to implement it further into the field. Thanks.”

“I thought the course was very well done. I liked the hands-on approach. The instructor was very knowledgeable. I would recommend to coworkers. We work on generator systems, kitchen equipment, industrial, overhead crane VFD’s, HVAC Systems on the base, overhead doors, fire pump diesel and electric.”

"Terry Yonkheym was very patient with our lack of technical "expertise". This was a good course to show us methods to practice in future activities to analyze and plan a method to put into practice."

HATCES “I would recommend this course for anyone who was looking to upgrade or start on their troubleshooting knowledge. The structured system taught is a very helpful tool to help pinpoint the problem efficiently. The instructor is very knowledgeable and will help you along without pointing out the...

“I was very happy with the course. I learned a lot. My troubleshooting skills have improved more than what I was expecting. The teacher was awesome and very knowledgeable.”

The course was very informative and taught us a good way on how to troubleshoot. The teacher, Terry Yonkheym was good at getting his points across and always had time for each person.

"I have gained the confidence in analyzing and learning how to find a problem, by not getting my mind stuck in one spot. Just that alone has already made me better at my trade. The amount I have learned during this course would have satisfied me by the end of the second day. So, having a full five days...

"Course is hard for the first coupe of days, but in the middle of the course it starts to get easy or better. I have learnt lots and will take it to my work place. The instructor, Joe Kiceniuk is very good, easy going and very smart. I had fun, thanks for the course Canada Training Group."

“Good hands on training in a controlled setting. Trains you on an approach to troubleshooting. Proves that the importance of documenting your finding, shows how to divide and conquer the problem. Lots of different troubleshooting problems to work on so there is something for everyone.”

"Thought the course was very informative. It taught extra ways of thinking to use for problems. The instructor, Ed Rideout was very experienced and showed poise when asked to go over/show different ways of explaining a problem to the class."

“I think that after taking this course, I will become a faster and better trouble-shooter. The instructor was very well informed and came across so that I could understand it easily.”

“I would recommend this course to my co-workers. I learnt how to document everything and how to approach and solve problems in a different way.”

“I think that most of the materials presented were a great exercise in practicing trouble shooting skills.”

"This is a great course. I learnt lots about how to organize and prepare for troubleshooting. Well worth attending."

“I learnt more than I thought I would have learnt. I’ve learned that having more information and being organized is the key to the problem solving. Having a place to start is better than staring at the wall. The instructor was informative and explained things so I could understand them. Definitely...

“Wish I had been given the opportunity to take this training years back. Learning in the classroom, rather than learning in the field, costs the company less down time. This easily pays for the training. Thanks for letting me attend. I will be promoting this to have our 9 control techs take the training.”

"This course was fun and challenging at the same time. Instruction was clear, done in a comfortable environment."

"Although I experience many similar troubleshooting scenarios at work, this course helped develop the proper way. Planning, diagrams, a proper course of action that could help me be more effective in the field."

I did enjoy this course and liked reviewing what I already learned back in trade school. The instructors were very knowledgeable and helped me through parts of the course in which I was a little rusty.

“ Documentation is the key to successful troubleshooting. Excellent job! I will be recommending to my supervisor that the other techs take this training”

“This course was a great learning tool and it's hard at times but it was great, good job.”

“This course made me look at the big picture, then find my way to the problem faster by not doing unnecessary testing and checks. Having to write a bubble around the problem area made it easy to reason and test my way through to find the problem quicker and easier.”

Although I have an established understanding of electrical systems in our field of work established from my experience, I enjoyed working through electrical bugs. Learning to troubleshoot electrical problems has sharpened my mind, and I am ready to apply myself.

“Enforced the importance of good documentation, know what to expect from meter readings before the readings, understanding the problem, get all the available info, if stuck on a problem, take a short break.”

“Interesting course, I enjoyed it.”

“ Good course content and lots of hands on to solidify the theory. This course will pay for itself in two weeks”

“I thought he did a great job presenting the materials and how to properly and efficiently troubleshoot electrical systems. I think that I can use the information I got to help me diagnose problems I may come across at work. I learnt that a system should be analyzed and a plan made before proceeding...

“The instructor let us know the focus of the course and really showed us the method which we were to follow. Easy to talk to and made you think through the problems.”

“Great course and instructor was great. Will use to help analyze and troubleshoot issues in antenna systems that I work on.”

"I think this was a great course. I haven't done a lot of troubleshooting up to this point but certainly feel better prepared to do so now. Joe Kiceniuk is a great instructor and he is very knowledgeable."

“I think the course was very well presented and helped emphasize the use of a meter and how to interpret the readings you get.”

“Course overall is very good. A lot of good, on topic information. Very beneficial to anyone having to troubleshoot systems. The instructor was excellent. Very versed at delivering the information at an in depth but widely understood method. His knowledge with the process of troubleshooting is very...

“ How to analyze, document and test efficiently... this course is for anyone who works on electrical systems.”

"I liked this course as there were good fault/circuit boards to work on. I liked the heater simulator as it related to a lot of what I would do on a regular troubleshooting day. (A lot of propane furnaces, which are similar) Also, the timing circuit was great, a lot of knowledge came out of that one...

“The instructor was very knowledgeable about the course material. The content of the course was very interesting and valuable for my personal benefit as well as the company. I had very little exposure to prints and troubleshooting before the course and I feel now way ahead in this troubleshooting than...

“This course helps to improve troubleshooting skills by starting with the basics. Shows the importance of documentation for helping you and your coworkers. By planning your testing, you will be more efficient. Course was thorough and well instructed. The instructor made sure everyone was at the same...

"The hands on work was well organized and the computer word was a nice change from the norm, both of which made you think. This is a must have course for technologists."

“I personally enjoyed this course. It helps me a lot when troubleshooting any electrical system. How to break down a circuit and where to pinpoint a problem, it was challenging at times, but that's the valuable part of the course. It really makes you think. The instructor was very informative and knowledgeable...

“Had a good time learning about troubleshooting. The instructor was good and answered all of my questions. He showed us how and where to begin troubleshooting so we didn’t have to go through the whole circuit. I would tell anyone to take this course as it was very helpful.”

"The course was well presented and the instructor Ed Rideout gave good explanations and answers to the questions asked. He taught us how to look at problems in a different way and showed us other troubleshooting methods."

“The course demonstrated the importance of taking notes, which became apparent to prevent yourself from going in circles and checking equipment previously checked. Splitting the circuits into sections is something I will take away from the course and use extensively in the future. I view this as a...

“Using logic and better testing (meter) techniques, I am now a much more effective and efficient trouble-shooter.”

"This course was excellent overall. The equipment and tools provided were excellent. The instructor Ed Rideout, was clear and made you feel comfortable with the material."

“I fully enjoyed the course and I would highly rate this course for the rest of my coworkers. The equipment was excellent and there was a lot of troubleshooting areas which were great.”

"This course gets your mind working so you can look at a problem in a different frame of mind."

I think the course was useful because it taught me how to plan my troubleshooting. It was a lot of hands on tasks which was good. It gave me a lot of testing experience and the ability to experiment, going about problems in a different way. The instructor, Terry Yonkheym was knowledgeable and kept the...

“The instructor was knowledgeable on course content. He kept everything in informal and made it fun. Emphasized the process on how to solve problems.”

“My troubleshooting skills are better after finding a method to break apart electrical problems. This course shows you efficient ways to analyze information and plan tests.”

“The information was good. There was lots of hands on, which was excellent. The instructor kept things moving at a good pace. He was knowledgeable about aspects of the course material. The equipment used worked well with the troubleshooting objective. Definitely learnt something.”

"The instructor, Terry Yonkheym was very knowledgeable and came across well wth his presentation. He was very good at explaining the problems encountered and what to look for. Also, explained this course was about "how" to troubleshoot with the 5 step system. This technique should help to figure out...

“This was a well paired course with plenty of time and exercises to complete, very knowledgeable instruction for planning.”

This course is an excellent learning tool for troubleshooting. The way it was taught was excellent for getting though the information. For personal gain this was a very good experience. The hands on showed me a ton of new useful information. Ed Rideout was a great teacher, clear and thorough.

"Excellent course. The content and the instructor exceeded my expectations, I have new tools in my toolbox. Most importantly, a new way of thinking. How to come to an issue? How to gather "helpful" info? How to zero in on the problem? The hands on was an invaluable learning tool."

The course was interesting and the instructors were knowledgeable, approachable, and kept things interesting. Fault loading on the boards and the use of the computer programs helped build proficiency in the techniques.

The course was a good refresher. It had good analysis sharpening skills. Also, the switchboards, laptops, and programs helped break down circuits.

“ A good variety of content, and a well informed and open instructor. I will be teaching this method amongst my apprentices and co-workers.”

“Very knowledgeable instructor with a good attitude explains the hazard material thoroughly. The course teaches you an analytical approach for problem solving that can be applied basically to everything in life, recommended to everyone.”

“The instructor and course was very good. The instructor was well-prepared and very knowledgeable. I would tell all my co-workers how excellent this course was taught.”

"Great instruction, I learnt a lot of troubleshooting skills. It was a very informative course!!"

“The course was very effectively laid out and the use of the training aids made the course much easier to stay engaged. The instructor was very knowledgeable and was able to steer you in the proper direction without making you feel stupid. Excellent course overall.”

“The instructor was very knowledgeable in troubleshooting and course content very interesting and worthwhile course.”

“I found the course and the instructor challenged me in ways that revealed my weaknesses and provided the skills and system to overcome them. Well worth it!”

"This course will pay for itself the first time a critical motor is down. If it saves one hour of downtime that is $100,000.00"

“Course was very good, definitely gave me another way to troubleshoot problems and make sure I document everything. Had very good examples and hands on was awesome, better than looking at a Power Point all day.”

“The most useful and helpful electrical course I've ever done with Syncrude. Every electrician should take this course at some point in their career. Makes you think about the problem on a larger scale, then narrow down that your testing area.”

“I thoroughly enjoyed this course. It had lots of hands on exercises, which is the best way to learn. Ed Rideout was very knowledgeable and obviously had a ton of practical experience. Great instructor!”

"This course was very informative and interesting. Good information which is reinforced by the hands on practice provided."

“The course was useful in the sense that it teaches the importance of finding your starting point and staying calm while troubleshooting. The course would be best suited for apprentices, journeymen with little or no troubleshooting experience. There are lessons to be taken from it and about the mental...

"I liked this class a lot. I liked the use of the different boards and how hands on the class was. The instructor, Joe Kiceniuk was very knowledgeable and clear on his points."

“Very good to think of troubleshooting in a more effective manner and safer to record results and findings for information sharing’s and recording. WebCAT will send all people to course in electrical field.”

“I found the method of troubleshooting presented to be very helpful in solving the problems during the course. After 2 days the time to solve each problem was reduced significantly. I will try to apply this method with similar problems on the job. I found the day 5 troubleshooting board to be most...

“I thought this course was a great approach to improving troubleshooting skills. Ed Rideout did a great job instructing, was very knowledgeable and easy to understand. I could see my skills improving as the week went on. The test sets used for the course were great, as well as the software. All in...

“This course teaches you about mental state and how it affects your attitude when trying to troubleshoot. It plays an important role in analytical thinking that not many people would realize on their own. I would recommend this course/instructor to not only electricians, but millwrights, mechanics...

“I found that I should be able to find faults much, much faster now. Thank you tremendously.”

“Very good course. I would recommend to my coworkers if they felt they needed to improve their troubleshooting skills, or develop proper skills. This course will take them to where they would want to be. This course had given me valuable skills and knowledge to make my job as a maintenance electrician...

“The course was an extremely valuable tool to any electrician. Experienced troubleshooters can refine existing skills and less-experienced will gain knowledge that isn't the overly obvious unless taught.”

Excellent course, Joe Kiceniuk did a great job presenting the material. This was a very good refresher for those of us who have experience troubleshooting electrical/electronics and excellent foundation for those us who did not.

“Instructor was very knowledgeable and the course was great. The course was very hands on which made it easier to learn.”

“The instructor was very knowledgeable and well prepared. He used real time examples to illustrate points. He kept the flow going not allowing us to get side tracked from our goals. Each day started with a review and reinforced course objectives. A great course, highly recommend it.”

"Joe Kicenuik left lots of time to review all the classroom material. He was very helpful in answering any questions and was effective in explaining what troubleshooting techniques work best for each particular problem. This course will improve your way of approaching future problems in your job field."

"This is the first time I have been trained in a step by step approach to troubleshooting. I feel, this will make future troubleshooting and breakdown issues in the future a lot safer and problem solving a lot easier. Increased production, increased safety means...WIN, WIN!!"

This course was definitely beneficial to me. It opened my eyes on how to look at a circuit differently and use less steps to identify a problem. This training proved the importance of recording ALL information gathered about a problem, at the same time also knowing how the circuits should operate under...

“The course was challenging and effective in teaching the intended skills. As long as one keeps in mind its intent which is to focus on a troubleshooting system rather than the particular equipment, I think anyone would find it an excellent learning experience.”

“I would recommend this course to all electrical workers. This course helps you go through the process on what and how to troubleshoot electrical systems. I believe that this would help people troubleshoot electrical problems faster.”

“ I enjoyed it. It was very mixed. You were not overdoing just one aspect but always covering something new. I like the troubleshooting tools…thinking, observing, analysis, then test!”

“The instructor is very patient and knowledgeable, offered assistance and gave time to help me understand the task at hand.”

“This was a very good course. It helps you to get in a proper mind set when you come up on a problem to troubleshoot. It teaches you that documentation is key to shorten your troubleshooting time. The instructor was on point and had a lot of knowledge to pass on.”

“This course was very informative and makes you think outside the box. It was challenging troubleshooting. The instructor was knowledgeable and showed you safe troubleshooting techniques. It was a positive atmosphere, effective meter placement, reduced troubleshooting times, visual troubleshooting...

"The course was effective at teaching the importance of proper documentation of problems and how to narrow down a problem area."

"This course is an excellent tool for anyone who will be doing troubleshooting on equipment or a plant."

"This course was good and definitely changed my thought process. The hands on/practical portion I found to be the most effective. The computer programs were also very effective."

"Excellent course and knowledgeable instructor. Relaxed learning pace with no limits on fault findings. The test equipment and labs were easily understood and were easy to operate. Documentation provided was clear and accurate. It changed my process for fault findings."

"I gained the ability to take my troubleshooting to the next level by doing it faster and safer. I believe I have the ability to troubleshoot any problem by applying the steps that I learned in this course."

I would recommend this training to others, another tool to add to the kit. The instructor, Ed Rideout was easy going and helpful. I also liked the....no question is a stupid question.

“The course was well thought out, had good equipment, good pace, and relevant training material. The instructor was friendly and relatable, good instruction, good at presenting ideas in different ways to help with understanding.”

The props/test equipment makes it easier to understand and learn. Computer apps were an interesting challenge. Even with years of experience, it is helpful to see troubleshooting from another structured perspective.

"Very good tips on how to break down a problem into manageable steps. And on eliminating problem areas to break down problems. Good teaching."

I enjoyed the course. It refreshed things that I have not had to troubleshoot in a long time. I will recommend this course to everyone in my shop. Thanks for the knowledge Joe Kiceniuk.