Electro-Mechanical Deductive Reasoning for Heavy Equipment Technicians

“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.”

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

“This was a very good course that I will recommend to other electricians that I work with. The instructor was very personable and knowledgeable. This course helped me to analyze and understand circuits that I will come across without seeing them beforehand.”

“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.”

“I found this course to be very precise and to the point, teaching an effective and expedient means to troubleshoot a system that is more or less universal. I found the method this course taught to even be effective on systems I was not familiar with; using this method I was able to successfully troubleshoot...

“The course was very helpful in developing a better technique to approach troubleshooting faults, thinking more about the test you are going to perform. I would recommend this course.”

“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 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...

“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...

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

"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...

"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."

“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.”

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.

"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."

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

“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 instructor did a great job, very informative, very helpful, lots of knowledge. This is one of the best courses I have ever been involved in; I learnt a lot from this experience.

Although I experience many similar troubleshooting scenarios at work, this course helps develop the proper way. Planning, diagrams and a proper course of action that could help me be more effective in the field. I found the last few days interesting as well as being related to electronic systems, some...

“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.”

"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."

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

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...

“This was a great course; I had no experience on troubleshooting prior to the start of this course. Now I feel comfortable. I'm glad it was available for me and it will greatly help me in the future.”

“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.”

"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."

“This course helps to show how to focus on the problem and how to narrow down where in your circuit the fault is. The instructor was helpful in showing how to prove you have located the fault through testing. This will be helpful in my work on board HMC ships and submarines.”

Course was beneficial in that it shows if you take a complex problem and break it down, document the information you have and come up with a plan it makes troubleshooting the problem easier. Instructor, Joe Kiceniuk was knowledgeable and conveyed the intent of the course.

I enjoyed this class a lot. I liked the use of the different boards and how hands-on the class was.

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

“The course will help me a lot in troubleshooting. It made me learn to troubleshoot quicker and able to split the problem in half the time. The instructor was really good at what he teaches and that made the course better. Thanks.”

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

“Introduction was good, well-paced and concise. This course had the perfect proportion of lecture vs hands on. It had a good variety of troubleshooting diagnostic boards/software, an excellent course for apprentices.”

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

“I found this instructor to be very knowledgeable and engaging. He presented the course material in an organized manner, making it easy to follow. The concepts presented will be of great benefit to troubleshooting. I would recommend this course and instructor.”

"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."

“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...

“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...

“This course and the instructor were both exceptional and I highly recommend this course to anyone in the electrical trade.”

“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.”

“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...

"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."

“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.”

“ Excellent content with plenty of hands-on troubleshooting and demo-circuits to use/test the techniques.”

“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.”

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.

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

It was a good course for learning how to troubleshoot systems with a process and direction in mind, by using that process, it becomes clearer what the cause of the problematic symptom is, and in turn to know what should be repaired/replaced. Lots of hands-on experience, troubleshooting was a great way...

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.

"I enjoyed the troubleshooting and especially the methodology"

“This was a really good course and instructor(Ed Rideout). I found great improvement in troubleshooting procedures and documentation. It also reduced number of steps to find faults by 50% to 75% (more efficient). I recognized different ways to troubleshoot (both open circuits and short circuits). I...

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

“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.”

“Very good training, very much like back to the trade school. Best training I have been on in a long time. It really helped with logical process for troubleshooting. Example, more analysis less testing.”

“The first day I thought I should get a little more instructions, but I got into it and I started to see the objective, what the objective was to get me thinking and figuring out methods to improve my troubleshooting. In the beginning I was frustrated but as my troubleshooting improved, frustration...

“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...

“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.”

“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.”

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

“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 was very knowledgeable, able to convey the message to the students so they understood. Hands on problem were similar to real-world problems, good layered track approach didn't intimidate students. Gave students confidence to take a good approach to troubleshooting.”

“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.”

"The contents of this course will be an invaluable asset to me and I would recommend that other technicians also take this course."

"This is an excellent course. I learned a lot of valuable information, especially regarding the application of thinking and learning patterns. Draw out your problem area and focus on the underlying issue."

"The course was good, we were shown a different way to approach problems. The instructor, Terry Yonkheym was easy to understand and follow."

“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...

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.

I found the instructor to be very clear with the information in the course and very helpful with understanding the process of deductive reasoning. This course was very good at helping you work through the problem by writing down or documenting your steps

“The instructor, Terry Yonkheym sure knows his stuff which helps a lot. I think in time I will surely benefit from this course (once I make what I learnt common practice). Class size was perfect and overall experience was good.”

“This course gave me a better understanding of how to analyze problems and minimize time in troubleshooting.”

“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.”

“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!”

“The instructor explained the material very well; he was very knowledgeable of the equipment, material and software. He was able to break down problems to a level anyone could understand. I noticed improvement day to day in my troubleshooting abilities.”

“He was amazing from the beginning till the end for his in-depth knowledge of the course materials. He speaks in a tone that could be understood. If you call his attention on any topic, he spent time with you and made sure you got it. I loved the course.”

“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.”

“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...

“Was a good course. Enjoyed the challenges of troubleshooting with a different method. Would highly recommend.”

“The instructor has lots of experience and demonstrated the information very well. I will make use of the information presented. Great course.”

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

“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!”

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

“The instructor was extremely helpful, knowledgeable, friendly and understanding of the student’s different levels of experience. The course was probably one of the best I've done to date. I feel more confident when approaching equipment to repair with either experience or little experience working...

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

"The best off-site training I have been to..."

“This course was very beneficial in helping you to think about how to breakdown problems to reduce troubleshooting time. The idea of documenting everything so that others can pick up where you left off will help with cross shift issues.”

“This was an excellent course with a great layout of the material. It starts with a learning process of systematically breaking down the circuits to narrow down the focus area. By doing this, you have a smaller focus area and less testing, making you more efficient. Also learning the importance of...

"This was by far the most practical electrical course I have taken so far. The instructor was excellent and very knowledgeable in his field. I wish I had taken this course 20 years ago."

“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...

"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...

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

"This course will pay for itself by the time I repair my first piece of equipment. Ed Rideout is an excellent instructor with a lot of actual hands on experience. Top guy, top course. Material was clear and relevant."

“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.”

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

I found that the course was good and it made me think about narrowing down the problem and planning it out before starting my troubleshooting. I liked the fact it was a small class ad it was easier to get help if you needed it.

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.

"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."

“This course was a great eye opener on how planning before troubleshooting, will save you a lot of pain and time. As anew worker to the industrial workplace it is a great way to boost my troubleshooting skills. The instructor was great and made sure we all got the points before we moved on and gave...

"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."