The Voltly journal
Notes on the practice.
Field notes, guides, and the thinking behind Voltly.
- 01
The Calculation Habit That Separates a Clean Job From a Callback
A field workflow for electricians: when to run the numbers, what to calculate before you leave the truck, and how a calculation habit prevents costly callbacks.
2026-06-11
8 min read
- 02
EMT, IMC, or Rigid: Choosing the Right Conduit
A decision guide to EMT vs IMC vs rigid metal conduit: how wall thickness, connection method, and location decide which raceway belongs on your job.
2026-06-07
8 min read
- 03
Sizing a Feeder to a Detached Garage 150 Feet Away
Walk through feeding a detached sub-panel: how ampacity, voltage drop over distance, and the four-wire grounding rule all decide the conductor for a long feeder.
2026-06-03
9 min read
- 04
Reading the Ampacity Table: A Beginner's Guide to 310.16
A plain-English primer on reading NEC Table 310.16 ampacity: what the three temperature columns mean and the termination rule that decides which one you actually use.
2026-05-29
8 min read
- 05
The Box Fill Calculation Everyone Gets Slightly Wrong
Box fill seems simple until you count it. Here's how a NEC 314.16 box fill calculation actually works, and the counting mistakes that lead to overfilled boxes.
2026-05-24
8 min read
- 06
Why a Wire Has Resistance, and Why Aluminum Needs to Be Bigger
A field guide to conductor resistance: why length and material change voltage drop and ampacity, and why aluminum wire is sized larger than copper for the same load.
2026-05-19
8 min read
- 07
The Voltage Drop Myth: Is 3% Actually in the Code?
Most electricians cite a voltage drop code requirement that isn't quite what they think. Here's what the NEC actually says about the 3% rule, and why it still matters.
2026-05-13
8 min read
- 08
How to Bend a Conduit Offset That Actually Lands
A practical guide to bending a conduit offset: the multiplier, shrink, and the small mistakes that turn one clean offset into a scrap piece on the floor.
2026-05-07
8 min read