Spring 2023
Solutions Center
By Bob Pierce
Do you have a failed SCR? Do you have older outdated or obsolete SCR’s? Have you been thinking about upgrading your SCR’s?
Do you want an SCR manufactured in the USA with good deliveries? Then look no further than Control Concepts, Inc. MicroFusion Digital Power Controllers.
Please watch the following video for a brief but FUN overview.
Meet Andy, Our New Engineer!
Andy will help provide the skilled engineering support you can always expect from NETS. He’d love to hear from you.
Microfusion with Ethernet Communications
One of the reasons our customers are using the Control Concepts Microfusion is the Ethernet Communications feature. You can use this to connect to an HMI, or use the Ethernet IP version to connect to a Rockwell system. Many of our clients Pair the Microfusion with our Nanodac Controller/Recorder. The Nanodac has a feature called Master Communications which allows the Nanodac to communicate with up to two IP Addresses. This gives us two benefits:
- We are able to communicate the setpoint to the SCR via digital comms. This saves wiring and reserves I/O for other uses. It is also more precise as you are getting the actual value sent to the SCR instead of converting it from Digital to Analog then Back to digital in the SCR.
- Even more beneficial is the ability to store all of the values of the SCR in the Nanodac. Things like Volts, Amps, and resistance are extremely valuable for troubleshooting and PPM. Many heaters degrade over time. Tracking the resistance lets you schedule the replacement of the heaters before they fail or do not have enough resistance to power the furnace.
If you would like to see this demonstrated or have any questions on this process, please feel free to give me a call or send me an email.
EXTENSION: 5
Learn more here:
The Little Blue Penguin
By Bree DeLuca
The Little Blue penguins are the SMALLEST breed of penguins in the world, and, if you ask me, the CUTEST! They grow to be about 13” tall and only around 2 ½ lbs!
These cute little waddlers are home to Australia and New Zealand, and are the reason why I have wanted to travel to those places since I was in the 5th grade. The Australian’s actually call them “Fairy” penguins due to their small size, which I believe just makes them that much cuter.
While some breeds of penguins have pops of color on their head or different patterns of feathers, this penguin actually has slate or indigo blue feathers, which is how they received their name. Another unique attribute is that they are the ONLY breed of penguin that can lay more than 1 egg per breeding “season” – and their season is the most unpredictable of all penguins, too!
Their population has been threatened by feral dogs, cats, and foxes, however, conversationalists in Victoria decided to use sheepdogs to protect the declining colony, which actually worked, so they are STILL using this technique.
References:
Aquarium of the Pacific
Australian Geographic
WWF Australia
Whale Watching Auckland
Mission E4 – Haiti
By Dawn
Two members of the NETS, Inc staff visited Haiti a few years ago through Mission E4 and saw first hand how a sponsorship of a child in Haiti made such a huge impact on a child’s life! The children who are sponsored are given an education, access to medical and dental care, and are given a meal every school day, which is sometimes their ONLY meal of the day. There was a significant difference in the faces of the children at the school in contrast with the children elsewhere in the town. Every dollar donated goes a long way to giving children purpose, joy and nourishment!
The Dog Den
By Missy Bouffard
Welcome to the Dog Den, where I will be sharing quarterly tips, tricks, facts and experiences that I have learned and encountered along the way as a dog owner. I currently own 5 American Bullies, which sounds like a handful but has given me so much love in the process.
Known for their impressive structure with defined muscles, American Bullies are happy, confident, sweet hearted family dogs who aim to please their owner.
As Summer approaches it is important to know a few things about how to keep your dogs cool and healthy in the warmer months. Dogs do not sweat like humans do and they can easily become overheated. Did you know dogs primarily sweat through their paws?
Dogs are known to pant and drink water in order to bring their temperature down, so it is important to always have water on hand and a place in the shade during a warm day. Try to walk them in the early morning or late afternoon to avoid the hottest part of the day. You should also be aware of the signs of heatstroke which are difficulty breathing and heavy panting, excessive drooling, vomiting, lack of coordination and glazed eyes.
I know in my household, my dogs love running through the sprinkler or jumping in and out of their doggy pool on a hot summer day. It allows me to exercise them while keeping them cool.
I hope some of these tips help keep your dogs cool this season. I wish everyone and their furbabies a happy and healthy Summer!
Healthy is an Outfit That Looks Different on Everybody
By Lisa
If the pandemic taught us anything, it is the value of mind and body wellness, time, relationships and fresh air!!! There is one thing that you can do for yourself that will guarantee these lessons stick and that is Exercise. The WHAT, WHERE, and HOW is of our own choosing, but the goal is the same and that is to be in good health. As we enter a new season, in this still very New Year, you may be thinking about beginning an exercise program or itching to change your existing one. As you contemplate this, below are some frequently asked questions that I hope will help.
Guidelines are set by the fitness industry to do just that–guide us and give us something to work towards as we strive to keep our health in check.
It is recommended to exercise at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise each week, plus, strength training exercises two times a week.
With that said, physical activity needs vary depending on the person because we are all different and have different goals. Factors to take into consideration include age, current fitness level, injury history, current health, medical conditions, time available and what we enjoy.
Do I need to exercise every day?
No. Your rest depends on your workout schedule. It’s important to incorporate rest into your workout routine. This lets your muscles recover, it lowers the risk of injury and joint pain, keeps your mind/body balance in check, and promotes the longevity of your fitness routine.
How Long Should I Work Out For?
This question should really be framed as ‘Is your regime working for you?’
The length of your workout will largely depend on your fitness level and fitness goal. Different workouts are effective in different ways, for instance a 20-minute HIIT workout can be just as effective as an hour-long moderate cardio session. Workouts do not need to be long to be effective.
Any amount of exercise is beneficial, even 5 or 10 minutes a couple of times a day. Do whatever you can handle on that particular day.
Striking a balance between safe>challenging>enjoyable is key.
What should I do for an exercise routine?
Combine different exercise modalities, such as cardio, strength training, flexibility and balance throughout the week.
It’s the full package workout and the exercises are endless.
Just to name a few of the benefits of each:
Cardio for heart health, endurance, weight loss
Strength training for increased strength, bone density, stabilize and protect joints.
Flexibility/balance for greater range of motion, decrease injury risk, improve balance.
Whether you: use a gym, go virtual, do at home, at the park, at the beach, your backyard…use weights, treadmill, ropes, bands, kettlebells, dumbbells, medicine balls…do hills, stairs, rowing, biking, kickboxing, inchworms, bear crawls, squats, lunges, pushups, etc., there are sooooooo many types of training you can choose to create a routine that works the small and big muscle groups.
How often should I change up my workout routine?
A general guideline of 4-6 weeks is an estimated time table.
You should change up your workout according to your experience level and where you are in your training, depending on whether you’re a beginner or advanced.
When we exercise, our bodies adapt to the stimulus overtime, which means changing our workout every so often will give our bodies a new challenge and ignite progress in strength, speed, and intensity. You don’t have to change everything all at once, make subtle changes — just enough to keep things interesting while still moving toward your goals. For example: running outside instead of the treadmill, switch from reverse lunges to walking lunges, switch from pushups to dumbbell bench press, switch from traditional static stretching to a guided yoga workout.
The thread being pulled throughout this article is “One Size Does NOT Fit All.”
Don’t overthink it, put pressure on yourself, or compare yourself to others…Go at your own pace, moving is the key and the options are endless.
Before beginning any exercise program consult your doctor and a trained professional to learn how to perform exercise safely and in proper form.