Some of Our Relay Training Reviews

I am really new to the SEL relays but was invited to sit in on the end to end testing class.

Even though I am not familiar with the Accelerator software and don't have any experience so far, I really enjoyed your passion for teaching what you know!

I hope to take some of your other classes in the future.

How did you feel about testing relays before your purchase?

comfortable but stressed

How did the material help you?

provided further insight into specific tests that should be performed

How do you feel about relay testing now?

less stressed

I highly recommend this course...don't hesitate. It is worth every penny. Chris is an outstanding instructor with real world experience and he will keep the class interested the entire time.

Many people cannot attend a formal classroom training as they may be from very far locations around the world, this training allowed me to gain knowledge and also review when I did not grasp a part of the lesson, also there was the forum to ask questions. I believe that the lessons are well prepared and it was really good that the instructor shared his experiences along the way.

I have been in electrical testing for the past 15 years and have worked for NETA shops and utilities. The booklet is excellent for a beginner as well as a seasoned test technician. I purchased this for a look at another’s perspective on end-to-end relay testing. Included are test plans, connections, procedures and testing philosophies. The user will find an overview of nearly all of the popular protection strategies as well as a very helpful overview chart.

I have been so impressed with the booklet that I will purchase the expansive relay manual.

Bravo Mr. Werstiuk, (author), you have accomplished in a few pages the equivalent of a semester of test school.

Just beginning my path with relay testing, and course was filled with plenty of good thoughts and info.

It’s a lot of good and clear information

I have already recommended the program to employees at my previous job. This is the most compressive relay training program I have ever seen.

Absolutely take advantage of this course as there is a wealth of information to be obtained not only from the course material, but the instructor as well.

Wonderful course that really digs into generation protection while keeping it interesting and informative. The hands-on approach really aids in the retaining of knowledge!

How did you feel about testing relays before your purchase?
I was working with relays and was always concentrated on control and signal processing equipment applicational challenges

How did the material help you?
Helped me combine some of my various practical background knowledge into more organized and straight forward technical application

How do you feel about relay testing now?
Better - more prepared and technically confident

Very good training to help someone understand what to look for in phase relationship with what you will see in the real world of relays.

A must for anyone testing relays without formal training. You can only gather so much information from other technicians and reading.

Well worth the money and best training I've had.

Do it. I had a wonderful experience and learned an immense amount about troubleshooting relays and the test sets.

I would definitely get this online training. Its broken down to the basics and takes you through a step by step process. You cant go wrong with this. It is worth every penny. It even has websites you can research if you're unfamiliar with the material.

Most of the test sets does the work for you with a push of a button. With this online course you understand what is going on and how to interpret results. I really like this course.

The videos and presentations on this course have been very helpful and given me a better edge on what is going on in the relay testing industry.

I was really impressed with the instructor's knowledge of both the test equipment and the relays which we tested. I have been to several advanced relay training courses and this was by far the best yet. It is great that it is given by a tester, for testers. I highly recommend this course to anyone who tests relays no matter what their skill set is.

I learned a lot from this course. Having no relay testing experience, I was grateful the real world examples were shown. I will definitely continue with this program, as they become available.

What would you tell someone who was thinking about a purchase?
I think the cost of this training was the best money I ever spent for continuing education training. The information passed on was exactly the knowledge I needed to refresh and expand. This training captured my full attention. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

How did you feel about testing relays before your purchase?
I tested relays manually (mechanical and microprocessor) for a number of years before I got any automated equipment so I feel like I have a solid understanding of what is being simulated during testing. Once we got into using automated testing software I could not stand how button-pushers were being sent out to "test relays" and never prove any logic or even determine if the relay will actually trip. But in our industry market time is money so get out there and test as many relays as humanly possible as quickly as possible. I typically take the time needed to prove the important components so I am confident the relay will perform as intended.

How did the material help you?
I am very interested in the dynamic test methods and will be implementing them soon to our test methods. I also saw some test setup methods that apply specifically to my test set that will also help me out in the future.

How do you feel about relay testing now?
I have been reinvigorated! I'm ready to regroup and teach our junior techs some better quality relay testing.

The information in this course was very well presented. The practice sheets make the concepts more easily understood. I would recommend this course to anyone who is involved with electrical power systems.

If you test relays, this class is a must. I lacked experience with generator relays and the combination of hands-on testing and theoretical knowledge about the elements in test created a seamless transition from the classroom to the field. Outstanding professor with many ways to explain the same thing. I look forward to future classes!

This class was a very good mix of the theory behind relay testing and hands-on application. I would recommend this course to anyone who is interested in learning about relay testing or anyone who is looking for a refresher course in the basics.

Chris was an excellent instructor. For an inexperienced tester like myself, he made it easy to follow and understand. I was never bored once in the 3 days. I had never used the Doble or its software before, and now I’m confident I have a great base to continue my learning.

I work for a testing company and I always wanted to get better with relays but found it difficult to learn more on-site since we don’t usually have much time to play around. Our company owns Omicron and Doble test-sets and was able to borrow them over the week ends. I would grab an SEL relay and follow you step by step and learned a lot that way.

I practiced a lot doing manual pick up and timing test (without changing settings) to get a good foundation and now slowly getting into dynamic testing.

I also purchased your Relay Testing Handbook and find it very useful on-site. I keep the soft copy on my laptop so I can refer to it very easily.

I recommend this course to anyone who wants to get better at testing relays.

Looking forward to more videos from Valence.

Keep up the good work

It is truly recommended that they take this course.

Valence Electrical Training Services instructors break every generator protection element down into manageable sections. The small classroom sizes make for a good learning environment.

I have just bought your protection relay testing set of books about a few weeks ago and I just wanted to say that I’m very impressed with it.

I have been commissioning power systems for a few years and I wish I had found your books a while ago.

A good start or refresher for anyone who is eager to learn.

Worth every time spent on the training, very practical and educational, it gave me both practical view of relay testing and educational understanding of relay testing

1. How did you feel about testing relays before your purchase?
   Most of the time I felt like I was a good copier of relay testing
2. How did the material help you?
   Educating in aspects of power system and its protection
3. How do you feel about relay testing now?
   Confident and with an understanding of protection

Definitely worth the effort, you will learn not only techniques of relay testing, but exemplary professionalism as well. The courses prepare one to be a good relay tester instead of “Button Pusher” or a mediocre one. Better yet, you might’ve found yourself a field support.

Get hold of “The Relay Testing Handbook” by Chris Werstiuk, very good review on related power system theories and excellent guide line for the training course.

This is a great source of knowledge that may have been over looked or not even taught. A resource I will definitely be going back to when I'm prepping for a job or have a question that the videos answer.

This is the best training I have seen for 3 phase power systems! The animations are terrific. These are things that I am constantly drawing by hand to help illustrate concepts to other technicians but they just aren't the same when I can't draw them in motion. The links to other sites that are referenced have an abundance of additional theory topics and more animated illustrations. I very highly recommend this course.

What would you tell someone who was thinking about a purchase?

I scribble phasor diagrams everyday while explaining systems, simulations, or theory. It behooves every NETA technician level 2 and up to be able to understand the relationship between the generator, the sine wave, and the phasor diagram.

This course was probably hands down the best relay training course I have ever taken in my 13 years of relay testing. It is obvious the instructor knows what he talking about and is very enthusiastic about relay testing. His approach makes it easy for someone to understand what the relay elements are trying to accomplish and how to properly test that element. This class should be on every relay technician’s list as not only part of their certification but also as a refresher. Well done!

Anyone needing to test relays will benefit from this course. The instructor is very knowledgeable about all relays and test sets. He teaches you how to use the equipment you will use in the real world and any possible issues that may arise from a particular test set.

How did you feel about testing relays before your purchase?

I was not comfortable testing relays outside of simple E-M before the course.

How did the material help you?

I have a greater understanding of the principles and the tool to accomplish what I want to test in the relays

How do you feel about relay testing now?

I feel much more confident

How did you feel about testing relays before the course?
I am a bit apprehensive with the New Test Equipment for Digital Relays

How did the course help you?
Made me more aware of how easy it is to operate and test Digital Relays

How do you feel about relay testing now?
Not got an issue now

Why should someone take this course?
Massive benefits. The Tutor is so advanced in his techniques. Also he has shown the correct way in testing.

I think this is a great avenue for training.

I think this will help me a lot in future applications. I saved the provided excel sheet for future use.

A different perspective on relay testing, especially since most testing companies use automated testing. It helps better understand the operation of the relays and how the results were obtained. Not just button pushing……..

Simply explained, work at your own pace, great visual effects.

All I've had to work with so far was Enoserve/RTS, virtually no training for microprocessor relay tested and just dated electromechanical training. I couldn't tell you if what I did was correct or not beyond green dots for test passed. Now I have a much better understanding of relay testing and a whole lot more insight on how to use my test set WITHOUT reprogramming the relay.

Live training courses are NOT presented in a one-size-fits-all, take-it-or-leave-it format. The instructor’s experience allows him to tailor the content on-the-fly to fit each student’s background and experience.

Even seasoned (you can’t teach me anything) relay techs are captivated by the instructor’s enthusiasm and experience.

Engineers attending the courses leave with an understanding of the importance and challenges of specifying effective and complete field testing.

Best relay testing courses out there that I know of. The instructor has extensive field experience, thorough understanding of power system theories and years of teaching experience. For someone with power system fundamentals but new to the relay testing field, the “Protective Relay Testing Fundamentals Class” would be a very good starting point. You could learn not only how to conduct a relay test but also the ins and outs behind each step/setting/parameter etc.

How did you feel about testing relays before the course?
My greatest frustration was understanding the purpose and function of some of the digital elements without an understanding of their physical ancestors.

How did the course help you?
Having less field experience than many of my classmates, I came into the course expecting to be left behind rather quickly. However, Chris has a knack for effectively teaching everyone sitting in front of him no matter what their experience.

How do you feel about relay testing now?
I'm far more interested in pursuing excellence in testing methods.

Why should someone take this course?
I was a beginner when I took the Protective Relay Testing Fundamentals Course--very green in the discipline--and I took the class with people who had a range of experience. Some had decades in this specific field while others (like myself) had only a year or so, with several somewhere in between. Because the class is structured as a hands-on test experience of an individual relay element in both its electro-mechanical and digital forms, everyone gets to follow along under instructor guidance. Everyone learned something, and the delivery was as inviting, enjoyable, and enriching as any class I've ever taken in any subject or discipline. Relay testing can be an intimidating subject, but this class demystified some of its thornier aspects and Chris taught it in such a way as to make relay testing an inviting and deeply interesting endeavor.

It is the best relay training I have had on motor protection relays

What would you tell someone who was thinking about a purchase?*

this is excellent training; this is how we should be testing relays

What frustrated you most about your day-to-day testing work?

I felt confident about testing relays, but I like the philosophy taught in the class. We would find more settings problems if we simulated faults without masking elements.

Do you have a specific example or big win you could share?

Learning to use the dynamic test plans was a big help and could be applied to reclosers and other relays.

How do you feel about relay testing now?

I feel more confident about testing motor relays and look forward to putting these lessons into practice.

Do not hesitate not even for a second if you want to learn the right way to test and commission a protection relay just go ahead and take this course

It is worth taking because it is designed to help you regardless of your knowledge level and you can learn at your own pace.

There is a ton of great information and it really helps to see the step by step process that is actually explaining what were doing when we test relays and not just moving on once there's the green checkmark.

Chris is an excellent instructor that was able to teach at everyone’s level from beginner to advance. Chris didn’t move on until he felt everyone had a grasp of what he was teaching, so nobody got left behind. I like the fact that Chris taught from his experience and not from a book written by some else. I look forward to taking other classes with Chris.

What did you enjoy most about the course?

Learning to test the elements manually without the use of automated software and being shown how the relay actually operates and senses readings.

Understanding phase angle relationships to simulate faults.