SPARKY WEEKLY

Sparky’s Weekly Report: Week 24

🗓️ August 24–30, 2026 Week #24

⚡ Opening

Week 24 was a big week.

The biggest number from the week is probably the simplest one: 26 hours of focused study and approximately 300 questions worked. Most of that time was spent between Bay Path Module 5, 2023 NEC material, 2026 NEC study, Chapter 1, and the 120-series load-calculation material.

At the same time, JoshTheSparky continued to grow in several directions. New Brainbuster packets were released, Question of the Week archives were expanded, Deep NEC Web Browsing continued, Trade News became a more defined part of the site, and work continued on the Network, Community, app, Investing section, AI resources, Radio, Broadcasting, and future courses.

One thing is becoming clearer as all of this develops: I don't want the work to exist only as social-media posts that disappear down a feed. The studying, questions, research, videos, podcasts, articles, and community discussions should become resources that can still be found and used later.

The three-post-a-day experiment helped build a large library. Now the focus is shifting toward getting more value out of that library and continuing to build JoshTheSparky.com into the home for it.

📚 Study Section

This was one of the strongest study weeks so far.

I put in 26 hours of study and worked through approximately 300 questions.

The week included continued work through Bay Path Module 5, 2023 NEC material, independent 2026 NEC study, Chapter 1, and the 120-series load-calculation material.

The question work continues to be especially useful because it forces me to do more than read the Code. I have to figure out exactly what the question is asking, identify the applicable requirements, find the right section, work through the problem, and understand why the answer is correct.

That is particularly important with calculations. Knowing the math isn't enough if you don't understand what you're actually calculating.

Another useful resource released this week was the Paul Abernathy 2026 Exam Prep 1-hour-30-minute deep dive on questions. That gives me another substantial collection of exam-style questions to work through as I continue preparing and comparing different approaches to solving problems.

The goal remains understanding the NEC and becoming better at navigating it rather than simply memorizing answers.

🧠 Brainbusters

New Brainbuster packets were released this week, continuing the development of the Brainbuster system on JoshTheSparky.

The packets give the questions a more permanent format than an individual social post. They can be worked through as a study session, reviewed afterward, and returned to later.

They also connect directly with the studying I'm doing myself. Working hundreds of questions gives me a better understanding of what makes a good question, where people are likely to get tripped up, and what deserves a deeper explanation.

The Brainbuster library is becoming another permanent part of the JoshTheSparky education section.

❓ Question of the Week & NECChat

Question of the Week continued moving toward becoming an archive rather than simply a weekly post.

This week, three editions were released and archived on NECChat.com, covering the:

• 2020 NEC

• 2023 NEC

• 2026 NEC

Keeping multiple Code cycles available is important because it provides a way to compare requirements and practice with different editions of the Code.

The goal is to continue preserving these questions so they remain useful after the original week has passed.

🔎 Deep NEC Web Browsing

The Deep NEC Web Browsing series continued this week, with Part 2 scheduled to drop Sunday night.

The idea behind the series is to show more of the research process instead of only presenting the finished answer. That means following references, researching related requirements, looking at supporting information, and seeing where the trail leads.

Part 2 continues that process Sunday night.

This is also helping develop the kind of research and explanation skills that will eventually be useful in longer-form videos and future courses.

📰 Trade News

Trade News is becoming a more defined part of JoshTheSparky.

I'm continuing to follow what is happening throughout the electrical industry through sources including NECA, MECA, EC&M, Electrical Contractor Magazine, Mike Holt, Electrical Code Academy, NFPA, and other industry resources.

A lot is happening in the trade right now. Data centers, electrification, EV infrastructure, energy storage, technology, workforce development, safety, and Code changes are all affecting electrical contractors and electricians.

NECA has been covering the challenges surrounding getting electrical power to major data-center projects, along with contractor and labor issues. EC&M continues covering electrical construction, EV infrastructure, Code topics, contractors, and technology. Electrical Contractor Magazine is following the broader direction of the electrical contracting industry, including energy storage, networking, safety, technology, and the NEC.

Mike Holt and Electrical Code Academy remain useful resources for NEC education and exam preparation, while NFPA continues to provide information surrounding the NEC and electrical safety.

Following all of these sources gives me a better view of the trade from different perspectives. A student, electrician, contractor, inspector, educator, and manufacturer can all look at the same industry development differently.

That is what I want Trade News to capture.

📖 NEC & NFPA

The 2026 NEC remains one of the main subjects across JoshTheSparky.

The work this week continued around Chapter 1, Code organization, navigation, and the 120-series material. The 2020 and 2023 editions are also remaining part of the archive so that older questions and requirements aren't simply forgotten when a new Code cycle arrives.

NFPA and the NEC remain central to the educational direction of the site, while resources from Mike Holt, Electrical Code Academy, and other educators provide additional perspectives for studying and exam preparation.

A future Chapter 1 NEC video deep dive is also being developed. The goal is to spend more time explaining the foundation and organization of the Code rather than rushing through individual questions.

🌐 JoshTheSparky.com

The website continued expanding and being reorganized this week.

The direction is increasingly toward an old-school website where information is actually easy to find instead of everything being hidden inside a constantly changing feed.

The site now has room for areas including:

• Learn

• Brainbusters

• Tutorials

• Quick Hits

• Sparky's Journal

• Sparky Weekly

• Sparky Feed

• Trade News

• Community

• Network

• Featured Sparkys

• Radio

• Broadcast

• Investing

• AI

• Archives

Each section has a different purpose, but they all lead back to the same home base.

🗄️ Archiving & Mirrors

Another important development this week was the continued effort to preserve JoshTheSparky material across multiple locations.

JoshTheSparky now exists in more places than just the primary website. There are mirrors and alternate versions involving Wix, WordPress, alternate domains, the Base44 app, GitHub, Internet Archive, social platforms, video platforms, audio platforms, blogging platforms, and community sites.

The JoshTheSparky Network is helping keep track of those locations.

Where appropriate and where I have the rights to do so, I'm also downloading JoshTheSparky-owned material for archival purposes.

That includes website pages, articles, Sparky Weekly reports, Brainbuster packets, Question of the Week material, videos, audio, graphics, documents, and other original work.

The point is simple: I don't want years of work to disappear because a third-party platform changes its rules, removes an old page, shuts down, or becomes unavailable.

The primary website is the home. The mirrors provide redundancy. The archives provide preservation.

👥 Community & Network

The community side of JoshTheSparky continued expanding this week with the creation of communities across FreeForums, Reddit, and Discord, along with plans for future forum and app-based communities.

The JoshTheSparky Network is being developed alongside that work to connect the different websites, communities, resources, and projects.

The goal is to have places for people to discuss the trade, ask questions, share experiences, learn together, and participate in the project rather than relying entirely on social-media comments.

⭐ Featured Sparkys — Round 2

Featured Sparkys Round 2 is now being planned.

This round will select five Sparkys from the community to feature.

The purpose is to highlight the people actually contributing to the trade and the electrical community — whether they're electricians, apprentices, students, educators, creators, or people simply putting in the work.

Five Sparkys will be selected for Round 2.

🗓️ Sparky Monthly #2

Sparky Monthly #2 is scheduled for September 4.

The monthly publication continues alongside Sparky Weekly as another way to collect and preserve what is happening across JoshTheSparky.

📱 joshthesparky.base44.app

Work continued on joshthesparky.base44.app as well.

The app is being developed as a companion to the main website, with future functionality including profiles, community features, forums, messaging, courses, achievements, Brainbusters, lessons, video, audio, broadcasts, progress tracking, bookmarks, and other interactive features.

The website remains the primary home, while the app gives JoshTheSparky another way to build interactive features and community tools.

🤖 AI & TradeHog

The AI side of JoshTheSparky also continued developing.

TradeHog.net is being supported as the premier AI for JoshTheSparky's development, while other AI tools remain useful for specialized research, writing, coding, design, education, and creative work.

The JoshTheSparky AI section is being built to document and organize these tools and explain how they fit into the overall workflow.

💰 Investing

The Investing section received a lot of attention this week.

The plan is for Investing to cover more than just the stock market, with sections for:

• Stock Market

• Crypto

• Real Estate

• Business

• Personal Finance

• 401(k) and Retirement

• Investments

• Alternative Investing

This gives JoshTheSparky another subject area connected to the working life of someone in the trades.

Learning the trade is important, but so is understanding money, business, saving, investing, and what happens after you earn the paycheck.

🎓 Future Courses & Teaching

Future JoshTheSparky courses are also being planned.

An important part of that isn't just creating material for other people. It's learning how to become a better teacher myself.

The process of turning something complicated into an understandable lesson requires a deeper level of understanding. The Brainbusters, NEC questions, deep dives, and future Chapter 1 material are all opportunities to practice that.

The long-term goal is to be able to explain electrical concepts clearly enough that someone else can actually learn from them.

🎙️ Radio, Podcasts & Broadcasting

More JoshTheSparky.com Radio podcasts are being planned.

The Young Electrician conversation remains planned for September, while additional podcast and audio ideas are being developed.

The broader JoshTheSparky Programming and Broadcasting project is also continuing to take shape, with the eventual goal of organizing educational programming, podcasts, videos, replays, live sessions, community content, and other original material.

💼 Career Progress

The career remains the foundation underneath everything else.

Bay Path Module 5 continues, NEC study is becoming more intensive, and the commercial experience bank is now above 215 hours.

The website and all of these projects are being built alongside the actual process of becoming an electrician.

The long-term goal remains gaining the education and experience necessary to continue moving toward becoming a Massachusetts electrician.

⚡ Week 24 at a Glance

26 hours of study.

Approximately 300 questions.

New Brainbuster packets released.

Paul Abernathy's 2026 Exam Prep 1:30 question deep dive released.

2020, 2023, and 2026 Question of the Week editions archived on NECChat.

Deep NEC Web Browsing Part 2 coming Sunday night.

Trade News continuing to develop.

Continued NEC and NFPA research.

JoshTheSparky mirrors and archival work expanded.

JoshTheSparky communities established across FreeForums, Reddit, and Discord.

JoshTheSparky Network continued developing.

Featured Sparkys Round 2 started, with five community members to be selected.

Sparky Monthly #2 scheduled for September 4.

joshthesparky.base44.app continued development.

TradeHog.net continued supporting the development process as the premier JoshTheSparky AI.

Investing expanded into stock market, crypto, real estate, business, personal finance, retirement, and alternative investing.

Future courses and teacher-development plans continued.

Chapter 1 NEC video deep dive planned.

More JoshTheSparky Radio podcasts planned.

JoshTheSparky Programming and Broadcasting continued developing.

💡 Lesson of the Week

This week reminded me that the work doesn't have to end when the week ends.

The 26 hours and 300 questions are useful because they improved my own knowledge, but the bigger opportunity is preserving what comes from that work. A question can become a Brainbuster. A difficult topic can become a video. A research session can become a Deep NEC Web Browsing episode. A discussion can become an archived resource.

That is why the archive, the website, and the different formats matter.

I'm still learning the trade, but I'm also learning how to document what I'm learning and eventually teach it to somebody else.

🙏 Quote of the Week

Proverbs 14:23 & 10:4: Notes that hard work and diligent hands bring profit and wealth, while mere talk and laziness lead to poverty.

🎵 Song of the Week

Lloyd Banks: No Opinions

🔚 Final Thought

Week 24 was a lot of studying, but it was also a lot of building around that studying.

The questions are becoming Brainbusters. The Code study is becoming videos and deep dives. Question of the Week is becoming an archive. Trade News is becoming another part of the site. The community is spreading into forums and Discord. The Network is connecting the different pieces. The app is taking shape. Investing is becoming a real section. Radio and broadcasting are moving forward, and future courses are giving me another reason to keep improving how I explain what I'm learning.

There is still plenty left to do.

For now, the work continues.

26 hours. 300 questions. Another week closer.

Keep studying. Keep building. Keep learning.

Take care of yourself. Confirm everything.

You're the electrician.

See you next week. ⚡

Josh The Sparky

@joshthesparky4

joshthesparky.com

Future Massachusetts Electrician | NEC Student | Always Learning