2023 NEC Codebook

[infinity]

I see that the spiral bound 2023 NEC is offered on the NFPA site for $161.00. I also see that Walmart has a version for $39.98. I'm assuming that these cheap versions are printed on extremely thin garbage paper hence their exceptionally low price. Has anyone purchased one of these cheap versions of the book? I'm looking for a spiral bound book that can be dissembled and run through a scanner. I'm curious if these cheap books have paper so thin that the words will bleed through when scanning or worse they will get jammed up in the scanner.

 

[don_resqcapt19]

I see that the spiral bound 2023 NEC is offered on the NFPA site for $161.00. I also see that Walmart has a version for $39.98. I'm assuming that these cheap versions are printed on extremely thin garbage paper hence their exceptionally low price. Has anyone purchased one of these cheap versions of the book? I'm looking for a spiral bound book that can be dissembled and run through a scanner. I'm curious if these cheap books have paper so thin that the words will bleed through when scanning or worse they will get jammed up in the scanner.

Even the paper in the softbound version is thin enough you will get an overall gray tint to the pages.
I send a soft bound copy to a company that scans books and they cut the binding off, scanned the pages and returned a PDF copy. They used OCR to make it searchable, but there are typos because the OCR is not perfect.
If the paper is thinner than that in the soft bound version, I think it could be a problem.

 

[RdmanElect]

I purchased a spiral bound from amazon and there's ALOT of typos. I recommend going through the NFPA website. Especially if you use that same book on a test

 

[Ponchik]

Even the paper in the softbound version is thin enough you will get an overall gray tint to the pages.
I send a soft bound copy to a company that scans books and they cut the binding off, scanned the pages and returned a PDF copy. They used OCR to make it searchable, but there are typos because the OCR is not perfect.
If the paper is thinner than that in the soft bound version, I think it could be a problem.

Which company do you use? I like to get my handbook done.

 

[infinity]

I purchased a spiral bound from amazon and there's ALOT of typos. I recommend going through the NFPA website. Especially if you use that same book on a test

Does anyone know how the NFPA is even allowing this? And why would there be typo's is someone actually re-typing the entire book?

 

[Dennis Alwon]

Does anyone know how the NFPA is even allowing this? And why would there be typo's is someone actually re-typing the entire book?

I think they are scanning and not re-typing the book.

 

[infinity]

I think they are scanning and not re-typing the book.

My thought as well so why the typos?

 

[Sea Nile]

I saw the same problem buying a cheaper NFPA Handbook off of Amazon. It was hard cover and looked official except for all the typos. Even had the NFPA water mark on each page.

 

[Dennis Alwon]

My thought as well so why the typos?

Ocr scanning is not perfect as Don stated.

 

[infinity]

Ocr scanning is not perfect as Don stated.

That makes sense. I was thinking that each page was scanned as something like a .pdf but that might change the searchability.

 

[electrofelon]

I think they are scanning and not re-typing the book.

My thought as well so why the typos?

I don't know much about the printing industry, but seems strange that they would be scanning it (unless it's a black market copy). So some entity wants to print and sell the book, and the NFPA says ok go find a paper copy and scan it??? Maybe they want it that way so it's lower quality so there's a reason to buy the more expensive one?

 

[Another C10]

It seems there are code apps

Code app

 

[Another C10]

It seems there are code apps

Code app

I just downloaded it, took several tries, it's free .. pretty cool.

 

[Ponchik]

I just downloaded it, took several tries, it's free .. pretty cool.

From which site and why did it take several tries?

 

[Another C10]

From which site and why did it take several tries?

I left the link on prior post, my phone timed the download out it seems with the apps numerous pages. it is only for many updated codes, not all. They're are other code apps it seems that are the entire code book but naturally it's 2-12 bucks

 

[don_resqcapt19]

Does anyone know how the NFPA is even allowing this? And why would there be typo's is someone actually re-typing the entire book?

I don't think they are...you can buy lots of counterfeit products from that source.

 

[don_resqcapt19]

That makes sense. I was thinking that each page was scanned as something like a .pdf but that might change the searchability.

If you just scan it as a pdf without OCR, I don't think you can search it. However that would be an exact copy without the OCR issues.

 

[don_resqcapt19]

Which company do you use? I like to get my handbook done.

Blue Leaf Book Scanning. To get a good scan, they will have to cut the binding off, so the book will be returned as loose pages.

 

[Ponchik]

Blue Leaf Book Scanning. To get a good scan, they will have to cut the binding off, so the book will be returned as loose pages.

Awesome. Thanks.

 

[W@ttson]

I see that the spiral bound 2023 NEC is offered on the NFPA site for $161.00. I also see that Walmart has a version for $39.98. I'm assuming that these cheap versions are printed on extremely thin garbage paper hence their exceptionally low price. Has anyone purchased one of these cheap versions of the book? I'm looking for a spiral bound book that can be dissembled and run through a scanner. I'm curious if these cheap books have paper so thin that the words will bleed through when scanning or worse they will get jammed up in the scanner.

I bought the cheap one from eBay. You are correct. The paper is very poor and thing. It shreds a bit when flipping the pages around the spiral. I use it sparingly because we also have a subscription to NFPA link so I end up using the spiral when I just want to feel a hard copy in my hand. Sometimes I end up getting less lost like that in the code when there are a lot of back and forth references.