what do you do for a living?

[bobselectric]

Electrician- I bring power to the people and I can light up your life. Ladies, I'm also great at checking shorts

[GeneW]

Engineering Technician by day. I test and qualify megawatt range power conversion devices for industry. Sometimes I get subcomponents of them to detonate, releasing plasma and ultraviolet rays.

On occaision I put one of these things on... (hope it hot loads)..




Most of the time I sweep up after assemblers, engineers, project managers and salespeople - means I make it good.

At night I moonlight as a prototype engineer. The Engineering Department at work has been courting me but I won't take the pay cut to go over. They've been enticing me with suggestions of attending Grad School though...

Gene

[GeneW]

Originally Posted by bobselectric

Electrician- I bring power to the people and I can light up your life. Ladies, I'm also great at checking shorts

Commercial, Industrial or both? What ranges do you work with, Bob?

I usually work with 4160vac but sometimes up to 13.8 and on rare occasions 33kV, up to 1,200 amps. Always have stayed scared of it, even two years after I started working with power systems. The Old Hands tell me when you quit being scared that trouble is just around the corner.

Gene

[bobselectric]

Originally Posted by GeneW

Commercial, Industrial or both? What ranges do you work with, Bob?

I usually work with 4160vac but sometimes up to 13.8 and on rare occasions 33kV, up to 1,200 amps. Always have stayed scared of it, even two years after I started working with power systems. The Old Hands tell me when you quit being scared that trouble is just around the corner.

Gene

Since I started my own business, it's been mostly high end residential, with some commercial (stores,delis) thrown in to stay sharp. I did most of my "mechanic" work in IBM facilities in upper downstate NY (Fishkill, Poughkeepsie, Kingston). Except for switch gear and transformer work, 480V is where I topped out at. I would rather give the job to someone a lot more experienced with currents over 600V than "try" it myself.
I guess the most voltage I ever "worked" with was 41,600V. I spent 3 years working in the nuclear industry, albeit as an HP tech, so I mostly watched the big boys do their thing and keep them from glowing--Radiologically.

[GeneW]

Originally Posted by bobselectric

Since I started my own business, it's been mostly high end residential, with some commercial (stores,delis) thrown in to stay sharp.

Lot of guys where I work do side work in residential. They have a job to keep benefits, retirement and "steady work". I've thought of it but dont want the liability hassles. We don't have Tort Reform in PA so you have to watch your Ps and Qs or you'll be sued.

Originally Posted by bobselectric

I did most of my "mechanic" work in IBM facilities in upper downstate NY (Fishkill, Poughkeepsie, Kingston). Except for switch gear and transformer work, 480V is where I topped out at. I would rather give the job to someone a lot more experienced with currents over 600V than "try" it myself.

We normally don't work "hot" but sometimes we do. It's pretty scary touching conductors that are carrying 4160 and all you got between you and Eternity are leather and rubber. You can check those gloves over and over but it's still creepy thinking that all you got is a fraction of an inch of shit between you and some real pain.

Some of the guys I work with think I'm a bit touched because I insist on wearing the full monty of gear. I tell them, "NASA thought that the Space Shuttle was 'safe' because it flew fifty flights without mishap too". I guess none of them ever read Richard Feynman's "Minority Report".

In case anyone is curious I've cited Feyman's report here It's good reading, especially for anyone who works with technology or science or just is curious about how professionals look at such things.

Originally Posted by bobselectric

I guess the most voltage I ever "worked" with was 41,600V.

More than me. Of course anything over about 220 is potentially lethal. Kind of like saying, "You can fall 100 feet or 10,000 feet, which makes you more dead?"

Originally Posted by bobselectric

I spent 3 years working in the nuclear industry, albeit as an HP tech, so I mostly watched the big boys do their thing and keep them from glowing--Radiologically.

I work with a former Nuke tech. He's not quite right in the head. Then again, anyone who works with dangerous stuff every day isn't quite "normal".

Normal people die under such conditions. You have to be a bit anxious and uptight to cope with dangerous stuff.

Gene

[bobselectric]

Originally Posted by GeneW

Lot of guys where I work do side work in residential. They have a job to keep benefits, retirement and "steady work". I've thought of it but dont want the liability hassles. We don't have Tort Reform in PA so you have to watch your Ps and Qs or you'll be sued.



We normally don't work "hot" but sometimes we do. It's pretty scary touching conductors that are carrying 4160 and all you got between you and Eternity are leather and rubber. You can check those gloves over and over but it's still creepy thinking that all you got is a fraction of an inch of shit between you and some real pain.

Some of the guys I work with think I'm a bit touched because I insist on wearing the full monty of gear. I tell them, "NASA thought that the Space Shuttle was 'safe' because it flew fifty flights without mishap too". I guess none of them ever read Richard Feynman's "Minority Report".

In case anyone is curious I've cited Feyman's report here It's good reading, especially for anyone who works with technology or science or just is curious about how professionals look at such things.



More than me. Of course anything over about 220 is potentially lethal. Kind of like saying, "You can fall 100 feet or 10,000 feet, which makes you more dead?"



I work with a former Nuke tech. He's not quite right in the head. Then again, anyone who works with dangerous stuff every day isn't quite "normal".

Normal people die under such conditions. You have to be a bit anxious and uptight to cope with dangerous stuff.

Gene

Gene-

Even twelve volt will kill you if it hits you "right". I had one mechanic when I was a noob ask me if my ass was ok, as he had burns on his and couldn't figure out why. After much razzing, we looked around and found out the duct we were sitting on during lunch the day before was live--16V. He took his boots off because his feet hurt and that grounded him.

The nuke guys are a little weird, no doubt about it. I worked with a guy named Mike Goetz who was supposedly related to Bernie Goetz, "the subway vigilante". Well Mike was gonna have a million dollars in the bank asap, so he lived in his car, ate from the garbage, and did nothing that cost money. A hell of a good tech though

[KCALB SIRAY]

I'm the guy you don't want to come knocking on your door looking for money

[hatchbackkid82]

So your the tax man?

Originally Posted by KCALB SIRAY

I'm the guy you don't want to come knocking on your door looking for money

[Bob_VT]

Originally Posted by KCALB SIRAY

I'm the guy you don't want to come knocking on your door looking for money