How many EEs are members

[Ion]

Re; Black and White wires.

In the marine industry, this was a problem that was dealt with by using Red for (+) and Yellow for (-) DC wiring. Shore power is as on shore Black is (+), White is neutral, and green is ground.

Ion (Marine 3rd cl and 4th cl stationary engineer

[Roo-lot]

For all who were wondering, I think it was pretty obvious that OP wanted to know how many Euskadiko Ezquerra (Basque Division of the Spanish Left Wing Party) members were in the group. Duh. I've done my research and there are exactly 3.98 (one lost a pinky finger in the great Spanish war.)

[Thinh]

-Trained ( 5ys of U) and worked as engineer, specialty in telecommunication prior to internet era, also completed 3ys of college as elec/electronic technologist, se-mi retired, current work related in robotic/ automation.

[Doctor Harold]

Originally Posted by Roo-lot

For all who were wondering, I think it was pretty obvious that OP wanted to know how many Euskadiko Ezquerra (Basque Division of the Spanish Left Wing Party) members were in the group. Duh. I've done my research and there are exactly 3.98 (one lost a pinky finger in the great Spanish war.)

Sure glad you straightened that out. I was worried he was polling for Eosinophilic Esophagitis and we going to hear stories from members that might be difficult to swallow.



Harold

[Emb]

So funny still laughing. So lucky to be in this group. You sure are a humble group of smart small campers.

[FRED SMAILES]

I know enough to be dangerous, if you scratch 2 wires together and they spark,,, that's a start!
Years ago I used to smoke cigs and cars had buzz fuses, those glass tube ones, never bought new fuses, used the foil from the cig pack. Funny now I can smell the packaging,,,,

[Doctor Harold]

Isn't being an electrician just like being a plumber? You only need to know three things to be a plumber. Gas goes up. Poop goes down. Payday's Friday.

(No offense intended, it just comes natural.)

[John in Santa Cruz]

Originally Posted by Doctor Harold

Isn't being an electrician just like being a plumber? You only need to know three things to be a plumber. Gas goes up. Poop goes down. Payday's Friday.

(No offense intended, it just comes natural.)

difference is, you can't see them electron things... unless you've let the magic smoke out.... letting the magic smoke out is almost always bad!

[Borrego Dave]

Originally Posted by Roo-lot

For all who were wondering, I think it was pretty obvious that OP wanted to know how many Euskadiko Ezquerra (Basque Division of the Spanish Left Wing Party) members were in the group. Duh. I've done my research and there are exactly 3.98 (one lost a pinky finger in the great Spanish war.)

You & Harold get the gold star for answers . But really, maybe the question should have ask more directly how self named EEs with years of experience have such different answers to electrical questions posted. You may have the right answer Harold with your list .

[John in Santa Cruz]

Originally Posted by Borrego Dave

You & Harold get the gold star for answers . But really, maybe the question should have ask more directly how self named EEs with years of experience have such different answers to electrical questions posted. You may have the right answer Harold with your list .

simple. electronics is a complex field, and different specialists see different aspects of it.

but, when you get to the basics, its all about Ohm's Law.

[court]

I too am (was) an electrical engineer.
And do fit into many of the other EE categories in the list.
While I heard and used the term magic smoke, the variation I liked was factory smoke. The factory put it in there, don't let it out.
Was in the biz for so many years that colors are all resistor color code numbers to me. my Scamp is 9 with a 2 stripe.

[John in Michigan]

Originally Posted by Borrego Dave

You & Harold get the gold star for answers . But really, maybe the question should have ask more directly how self named EEs with years of experience have such different answers to electrical questions posted. You may have the right answer Harold with your list .

Dave,

Yes I'm an electrical engineer. I have worked on engineering projects ranging in size from one "part time" engineer to thousands of engineers (crazy project by the way), and everything in between. And a wide range of applications over 40 years. (I started out as a software engineer.) One time someone asked what I was working on. My answer was "tanks". Their reply "gas tanks?", which actually might have happened in the auto industry. My answer was "military tanks". More specifically, incorporating computer and communications equipment. And working together with mechanical, software, and human factor engineers and others. The military tank experience has helped in thinking about FGRV design solutions that take into consideration the harsh environment (shock and vibration, freezing/thawing, heat, moisture, road salt, etc).

-John

[Doctor Harold]

Originally Posted by John in Santa Cruz

difference is, you can't see them electron things... unless you've let the magic smoke out.... letting the magic smoke out is almost always bad!

Oh, I know about the magic smoke, I've owned five British cars, and there's no magic smoke like Lucas magic smoke!

[AP-Adventures]

Dave,

I’m also an Electrical Technologist (something that doesn’t exist for our American brethren; they’d call us “Associate Engineers”).

I totally agree with the need to keep the blue smoke in! (Factory smoke is a new one, but I used to work at a Westinghouse factory, so I understand!)

I maintain generator and breaker controls at a reasonably large (3GW; 500kV) generating station. Just a little place at the end of the river.

Wire colours are once and always a source of confusion! Red & black for source DC is truly wonderful. RYBu Black is one code of AC (3ph); and B/W is great for 120V 1ph AC; as I’m sure we’ll all agree. Some days though, those standards do not apply. When in doubt, get out your voltmeter (and phase angle meter as required!).

Fun discussion!

Alan

[Doctor Harold]

Alan,

I had a friend who retired from working at Shasta Dam (9 miles from me) where he maintained five generators (and other stuff) capable of producing 710 megawatts. They were fed by water released through five 15-foot penstocks.

He would tell stories where they would actually have to walk inside a generator while the armature was spinning and current was live to service something. New hires were apparently extremely skittish the first time they were told to go inside a running generator.

I'm okay with house wiring, and automobile wiring, but don't ask me to fetch your phase angle meter because I have no idea what that is. I'd probably bring you a try square. (Or is that tri square?)

[AP-Adventures]

Harold,

I will look up Shasta; sounds like my kinda place!

I will post (soon as I can figure out how to upload pictures) photos of camping with our Armadillo on Revelstoke Reservoir. (The downstream dam from where I call Work Home.)

At our dam, we have relatively small penstocks; only 22 ft because we have relatively high head. Only 435MW/unit.

And yes, I’ve walked inside while the “Armature “ was spinning.

I’ll happily fetch the phase angle meter And tri-square if you help me level my trailer! [emoji41]

[Paul O.]

Originally Posted by Doctor Harold

...
He would tell stories where they would actually have to walk inside a generator while the armature was spinning and current was live to service something. New hires were apparently extremely skittish the first time they were told to go inside a running generator.
...

By golly, old memories are coming back. I am an ME, but had to take several courses in EE. Nothing better than a scary story for budding engineers, told by the professor: There was a group of people, presumably doing just what you describe, walking underneath some huge bus bars at full voltage. The one leading and explaining something raised his arm to point at some part of the machinery. The pencil in his hand, by virtue of shaping the electric field, became the lightning rod, with predictable consequences. It still sticks in my head, 50 years later. Some professors knew how to teach. I don't remember his name or face, but remember his story.

[AP-Adventures]

I’ve experienced people doing things like that. I was doing a small job in the hospital in Terrace BC many years ago and the director was showing me the Utility vault which was a room in the basement that had primary voltage (25kV) coming into floor mounted overhead transformers (a cheap way to do the job). The primary conductors ran across the ceiling and dropped down to the top of the transformers. Like all overhead transformers, the bushings are bare and live, out in the open. This guy kept waving his arms around and I had to tell him twice if he didn’t stop I would leave because I didn’t want to have to clean up the cooked meat. He just didn’t get it!

[Raz]

I started with a two year tech degree. From there I worked nights as a tech while going to engineering school during the day. Then on to grad school and finally work.

The most interesting technical job I had was in a tooling group making "tools" or machines that made integrated circuits.

One day a friend passed on an ad for a teaching position at the local tech school. I enjoyed teaching while in grad school, so I applied. I taught everything from DC circuit to Microcontrollers. Twenty six years later I retired. Now, I'm a Trillium repairman.

I've also been an extra class ham since the mid eighties though I'm no longer active.

[Doctor Harold]

Originally Posted by AP-Adventures

I’ll happily fetch the phase angle meter And tri-square if you help me level my trailer! [emoji41]

I'll be glad to help level your trailer... First we need to compute the angle of the equator to the Sun, and make a chart for seasonal adjustments.... we'll also need your trailer's exact latitude and longitude to 0.5 mm.... then we rent two hours time on the Sunway Taihulight supercomputer in China...

Realize the results will only be approximate unless we factor in the gravitational pull of Uranus, but unless you plan on exceeding forty-five miles per hour on Sundays, this should be close enough.




Great thread everyone!!!!