Another person trying for free consultation via PM

Steve Bailey · Mar 9, 2016

Received the following from shah2006 via PM.

We have 90-70 PLC and logicmaster v7.02 software. I was trying to backup software to my desktop and got an error " <U77> PLC program uses instructions not supported by folder or current release". We couldn't take backup. I tried to change IP address from configuration as a part of upgrade project, I got communication error. I tried to change IP address by using serial communication and through ethernet port and I got same error. Can you please send me your contact information or reply me? Thanks Hiten Shah

Most likely reason for the error is that the PLC was programmed with something other than Logicmaster. You should get Proficy Machine Edition software and retire Logicmaster. GE retired it long ago.

danw · Mar 9, 2016

Steve,

Interesting way to handle the private message request-for-help.

When I've gotten those, I have replied and asked the sender to start a thread on the public formum.

My question is, how did you get the full quote of the sender's message from a PM to the public forum? It looks formatted, rather than copy-and-paste.

Dan

Steve Bailey · Mar 9, 2016

It is copy-n-paste inside quote tags and added Italic tags and (in this case) color tags.

It looks formatted, rather than copy-and-paste.

Firejo · Mar 9, 2016

Quote him an hourly rate (a really high hourly rate)

Geospark · Mar 9, 2016

Dear Sir/Mr Geospark...

In my short time posting here I've lost count on the amount of PM's I've received looking for 1-to-1 consultation. It does not do much for a Forum's "open book" philosophy. Often these people are not "Frequent Flyers" here and are just hopping on, using us, and hopping off again. They care little for the value of sharing such knowledge publicly.

They'll probably have read something I've posted in an existing thread and said "Hey, I'll bet they know the answer to my question?".

But, because we none of us "know it all" here, it would usually serve members better to cast their nets further and increase their chances of either a collective consensus, collaboration, or correction on the given subject matter.

If a "Frequent Flyer" does PM me I will usually oblige them, when and where I can. But I often also advise them to go public for the greater good, if the information is not of a sensitive nature.

Here's a PM I've copy/pasted...

A.DoucheBag said:
MSR138DP Auto reset

Hello.
I am a service technician of electrical, electronic and mechanical systems.

At the moment we have a MSR138DP that monitors ch1 and ch2 which are fed by Alan Bradley solid state pnp photo cells x2.
Tried the circuit of light curtain but it does not reset automatically when the photo cells return to normal state NC.
Using the y1 y2 loop through the contactor aux NC.
Any suggestions for auto reset would be appreciated.

I cannot pay you for your time but you guys love this stuff anyway!

I replied...

Geospark said:
Yeah, but I love money even more!

Incidentally, that PM'er has 0 posts on the Forum.

[SIDETRACK]

TIP: To manually edit a quote to add a poster's name just use...

Code:

[QUOTE[COLOR="Red"]=NameGoesHere[/COLOR]]text[/QUOTE]

...not forgetting the "=". It should then look like this...

NameGoesHere said:
text

Also, if you have added the poster's name, you should not need to italicize text inside a direct quotation. It does it automatically...

Geospark said:
I'm automatically italicized because I'm a direct quotation

No italics around me because I'm an anonymous quotation

I've had to be specifically italicized because I'm also an anonymous quotation

However, correct grammar would use double quotes around a direct quotation ("direct quote") and not italicize. Italics are normally reserved for emphasis on particular words within a sentence or quotation, similar to underlining. Italics are also used in the naming of nouns such as books, newspapers, magazines, movies, TV Shows, etc. You would also use italics when naming ships, planes and the like...

Example: USS Nimitz

Note how USS is not italicized but Nimitz is. This is because United States Ship (USS) is the noun, but Nimitz is the name of the noun.

Automatically italicizing direct quotations using the

name said:
tag is just how BBCode rolls, I guess?

[/SIDETRACK]

Regards,
George

RussB · Mar 9, 2016

danw said:
Steve,

Interesting way to handle the private message request-for-help.

When I've gotten those, I have replied and asked the sender to start a thread on the public formum.

My question is, how did you get the full quote of the sender's message from a PM to the public forum? It looks formatted, rather than copy-and-paste.

Dan

I do the same and rarely does it ever show up here.

Steve, you are a patient and understanding man. If you are married, your wife is a very LUCKY woman! You may tell her we said so!

Aabeck · Mar 9, 2016

How come all the PM's I get start with "My homework assignment ....." or are about a traffic light?

roxusa · Mar 9, 2016

I mainly check these posts for some good tips but a good chuckle works to

Mill_Control · Mar 10, 2016

Firejo said:
Quote him an hourly rate (a really high hourly rate)

Then he'd likely ask for your bank account details so he could wire you a substantial advance payment. And request that you refund any overpayment, for the consultation, to his account at the nigerian national bank

jvdcande · Mar 11, 2016

Aabeck said:
How come all the PM's I get start with "My homework assignment ....." or are about a traffic light?

Because teachers in high school are mostly people who don't have any relation with the "real world" of programming PLCs. Some (most??) of them have no clue about real automation applications but they all know traffic lights (who doesn't?). And you can use some of the features PLCs offer to program traffic lights.

I must admit that for pupils who enter PLC101 real world automation tasks are too complicated. They need to finish the first course before getting anyway near a real world situation, say changing directions for a motor or delta/wye switch.

Liam Moran · Mar 11, 2016

This is an interesting thread for me, as I too have been a recipient of a considerable amount of PMs which were
initiated by posts that I made on various topics on this particular site. I have responded to some, as they triggered
some memories from the depths of my murky brain, but by and large I simply ignore them.
It is not that I get very many really,as I rarely contribute in any way about the more modern stuff,
and dare I say it, I am not a fan of Rockwell, which I suppose would make me as popular as I would be
at a Hells Angels convention on my Honda. I have had a few, like Steve Bailey, which were looking for help,
some were looking for work done, and the usual looking for homework help.
The ones that would get a response are the ones with questions about older systems like
the long obsolete Telemecanique TSX and Klockner Moeller PS22/24.
I did once get stung financially for a small amount which was my reward for helping someone out,
but it did make me even more cautious.

Usireland · Mar 11, 2016

I think one of the possible reasons for PMs is that some people are "afraid" of being ridiculed for asking a "Stupid Question", now its all well and good for us to say: "there are no stupid questions, only stupid answers" but if your new to programming PLCs things can be intimidating.

One of the things that stumped me for a while was the difference between this:

and this:

Now I know what the difference is, but it took me a lot longer to figure out because I was afraid to ask since I thought it was something I "should have already known".

If any Newbie is reading this, please know this forum is not like others, we will not insult you for asking a simple question, we all had to start from somewhere. We will only insult you, if you insult us by asking us to do your homework without even attempting it yourself.

Regards
Ian
P.s. sorry for the large images, but I don't know the code to control the image size. Maybe someone can point me in the right direction

RussB · Mar 11, 2016

My take on "stupid questions" is that there are no stupid questions but when a person doing PLC work asks an incomplete question, that person is not being very "smart".

Many times these are done by those with minimal understanding of my native language (Mid-West English) such as:
http://www.plctalk.net/qanda/showthread.php?p=681593#post681593
but sometimes I just can't resist a snarky answer. It's just the way I am. I figure if it's too far out of line the Moderators will remove it.
I really do try to make the answer trigger a better question though.

Another person trying for free consultation via PM

Steve Bailey

Lifetime Supporting Member + Moderator

danw

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Steve Bailey

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Firejo

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Geospark

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RussB

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Aabeck

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roxusa

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Mill_Control

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jvdcande

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Liam Moran

Lifetime Supporting Member

Usireland

Member

RussB

Lifetime Supporting Member

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