You know that little voice in the back of your head...

A few minutes ago PHD Genius came to borrow my multi-meter. Said he wanted to measure milli-amp current. So I handed him my clamp on milli-amp meter. He said he wanted to borrow a regular multi-meter. That little voice was screaming "go see what the hell he is doing!" I ignored it and handed him my Fluke 189. I knew better, but I lent it to him anyways. Of course he blew the fuse. Then he switched to the ten amp range. Yeah, you guessed it, now I gotta go buy some fuses for my meter. He brought the meter back, said it was broken - he clearly didn't understand what had just happened. I don't blame him. I blame myself for ignoring that little voice.

Just had a fuse replaced in a Simpson 260 for $105 - but they also calibrated meter so feel little better - other than shame for not opening up meter a little more and check for other fuses. Thank God for fuses.

Flukes - I gave up and bought a five pack of fuses. Have not blown one since. So far Murphy Law proving true.

Guy in a class I teach asked how to check voltage with a meter. Started to answer he butted in stating he was a PHD EE. I stood there in amazement and tongue tied and let students answer for me. All became plain when he told me in break that his degrees were in computers and software.

Dan Bentler

A few years ago we had a part time student working in a QC lab. He was working on his masters in EE. He came to me and asked to borrow a meter. I asked what he wanted to measure and he said current. So I handed him a clamp on current meter. He said he had been to one of the maintenance techs first and he had given him a current clamp also but he didn't know how to use it. I said you just clamp it around the wire. Then he said he couldn't get to the wire because it was in the wall, so I asked what he was up to. He said he wanted to know how much current was available at an outlet and wanted to borrow an ordinary multi-meter that he could stick in the outlet and see how much current was at the outlet. I explained that the meter adds no impedance to the circuit and that sticking the probes is would be the same as shorting the hot wire to the neutral. I told him that each outlet cover plate has a breaker ID on it and to find the breaker panel and see if its on a 15 or 20 amp circuit. He said it would be easier to measure it so I refused to lend him my meter. A while later I was walking through his work area when I noticed one of those little pocket multimeters blown to smithereens sitting on a table. On the wall nearby was an outlet with a badly burned cover plate. He was lukcy he didn't get hurt.

When genius PHD came to me this morning that was the first thing I thought of. But I said to myself "he knows what he is doing." So I have no one to blame but myself. At least this time I'm lucky its just fuses. Murphy still got his though. Out of the hundreds of fuses in MRO not one of them is the right kind.

I had another engineer ask "how can I measure this DC amperage?".

I handed him my Extech EX830 clamp-on. He said "it is more then 10 amps, it will burn your meter". I replied "no, just use the clamp"

This started a huge debate because he belived that clamp-ons can only read AC. I even showed him the manual that said AC/DC, and he still argued.

To shut him up I reached over and clamped it on the hot lead of a power supply I had setup on the desk running a PLC.

He actually said "That must be a crappy power supply and the DC has noise as an AC component"

I just shook my head and put my meter away. No use helping him if he can't help himself.

But hey, at least he didn't blow up my meter!

You work with geniuses too? I thought it was just me!

Haha, been there, done that. I know how ya feel. Its a wonder that more of these people don't get hurt on the job.

Murphy's law of fuses states that the $1000 piece of equipment will fail in such a way as to protect the 10 cent fuse from blowing.

Very familiar stories. Just in case some didn't know, most meters have spare fuses located inside ... if they haven't already been used! And all Maglites have a spare bulb inside the end cap.

OpZed said:

And all Maglites have a spare bulb inside the end cap.

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I'm also a Maglite fan. The new LED model does not have a spare bulb in the cap, but never seems to burn out the LED. I switched to the LED version two years ago and am still on the same bulb. The batteries last longer and the light is brighter all at the same time.

Jeez ... now I know where all my genius's went. I have to train new ones now.

I have to confess that I have blown enough meter fuses to make me carry a spare pack on all start-ups. Most of these happened when I switched between current and voltage measurement but forgot to swap the leads.

I never understood why, with our modern technology, they couldn't design a meter that had a single set of plugs for the leads and switched the internal connections when I turned the selector switch on the meter. I also never understood why they can't develop a breaker that would act fast enough to protect the meter instead of blowing a fuse. For that matter, I don't undestand why they can't design a meter that has a compartment to let me change the fuse without unscrewing the back and taking the whole darned thing apart!

Does this mean I'm a genius? Am I qualified to get a PhD without writing a thesis?

I could understand a meter design that would require removing the leads to be able to open it enough to change fuses. If not I bet there would be some who would try to change the fuses while still attached to the circuit.

I was impressed by a Fluke meter that was demonstrated by leaving the mode in Ohms and plugging into the 480VAC power plug. It mearly gave a warning but didn't smoke.

Tom Jenkins said:

I have to confess that I have blown enough meter fuses to make me carry a spare pack on all start-ups. Most of these happened when I switched between current and voltage measurement but forgot to swap the leads.

I never understood why, with our modern technology, they couldn't design a meter that had a single set of plugs for the leads and switched the internal connections when I turned the selector switch on the meter. I also never understood why they can't develop a breaker that would act fast enough to protect the meter instead of blowing a fuse. For that matter, I don't undestand why they can't design a meter that has a compartment to let me change the fuse without unscrewing the back and taking the whole darned thing apart!

Does this mean I'm a genius? Am I qualified to get a PhD without writing a thesis?

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This is a very good start to your thesis. or for $295 the formalities will be dismissed.

Tom Jenkins said:

I never understood why, with our modern technology, they couldn't design a meter that had a single set of plugs for the leads and switched the internal connections when I turned the selector switch on the meter.

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I had a Craptsman Meter from Sears that did that. I blew the fuse and the little contacts the first time I tried to measure the amp draw of the blower motor in my '84 Suburban on the 10A range. Later at work, I sprayed it with solvent flux remover (same brand and similar label to the contact cleaner we used...) and welded the plastic together, turning the face to a nice shower-glass-looking glazed blur in the process. As soon as I saw the bubbling, I started trying to take it apart, but it was too late...the knob was now part of the cover. I did manage to separate them later. I still use that POS for DC Volts after popping the cover off the LCD and tossing the case front. Yeah I have done some Pretty pHreakin Dumb schtick myself. I remember using my friend's AC welder with no insulation on the stinger handle, and moving the ground clamp without turning it off. No gloves, stinger in one sweaty hand, ground clamp in the other. Luckily, I was also barefoot, so I was able to throw the dang things down before my chest caved in...this was an emergency boat trailer repair, btw, I usually wear gloves and flip flops while welding...

Tom Jenkins said:

I also never understood why they can't develop a breaker that would act fast enough to protect the meter instead of blowing a fuse.

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If there's a breaker faster than semiconductor fuses, put that in my VFD panels, and I'll keep the expensive little fuses in my Fluke.

Tom Jenkins said:

For that matter, I don't understand why they can't design a meter that has a compartment to let me change the fuse without unscrewing the back and taking the whole darned thing apart!

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That's to help you remember. If they make it too easy to replace those fuses, you'll end up exposed to danger...I think I like the fact that you have to stop and think about what just happened..pay a little price to deepen the lesson...

The Starr said:

I handed him my Extech EX830 clamp-on.

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I know a guy who bought an Extech DC clamp on during his technician training and was using it on a VFD (AC) drive, if I recall correctly. The output under a load, at tech school and the clamp on meter popped in his hand. He said it was like a large firecracker popping in his hand. It didn't break the skin. He showed me the meter, it had a large hole burned through the case where you would grip it! At that time (probably late '90s) that meter was not rated to deal with the PWM of AC drives. I don't recall the model number.

You might want to double check with them, but I did hear that the instructor contacted Ex-Tech and warned them, as well as the company she was training for, and they issued a “Fluke Only” policy...

Okay, back on topic...

I worked with a genius who was having trouble with a 50hp pump controls upgrade. He was supposed to find a replacement for an obsolete contactor. After he installed the replacement and spent three days trying to make it run, I got the tap on the shoulder, “Hey Paul, go see what's wrong with Genius's pump contactor. He changed the motor starter and now it won't pull in...He's been working on it for three days...we need that pump, we need to get it back in rotation so we can catch up on P.M.s”

I opened the box and saw a control transformer about the size of my thumb (480:120) and a contactor with a 120vac coil about the size of a doorknob...

I laughed and said, “Yeah, I can see why it won't seal in. Why did you change the coil to 120v? The print shows 460?”

I put my meter on peak hold and read a low peak of 42vac...

“Yabbit it was the only 460v coil we stock, and I am also tasked with trying to reduce spare parts...”

Yep, that's what I needed added to my plate. A genius EE with no common sense, but motivated to take away my spares and screw up projects...

Well I have to post this because its been eating at me for a long time. Back twelve year ago when I first came into to technical field I worked at a company who had their main robot/plc automation guru. We'll call him Andy. This guy was a prick know it all with full leverage from upper management. Well he did poor work and has better luck bullsh...t his way out of problems he created than anyone I have ever met After two years of this I had enough and went on to bigger and better things. Long and behold I am training this guy today to be my fillin. I KICKED and SCREAMED during the hiring process not to hire the guy. You know due to economical reasons. But sadly enough I take Andy out and show him what he will be dealing with and troubleshooting. And all I heard was I good with and understand all this. So far every day I have watched this guy put work off on others or me because he for one just doesn't know as much as he thought ,two to dang lasy, and third bullsh..t my boss that the problems are because of a programming error I made with a robot or plc.I spoke up to my boss and was told that he had a impressive resume and he can do the job real well. But there are even times my boss calls me to repair that Andy with his colorful resume should be able to repair. I give the guy some credit because he talks so intelligent I don't understand the words he says. But bottom 4 months into this the guy has not single handly repaired one piece of equipment on his or has directed/coached another employee on what needs to happen or what to look for first. I like my job and love what I and don't really care to leave this one because of him again. Would it be wrong of me to s
et him up to look like a *** in front of my bosses. I've tried being the better person and biting my tongue and assisting because I have busted my butt over the last 12years to learn my companys machines inside and out and taught myself to much to watch him **** it away. Hey, feel somewhat better now. Now if I can get this guy out of my hair I would feel even better. Don't laugh but yes at one point in my life (because I hated the guy so much) it was goal to learn what he knows X2. Mission accomplished and very unbelievable how little the guy really knows. Example time : I have not seen him get online with a single PLC without directing a electrical to do it for him. Screwed up robot program because he thought he knew more than me. Any ways thanks for the therapy.

Now tell us how you really feel.

I know exactly what you mean. I have gone thru more resumes than I can count where the guy looks like he's much more qualified and knowledgeable than me. During the interview, I give them a simple written test. The question that usually gets them is draw me a simple start stop circuit with a seal in.

You'd be surprised how many electricians and technicians I interview that can't even do that.