When you are in a rush. SLOW DOWN!!!

[JeffKiper]

OMG!!!! I have to ship a panel today. Last minute stuff and I have all the serial comms working just fine with my box of adapters, gender changers, etc.,etc. Serial monitoring the data and everything looks good. I grab the DB9 box of connectors and of course it is empty. So I just cut the end off a standard PM02 cable and use the flying leads from the 8 Pin mini dine to a breakout board. Trying to be complete in every way I test the 232 serial again. I can see the target node streaming out data like it should be but the PLC is doing nothing. SO I start checking wiring on the break out board vs the old db9 that I cut off. I am looking for jumpers or loopbacks. anything that could be causing me this problem with the PLC not talking.
35 minutes later I find that I didn't plug in the Cable to the PLC.

The moral of this story is SLOW DOWN.

 

[Ron Beaufort]

The moral of this story is SLOW DOWN.

sage words of wisdom from one so young ...

everybody thinks that old-timers (like me) are getting slower and slower because we're getting older and older ...

nope ...

truth is: we're just continually learning from bitter experience to be more and more careful ...

(at least, that's my story – and I'm sticking to it) ...

 

[TurpoUrpo]

No, it is "ALWAYS CHECK PLC CABLE FIRST". If that does not work, then slow down.

 

[JeffKiper]

Checking that the PLC is plugged in is the #2 PLC law

http://forums.mrplc.com/index.php?showtopic=9522

I was just in a hurry

 

[JeffKiper]

Hopefully Ron I get to be one of those old-timers.

 

[Ron Beaufort]

awhile back, my neighbor and I were watching some teenaged kids running around across the street – and he asked me: "Wouldn't you like to be that young again?" ...

"Nope," I said, "not if I had to be that stupid again."

the older you get, it's amazing how trivial all of the "important" things eventually become ...

 

[JeffKiper]

The most important is the family. I have jobs that are "important" but they wait every night when we eat I stop answering the emails, try to stop thinking about the jobs and pay attention to my wife and kids.I don't always successfully do it but I give in an honest try.

 

[bulletin blues]

Thanks for the reminder. This jogged my memory to some of the best advice my first "mentor" taught me years ago. Unfortunately, through all the chaos lately, I had forgotten it. Like I said, thanks for the reminder.

"If you're bloody, cussing, and sweating, you're doing it wrong."

 

[JeffKiper]

That's why I posted this. We can all use a reminder every now and then

 

[yam785]

Jeff, thanks for the slow down reminder.

I think the biggest "slowdown" lesson I ever experienced, that drove that point into my thick head was:

My clothes washer all of a sudden wasn't washing the clothes very well, and wasn't spinning fast enough, the clothes were dripping wet when i'd take them out. Being the technical guy I am, I proceded to rip it apart, and following the prints, I deduced that it was the "high speed" switch shown on the print. I looked all over for the switch, couldn't find it anywhere. After following the wires to the switch, it dawned on me. I remembered dusting the day before.

"high speed" switch = normal/gentle switch on front panel. Anymore I'm more like Abe.

"If I had eight hours to chop down a tree, I'd spend six sharpening my axe." -- Abraham Lincoln

Jeff,what is your biggest slow down moment?

 

[JeffKiper]

I was being told to hury up by the boss. So the biggest was collapsing a loading dock. Long long story. Short version Includes 1 big forklift 40,000 lbs. The dock buckled under the weight.

How to work in a metal stamping shop for 8 years. We did were our own repairs. I got to do 90 percent off everything we did. So mistakes came easy.

I like 6 hours sharpening an axe not a bad rule to live by.

 

[Clay B.]

One of the reasons I smoke

People now days always remind me of the dangers of smoking. I have some really old relatives that would argue the point but that is not the point I am talking about.

Alot of times when things are ratching up I will take a smoke break. I refuse to smoke inside. I instead go outside in the fresh air and walk around in a circle while I smoke my cig. Most of the time whatever had me chasing my tail is solved or at least I have another idea to try before I finish the cig. I can then step back into whatever I am working on alot calmer. I have seen guys (self included) just about climb the walls when deadlines approach. As Ron has said we are not moving slower we are just being more efficent. It is an art that you can only improve with age.

 

[Gil47]

Another take on it


More Haste Less Speed