I used to fight with old relay logic for hours, now I just grab the meter first thing

Back when I started, maybe 10 years ago, I'd get a call for an elevator stuck between floors and my first move was to open the controller and just start staring at the relay ladder. I'd trace wires with my finger, listen for clicks, and waste a ton of time trying to 'see' the problem. It was pure pride, thinking I could out-think the schematic. The change came after a brutal Monday in a 1970s office building downtown. I spent three hours on a floor call issue before my boss showed up, hooked his Fluke to the call button circuit, and found a bad ground in under two minutes. He didn't say a word, just looked at me. Now, my tool bag comes out and the meter leads go on before I even look at the prints. It saves so much headache. Anyone else have a moment that made them stop trusting their eyes and start trusting the numbers?

2 comments

2 Comments

paul_davis4d ago

Gotta admit though, sometimes you just get a gut feeling about a relay. The meter doesn't always tell the whole story lol.

averys524d ago

My last gut feeling cost me a whole control board.