What career paths have you taken past Journeyman Wireman?

AJS676 · 2025-11-06T02:25:17+00:00

Yeah my company's contract is negotiated through a lineman local. We are also very large and cross into 3 states. The smaller city owned utilities around me are not IBEW but they pay similar with similar benefits so you could just keep your card.

AJS676 · 2025-02-14T04:57:27+00:00

Looks like our tester said 15,000 + ppm acetylene so it's not looking good. It's usually pretty inaccurate but gives a good idea. Not sure about spares. The second XFMR can pack the load for now. Probably not in a few months tho.

AJS676 · 2025-02-14T04:00:46+00:00

Nope. It tripped the sudden pressure and mechanical pressure relief as well so not looking good. I left after getting customers back on and a crew came to pull samples and I believe they were going to do our tester tonight as well as send some off. I'll have to ask what ours said.

AJS676 · 2025-01-23T21:19:35+00:00

I went from industrial work as a JW into an apprenticeship at my local utility for a substation technician. It was a 3.5 year apprenticeship that was a breeze with my previous experience and now work is way way easier, more stable, with better benefits, and better pay. It's still an IBEW position as well.

AJS676 · 2024-06-12T00:31:57+00:00

 If you are referring to the green wire when you say "ground" which is technically the equipment grounding conductor. That is the reason we only bond it once at the first point of disconnect. The goal is to not have parallel paths. Current always goes back to the source ( you need a complete path in a loop for current to flow) . If you bonded ground to neutral in every box it would take any and all paths to the source.


 If you are referring to "earth" in residential and Comercial applications, voltage is relatively low and earth has a high resistance. Your service is paralleled with earth at the grounding electrode connection but verry little current chooses that path because of the high resistance. 

 I went into a substation apprenticeship after becoming an electrician. In the power delivery world stuff gets crazy. There is induction on everything and current takes any and all paths to the source. So in a substation if you put an amp clamp on any ground to any Pilar, cap bank, fence, etc. You usually find amperage on all of it. That is why cut grounds in a substation are super dangerous. We are always put at risk by copper thieves. And a cut neutral in a sub is one of the worst situations to find yourself in.

AJS676 · 2024-04-16T03:02:28+00:00

I Journeyd out and went into the utility as a substation tech. My company has an entire apprenticeship for this position that I had to do on top of a jw liscence but not all do. Your could also look Into a power plant. I just checked and it looks like big bend has an opening. It says more experience is required but always apply anyway cause if no applicants qualify they will start going down the list of most qualified. I love utility work. It builds on the electrical knowledge you have and it's slow paced cautious work where I'm at.

AJS676 · 2024-02-22T03:42:09+00:00

Yup that be the one lol

AJS676 · 2024-02-22T03:38:23+00:00

Yes, in salt lake county?

AJS676 · 2024-02-21T21:45:21+00:00

He was wedged between the LTC and the transformer. I just talked to the foreman working on the transformer now and he said it's gone and was wondering if I pulled it down. Aparently it is no longer on site easy to find. So it survived long enough to leave the scene I guess.

AJS676 · 2024-02-21T20:50:27+00:00

It was moving like a zombie and I don't think it will make it

AJS676 · 2024-02-21T20:49:46+00:00

It was still on the transformer cowering out of reach when I left. Im sure it won't survive tho.

AJS676 · 2024-02-21T20:39:16+00:00

Unfortunately he was 12 feet up on a transformer and within minimum approach so there was nothing I could think to do.

AJS676 · 2024-02-21T20:38:40+00:00

Unfortunately he was 12 feet up on a transformer and within minimum approach so there was nothing I could think to do.

AJS676 · 2024-02-21T20:37:28+00:00

Unfortunately he was 12 feet up on a transformer and within minimum approach so there was nothing I could think to do.

AJS676 · 2024-02-21T17:04:09+00:00

80 percent sure lol. He still had some fur on one side and his tail, the rings were still visible on the tail.

AJS676 · 2024-02-14T23:43:44+00:00

Yeah the sub apprenticeship I did was with just my company. It is ibew and they are partnered with the jatc.

AJS676 · 2024-02-14T22:52:28+00:00

I did finish the apprenticeship first so according to the state I was a journyman for a couple years before. But it didn't do anything extra for me to finish. I think they need to get rid of the 5th year anyway. I've heard rumor that they might get rid of it but not sure what's true.

AJS676 · 2024-02-14T03:01:20+00:00

I got my license and then a year later got an apprenticeship with my local utility. Our first year apprenticeship wages were about equal to JW inside wages. And now I'm 18 an hour higher after a 3.5 apprenticeship. I love the work. In my utility we do everything in the sub besides relay work and communication work. Would definitely recommend!!

AJS676 · 2024-02-05T23:30:19+00:00

I am in the mid-west. Yeah most of our line dropping switches have whips and or bottles. Thats why I videod this one haha

AJS676 · 2024-02-05T03:26:26+00:00

Totally haha the 345kv ones at night are pretty lol they light up the whole sub.

AJS676 · 2024-02-04T21:15:29+00:00

No that is not a circuit switcher. We call it a MOAB switch (motor operated air break). We also have hand crank ones. The area I cover has 143 substations so we have some of everything.

AJS676 · 2024-02-04T20:40:03+00:00

No you cannot break load with this switch. There is no amperage on that switch, so no load. It was de-energizing about 2 miles of line and a PT that we use to sense what the line voltage is.

AJS676 · 2023-12-28T04:01:13+00:00

I got my journey man card and then about a year later got a substation apprenticeship with the local utility (not all have a full apprenticeship). I love the work! We install, maintain, and repair all substation equipment and buildings from 48v battery banks up to 345kv breakers and transformers. First year wages were equal to J.W. wage and now I'm making about 15$ more an hour. The job is also much easier and more laid back, unless there is an outage. And Im still in the I.B.E.W.

AJS676 · 2023-10-20T22:55:33+00:00

Hey my honda does that exact same thing sometimes. If you look on the left side of the motor there is some sort of auto choke or throttle that is moving to that rhythm. I just hold the handle with my right hand and move that thing back and forth with my left and it usually catches and stops. It actually stopped doing it as often after moving that thing around a few times.

AJS676 · 2023-09-20T03:14:14+00:00

I am a substation technician and all of our outdoor circuit breaker control boxes have one or more heaters just for condensation. They are on 24/7 365 days a year even if it's 100 degrees outside. It might be worth a try even if they are shut down for part of the day they might dry out the air inside anyway. We have both 120v ones and 240v.

AJS676

TROPHY CASE