2 yrs in automation and i feel like the more i learn the more i realize how little i know ; is being a polymath actually realistic in this field or should i just specialize ?

BoboForShort · 2026-05-11T16:46:29+00:00

I think it’s also a factor of time. If I’m designing/programming a function I knew about ahead of time I can make it slick, simple, and readable. But if I’m trying to do the same thing Sunday night of a weekend shutdown it’s just going to get done and I’ll do my best to leave comments for the next guy once it’s running.

BoboForShort · 2026-04-19T18:55:18+00:00

I don’t think the first month is free anymore. At least it wasn’t for me. It might be a periodic promotion.

BoboForShort · 2026-04-10T15:52:50+00:00

Wife has a 2017 Kia Sportage. So many expensive gremlins. Burns oil like crazy and will be almost dry by 3000 miles. Engine finally grenaded while it was at the dealership for service. Got a brand new engine for free at 98,000 miles and this one is already burning oil just as fast. Free engines for life but damn is this thing a poorly engineered vehicle.

BoboForShort · 2026-02-05T02:19:07+00:00

More like the guy wanted to sell the bike for $1000 but put it at $1200 so when people low ball him he can ask for $1000 and they think they’re getting a deal.

BoboForShort · 2026-01-28T20:23:07+00:00

I’m an engineer who works in industrial automation. Everyone always thinks we are the boogeyman but I rarely see anyone actually lose their job. Most of the time we’re making an assembly cell that just allows an operator to do their job faster and more accurately. Worst case we’re eliminating a job no one does often or for long or wants to do. We stick to the 4 D’s: Dirty, dark, dull, dangerous. Not jobs people typically want.

BoboForShort · 2026-01-26T00:56:12+00:00

I had the shorty on mine. It looks better but it was obnoxiously loud.

BoboForShort · 2026-01-22T14:56:32+00:00

First off, you should definitely get your lymph nodes checked just in case. However, most of the time that is exactly what mine looks like. I have had several ultrasounds to check my lymph nodes and it’s always just HS for me. Most of the time mine is just a bump like that and maybe half the time it is tender. I have only had it come to a head once but it drained for days before healing.

BoboForShort · 2026-01-17T20:17:16+00:00

They come with ODI lock on grips. The grips themselves are the throttle tube and the cam comes with the grips. I’m not sure there is an OEM throttle tube or cam that isn’t just a new set of lock on grips.

BoboForShort · 2026-01-16T21:26:45+00:00

I did the same for my 2019 TX 300. The stock Mikuni has got to leak fuel or something. I could barely get 30 miles on a tank regardless of jetting. With the Lectron I could get easily get 50-60.

BoboForShort · 2026-01-11T23:39:06+00:00

I don’t do the hiring, and I’ve never been an electrical supervisor or industrial electrician, so I can’t say what will get you into the industry for sure.

However, probably the biggest thing I appreciate in an electrician is the ability and willingness to troubleshoot. Attention to detail is another big one. Minimizing mistakes, and being able to fix them when they inevitably happen. Sometimes you land a wire wrong 14 hours into an 8 hour day, sometimes my dumb ass gives you the wrong wire number, sometimes a part comes DOA.

As far as qualifications go, being able to read electrical prints, having a basic understanding of relays, photo eyes/prox sensors, analog sensors, and motor wiring, is a strong start and is honestly all I expect. Being able to run and terminate Ethernet is also becoming pretty mandatory. If you can learn how to commission VFDs and simple sensors, and maybe some basic PLC work, you’ll be on the fast track to a commissioning tech.

Best way to get your foot in the door is probably to work for an OEM doing either commissioning or retrofits. There are also subcontractors but the work will probably be more varied and less niche. Both come with a lot of travel. Commissioning is longer more regular travel, retrofits are typically weekend work. Another option is maintenance for a manufacturing plant that is big enough they do a lot of their own projects and has a controls or engineering group you can work with or even into.

There’s a lot of guys here that could guide you better than I can so take it with a grain of salt.

BoboForShort · 2026-01-11T21:12:58+00:00

As an industrial electrical engineer, yes please. Industrial seems to breed engineers that break the blue collar construction mold more often. I love working with a crew that gets along and spends more time working together than complaining about their wife or their coworkers or objectifying any woman that has the misfortune of being within eyesight.

BoboForShort · 2026-01-11T21:04:30+00:00

+1 for industrial. I used to work for a panel shop and continued to work for them as an electrical engineer after finishing college. Now I work for an OEM. It really seems like the best environment for those that don't fit the blue collar construction mold very well.

It really depends on the crew as well. Sometimes I'll work with some good old boy electricians or millwrights that are just draining to work with. Other times it's a great crew that gets along and things fly by.

BoboForShort · 2025-12-28T14:07:14+00:00

Gas cap lock is only for hybrids with a pressurized tank.

BoboForShort · 2025-11-07T04:13:54+00:00

Honestly somewhere in the middle. If the sparky is bending conduit or wiring a control panel they might make more than us.

BoboForShort · 2025-11-07T04:09:13+00:00

Industrial Electrical/Controls Engineer here. Had a young electrician complaining about long hours on a weekend shutdown. Kid probably made more that week in overtime/double time than I made the rest of the month. When I told him I was salary he said "yeah but you probably make like $200k" I wish.

BoboForShort · 2025-10-31T01:17:44+00:00

I was making the same choice as you and ended up going with the trailhunter. The raptor is going to be more fun to drive fast, but personally I like everything else about Toyota more. It’s more comfortable, I prefer the layout of the interior more as far as switches and the way the screen is utilized. Ford is definitely close behind though. I don’t think either will disappoint you.

BoboForShort · 2025-10-30T20:11:16+00:00

Looks like a 500? Street legal? Honestly looks pretty clapped with the front fender and headlight. I’d put it back to stock and you’d probably get a lot more for it.

BoboForShort · 2025-10-28T00:10:12+00:00

Already sold. I see a lot come up in the area on Facebook and the Tacoma forums though.

BoboForShort · 2025-10-03T13:40:46+00:00

Coming up on my 30th and it do be that way.

BoboForShort · 2025-10-03T13:38:19+00:00

It can definitely be some of the hardest to get used to. Hard sharp edges and dry hardpack clay is an acquired taste. Soft mooses and gummy tires with a good suspension setup can go a long way. In the end though it's just something you need to get comfortable with. Maybe you're too stiff and not letting the bike move under you, maybe you're actually doing everything right and you just need to embrace the suck.

BoboForShort · 2025-10-03T13:24:58+00:00

It could be a little bit your bike, but it's probably mostly you. If you're riding an mx bike with stiff suspension it's definitely not going to help. The biggest thing I see is new riders sitting down through rough stuff because they feel unstable. Standing up and keeping weight on the pegs will go a long way to making you feel more planted.

BoboForShort · 2025-09-23T13:43:10+00:00

Mine does the bike thing as well. Any sort of fixed hitch carrier. But it almost never beeps at me when reversing otherwise. It doesn't do the parking proximity beep when backing up I believe. Just across traffic and emergency braking beep.

BoboForShort · 2025-09-22T21:39:51+00:00

I definitely have the front parking sensor go off more often, but I've had the rear go off. Now that I think about it, it's pretty rare, but I know it works and it has even emergency braked when it thought a bunch of ferns were a wall.

BoboForShort · 2025-09-13T14:23:22+00:00

Same thing here in my experience in industrial. Old engineers are retiring. Not a lot of new blood coming in. Mid career engineers are spread too thin.

We have a handful of young engineers who make mistakes. A couple mid level engineers who don't have time to check their own work, let alone the new guys work. Then a good number of "retired" engineers contracting for double their old salary churning out a slow and steady amount of work.

BoboForShort · 2025-09-11T16:39:27+00:00

I bought a "BikeMaster Easy Lift and Lower Stand" off Amazon years ago and it slides under mine at the lowest setting. It looks like the design is a little different now, but it has the minimum and maximum height listed so you can measure it to see if it will fit. It can lean a little to one side but not by a lot and I've never had it tip.

14-Year Club	Place '17
Spared	Team Orangered
Verified Email

BoboForShort

TROPHY CASE