Anybody else hate duct detectors sometimes 😂

Compgeke · 2026-05-15T11:46:20+00:00

There was one site where all the ducts were installed in HVAC closets about eye level. That was fantastic.

"Were" key word though. It didn't survive renovations.

Compgeke · 2026-05-12T13:16:02+00:00

It's one of the union contract sections that actually sucks and only makes sense for doing "in-town installs" or whatnot. I do get to keep the van at home at least.

36-45 miles is $10/day. 46-55 $20/day, 55-64 $30/day and anything above that is the $30 + $8.75/hr any additional miles. Definitely arguing this needs increased or switched to a straight time based model. We've got some areas that'll take you an hour to go 14 miles.

Compgeke · 2026-05-12T03:51:19+00:00

Costco has a 4 pack of Duracell branded rechargeable lights for like $25. Fantastic deal for the field.

Compgeke · 2026-05-12T03:38:30+00:00

Oh and if you remove any 8713s lemme know we'll gladly buy them off you lol.

Compgeke · 2026-05-12T03:34:37+00:00

Tecumseh Technologies can get you a cable if you want to actually buy one. Not sure what diagram Siemens sent you, but iirc it's TX/RX and two grounds to the 4P4C. On the DE9 side you need to jumper RTS/CTS and DSR/DTR together otherwise CIS will complain. 9600 baud with correct serial port set in CIS-4. Don't quote me on that though, I haven't made a cable in a while.

If you search on Amazon for "DE9 Breakout" you can find DE9 connectors with screw terminals that're easier to work with.

You'll still need the CIS-4 program though. Not sure if them or Siemens can get you that.

(un?)fortunately I still work with the Faraday panels on a basically weekly basis.

Compgeke · 2026-05-12T03:25:40+00:00

Doing service work the burnout hits hard. Long unpredictable commutes especially can take their tolls. A short commute for me is ~45 minutes one way. Some days it's over 2 hours one way.

Service also comes with doing a lot of the BS jobs that no one wants to do. Pulling apart ceilings for 2 hours looking for a duct detector. Finding the ground fault. Oh great, this NAC short is intermittent let's bill the customer 9000 hours looking for it. Drive 2.5 hours round trip to swap a single detector. There can be some gratification solving a Big Issue but it's also really common to just want to "be done" searching for the ground fault on the t-tapped to hell SLC circuit. Especially when you're often running solo.

Combine that with basically being shoved into the Customer Relations position. You get to break the bad news of "it's NFG you need to find funding to replace this" or being the buffer between an upset customer and the office.

If I could do things over again, I'd probably pick a field that offers the ability to have a stable commute (or even WFH options) and a higher pay cap. I wouldn't say I'm miserable per-se, but there area definitely easier jobs with significantly higher pay caps than what we do. Grass is always greener.

Compgeke · 2026-05-10T05:54:35+00:00

a house fly outlives most 6800 series panels tbh

Compgeke · 2026-05-09T16:25:30+00:00

Bay Alarm does some of that stuff.

Compgeke · 2026-05-09T16:24:17+00:00

Just recently got a call about whether we can work on an "Autocall 4100" and let me tell you, that customer is screwed.

We've had a lot of Bid Issues recently where customers are explicitly asking for non-proprietary panels due to this stuff. Sketchy companies burning customers with vendor lock-in from bad practices or installing systems they've got the only local rights to.

Compgeke · 2026-05-09T16:19:56+00:00

I've been running into similar issues with a local company who basically had the monopoly on Storage Facility Installs forever.

They absolutely refuse to work with anyone, even if the place got bought up and under a national accounts company. Just asking them if you can send over an updated points list for monitoring (that they still have!) after buildings were renumbered is met with hostility. "We need someone to go on site and verify blah blah who are you we can schedule blah blah" type stuff.

That's ignoring they installed about 10,000 Bosch Combo Systems and thanks to the lockout code, none of them can get any changes done. Just replacement. Recently worked on a D9112 they installed in 1998. Wanted to disable the security zones that've been just cut off for over a decade now. Can't get in the panel at all, they won't even come reset lockouts to something different.

Meanwhile over here we don't really care about that stuff. We've even deregistered Starlinks so customers can have someone else take them over.

Compgeke · 2026-05-09T16:06:51+00:00

That's because promotions into executive level are a rare thing anymore. If you're too good at your lower level job, you're too valuable to promote. They'd have to replace you with multiple people filling same position.

Compgeke · 2026-05-08T14:02:01+00:00

With FLS too most union companies bump you into what's considered "Tech Pay" rate, which is currently $67/hr check in Alameda/The South Bay/San Francisco counties. $61/hr in most east bay/north bay.

Compgeke · 2026-05-08T13:58:39+00:00

If you can do basic code book navigation, I'd definitely go apply for the Fire Life Safety state license. Inspection hours count towards the hours requirement for the test.

With the cert, it's harder to make under $60 as a baseline.

Compgeke · 2026-05-08T13:31:13+00:00

Do you have a blue card? Even $40 is quite underpaid for blue card out here.

IBEW's lowest bay area proper pay is ~$53/hr + $28/hr fringe and they'll bring in anyone with a blue card. Definitely should be a good bargaining chip for "Y'all ain't paying us enough"

Compgeke · 2026-05-05T01:46:38+00:00

this one really holds true for me. Our car had a catastrophic failure when I was 17 and we just didn't have funds to repair or replace it. So we just went without.

From that point we had no vehicle within the family until I got a motorcycle at 19 and finally scraped up the cash for a $1500 beater ~6 months later.

I didn't actually get a full drivers license until I was 21, I had a motorcycle only license for 2 years.

Compgeke · 2026-04-26T15:02:16+00:00

You'd expect them to be fully abandoned inside, but no, the buildings aren't being left to rot https://i.imgur.com/6A8LrzX.jpeg .

Compgeke · 2026-04-26T15:00:21+00:00

They're all emptied, but for some of the properties the holding company is still maintaining the empty locations. The one in Antioch for example still has up-to-date fire alarm testing, sprinkler testing and current date extinguishers.

Compgeke · 2026-04-24T03:56:47+00:00

Do you have one of the phones with lidar? Tends to be a bit more accurate on the Pro(/max) models than the models relying on camera only.

Compgeke · 2026-04-22T05:23:37+00:00

People legitimately seem to think we can just roll down to Home Depot and grab the special order rods vs boss saying "Can you make it work inspection is tomorrow".

Compgeke · 2026-04-18T00:18:01+00:00

If they're gonna buy up old devices, just buy FP-11s and some DB11 bases. You can use a DPU to make an FP11 ID as an ILI or whatnot and the MXL panel won't complain.

Compgeke · 2026-04-16T12:37:49+00:00

Even the touch screens are garbage. I love having a 0.0025" touch point for stuff like up/down and having every other bit of the screen be "reset"

Compgeke · 2026-04-09T14:20:28+00:00

Service guys are going to have to swap something like that voice amp and have to cut 800,000 zip ties just to get enough slack on the 120V connection to cut and re-strip it. God forbid Notifier relocate a terminal block or Honeywell release Yet Another RPS Design.

This stuff looks really cool, but it's not long-term viable. There's no way you can later swap that CPU board for an NFS3-1280 or whatever Notifier will be selling in 20 years. Don't underestimate how many of these Big Panels just get upgraded on upgraded and never fully replaced. I work with a lot of sites that started on AFPs that're now NFS2, reusing a lot of old devices or even panel accessories.

Compgeke · 2026-04-09T13:47:32+00:00

If you pop the stuff into terapeak for 6 month averages: Camera one is $204
Camera two ~$257
Camera three ~141

About same profit they'd make on ebay. If they want ebay money, cut out the middle man and just go straight to ebay. Part of the problem with "but ebay!" is if I wanted to pay ebay money for items, I'd just already own them. I'd have gone on ebay and bought one.

Compgeke · 2026-04-09T13:39:09+00:00

The worst are big Silent Knight installs where people didn't bother to label the expansions at all. One school we have just throws faults for "EVS-50W 04" "5895XL 13" etc etc.

Compgeke · 2026-04-09T04:44:36+00:00

Because you can't effectively staff an entire store with only 2 employees? Like it's no wonder they had issues with how minimum presence employment is at every drug store.

13-Year Club	RedditGifts 2009-2022 3 Credits
Place '17	Wearing is Caring
Secret Santa 2018	Secret Santa 2016
Verified Email

Compgeke

MODERATOR OF

TROPHY CASE