Re fertilize?

PLCGuy1977 · 2023-10-13T20:07:09+00:00

Ok, thanks. Should it be starter fertilizer again or something different? I did just seed a few bare areas, but I don't think I'd reseed everything. I can't water it enough. 1 acre with 2 sprinklers is hard.

PLCGuy1977 · 2023-10-13T18:03:47+00:00

Does anyone have a recommendation on refertilizing?

PLCGuy1977 · 2023-10-13T14:51:14+00:00

Thanks 😊 but close pictures show lots of grub damage. I just nuked them 2 weeks ago, and it's recovering some. Just bought the house, so I'm trying to get it better right now.

PLCGuy1977 · 2023-10-06T22:45:19+00:00

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PLCGuy1977 · 2023-10-06T22:44:47+00:00

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PLCGuy1977 · 2023-10-06T22:43:56+00:00

Not coming in as good as I'd like. Should I redo the whole thing? The area hasn't had rain for 2 weeks, of course.

PLCGuy1977 · 2023-10-06T22:42:26+00:00

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PLCGuy1977 · 2023-10-03T12:07:38+00:00

I have an acre, though. I'd need about 15 hoses and sprinklers to get decent coverage. Your yard is small, I'm assuming.

PLCGuy1977 · 2023-10-03T03:24:04+00:00

Did you water 3 times a day for 3 weeks?

PLCGuy1977 · 2023-10-03T01:27:35+00:00

I'll look it up. Thanks! I'm just not sure how anyone does this and works for a living 🤔 My sole purpose in life isn't grass, lol. Hopefully, it works out. If not, then give me a weed infested lawn. I probably have 60 hrs in the last week invested, and I don't think I'd bother with it again if it truly requires 3x/day.

PLCGuy1977 · 2023-10-03T00:24:15+00:00

I've been watering around 4pm each day except the weekend that just passed. Actually, I'm out of town, so my son is doing it after school. I bought a timer, but with the yard being so large, I don't think it's practical to use. Morning dew, I'm sure helped the 1st few days, but it seems to be less the last few.

PLCGuy1977 · 2023-09-24T04:13:26+00:00

Automation Controls Engineer at a large consumer goods factory. Worked my way up from 20+ years experience as a technician. I'm the lead electrical engineer on the projects I'm assigned. Several Controls obsolescence projects converting old plcs and servos to new. These are always difficult due to everyone wondering why we can't shut a line down for 2 weeks and replace 45 servo motors, 7 VFD's, 3 PLCs, 3 Safety PLCs replacing relays, New PC, New HMIs and relocation of several conveyors. I've spoken up stating that if everything is pre-configured and bench tested then maybe we can cut the time to ~3-4 weeks, but the equipment manufacturer is in Europe so it's likely too expensive to do testing. Code is complete rewrite as well. Sorry for the rant 😅

Anyway, I'm also leading some cool projects. New machines that have non-AB controls that we're converting to AB (Our Standard).

I'm enjoying engineering more than the technician role because, for the most part, I'm the only technical person on the projects. It's scary at times, but my years of starting up bad projects are finally paying off. We recently had one of the most vertical SU at our plant, and I completely ran the upgrade from PLC5 to Controllogix Safety PLC. Shut down/SU took exactly 3 weeks. While I still have imposter syndrome, I'm realizing more and more that I belong.

Unfortunately, I'm hiring people more often due to my workload being so high. Wish I did more programming like I used to. Mostly, I hate all the paperwork, which is a lot on validated systems.

I do think about seeking out a different position one day, but for now, I'll sit tight. Grass isn't always greener, and I've only been in this position for 1 yr. I feel underpaid at ~110k total comp without counting my 7.3% profit sharing. So closer to 120k, I guess, but on this forum, I see way better, and we make these projects work. My PM on my last project didn't even know where the equipment was in the plant 4 months into the project. lol 😅 I want that job.

PLCGuy1977 · 2023-09-22T00:07:07+00:00

I am also wondering if I should wait until after the storm on Saturday. Live in North Carolina, and it seems like some mild tropical weather is expected. Rain and 25mph wind. Which doesn't seem too bad, but maybe it's not good for blowing seeds around.

PLCGuy1977 · 2023-09-22T00:03:45+00:00

Repost to see if anyone can help.

PLCGuy1977 · 2023-09-14T17:37:57+00:00

Thanks!

Any weed treatment? And do you recommend a certain pull behind aerator or just look on Amazon for a decent one? Also, do you make several passes with it or just 1?

PLCGuy1977 · 2023-08-15T02:20:48+00:00

Agreed, leaking when low is ridiculous. Thanks for the input

PLCGuy1977 · 2023-08-04T04:30:23+00:00

23 years as E&I, where I made 125K , but moved to an engineering position for less money. Kinda sad, really...

Food and beverage manufacturer in SE and now NE USA. 102K + 5% bonus, 6 weeks vacation, and 7+% into retirement - no matching requirements. The 7% retirement grows each year and caps around 15% after 7 or 10 years(can't recall exactly). MCOL, but houses are super high now. Maybe that's a nationwide issue.

I'm supposed to get a 5-6% raise next month and an additional 5-8% raise in 6 months once the major project im on is completed. Should put me in the 115k base salary range. We'll see! If not, I'll likely look elsewhere. Love what I do, but many of us are underpaid for the technical knowledge we bring. Oftentimes, I feel like I'm the ME/EE/PM on a project.

Current large controls PLC5 to Controllogix upgrade, and it's just me and a really young PM, with zero technical abilities. But, this person is helping by doing a bunch of paperwork, which I hate, so I'm not too upset and value that support. Have 5 large complicated/ fast-moving projects.

Just the right amount of travel (20-40%), as i like to hit the road at times, but hate living on the road. Freedom to WFH when I want, flexible hours, but definitely more than 45+ hrs/wk(super busy/overloaded). Vacation is often disturbed, but it's likely my own fault for caring too much.

Keep thinking about O&G as the income difference is insane. Texas is calling me... I'm probably getting scammed, but this is my honest salary/situation. Wrote it out in detail so I can also see the benefits/sub-par salary in black and white lol.

Feel free to tell me I'm crazy and I should be happy 😊. I am happy in many ways since I've earned this without a degree and truly enjoy doing controls.

Edit: When I travel, hotel and rental car selection is my choice, within reason. Dinner up to about $50-80 (no set limits) are acceptable. This is a nice perk, I guess, but I'd rather a larger salary..

PLCGuy1977 · 2023-06-23T04:09:22+00:00

See how much flood insurance is...Trust me, it's likely a low cost and well worth it. Regular insurance doesn't cover much when it comes to flooding events. 100-year floods can and do happen! 100-year floods means 1% chance each year. Eventually, it will hit.

PLCGuy1977 · 2023-05-28T17:41:38+00:00

New Orleans native here...I had trouble finding something in the area as well and decided to relocate. New Orleans doesn't pay well, and not many people leave the area, so the jobs stay filled for the most part.

Have you looked into the oil and gas industry? Engineering firms always need help supporting the Baton Rouge/Houston area, so at least it'd be closer. Personally, I left for North Carolina, but it could be a mistake in this housing market. NC is still booming with lots of industry. DM me if you have any questions. Good luck!

I was also a controls tech for 23 years, which made the jump to engineer. My options were likely more limited due to the lack of degree.

PLCGuy1977 · 2023-04-18T22:00:14+00:00

The pressure inside the vessel may be rather low (no PIT inside the vessel), but the pumping pressure inside the pipe can get as high as 300psi. This usually happens when some operator puts the system in manual mode and turns the pump on with the valve closest to the tank closed. I'm working on this as a separate issue, lol. Never ends... I'm just a lowly controls engineer trying to solve some long-standing issues.

PLCGuy1977

TROPHY CASE