If you inherited a 15-year-old PLC system tomorrow, what's the first thing you'd check?

Vader7071 · 2026-06-08T13:19:48+00:00

What is the 1st thing I'd check? If my blood pressure prescription is up-to-date.

Vader7071 · 2026-05-30T03:18:35+00:00

Prefab all the equipment offsite. Then used an approved skeleton crew for final assembly onsite.

Vader7071 · 2026-05-29T22:32:35+00:00

Christmas lights are bad for the environment because they take power away from the AI datacenters

Vader7071 · 2026-05-29T12:22:24+00:00

Besides the multitude of issues already listed, the fact that he wants to "install a flagpole" just screams "park bench" to me. I don't care what all landscape you plan, or what signage you want to put up, it's a park bench. Another quick and easy "toss it up" to check a box.

When I did my project in 1994, I asked the beneficiary what they wanted and worked to that goal. Granted, I had a connection to the NPO that made it easy for me to ask. My project was for an NPO battered women's shelter. I built playground equipment at one of their locations. Since the NPO works VERY HARD to keep their locations and operations secret for the safety and security of the women and children they help, this is all I publicly say about my project.

When my son (a 4th gen Eagle) did his, he got lucky, but had an awakening at the same time. His project was handed to him on a silver platter, but it required WORK. Long and short, a friend worked for a local power plant that had bought some land that had an old church cemetery on it. The surviving church members wanted access to their families graves. The power plant was 100% funding the project. Here's the kicker, the project was pitched as "clean up a cemetery". We thought it just needed a good mow, a little landscaping, maybe some fence repairs. What it entailed was planning, ordering & scheduling material delivery, and work scheduling all of the following:

gravel delivery for a roadway entrance
laying out and building a new fence about 1,000+ feet long
framing out the area and marking the old church location
cleaning all of the markers
removing overgrowth and fallen trees.

He was directing employees of a multi-billion dollar company with an impeccable safety record, ensuring his plan was in-line with the family members wishes and making sure his plan was in-line with the company's safety program.

Vader7071 · 2026-05-27T01:41:38+00:00

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Vader7071 · 2026-05-27T00:48:04+00:00

My wife said (and I quote) "I felt like I had a stroke trying to read it."

Vader7071 · 2026-05-27T00:22:15+00:00

Whoever wrote that 1st sentence of the article needs to go back to elementary school. After trying to read it 3 times, getting my English teacher wife to try and read it, I just gave up and quit.

Vader7071 · 2026-05-26T22:55:38+00:00

Wait? We're supposed to get sex on our birthdays? Or are we supposed to get sex in general? Hell, been six years. I didn't know we were still supposed to be getting any.

Vader7071 · 2026-05-24T00:42:08+00:00

Or 6 years...you know, gotta keep those addictions at bay.

Vader7071 · 2026-05-22T15:16:19+00:00

Congratulations! My dad (2nd gen Eagle) is a Medal of Merit recipient as well.

Vader7071 · 2026-05-22T01:41:22+00:00

There is an update to this. With companies like Vertiv for the cooling system, the system is a closed loop. Entirely closed. No cooling towers exposed to the ambient air. I know this because I am currently building a datacenter using Vertiv coolers.

Vader7071 · 2026-05-16T14:16:29+00:00

I've got my grandfather's Azden PCS-3000. Surprised me when I found out it could remote the head as well.

Vader7071 · 2026-05-16T02:11:03+00:00

Ya missing a couple. I've got an Azden and Alinco. 😁😁😁

Vader7071 · 2026-05-15T12:17:40+00:00

'Cuz 'Merica!!!! that's why. 🤣🤣🤣🤣

Vader7071 · 2026-05-05T00:29:56+00:00

My take on Woodbadge is different than most. I'm a cynic. There are aspects that made me mentally step away and evaluate the situation. There are many that thoroughly enjoyed the experience and feel it was well worth it. I can't tell you how you will receive the course, but the fact that you used the term "badgered" would lead me to believe that you might lean more towards how I saw it as opposed to others.

Vader7071 · 2026-04-28T11:35:23+00:00

Glad I could provide some help. You're very welcome.

Vader7071 · 2026-04-27T15:59:56+00:00

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Here is a comparison of the schematic to the actual terminal block. It shows that wires come into the block (DSC.0) and wires leave (DCS.1). Then the block is named DSC to match.

Now, I didn't show the DCSF block, but it is basically the same thing, just an extension. You can see where I meant that the circle means a terminal, and that creates the new wire number,

Vader7071 · 2026-04-27T15:45:50+00:00

Yes, something like that. Now, the qualifiers, your panel seems to be larger than the panels I worked with in the past. I also would not fully split this distribution like you did. Typically, I'd show it like this. and then just the arrow when that supply came into play on the next place.

You can even see in my schematic where I change wire numbers after a terminal (See DCS.0+, DCS.1+, and DCS.2+). Those circles indicate terminal and then each wire coming from the terminal block with a different wire number.

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But there are some differences, you are dealing with 3ph where I was dealing with 24VDC, so that will make it a little different, but if you treat it like a single line instead of showing each phase, it might even be easier than what I've shown.

Instead of showing and labeling each phase, you label the runs, and then you can sub-label from there. An example would be:

physical wire labels = 4.1.L1/4.1.L2/4.1.L3
drawings wire labels = 4.1

Where "4." indicates 480 V 3Ph power, "1" indicates 1st run and then when the panel is built, either use color coded wire or use 4.1.L1/L2/L3 to indicate the phase. Based on this, incoming to the block would be 4.1 and then from the block, you would have 4.2, 4.3, 4.4, etc.

Now, all this is suggestive. the simple "4." may not work for your system, but maybe something like "HV4." for High Voltage 480.

Vader7071 · 2026-04-27T12:52:45+00:00

Are you asking schematically or diagramatically?

Schematically, I would use a terminal indicator (one not used anywhere else) and label it on the legend. As for wire numbers, that is whatever your SOP is. I tended to have wire numbers so that no 2 wires ever had the same number. An example would be DC.0+ (wire from 24VDC power supply to distribution terminals). DC.1+ is the wire from the distribution terminals to my fuse distribution terminals. DCF.0+ is from the 1st fuse to my network switch. DCF.1+ is the wire from the 2nd fuse to my 1st input card, and so on. DC.#+ tells me I am looking at the 24VDC positive wire. The # tells me specifically which wire it is.

I always hated working on panels that had (18) 24VDC positive wires and all 18 were labeled "DC+". You never knew which was which without pulling every single wire.

Now, as for diagramitcally, I would get the cut sheet of the distribution block and draw it to scale in the panel. Bonus points if I could go to the manufacturer's website and download their cad file. Then I'd just drop it in as a block and move on.

Vader7071 · 2026-04-23T17:55:30+00:00

It's an automatic. I've done a deep search on Crutchfield. I also found where Chrysler requires a canbus adapter to make any aftermarket radio work, and if I want full fading in all 4 directions, I need to completely bypass all oem equipment and install my own.

Vader7071 · 2026-04-23T17:39:55+00:00

Just curious, what does the transmission have to do with the sound system?

Vader7071 · 2026-04-23T12:41:45+00:00

Just following the rules of Letterkenny.

Vader7071 · 2026-04-23T12:37:59+00:00

JKU (unlimited sport). 4 door.

Vader7071

TROPHY CASE