Jim,
Present day USAF Meteorological system maintenance is now replacement of
the entire LRU. The new system that we are currently installing is first
troubleshot by the user, then maintenance is called, who in-turn call a
1-800 number to order the entire suspect item. Our field technicians are
being reduced to "care takers" who wait for things to break instead of
performing
hourly inspections. This is done to improve the quality of life and to allow
us to focus more on administrative duties.
After 23 years in this field, I see many young enlisted folks who are not
interested in learning their craft. Some of our best
units are manned by retired maintenance folks who still care about doing the
job, not politics and empire building. Now I
just need one of those cozy civil service jobs!
Robb..., NØRU
Poquoson, Va. (Langley AFB)
----- Original Message -----
From: "Jim Lowman" <jmlowman@sbcglobal.net>
To: <tentec@contesting.com>
Sent: Wednesday, October 06, 2004 8:10 PM
Subject: RE: [TenTec] Extra Class Licensing
Today's electronic technicians have different skills
than those of years past.
When I got out of radar school in the Air Force and
got my first permanent assignment, we were all
required to troubleshoot and replace to the component
level. By the third year I was sent to solid-state
and digital classes, and advanced classes on the newer
FAA-type air traffic control radar systems.
With these newer systems, we would troubleshoot to the
circuit card level and replace the entire card. In
fact, we were prohibited from repairing the failed
cards in the field; they had to be returned to a depot
for repair or, if not cost-effective, disposal.
If I had to guess, I'd say that we have way fewer
electronic technicians today than 30 years ago. Of
those today, I'd estimate that few of them would know
how to use the oscilloscopes and meters that were the
mainstays of my work on the radar.
On the older radar systems, it might take an
experienced technician with a scope two-three hours to
perform a complete alignment. With the newer
equipment, often there was nothing more to adjust than
the power supply voltage.
But, I could be wrong. I gave up hardware for
software in the late 1970s, after returning to
civilian life.
It is no coincidence that may hams of my era and older
came from the electronics field. In my case, it was
ham radio that landed me the good education and
assignments to work on complex electronic systems.
73 de Jim - AD6CW
--- "Jacobs, Gordon" <G_Jacobs@wfec.com> wrote:
My 2 cents for what it's worth! I occasionally hire
technicians. I have
interviewed approximately 20 applicants in the last
3 years. With all kinds
of qualifications and schooling at least 10 of them
could not tell me what
ohms law is. They could program routers and all of
that stuff, but when it
came down to basic trouble shooting you can forget
it. It seems that some
thing is lacking in this computer age. Of course I
am just an OF. Gordon
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