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MEXICOWANDERER's avatar
MEXICOWANDERER
Explorer
Mar 30, 2014

Part Of My Work History



Completed and launched in 1983. 2 V-12 71 engines, 2 6-71 hydraulic engines and 2 6 cyl Allis Chalmers Generators. All of the power rests in the rear of the vessel in a pair of pods.

19-miles of wire. 13,000+ SOLDERED terminals, 16 8-D batteries, 53 pounds of 63/37 solder, the first (that I know of) LED alarm indicator system in the house. FOUR electric engines (6 engines) control stations, electric steering, and dual voltage lighting.

Every last terminal, every last inch of wire was performed by me and me alone. Did I mention seven hundred feet of ICO-RALLY HIM heat shrink tubing?

I did have help pulling 3,300 lbs of wire 121' from the stern pods to the house and flying bridge. It took a massive Come-A-Long and five people pulling and pushing.

Two and a half years. I built the 6 charging alternators for this vessel, the gigantic buss bar system (18 pound bars, silicon bronze bolts, nuts, and lock washers and silver soldered them together).

Just thought you folks would like to know that when I get crabby about some things, I am getting older and my wisdom comes from the school of the very hardest of knocks.
  • mena661's avatar
    mena661
    Explorer
    Apr 03, 2014
    pnichols wrote:

    What I would call the most complex machine in the world is that mammoth beam accelerator built, and being used by, scientists in Europe to nail down the so-called God Particle. THAT is complexity well over-the-top.
    Oh yeah! Most everything else is childs play compared to that.
  • pnichols's avatar
    pnichols
    Explorer II
    Apr 02, 2014
    SaltiDawg wrote:
    It has been suggested that our modern nuclear submarines are competitors for most complex machines in the world.


    Well yeah, there's a lot of piping and wiring and integrated circuits and control rods and maybe a lot of stainless steel and maybe plenty of blast-formed titanium components ... inside an N-Sub.

    But don't let the compact size of "common everyday" electronic gizmos fool you with respect to what's going on inside and what it took to make it happen. For instance, read up on what scientists and engineers went through to learn how humans perceive color in nature and then what they had to do in order to make that appear on a screen in everyone's home after synchronous-modulating a high frequency RF carrier wave blasted everywhere over tha air waves. What is actually going on at the "nuts-and-bolts level" to bring color television into our home boggles the mind ... and we live with it every day and pay no attention to it's complexity.

    What I would call the most complex machine in the world is that mammoth beam accelerator built, and being used by, scientists in Europe to nail down the so-called God Particle. THAT is complexity well over-the-top.
  • MEXICOWANDERER's avatar
    MEXICOWANDERER
    Explorer
    Apr 02, 2014
    This is where the USA is falling flat on its butt. We have the technocracy, we have the aptitude, and then we have the Chevy Cobalt and Ford V-10 Spark plugs. Something's wrong amigos...
  • john_bet's avatar
    john_bet
    Explorer II
    Apr 02, 2014
    MEXICOWANDERER wrote:
    Commercial fishing vessels are totally unforgiving when it comes to doing things wrong. I have seen hundreds of feet of wire where there was no conductor - cut the wire and find green powder. Forget to tighten a battery lug on a 24 or 32 system, hit the starter button, there's a big flash and presto, the battery post vanishes. Dead flat to the case of the battery.

    Do it "wrong" and a person finds themselves in a castle with the people marching on them with torches and pitchforks. It's a cruel, vertical, learning curve. Maybe that's why I blow up so easy reading some of the shenanigans on this forum. It was a priceless education. I left with a "It Can Not Fail" attitude.
    Speaking of doing it wrong, same thing happens when all the fans quit in a 100'x700' egg laying house with 400k laying hens. Gotta work 100% right 100% of the time. As they say, been there done that.
  • SaltiDawg's avatar
    SaltiDawg
    Explorer
    Apr 02, 2014
    NinerBikes wrote:


    Not much different than the space program. Life or death depends on the quality of the installation and quality control.


    It has been suggested that our modern nuclear submarines are competitors for most complex machines in the world.

    s/ Retired Submariner :C
  • NinerBikes's avatar
    NinerBikes
    Explorer
    Apr 02, 2014
    MEXICOWANDERER wrote:
    Commercial fishing vessels are totally unforgiving when it comes to doing things wrong. I have seen hundreds of feet of wire where there was no conductor - cut the wire and find green powder. Forget to tighten a battery lug on a 24 or 32 system, hit the starter button, there's a big flash and presto, the battery post vanishes. Dead flat to the case of the battery.

    Do it "wrong" and a person finds themselves in a castle with the people marching on them with torches and pitchforks. It's a cruel, vertical, learning curve. Maybe that's why I blow up so easy reading some of the shenanigans on this forum. It was a priceless education. I left with a "It Can Not Fail" attitude.


    Not much different than the space program. Life or death depends on the quality of the installation and quality control.
  • BFL13's avatar
    BFL13
    Explorer II
    Apr 02, 2014
    It is good to have some memories of success and worth. Counters those other times that might be termed "low points" which are better forgotten! :) (Speaking as a 71 year old--mental age regressing, now about 14) RVing has many interesting aspects that keeps the brain alive, plus new chances to cope successfully.
  • MEXICOWANDERER's avatar
    MEXICOWANDERER
    Explorer
    Apr 01, 2014
    Commercial fishing vessels are totally unforgiving when it comes to doing things wrong. I have seen hundreds of feet of wire where there was no conductor - cut the wire and find green powder. Forget to tighten a battery lug on a 24 or 32 system, hit the starter button, there's a big flash and presto, the battery post vanishes. Dead flat to the case of the battery.

    Do it "wrong" and a person finds themselves in a castle with the people marching on them with torches and pitchforks. It's a cruel, vertical, learning curve. Maybe that's why I blow up so easy reading some of the shenanigans on this forum. It was a priceless education. I left with a "It Can Not Fail" attitude.

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