Showerthought: That old relay logic room I used to work on

I was replacing a door interlock on a 2016 Otis the other day and got to thinking about how much has changed since I started back in '98. Overheard a young tech complaining about a faulty circuit board and it hit me that I used to troubleshoot those same issues with a multimeter and a relay ladder diagram. The old machine rooms smelled like oil and dust and the relays would click so loud you could hear them from the hallway. Now everything is solid state with a screen telling you what's wrong. I still have my old relay tester in my toolbox but I haven't touched it in years. There's something about tracing a stuck contact through a series of relays that taught me more than any diagnostic screen ever could. Anybody else keep an old piece of gear around just for the memories? It's like a time capsule of how we used to work.

3 comments

3 Comments

martinez.kim1mo ago

Come on now, you really miss diagnosing a stuck relay with a multimeter and a pencil? That stuff took forever and half the time you were guessing. Young techs get it done in 10 minutes with a diagnostic screen and move on to the next call. Way more efficient and less chance of burning your fingers on an oil-soaked contactor. Progress is progress.

janarivera1mo ago

Tbh it's wild how we traded hands-on sweat for plug and play everything now.

dianahayes1mo ago

@janarivera finding a good middle ground with simple tools like a spatula and stove brought it back for me.

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