Observation?, Experience? Luck? Different Approach? 6Th Sense? - Why?

[arfur mo]

Hi guys, over the years there been many occasions when i have gone to 'nasty' fault, and for some strange reason literally gone direct to the fault cause, within seconds of starting like a guided missile - laterally.

i'm sure others have experienced this, not claiming any special superiority, it just fascinates me how and why?

When on service and learning, i had faults i could not find, yet another engineer perhaps different approach maybe - he finds it, and i've also returned the favour.

sample, today i go in to a CCTv job, not mine but for a long time client. he has very competent CCTv and Door Entry engineers that work for him, yet no go after three visits client threatening to cancel large maintenance agreement, so pleads for me to go in and have a look. i have dug him out in the past,, to pay me at my rates, it must be a real problem. So i'm full of 'do i need to stick my nose in this particular issue reluctance', but he is in deep trouble and a good friend, so i go in today.

i say here and the reason for the thread, when i parked i had felt a sense of being pulled towards an external camera, bit un-nerving as at this stage i did not know it was one of the faulty one's, si have you done this?

Massive site, very confusing information given from previous engineers comments, re suggested location of power supplies, amply added to by the head porter - who spends some 25 minutes giving me his own diagnostics. sentiment politely appreciated, but it did not help the other engineers.

Complaint is 2 cameras down on same block, one in entrance hallway, other outside viewing service road and there are 3 inter-connected blocks. immediate thought is odds on a remote psu fault/mains turned off or perhaps cut cables, so armed with a bunch of keys but no ideas which doors they fit, i signed them out on a bible in my own blood, i set off.

This is a mansion of a thousand doors, cables concealed so no idea how run to trace. i find a basement motor room and a fuse board marked up for the door entry (installed by same company), i get good vibes but no psu's. try a few riser cupboards no sign, all the while feeling this strange weird pull. So i give in to this instinct, get ladders out to the external camera.

There are 2 boxes adjacent to a traditional weatherproof camera housing, i open nearest to find one of those 2 cameras down one coax units, and see the power light is on. unit is powered over coax from DVR end, so i now know coax is fine, not even got the meter out yet. I go to second box but no psu, open camera box and tada! find a 1amp Computa power brick feeding to some nasty joints and stone cold.

power checked with (no, NOT a neon screwdriver but) using a Fluke Voltage Stick, i fit new 2amp brick and that restores the images. Head Porter is over the moon as these cameras have been out of service for several weeks, my friend is much relieved, and u don't duck the chance to state (you pay me not fir what id, but what a can do', but i still can't shake that weird feeling.

For Combat Alarms i was sent to Safeways in Truro, travel on Saturday by train. Only info was a can not set., Obviously i can't just nip back fir stores, so i had take all i could carry in spares, panel, bell box, 4, 6 & 8 core cable, single lace wire, staples, junction boxes, circuit and control batteries, length of 1/2 galve tube, centre batten and end batten on top of tools and drill.

iirc, train took some 5 hours, i got a cab from station to the store, manager turns up opens front door, i kid you not my first glance was straight at a galve tubed cable run around an external corner of a wall, i spot it from the front doorway about 40 feet away, and can only think because it was slightly pizzed and the Combat install guys were always extremely neat. so i look closer and it has been hit, chopping the cable.

Repaired it, replaced all the batts, test circuits at panel, all the doors etc all clean, so i'm back on train for home within an hour of getting off it. But always wonder why did i look directly at that particular point?

Could all be just luck, premonition or maybe subconscious observation, which is perhaps a result of training and overall experience. i'm not superstitious or religious usually very sceptical, but if i could bottle what ever 'it' is, i'd likely be very rich.

Above is only two of manny, so what weird stuff have you had happen?

[goncall]

**** me it's the alarm whisperer...

[norman]

lol

[datadiffusion]

Wheres a Sky 4 camera crew when you need them?

[arfur mo]

**** me it's the alarm whisperer...

lol! much like, but i do cctv as well .

todays job was near to Maida Vale, which triggered a deep memory, On Shield Protection the service engineers worked one or two 'late nights' a week to cover from 17:30 to 20:30, they had a permanent night engineer for the week nights, so it was rota weekends for us.

So i'm on standby, really sticky close day and not a single call, you were supposed to be in the Central Station helping out, but i snuck off towards home. Pager go's off about 19:50, given being quiet and night man due on at 20:00 i find a phone box and ring in thinking likely an install engineer needing help, ti get sent ti Maida Vale - i lived in Basildon, so ask why not send night man who lives closer than i am?

Woman client rotating, he has already been 5 times, also had 6 other engineer visits and 3 supervisor visits and still getting false a alarms, so like i need this.

Both Spurs and Arsenal are at home, so i pull up at about 21:45, the woman is on the pavement giving me, the company etc a right tousling. I keep car locked, window down a slit let her rant, get. a chance to speak and state i need to get into her flat, i am really good but not trained in keyhole surgery - stopped her dead in her tracks.

get inside, looks on site card, see all the comments about customer error etc, but no way is it stacking up to common sense. those days we had end if line circuit batts, in domestics these would be in the cloak cupboard with the panel. We relied on a steady current reading, if it wavered it would show up a intermittent joint, far easier than using voltage.

Show her the meter needle waving a flag day parade, say when done it will be steady. she leaves me to it disappears into the kitchen mumbling under her breath. With one hand i scratch my chin having a think and cursing saying yes, while with the other i reach out and try the 1st flag cell brass nut - it's loose, as i tighten it i hear the meter movement bash against the stop.

the current return is so good it is to high for the meters ma range, so i have to drop the cells down from 3 to one, i know literally by luck i got it in the first 10 seconds. but now i'm faced with client credibility as so many previous visits including supervisors and my manager. i could have expected at least the basics were checked by at least one of them - so even i had trouble convincing myself i had found it, no chance madam angry.

i'm annoyed, sweaty, clothes sticking to me and all i want to do is get home and get showered, i have a 90+ minute drive ahead if me but i had to bang about for a further 45 minutes putting on a show, then report a faulty contact affected by humidity causing running condensation on the crital door to the veranda contact- utter BS as it never ever had one, but simply to cover the company and my 'fellow' so called engineers.

finally against all odds, i have got the client back on board, darn near wants my babies, offers me a drink. which i don't want but having worked so hard on PR be impolite not ti accept. i ask for small glass of water, but get a pint if ice cold appetiser in a beer mug. so i go to place it on the landing inside my plastic tool case well out of any harms way, but she insists i put it on a polished writing table nearby.

Every sinew is saying don't, but i want to keep her happy. and do as bid. start doing the report and i can hear a noise, turn to see this ruddy glass aquaplaning on the polish due to the condensation, tilts and splashes all over her printed stationary then hits the floor coating an expensive Persian rug end to end. while i can feel going from hero to zero.

she is visibly fuming, but can't have a go as she had insisted, i dare not help for fear of causing further damage, and can't be insensitive enough to ask her to sign before she continues to clean up.

conclusion - instinct can be a good tool, just don't use it when trying to help EVER! .

[Abbeyfs]

I'd put it down to years of experience to be honest. How the other lads didn't manage to diagnose the CCTV fault as being a PSU fault would suggest they are not very competent after all?

[matthew.brough]

I'd share that view