ECN Forum Forums General Topics of the Trade General Discussion Area What was your first spark?

Compared to you guys, I am a late bloomer. I started when in my 20's. My 'EX' wife's father was the Chief Electrical inspector for our area. He invited me to join the industry and him and I became great friends .... his daughter and I parted ways, and him and I now own the electrical inspection company - go figure

Pierre

My parents told me they could keep me ammused for hours by putting me in my hichair and putting some plugs, sockets, and 3-ways on the tray. That is before I could remember much.

It all started with a good jolt while seeing what made my sisters easy bake oven work. Then I went on to navigation electronics on a Submarine (Fast Attack type). Then I went to production work and worked my way up into drafting and engineering. I love my job.

... I think I was about 8 or 9 when curiosity got the best of me,and I took one of my Moms bobby-pins and stuck it in the living room receptacle..I guess I've been a "sparky" ever since..
Russ

Hmmm,
It's interesting how many of the first times involve mom and getting lit-up. Mine was the same way. I was plugging in the vaccum. I was about 5, and I guess the plug was bad or I got my finger on the prong. The next thing I knew I was on the floor, across the hall.

rad74ss, which boat were you on. I was an EM on the Baton Rouge SSN-689

Big Ed,

I was on the USS Newport News SSN750. The last of the LA class with fair water planes. Fast and black out of Norfolk, VA.

I think I always liked to figure out how things worked, and then make them faster or stronger. When I was about 5 or 6, I had a battery operated model of the PT109, powered by 2 AA batteries - Wasn't fast enough for my taste, so first experiment was fitting it with D cell batteries, which did pick up some speed, but more drag due to the nearly sinking of the little boat. So I thought hmmmm wonder how fast the motor would go if I plugged the leads into a wall outlet? For probably just a fraction of a second, I'm sure it reached 'lightspeed' - then it blew apart with a great big flash and knocked me down...decision made to stay with the 'D' batteries for boat power in the bathtub.
Had further fascination with electrical stuff from messing about with the 'Prince of Darkness' Lucas electrical systems on my first car, a Triumph Herald. (thinks back to several fires of unknown origin while driving...)

Kenny-

Glad you didn't run an extension cord into the tub to power the '109...

extension cord?
yea, that'ld work...and would do wonders for your hair!

I broke a bulb on the xmas tree and wanted to get it replaced before I got caught,at 6 no body ever told me to unplug it. The trouble I would have got into would have been better