Friday, July 1, 2016

‘More Electronic Tales’



This one is from an ET from years ago in the ol’ Canoe Club…

On my last cruise, we had an Electronics Tech Chief Warrant Officer named Mr. VanLeuveny… no idea if I spelled it right so we’ll refer to him as Mr. Van! He was on his last cruise after Twenty-Seven years active duty and due to retire four days after getting back stateside!! Mr. Van knew more about the Spruance Can electronics than anyone else in the Navy… I’m sure of it!!!

Now, our ship had a problem keeping the ETs fully manned so anyone with any gauddamned experience troubleshooting whatsoever ended up in ‘Repair 8!’ Needless to say the SPS-40 air search radar console in CIC was a piece of shit!! It died on the hour about every three days underway and no one but Mr. Van could figure out how to fix it!!!

When CIC called a tech would go to CIC, examine the exterior of the console for a couple of minutes play with switches, move the trackball then call Mr. Van! Mr. Van would come up, give the side of the console a couple of whacks with his size 12 brogan and the damn thing would start back up working fine for another week before it would crap out again! All the techs tried to work on it replacing every fuse, circuit card, and that & the other electronic component they could think of except for the CRT and the chassis!! We damned near rebuilt the son-of-a-bitch blowing the entire ET budget for parts!! We spent ‘121’ days on radar picket without an air search radar … that’s military logic for you!!!

Needless to say, we’d been busier than a one-armed bandit in a circle jerk contest trying to figure out why it wouldn’t stay up and running!!!

Finally about four days out from homeport, Mr. Van calls everyone into Repair 8! He glares at us and says…

"There's not a one of you I trust for anything when it comes to troubleshooting! All you sons-a-bitches are fired! The only thing you’re allowed to do until I leave is change a light bulb! Now follow me!"

So we all trooped after him to CIC as he led us over the 40 console! He took a screwdriver from his pocket and removed the access cover from the side, then he removed a small flat nut holding it high explaining how if it was a snake it would’a bit us kind’a thing and that it was the nut that held the grounding strap on the console completing the circuit!!  By kicking the side, all we were doing was restoring the contact to complete the circuit with the chassis until it vibrated loose again!!!

The rule at the time required all removed electronic parts be returned to Supply so they could turn it back in for warranty! Mr. Van kept the used parts in his cabin, and thank god he had a single cabin since none of the boards were bad!! The total cost of our troubleshooting efforts was somewhere in the neighborhood of over $100,000 for something a 90 cent tube of Loctite could have fixed!!!

We loved Mr. Van but man was he pissed…

“I feel like I’m surrounded by a bunch’a retards in a short bus outside a ‘Chucky Cheese’ parking lot!”

… He got over it, but we sure looked like a bunch of dummies!! Boy, the memories… like the smell of coffee brewing in the early morning!!!




20 comments:

  1. An ETCM I knew was on a mobile T/S, repair team for a sub group. He was called to a sub that couldn't get underway because of some piece of gear would not work. He went on-board looked at the tech manual for the gear. On page 1 of the troubleshooting/maint section it said to check the fan filter unit. Which he found to be clogged with a whole civilization of dust bunnies. After performing what was supposed to be a weekly clean and inspect on it, the unit began to work perfectly. Needless to say the whole ET division and Captain were made to look like dumbasses.

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  2. Did he forget that he came up to look at it,too. He could have fix it then. But that is Navy for you. Shit rolls down hill. Cheif's are not guilty of anything.

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  3. As an ET-1 in Uncle Sam's Coast Guard, I have run into similar problems many a time. Often something as simple as a switch that was in the wrong position and several people before me had overlooked. Sometimes I just fixed it, sometimes I would let the junior tech wrestle with it for a while longer to see if he could figure it out.

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  4. When freaky shit like that happens ALWAYS ALWAY ALWAYS check your grounds. I lost track of the number of previously "unfixable" pieces of equipment I fixed one the course of my 10 years as an ET by following that simple rule.

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  5. "When all else fails, read the directions" has always been a good bit of advice to follow - whether it is the tech manual, PMS procedures or instruction manual.

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  6. In CIWS C school, Fleet Training Center,San Diego, first part of 1994: there was an LCP trainer that was marked with black grease pencil. On the right side of the console was a big X circled. Next to it were the words "HIT HERE FIRST". Instructor staff must've thought it funny because they left it there for weeks.

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  7. In Oct 91 after my Ship Buchanan DDG-14 went through Decom I picked up MK 92 Mod 2 Fire Control School. At the end of School between the 2 classes we had 3 Chiefs. We only had orders to 2 ships... I had done a full 4 years of Sea Duty before school where the other 2 had not. So I got to look for Shore Duty. I went to MOTU-5 in San Diego and asked for a job... A few of my former Shipmate Chief's were working in the Shop and put a good word in for me... I had fixed Electronic Circuit Board component level problems for both on the Buchanan. So they requested me and I was good for 4 years... So they send me right back to MK 92 Mod 6 School... It is a more digital version of the MK 92 and was similar to NEXTRAD Weather Radar. So in School we spent a lot of time in the lab measuring signals on the back of Circuit Cards. The drawers were done in WIRE WRAP... So lots of tiny white wires going everywhere... So at some point sticking the O Scope Pin Probe on the wire wrap socket pins a wire was broken off the pin. A Maintenance Tech was assigned to fix the problem. All he had was some BLUE Radio Shack Wire Wrap Wire. The Broken wire was too short... So rather than splice the wire he looked in the prints and the wire ran to a pin a few cards away. He just did a JUMPER. OK... RADAR FIXED... So the next class to use the Radar noticed strange things... Lights on the console lighting when they should not.. Things on the Radar CRT that were STRANGE... The Maintenance Tech's looked at it as did all the Instructors.. Everyone was confused... It did it randomly.. So fast forward about a year.... Still had problems... So at NAVSEA in San Diego Pete LaVally was the master MK 92 Tech.... He had been to the Factory School in the late 70's... He had never been called to look at it... But a visitor to NAVSEA was the Engineer who Designed the MK 92 Mod 6 Digital Version. Pete gave him a TOUR of Fleet Training Center in San Diego about 1992. When they got to the Mod 6 System at the School a Instructor mentioned the problem... The Engineer opened a Drawer that contained 3 Microprocessors. Took a look and a BIG SMILE came to his face... He said... It's the BLUE WIRE... That is the PROBLEM... Everyone was confused... Then he said... When I designed this drawer it has 3 micro processors and one Data Bus. I needed a circuit that let them share the data bus but not talk at the same time as it would cause confusing binary words... So I took the Gate or Timing Signal and ran it to the First Micro. Then between the first and the second I put 27 feet of wire in the bottom tray to act as a Time Delay... Then between 2 and 3 another 27 feet of wire... Now the talk, 1, 2, then 3 and all is well... The Blue Wire is between Micro 1 and Micro 2 and is 6 inches long... So now Micro 1 and 2 are talking on the Data Buss at the same time... So 2 binary words crash causing strange things to happen... Like a 3 lane Freeway Car entry ramp... 2 Cars are trying to enter at the same time... Fix the wire and it will work... Sure enough... it did.....

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  8. So NAVSEA and MOTU-5 Combined to become Fleet Technical Support Pacific in 1994. So as a MK 92 Tech I started going out with the NAVSEA Tech Pete LaValley mentioned in the story above. We get to a MK 92 FFG ship to assist in a problem with Radar Power. It was low. Pete opens a metal door in the radar that contained a Ceramic Thyratron about the size of a coffee cup but a little taller. You could see a line of Glowing Electrons about a 1/4 of the way up the almost see through Thyratron. Pete said it should be about 1/3 of the way up from the bottom. A tricky thing to troubleshoot as it is in the metal box as it has High Voltage on it and they did not want Sailors poking around and getting killed... So with care we take measurements.. Pete notices the Filament voltage was something like 4.5 volts when it should be about 6 volts DC. They had 6 volts at the power supply... So Pete tells the tech to shut down the radar and cut the crimp on terminals off the 2 heater voltage wires and replace the crimp on terminals. He did and it went to 100%.. Fixed... So we are confused... Pete grabs the cut off wires with crimp on terminals and said.... Observe... He took a Fluke Digital Multimeter and in Ohm's Mode zeroed the display. Then he took the wire and crimp and measured the resistance of a 1 inch long wire from the cut exposed copper to the crimp... It measured about 20 Mega Ohms.... We still looked confused... The Tech at a early day removed the 2 wires and hit them with a wire brush as they were a little black from years of heat in the Thyratron Box... But what Pete showed us was that a layer of CARBON had built up on the WIRE under the Crimp... 20 M Ohms worth.... THIS cut the Heater voltage from 6 Volts to 4.5 and the result was less Electrons boiling off the Cathode... So LOWER Power and the LINE was lower.... :)

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    1. https://www.britannica.com/technology/thyratron

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  9. I’m a retired occifer of Sailors. I am in awe of anyone who can fix electronic thingys - I can plug in em - and if they work fine great - if not ET phone here please.

    My story concerns the MK56 FCS and a Master Chief I befriended. I’ve always had a great deal of respect for senior enlisted - they serve so many important rolls in The Navy - especially that of Adult Supervision.

    Anyway - The MK56 wasn’t a new fangled piece of gear - it was old school and featured - hold on now - vacuum tubes. Anyway - The MK56 FCS was Bravo Delta. The ship had spent a fortune on specialized tech repairmen - Contractors -NAVSEA wizards - etc etc - But the old 56 refused to do its thing.

    Finally - an ancient MCPO ET Type arrives. I’m a Midshipman on a training cruise. I introduced myself when the Old MCPO was having a cup of coffee. I politely asked if I could watch him work on the 56 - so as an Officer - I’ll be better prepared to lead folks the right way. He smiles and says - sure. He then confides in me he’s happy to see someone willing to learn - but he did swear me to secrecy.

    Making a long story short. We both were in the console room for the 56. The MCPO has not a piece of gear. Standing next to me in the console room - he asked me to turn out the lights. Off they went - in the darkness - two tubes weren’t glowing - lights back on - Master Chief says - replace them tubes - and yer back in business. When I suggested we go announce the good news - he says - not so fast Wait - makem think we worked a long while - else we’ll loose the magic. Remember this Middie - like a girl who gives it up too easy - they loose respect for you if you make it look to easy....

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    1. The "make it look too easy" thing.

      I had instructors who "kept themselves on a pedestal" with their "I have been doing this for years;try and keep up, but......" Very demotivational.

      But it works both ways. I found electronics difficult; and thought "surely they could explain it a different way??" I found out later that most COULDN'T - as they weren't techo's; they were schoolies who only knew theory. They had never worked on the gear.

      Then I end up instructing. I think back to my early days and decide to try and help spare them that. I use an analogy that explains classes of amp with something they will understand. But that can make THEM cocky.

      If I said to my class "in 2 minutes I can explain the basics of a synchro and you will understand" - they could go "Oooooooo!"

      Or they COULD say "Wow - took you YEARS; and now I know in MINUTES? How stupid are YOU?????

      That is why my instructors had the "try and keep up" thing. Kept them "aloof".

      Is a fine line.

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  10. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  11. Re posted this to: https://www.facebook.com/groups/USNAVYFC/

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  12. Not an ET, but an EM. Got a troublecall for the plotting board in CIC. It had 50 tiny light bulbs circling it. Got a trouble call that the plotting board illumination wasn't working. Sic an ET on it. Naah, they say it's electrical. So I head up to CIC and start troubleshooting, got power, scratch my head. Try replacing a bulb, and it works. Every frickin' light bulb, all 50, were out. Replaced the bulbs (we had 100 in atock onboard). Got the OSCS involved. Hey, did anyone notice it was getting dim? Gave him the extra 50 bulbs and said, your guys are allowed to change a frickin' light bulb. SMH

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    1. That's a "what are the chances" warrie. But chances are..... :p

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  13. On Torrens, our last DE, very embarrassing when the ET's in my section couldn't work out how to fix the CO's compass strip repeat illumination. Most basic cct in the WORLD.

    But the thing that gets me is that why is it that the more junior the greenie is; the MORE SOPHISTICATED the meter they had to use?

    When I was instructing, they had a practical test. They had a choice of the simple moving coil meter; OR - the ultra fancy "did everything" digital meter. As the dig meter did SOOOO much - how many times did they use wrong range/misread/drop a digit; and fail their assessment?

    With this in mind - I go up there and see the three meters they have used and they are bamboozled. On a simple circuit with a few lamps driven by three resistors with some switches.

    These meters are the sort you use to align receiver front ends; or do ultra critical set ups.

    I ask them to go and get me an old "AVO". (Non electronic meter). They all snigger (stupid old Chief/has to use meter as old as him/etc.

    Get AVO - measure/measure/measure = "that resistor is blown."

    What the? On a bridge full of transformers and coils in ancient wire wound dimmers - the sensitive meters were reading from magnetism all around them. AVO only measures what is there.

    They didn't learn. Always used the fanciest meter on the most basic equipment.

    WHY give yourself a hard time?????

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  14. I had a similar issue with the front panel modules of the AN/URC-9 (RT-581) onboard USS Enterprise in 1980-81. Often, when the knobs were changed, the mechanism would keep going and going, cycling along, until one took a small rawhide mallet to course tune the thick covering, then a larger rubber mallet for finer tuning should the previous "whack" not work. Just couldn't find a ground.

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  15. >I knew Mr. Van! We serveed together on the Ingersoll in the mid 80's. I wonder how he's doing?

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