Stories from a two person electrial test shop

Posted: Jul 29, 2025 6:33:56 pm

cgetty
Posts: 137 Registered: 2013-12-25	Developing a strategy Well when I got hired there was a job description the job description covered the general things that they expected of a meter test person. So how it was to be done needed to be decide. So we made up a list of all the jobs that were necessary to do in the field and in the meter shop. It was also necessary to develop procedures for safety and in general how we were to proceed in this task protective equipment that we would need. Working with a meter readers working with a line crew, coordinating with the office also regular follow up meetings with my supervisor to see how things were progressing. Also many of the meters that were in service at the time were very old and needing to be upgraded. And the decision was necessary to figure out which direction to go there were many different types of meters and had to decide. Also the city wanted to do time of use metering which involved not only a new meter but they were electronic and they worked with software and firmware and these were all things Or new things that were evolving in the field of metering that we had to learn. When I arrived on the scene the way it was handled was that if there was an issue with meters they were brought into the shop and tested on a test board. This was an old "Knopp" test board from about 1957. And as I mentioned before all records were recorded on yellow legal type note pads. We decided to do field testing of all but residential So after looking at how some other utilities handled the meter testing situation. Here are a few of the utilities we looked at Scmug. We decided that we would do field testing of all the meters in the field with the exception of residential. Residential meters came in we tested 100 percent of them when we bought them and then when we put them in the field they were pretty much on their own until somebody shot one with a BB gun they got damaged somehow. So for the utility was a a responsibility for them to help us get up to speed just at the time when metering was turning from mechanical to electronic there were many things that Ed and I needed to learn (yes they hired me an assistant) The utilities sent us to school once a year in Seattle WA for a week at a time. There was also a need to invest in test equipment to facilitate this field testing and shop testing. So we needed to buy a new shop bench to replace the one inside it was very old. And we had to buy some equipment to do field testing. The utility did not scrimp they did a good job they bought the right stuff in my opinion. And the utility allowed us to meet once every quarter with a group a group of other utilities so we could exchange information and get encouragement and learn. This was a very wise decision on their (the utility's) part and it was very inspiring.
Last edited by: cgetty on Sep 30, 2025 5:05:16 pm Profile

Posts: 137
Registered:
2013-12-25

Developing a strategy

Well when I got hired there was a job description the job description covered the general things that they expected of a meter test person.

So how it was to be done needed to be decide. So we made up a list of all the jobs that were necessary to do in the field and in the meter shop. It was also necessary to develop procedures for safety and in general how we were to proceed in this task protective equipment that we would need. Working with a meter readers working with a line crew, coordinating with the office also regular follow up meetings with my supervisor to see how things were progressing.

Also many of the meters that were in service at the time were very old and needing to be upgraded. And the decision was necessary to figure out which direction to go there were many different types of meters and had to decide. Also the city wanted to do time of use metering which involved not only a new meter but they were electronic and they worked with software and firmware and these were all things Or new things that were evolving in the field of metering that we had to learn.

When I arrived on the scene the way it was handled was that if there was an issue with meters they were brought into the shop and tested on a test board. This was an old "Knopp" test board from about 1957. And as I mentioned before all records were recorded on yellow legal type note pads.

We decided to do field testing of all but residential

So after looking at how some other utilities handled the meter testing situation. Here are a few of the utilities we looked at Scmug. We decided that we would do field testing of all the meters in the field with the exception of residential. Residential meters came in we tested 100 percent of them when we bought them and then when we put them in the field they were pretty much on their own until somebody shot one with a BB gun they got damaged somehow.

So for the utility was a a responsibility for them to help us get up to speed just at the time when metering was turning from mechanical to electronic there were many things that Ed and I needed to learn (yes they hired me an assistant) The utilities sent us to school once a year in Seattle WA for a week at a time.

There was also a need to invest in test equipment to facilitate this field testing and shop testing. So we needed to buy a new shop bench to replace the one inside it was very old. And we had to buy some equipment to do field testing. The utility did not scrimp they did a good job they bought the right stuff in my opinion.

And the utility allowed us to meet once every quarter with a group a group of other utilities so we could exchange information and get encouragement and learn. This was a very wise decision on their (the utility's) part and it was very inspiring.

Last edited by: cgetty on Sep 30, 2025 5:05:16 pm

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cgetty
Posts: 137 Registered: 2013-12-25	Here's a short little video I found on somebody who's in a test shop and these are the exact same things that we did so I guess we were doing it like others do.
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