[USAF / ARMY / NAVY / MARINES / CIV] - PMEL and TMDE

Jolly_Green_Giant

Jolly_Green_Giant

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If you know what this is and have any experience, I need your help. SpaceX will be grilling me on my knowledge of this as they feel I am a good fit for what they need. I am a USAF ECM technician by trade (Avionics) and I do have some experience with it, but my memory is shot as I havent held a position with this stuff for over 3 years. Any help would be greatly appreciated. I'm not completely unversed in the subject, just feeling pretty dumb right now if someone were to put me on the spot. I don't want to fuck up precision measurements for spacecraft that will eventually be used for human flight. Error is not an option and I want to ensure my abilities are pushed to their limits and beyond. I have to get a TEST sticker on Mars somehow right?
 
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Jolly_Green_Giant

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Printimus said:
What is PMEL and TMDE? (Not everyone knows what the acronyms are unless given context)
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Apologies. I didn't want to waste anyone's time. I was going for the "you either know it or you don't" approach, but it's as Wolfy stated.
 
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Wolfy

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Jolly_Green_Giant

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Wolfy said:
Try the FSM's
http://static.e-publishing.af.mil/production/1/af_a4/publication/cfetp2p0x1/cfetp2p0x1.pdf (PMEL)
http://www.usamma.army.mil/assets/docs/TB_43-180.pdf (TMDE)

Please verify those are currently in date and accurate as they are not my specialty.
Those should break down what you need to know for each item, I think they include reference numbers to available material but some stuff may be CAC Access only...
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This is exactly the stuff I was looking for just short of CDC's and individual 33 series TMDE TO's. Thank you thank you thank you!
 
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Sirus7264 said:
Id help you out but i deal with shipbuilding engineering and information security these days and was am an Ex Nuclear mechanic. I'm rarly on the field anymore as i have become a desk jocky who gets emails and phone calls all day.
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Ha, any help is appreciated. I think they want me to know how to cal oscilloscopes (I use O-scopes to cal things and Have done self cals, but never NIST level Cals) and stuff like working in a 68 degree Fahrenheit controlled temp room (metal neither expands nor contracts at that temp) and maybe how to use a FLUKE Cal station. Most of my equipment was on aircraft cal stuff for RF / IR systems, so the guys at lockheed would send us a working prototype for say the EW systems on a C-130 J model, tell us to run certain tests and to what measurements, and report the data back for future improvement. Specific frequencies and modulation and all that. I've never called a torque wrench, that would be something I need to know. I've never called a pressure gauge. That's another thing I need to know. I say NEED to know for my own satisfaction as I expressed my primary skillset to the HR guy and my lack of experience in these things and yet he still said I sound like a great fit. I'm just nervous and trying to stay a few steps ahead. I could potentially land a 20 year career doing something I love here. I'll do whatever it takes.
 
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Bambooza

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Jolly_Green_Giant said:
Ha, any help is appreciated. I think they want me to know how to cal oscilloscopes (I use O-scopes to cal things and Have done self cals, but never NIST level Cals) and stuff like working in a 68 degree Fahrenheit controlled temp room (metal neither expands nor contracts at that temp) and maybe how to use a FLUKE Cal station. Most of my equipment was on aircraft cal stuff for RF / IR systems, so the guys at lockheed would send us a working prototype for say the EW systems on a C-130 J model, tell us to run certain tests and to what measurements, and report the data back for future improvement. Specific frequencies and modulation and all that. I've never called a torque wrench, that would be something I need to know. I've never called a pressure gauge. That's another thing I need to know. I say NEED to know for my own satisfaction as I expressed my primary skillset to the HR guy and my lack of experience in these things and yet he still said I sound like a great fit. I'm just nervous and trying to stay a few steps ahead. I could potentially land a 20 year career doing something I love here. I'll do whatever it takes.
Click to expand...

I would say if someone else says you're a great fit then you need to stop doubting yourself. Just hold your head up high and do it. Even if you make blunders like "metal neither expands nor contracts at that temp"
 
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Sirus7264

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Jolly_Green_Giant said:
Ha, any help is appreciated. I think they want me to know how to cal oscilloscopes (I use O-scopes to cal things and Have done self cals, but never NIST level Cals) and stuff like working in a 68 degree Fahrenheit controlled temp room (metal neither expands nor contracts at that temp) and maybe how to use a FLUKE Cal station. Most of my equipment was on aircraft cal stuff for RF / IR systems, so the guys at lockheed would send us a working prototype for say the EW systems on a C-130 J model, tell us to run certain tests and to what measurements, and report the data back for future improvement. Specific frequencies and modulation and all that. I've never called a torque wrench, that would be something I need to know. I've never called a pressure gauge. That's another thing I need to know. I say NEED to know for my own satisfaction as I expressed my primary skillset to the HR guy and my lack of experience in these things and yet he still said I sound like a great fit. I'm just nervous and trying to stay a few steps ahead. I could potentially land a 20 year career doing something I love here. I'll do whatever it takes.
Click to expand...
I did alot of pressure gages when i was down in the plant as we have to have very accurate readings when operating the plant. 1 psi of pressure can cause some pretty drastic effects on equipment such as distilling units.(Screw those needle valves) The units we would use looked similar to this one. Pretty much you set the pressure of the calc box to certain percentages and hook it up to the gage you want to test via a test gage line(Of course you disconnect the gage from the system). Ensure you have an airtight fit with no pressure leaks. you open the valve on the calc box and if the pressures match then you are good to go if not then you need to adjust the gage in the cal lab till it matches correct pressure high and low. If you can't adjust it to match then the gage is bad and you need to replace it. It's really simple stuff. Torque wrenchs on the other hand i've got nothing there as we just bought them and used them straight from the box. as for torque wrenchs we just sent them to the cal lab when the time came and the cal lab calced them.(I never worked in the cal lab itself i just did in plant stuff after i got my little calc box. they would calc the boxes with equipment in the lab). heres a pic of something similar to the calc boxes we used to calc gauges.(I can't remember exactly which box we used its been a few years and never really payed attention to what products we used.)
 
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Jolly_Green_Giant

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CosmicTrader said:
Can't help but Best Wishes with your job hunting.
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Thanks cosmic. I secured that job in the bahamas according to the manager looking to hire me, but they are well aware of the interviews with SpaceX as well. I just want to get to a point to where I just have to pick which path I want to go down. They both hit me at once.


And thanks all. Now that I have better information in front of me I feel much more confident. It's nothing I can't pick up quick or haven't had relevant experience.
 
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