My giant in the metering field was Bud Russell. I first met Bud online in 1999 after he retired from Pacific Power and he was just starting his website “themeterguy.com” Bud told me that he had worked as a Navy electronics technician for six years and then in metering at PacifiCorp for 23 years, before he launched his site for field metermen. His goal was to build a community tool for the metering professional out in the field. He recognized that as metermen we tend to be isolated, because there are not very many of us in the industry and we're all spread out in all these little towns and areas. He thought that a Web site would give everyone a chance to get to one location.” One of the most popular features on the site was “The Metering TailBoard”, a discussion board, where people were able to ask questions or make statements. Bud sponsored quizzes and contests. He gave away shirts and mugs to those who wrote articles for his website. Bud developed a software program called Power Tools, which would draw a vector diagram and allow you to manipulate that diagram to see how a meter would actually measure a circuit when it's connected in a certain way.” Bud and I would talk late into the night about metering. Sometimes he would show me some of the teaching programs he was working on. He had an animated graphic that showed 3 sine waves coming out of a turning vector wheel that really made the concept of vectors come alive for me. He would patiently explain concepts I was struggling with. He was a great friend. I only met him once in person at the 1999 Northwest Meter School, but he will always have a special place in my heart. Bud Russell passed away Tuesday, December 11, 2007.
My giant in the metering field was Bud Russell. I first met Bud online in 1999 after he retired from Pacific Power and he was just starting his website “themeterguy.com” Bud told me that he had worked as a Navy electronics technician for six years and then in metering at PacifiCorp for 23 years, before he launched his site for field metermen. His goal was to build a community tool for the metering professional out in the field. He recognized that as metermen we tend to be isolated, because there are not very many of us in the industry and we're all spread out in all these little towns and areas. He thought that a Web site would give everyone a chance to get to one location.”
One of the most popular features on the site was “The Metering TailBoard”, a discussion board, where people were able to ask questions or make statements. Bud sponsored quizzes and contests. He gave away shirts and mugs to those who wrote articles for his website. Bud developed a software program called Power Tools, which would draw a vector diagram and allow you to manipulate that diagram to see how a meter would actually measure a circuit when it's connected in a certain way.”
Bud and I would talk late into the night about metering. Sometimes he would show me some of the teaching programs he was working on. He had an animated graphic that showed 3 sine waves coming out of a turning vector wheel that really made the concept of vectors come alive for me. He would patiently explain concepts I was struggling with. He was a great friend. I only met him once in person at the 1999 Northwest Meter School, but he will always have a special place in my heart.
Bud Russell passed away Tuesday, December 11, 2007.