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Unpopular opinion: I think we overhype the new smart diagnostic tools

I was at a training in Chicago where the instructor claimed these tools cut repair time in half. I've been using the Model 7X scanner for about three months now on a mix of jobs. Honestly, on a standard door operator issue last Tuesday, it took me longer to set up the scan and read the codes than it would have to just meter the old way. The data is cool, but I feel like it's making some guys forget the basics of following a circuit. Has anyone else found these tools slow you down on simpler calls?
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3 Comments
charles_young92
Yeah, that bit about forgetting the basics is spot on. My buddy spent an hour chasing a scanner ghost code last week when the real problem was a loose wire he would've found in five minutes with a meter.
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king.eric
king.eric1mo ago
Right? @charles_young92's buddy proves it.
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hayes.casey
That "forgetting the basics" part is the real risk, but for me, the scanner's live data on a tricky intermittent fault is a game changer. It just depends on the job.
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