NukeWorker Forum

Reference, Questions and Help => Polls => Topic started by: darkmatter on Dec 05, 2003, 09:37

Title: Why I like Nuclear Power
Post by: darkmatter on Dec 05, 2003, 09:37
Just curious, answer the Poll, why are you here?
Title: Re: I like Nuclear Power cause
Post by: Phurst on Dec 05, 2003, 10:11
All the above.
Title: Re: I like Nuclear Power cause
Post by: HydroDave63 on Dec 05, 2003, 11:00
It is one of the better paying fields of work which one can enter with only a DD-214 and no college degree in hand.

Besides, at this point, it's all I know how to do  ;)
Title: Re: I like Nuclear Power cause
Post by: PWHoppe on Dec 05, 2003, 11:33
I can't do nuttin' else ::)
Title: Re: I like Nuclear Power cause
Post by: HousePuke on Dec 05, 2003, 12:02
It pays the bills.  Meet some interesting folks.  Get to visit cool websites like this one. ;)
Title: Re: I like Nuclear Power cause
Post by: Austria on Dec 05, 2003, 12:07
As if I'd rather have a so called "real job". Haven't found another job yet where I can live anywhere I want....have a (somewhat) flexible schedule and loads of time off.  ;) And besides, there really are a lot of interesting and fun folks to work with out there.  8)
Title: Re: I like Nuclear Power cause
Post by: Roll Tide on Dec 05, 2003, 03:02
Quote
It is one of the better paying fields of work which one can enter with only a DD-214 and no college degree in hand.

Besides, at this point, it's all I know how to do  ;)


You got that right! I tried non-nuclear for a while after getting kicked out of the canoe club for exceeding the needs of the Navy (Food for Freedom ;)) and my skills are worth little outside this industry. When I went back into nuclear, I made more than my wife and I made together from the "between" years.

I noticed a recent study showing the top 50 paying careers in the country, and only air traffic controllers and nuclear control room operators didn't require a degree. When I get more motivated to find the study again, I will provide a link. ;D

If you check, their isn't much diference between operators and HP per hour. Of course, either category has people making much more than their peers by working lots of OT. Maybe there weren't enough HP's working full-time permanent positions to make the survey.
Title: Re: I like Nuclear Power cause
Post by: darkmatter on Dec 05, 2003, 04:05
Quote
So teach me,  what would be the difference between pay and $1000/wk?

The "hide and seek" part.
Title: Re: I like Nuclear Power cause
Post by: Atomic_Punk on Dec 05, 2003, 09:36
1. I like to reminisce with poeple I've never met.

2. I like southern accents. ::)

3. I like to go places where carp is served in restaurants. :P

4. I like working with the hygienically challenged.

5. I don't like being a cook.

6. You can go where the Mullet is still in style.

7. I look stylin' in yellow.

8. I like wearing a vehicle out every 5 years.

9. On the serious side, I've made some good friends.

10. I'm not qualified to do anything else, so I'm lucky
   there is Nuclear power.
Title: Re: I like Nuclear Power cause
Post by: Nuclear_Dog on Dec 06, 2003, 04:18
Because, they let me operate a 1,000,000+ horse power piece of machinery!!  ;D
Title: Re: I like Nuclear Power cause
Post by: Dan_E. on Dec 06, 2003, 11:55
I got hooked on nuclear work when I was a craft. It has increased the challenges and interest for me after becoming a tech. Man, have I got a lot to learn! [smiley=uhh.gif]
Title: Re: I like Nuclear Power cause
Post by: SloGlo on Dec 08, 2003, 11:21
even when it's boring, the peeple ain't!  
Title: Re: Why I like Nuclear Power
Post by: korolochka on Nov 16, 2005, 04:35
TIME OFF!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
Title: Re: Why I like Nuclear Power
Post by: Fermi2 on Nov 16, 2005, 10:14
Where else do you get the keys to your daddies 2 billion dollar Lincoln???? :)
Title: Re: Why I like Nuclear Power
Post by: allforthenukie on Nov 18, 2005, 06:33
Where else can a guy who barely graduated high school earn 80K+ per year?
Title: Re: Why I like Nuclear Power
Post by: Doc_REM on Nov 18, 2005, 09:46
Wish I could have checked ALL of them....
Love the $$$
Love the folk's that I've meant
Love the travel!!!!
Love the neet toy's I get to play with
Love the work...ALWAYS a new challenge
Stress...what stress...just because you have someone's life in your hands......????!!!!!
Besides that after 30 some year's....what else am I going to do?....Hello, Welcome to Wal-mart.....NOT!
Title: Re: Why I like Nuclear Power
Post by: LaFeet on Mar 14, 2006, 04:28
Time away from home to relax...yeah, I actually relax while working nukes.   Those of you who know me know it is true. :P
Title: Re: Why I like Nuclear Power
Post by: Mike McFarlin on Apr 18, 2006, 05:12
By putting your stress on others..ha
Title: Re: Why I like Nuclear Power
Post by: Mike McFarlin on Apr 20, 2006, 05:12
Show ME the MONEY!!!! Yes the fun is gone and probably for good. The travel gets old too unless its to a new plant but we are running out of them. Just get my $$$$$. I'll take more time off. If that where these shorter outages are going to. And when they start this 48hr/wk crap, well you will need 500 techs to staff a job. Glad I'm not recruiting anymore!
Title: Re: Why I like Nuclear Power
Post by: Roll Tide on Apr 21, 2006, 07:01
There are few legal activities I am qualified to perform with similar pay to nuclear, and none of them allow as much time with family. The money is good in nuclear, but I would live on half the money if I hated the job.
Title: Re: Why I like Nuclear Power
Post by: Gonzo on Jun 21, 2006, 10:48
You can say it's only for the money...  but where else should i rather be?  from the green dye on st paddy's day, giving mark the queen or to finding the missing link, i've been way entertained all these years...   put me down for a new catagory..   for the comedy
Title: Re: Why I like Nuclear Power
Post by: dks860 on Jun 22, 2006, 03:15
I have a degree where I could potentially earn much more.  I just love what I do and I take my job seriously.  I like being able to pick and choose where I go, I don't want a full time job all year round, and I like the change of scenery.  At the plants where I wouldn't want to return, doesn't matter how much they pay, I'll gladly go somewhere that pays less but treats you better.

dks860
Title: Re: Why I like Nuclear Power
Post by: Brett LaVigne on Aug 04, 2006, 07:37
I am not sure that I do yet...I have been out of the business for 8 years and have my first outage back this fall.  After getting married I quit and did some other things, had a baby (well...the wife did all of the work there) etc.
I recently was downsized out of my job and decided to do a couple of outages/year and see how it works out.
I do remember that I loved being a H.P.  The money is good but it isn't the only way to make a good living I found out...we'll see...
Title: Re: Why I like Nuclear Power
Post by: incrediblehulk on Sep 15, 2006, 12:04
I'm now 1 year into my very first non-nuclear job after ~30 years in the biz. I enjoy the work, the pay is decent, and Mrs. Hulk likes to see me every evening (a shock to anyone who knows me).

What I truely miss though are all the wonderful friends we made all over the country. It just doesn't seem right that I can't look forward to the first day of an outage, when you see all your old pals and get caught up on their lives. Who knows, maybe I'll be back out there. I do know I'll last longer at this job than UncaBuffalo at his. BTW Unc- Mrs. Hulk gives you six months at the outside.
Title: Re: Why I like Nuclear Power
Post by: Mike McFarlin on Oct 15, 2006, 05:00
The work is still interesting even after 28 years. New problems now, that we didn't have back then. Makes you think now and again, which is good. Keeps you from becoming stale.
Title: Re: Why I like Nuclear Power
Post by: Turbo on Oct 15, 2006, 07:33
Because I get to play with radioactive stuff every day and they pay me to do it.  I love this field would'nt go back to the real world for anything.
Title: Re: Why I like Nuclear Power
Post by: tonynuke on Oct 15, 2006, 08:41
How about all of the above...except the pay.  (What pay and benefits???...Another subject i guess) The people are awesome, job interesting at times, travel is fun.  Things the workers do never cease to amaze me (boundary....what boundary).  Things fellow techs do never cease to amaze me (I swear it was clean!)  Things the house wants u to do never cease to amaze me (Its an ARA....but the air samples clean....still an ARA).  Anyway...just my 2 cents.  Fellow techies....you rock!!!!
Title: Re: Why I like Nuclear Power
Post by: tigger on Oct 17, 2006, 01:03
I would definately have to say the people. I don't think I have ever had a truely bad day in 6 years of doing this. I may have bad moments, but never a whole bad day. There is always someone or something to laugh at or with, how ever you may look at it, you make some great friends (atomic frog and wife are my favorites!), and the care people show when something bad does happen to a person or family member.
The pay is a great benefit, locations.... Florida, my kids loved getting to come down and take a mini vacation to the keys, and while outage hours are long and tiring, the other time doing other things is great. (Was nursing during non-outage times, now a permanant nuke worker).
 
Title: Re: Why I like Nuclear Power
Post by: hml on Oct 20, 2006, 08:39
Although interesting (my vote) I think addictive is a better word. I entered nuclear to work one outage as a change of pace.....10 years later and I can't give it up and really don't want to.

The people are great, the pay is getting better every year, the entertainment is non-stop, I choose where and when I want to work....how I could give that up for a 'real job' in that 'other world'

I met the love of my life on my third outage and we have been together ever since.  I love working with him and I think it would have been much harder to have a relationship with someone outside of this business with all of the traveling involved.

Nope---can't give it up, love it too much!!
Title: Re: Why I like Nuclear Power
Post by: cbramsey on Nov 29, 2006, 04:16
I must admit I got into this field based on the "promise" that I would be traveling on only 25% of the time.  What they didn't tell me was that the 25% would be all at once.

15 years later I can say that I would not have it any other way.  Where else can you work with interesting people?  I have got to see parts of the country I wouldn't have seen otherwise.

What more can I say???

Title: Re: Why I like Nuclear Power
Post by: LaFeet on Apr 19, 2007, 06:29
In al seriousness,  its the people and the places.  I hate being away (even though I do manage to relax a bit more away from home) (you have five daughters and a wife all on the same cycle... TAMPAX loves me)  I do enjoy the people I have met and worked with / for.

Even in the gritty places, I have made some good friends.  And would ( and have) gone back to work there again.

Heck... I even call Spanky a friend.... and he snores  :P
Title: Re: Why I like Nuclear Power
Post by: RDTroja on Apr 20, 2007, 08:20
The people. The places. The stories to tell. And the looks on peoples faces when I tell them what I do for a living. Always a conversation starter (after you get past the 'glow in the dark' comments.) Sometimes a friendly conversation, sometimes not so friendly, but always an opportunity to educate.

Oh, yes... the opportunity to do and see some pretty cool things that others don't get to experience. I will never forget the first time I walked into a containment building, teletector in hand thinking I had just walked onto a science fiction movie set (before Star Wars came out so I didn't have that reference.) And the first time I saw a fuel bundle removed from the core, or the time we turned out the lights at IP2 with the core partially off-loaded and the cherenkov glow shimmering on the sides of the SG bays. You can't adequately describe that stuff to someone that hasn't seen it.

And then there were the '70s and the parties that we lived through somehow...
Title: Re: Why I like Nuclear Power
Post by: stownsend on Apr 20, 2007, 08:37
The seventies and early eighties are still a little fuzzy, can you let me know if I missed anything?
Still swinging a meter and loving it.
Title: Re: Why I like Nuclear Power
Post by: Halcyon Daze on Apr 21, 2007, 07:29
(after you get past the 'glow in the dark' comments.)
I'm sure our responses to that one could, in themselves, be the subject of a highly-censorable thread
Title: Re: Why I like Nuclear Power
Post by: SloGlo on Apr 21, 2007, 08:27
I'm sure our responses to that one could, in themselves, be the subject of a highly-censorable thread

yinz think der'd be a large response two this?  eye don't sea it that weigh.
Title: Re: Why I like Nuclear Power
Post by: rlbinc on Apr 25, 2007, 12:55
I gotta admit it.

It's all about the chicks.

 8)
Title: Re: Why I like Nuclear Power
Post by: BuddyThePug on Apr 25, 2007, 04:28
I gotta admit it.

It's all about the chicks.

 8)

There's what, 2 or 3% compared to 97% guys? ;)
Title: Re: Why I like Nuclear Power
Post by: atomicarcheologist on Apr 25, 2007, 07:00
I must admit that I am not too enthralled about the current fleet of nuclear power plants.  However, that is due to my income being derived from digging up past "incidents".  Since these are minimized today, and the research for the current and future fleets is lacking in a "wild and wooly" approach it would appear that this future work generation has ceased.  In addition, the current spate of license extensions will curtail the mothballing and near future D&D of the old ladies of the fleet. 
Title: Re: Why I like Nuclear Power
Post by: LaFeet on Apr 25, 2007, 07:23
Hey AA   there is always work out here to be had.  Its just where and if you want to go to it.

I am just doing outages until the next big dig kicks off... hopefully Gore Oklahoma for me.
Title: Re: Why I like Nuclear Power
Post by: Roll Tide on Apr 25, 2007, 10:04
I am just doing outages until the next big dig kicks off... hopefully Gore Oklahoma for me.

Is that preferable to Clinton, IL?
Title: Re: Why I like Nuclear Power
Post by: LaFeet on Apr 25, 2007, 10:33
Is that preferable to Clinton, IL?

For me it is... practically in my back yard.  As for Illinois... I dont know if I will ever be working in that state.... the scheduling just has not clicked....
Title: Re: Why I like Nuclear Power
Post by: stownsend on Apr 26, 2007, 01:04
I gotta admit it.

It's all about the chicks.

 8)
Hate to tell you, but that's not a chick on your shoulder.
Title: Re: Why I like Nuclear Power
Post by: rlbinc on Apr 26, 2007, 06:18
Hate to tell you, but that's not a chick on your shoulder.

Nope, that's a beeotch.
Title: Re: Why I like Nuclear Power
Post by: greengoo on Jun 10, 2007, 09:58
'Cause in the drywell... NO ONE can hear you scream... or at least its so hot that they don't even bother coming to help you.
Title: Re: Why I like Nuclear Power
Post by: Turbo on Jun 20, 2007, 02:02
The work is almost always interesting, I don't do any traveling because I'm a house guy but the people that show up for outages are normally great and have alot of knowledge.  The pay and benefits are awesome considering my educational background.  And \ some of the stuff we get to do and see is unique to anything else anywhere else period.  I would'nt trade doin this for anything it is a great way to make a living no questions asked.
Title: Re: Why I like Nuclear Power
Post by: Iced Tiger on Jun 20, 2007, 02:10
I like it because they give me a reactor to play with just like Homer. ;D
Title: Re: Why I like Nuclear Power
Post by: RADBASTARD on Jun 20, 2007, 10:14
interesting work,and alot a crazy people. the moneys is decent also,beni's suck though