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Colorblind Installers?

Printed From: the12volt.com
Forum Name: General Discussion
Forum Discription: General Mobile Electronics Questions and Answers
URL: https://www.the12volt.com/installbay/forum_posts.asp?tid=67417
Printed Date: March 29, 2024 at 2:10 AM


Topic: Colorblind Installers?

Posted By: cntrylvr79
Subject: Colorblind Installers?
Date Posted: December 01, 2005 at 4:57 PM

Just curious if anyone here is colorblind and how you guys deal with finding the right wires in big bundles like vws and things.  I am and the guys I've taught get a kick when I grab a wire to test and they tell me "uh dude that's not the right color."

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Cause I'm So white and nerdy...
First Class Certi-fried installer



Replies:

Posted By: Teamrf
Date Posted: December 01, 2005 at 8:18 PM
Whoa that seems like a challenge. I commend you for stepping up to that challenge. But to answer your question, I guess have an installer assistant when doing something like this.

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~The Rookie~
Rookie of the year that is...
Don't let the smoke out of your equiptment..it doesn't go back in.




Posted By: Hornshockey
Date Posted: December 01, 2005 at 8:35 PM
I have exactly the same problem; I'm surprised I don't hear of this more since colorblindness is present in almost half of all males, and the vast majority of this industry is male. I hate getting under a dash and finding a RED / brown wire next to a RED / green wire next to a BROWN / green wire and not being able to tell them apart. I just get a second opinion and block out the laughs and jokes when they try to point out a purple wire and tell me it's red.

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Life moves pretty fast; if you don't stop and look around once in a while; you could miss it.




Posted By: 1stclass
Date Posted: December 01, 2005 at 9:59 PM
I am also a first class certified installer for bestbuy that is colorblind.  There is a bit of a disadvantage when trying to find a light green door trigger wire in a kia when every wire in the kick panel is either gray, green, or some other similiar color.  I use to ask for a second opinion but that usually ends with, " what color is my shirt?". So I now just keep testing wires until I do find the right one. 




Posted By: thepencil
Date Posted: December 02, 2005 at 9:58 AM
cntrylvr79,

I tip my hat to you as well. One thing for sure is that you are seldom wrong because you would have tested out your wires first. I know it’s difficult, but personally I would not know the extend of your difficulties until I actually walked around in your shoe for one day.

I am seldom wrong also when it comes to the details of the wiring in a vehicle. I am not colour blind, but I try to teach the guys that I work with to approach their work that way. Half the time it’s a lot easier say than done. Pretty much at times it’s like preaching the practice to the converted. As for tips in grabbing the right wire when you cannot differentiate the colour. I would say having lots good test equipment would certainly be the key. A good wiring diagram with clear up close picture does help. A power test light that has polarity light bulb in three different spot that will allow you to send a Negative or a Positive current at the switch. And last but not least, a good piercing probe with your digital multimeter will certainly do the job.


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Be careful whose advice you buy, but be patient with those who supply it.posted_image




Posted By: Mike M2
Date Posted: December 03, 2005 at 8:22 PM
I recently had an installer work with me that was color blind. Every once in a while he would ask me to check a color for him. He said he went more by position and closeness to the color, then metered it. Never had any problems....

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Mike M2
Tech Manager
CS Dealer Services




Posted By: jdugan4859
Date Posted: December 03, 2005 at 10:39 PM
I have the same problem, but find that if I shine a bright light on it, it helps some, not 100%.

Can always make for some intresting results when you get done if you didn't get the right wire.




Posted By: KPierson
Date Posted: December 04, 2005 at 8:49 AM
Color is just a reference, or at least should be.  You should always verify every wire before making a connection to it.  The guy who hired me for my first install position was color blind.  When in doubt, or if he was in a hurry, he would ask someone for help, otherwise he probed away and never had any problems.

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Kevin Pierson




Posted By: draggindakota
Date Posted: December 09, 2005 at 4:01 PM
I agree, no matter what color I always test to make sure. Way back, I was installing a cd player in a friends truck, and I asked him to verify which wire was ground and he told me which one. It turned out to be the brown illumination wire & fried the deck eventually. Always double check!

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Posted By: MikesMarine
Date Posted: January 02, 2006 at 11:41 PM

i have the opposite problem, im kinda tone deaf. the higher the pitch the noise is, the less i hear it. if i install the radio, the person i installed it for cringes when they hear the treble.

same effect when someone gets in my truck or boat... its always the same thing. the treble kills them. but hey, i need it to sound good to ME



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Posted By: outtaluck72
Date Posted: January 06, 2006 at 7:37 AM
did you know "Fishman" is colorblind? he is.




Posted By: outtaluck72
Date Posted: January 06, 2006 at 7:38 AM
did you know "Fishman" is colorblind? he is.




Posted By: flynntech
Date Posted: January 10, 2006 at 5:15 PM
has anyone ever heard of the blind guy who lost his sight from a blown out tire? He still helped his brother build race cars... I saw it on the speed channel or one of those shows.

It seems that people can adapt and overcome almost anything if they really want to. I am an electronics technician and I believe it would be very difficult to work without good color vision.





Posted By: techguy688
Date Posted: January 10, 2006 at 9:37 PM
Kinda Off Topic but,   There is corrective contact lenses that will allow colorblind individuals the ability to differeniate colors.   It is like a reddish contact lense you wear in one eye. It is a new thing. but worth looking into if you would like to see colors. More power to the installer who are colorblind, it seems it would be a struggle to work. Rock on!

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Just because you've done something for a long time doesn't mean you're any good at it.
Cable Ties Rock!




Posted By: stevdart
Date Posted: January 13, 2006 at 6:14 PM
Better than being deaf, at least...

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Build the box so that it performs well in the worst case scenario and, in return, it will reward you at all times.





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