Can anyone use a technical writer?

[Ken Ripley]

I'm looking for a full-time gig as a tech writer. Ideally in renewable energy or backup power. More realistically, anywhere in the power industry. Does anyone know a company that's hiring?

For those who use OutBack Power products, I'm the guy who wrote their manuals since time out of mind. (Hopefully that counts as an endorsement rather than a strike. :-) ) That situation came to an end in fall 2023 when OB was shut down. Since then I've been writing in a totally unrelated industry, and it's not a very comfortable situation. Although OB has started up again under new owners, they're a skeleton outfit that has no use for a dedicated writer at this time. Fortunately I've been able to do a little side work for New Use Energy in the meantime. Thanks, Paul and Lee!

I'm very familiar with inverters, batteries, and solar power. More broadly, I'm probably qualified to write for generators, utility companies, and just about anywhere else in the power industry. I can provide resumé and portfolio as needed. Not to mention a LOT of references.

Anyone?

[Rob Beckers]

Hi Ken,

Welcome to the forum, and hopefully you find a writing gig!

I would be very interested in the OutBack story: We have been selling their equipment for about as long as they have existed. We don't buy direct from them though, so I don't get to hear the background stories. We did notice that the last year or two they didn't renew their CSA-listing (needed to install in Canada), and their production lead-time estimates have been wildly inaccurate (they say "3 weeks" which now actually means at least 8 weeks before we see product). Oddly their equipment still sells pretty well, it is, or was since I don't know if quality took a nosedive or not, well-made. Not having CSA-listing is a big problem for Canada though.

I had heard that there are new owners, but that's as far as rumours went. So any info you can add would be welcome.

Thanks!

-RoB-

[Ken Ripley]

Hi RoB,

OutBack Power Systems was purchased by Alpha Technologies back in 2010, after which it became OutBack Power Technologies. In 2018, Alpha was purchased in turn by the battery manufacturer EnerSys, after which OB wasn't a distinct entity, just another EnerSys brand.

I don't know all the backstory or political drama, but I think EnerSys was interested in what Alpha had to offer and didn't want to invest very much in OB — we were just sort of "there". In early 2020 our facility in Arlington, WA was shut down (at the same time as they sent everyone home for the virus — double whammy). In late 2023 they pulled the plug on the whole group. About a third of the people, mostly engineers, were transferred to work on Alpha projects. Another third were retained long enough to sell off inventory, then they were gone. The remaining third, including me, were just gone.

At the beginning of 2024, another group of investors decided to pick up the OB name and properties, under the name OutBack Power USA and operating out of a town in Texas (although they're continuing to maintain the old Arlington, WA phone number!). That's who you're buying from now.

I don't know much about who they are. Also don't know anything about their quality, or where they're doing their manufacturing. But I was told they picked that name on purpose; they want their manufacturing done HERE.

It wouldn't surprise me to hear that certain things like CSA were allowed to lapse; my understanding is that they're a pretty small outfit. I'm only aware of a handful of previous OutBackers who were rehired. Budget questions aside, AFAIK I wasn't rehired because they don't need a writer. For the time being all they need is sustaining-level support on the existing products and manuals, which are already complete. If they ever get going well enough to put out new products that require manuals, well, then I guess we'll see.

In that sense it's not actually much different from the original OB ... they were around for a good 4-5 years before they could hire a dedicated tech writer.