Hi all. I've been watching the new discussion on ropes for tower work and
felt I had to put my 2 cents worth in.
After years of using ropes (lines for you sailors), which were either unsafe
or not 'right', I broke down and made an investment that has served me well.
About 7 or 8 years ago, I purchased 400 feet of caving/climbing rope. What
I got was called "Bluewater II". It is a 12mm (1/2")STATIC type line which
has a UV and abrasion resistant, woven outer jacket.
Do not buy a DYNAMIC line. That has strech built into it, but it isn't like
a bungy cord. It is used, for instance, to break the fall of a climber
without snapping him in two pieces. It gives.
The DYNAMIC line still does strech. With 400 feet out, and the man on the
tower wants 'down 2 inches', you have to move a couple of feet. I can just
imagine how the dynamic line would do!
It really gives a good feeling of security. BTW, buy a 30 gal plastic trash
can and use that to store the line. Works great.
I might as well add, for controversy, that I use a John Deere lawn tractor
to pull the Rohn 55 sections up. It has a hydro static transmission which
lets you creep absolutly as slow as you want. Line is hooked to hole in
front of frame with a caribiner. A loop is tied in the line, at any desired
point, using a figure 8 knot. Between the line and the knot chosen, it
removes easily WHEN DESIRED.
Everyone has headset/vox and only one boss but anyone can stop the lift. We
run the tractor backwards for direct visability between the tower and the
tractor. A large heavy pulley is attached to the tower leg at gnd level
with caribiner and several turns of a flat woven rigging strap used by
climbers.
We felt that fatigue was too big risk with these heavy sections going up 160
feet. The tractor's 18 horses don't get tired.
Any comments on how YOU do it?
73 de Steve, NJ4F
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