> "I had the rather dubious privilege of installing some 800MHz gear in
>the Sears Tower (or whatever they call it now). Did not get to the base
>of the antennas, but the view from the roof top was spectacular, as was
>the wind. Like some others, I could only watch the video for two minutes
>before my stomach said "STOP²! Barry - W1HFN²
I was employed by RKO Radio in Chicago between 1983-85. The main
transmitters (alternate/main) were at Sears; the standby was atop the
monopole on the Prudential Building.
Sunday night preventive maintenance at Sears was an interesting experience
during the spring months. 100+ floors up, the building moves about one
foot in high wind. That¹s enough to see waves created in the cleaning
buckets we used to wipe down the transmitters. Anyone sensitive to motion
sickness should not be up there on a windy day.
Access to the Sears rooftop was a lot easier pre-Sept. 11th. Our employee
badges and elevator keys were enough. Today, I believe there¹s a formal
procedure required for any roof access, even during emergencies.
Only one side of Sears has a smooth face from the top to the ground. On
one occasion, we had a bit of fun taking photos by leaning out over the
top guard rail and took stunning shots of the entire face down to the
ground. It was a trust thing where we each took turns anchoring the legs
of the guy reaching out for the photos. Good thing the camera was
not dropped.
Paul, W9AC
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