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Re: [TowerTalk] Erecting tower sections solo

To: "towertalk@contesting.com" <towertalk@contesting.com>
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Erecting tower sections solo
From: "Roger (K8RI) on TT" <K8RI-on-TowerTalk@tm.net>
Date: Fri, 4 Dec 2015 01:05:36 -0500
List-post: <towertalk@contesting.com">mailto:towertalk@contesting.com>
It bears repeating:
Tower climbing is dangerous! Even for those of us who did a lot of it. At least several times a year, I read where a professional climber fell even with the training and safety equipment. Respect the safety rules and respect the danger.

When I was climbing, up into my 60s, I could lift a section of 25G above my head in each hand. The hard part was keeping them balanced, but there was no way, I could safely lift a single section and place it on top of another section with out the aid of a gin pole. Even using a gin pole, I had temporary wire guys in place on the next section. Those guys were anchored and not removed until the next set of permanent guys were in place. One of the most dangerous actions was staying "up there" too long to safely climb down.

I'm only 5'7" and tied off at the top of the tower, I could just reach the balance point of the new section. To me, that was just too close to my comfort zone limits.
A 6 footer would have more reach above the balance point.

At 60 I still could do a military press and bench press with 150# of free weights, but I did weight training from my mid 40s until 60. I'm now 75 and after two strokes and one heart attack I'm lucky to lift and carry 30# with my left hand from the garage to the shop. My back wouldn't support much more even if I could lift it.. Probably from all that weight lifting in prior years <:-(

There are few hams capable of safely doing tower work even with the proper equipment. Doing it alone, but with someone serving as a safety man is for practiced climbers, not for the ham who might climb his 40 or 50' tower once or twice a year. One of the most difficult tower jobs I had was getting a ham down from 60 feet on a 200 ft tower. Thing is, I had to pick up my equipment and then drive close to 60 miles to the tower. He was a much younger guy, but he had never climbed. He found going up was easy until he looked down and froze. At least it was summer on a calm day so he didn't suffer from hypothermia, or a bad sunburn. It took me about an hour and a half to get there after they called. It took me close to an hour to get him safely down thay 60 feet. How long he'd been there before that? I don't know, but his arm were almost rigid. I'll bet he only got up the next day to take pain pills. I can only imagine how his arms and legs felt after being rigid that long. That and I'm truly thankful he didn't get higher before looking down!

Go to a swap. Almost any ham swap. Most of the people there look like they should even stay off short stepladders let alone climbing towers. <LOL>

73

Roger  (K8RI)


On 12/2/2015 5:00 PM, Herbert Schoenbohm wrote:
With Rohn 25, and a gin pole is not really required, it is very easy to just lay the section around the base of the tower you have walked up up like 3 sections. (Preferably guyed) and clip yourself on at the top. Lower a rope with an eye hook and snag one of the sections. Pull it up and stack it. Normally on a calm day a single person can place in a section easily by being above the top of the top of the tower with half his body. (Tie the pull up rope and pulled tower off so if it falls it will only be a few feet.) Proceed to do the next two sections before you guy the 60' spot. Then repeat the process for the next 30 feet and guy again if needed. You can have the guy cable pre prepared and take the up on your belt if they are Phylistran. if you have all your hardware and wrenches in a pouch with and alignment punch and 2 lbs mall, a be tower should go up this way easily.

Remember to have someone with in shouting distance if you run into any trouble. Always get a weather report before you do this without a TS 100 miles away.


Herb Schoenbohm, KV4FZ

On 12/2/2015 5:22 PM, Zivney, Terry wrote:
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I seem to recall a thread a long time ago about how Bill, KM9P, put up his towers without any assistance. But, except for posting where he
stated he did so, I cannot find any details about how he did it.
In particular, once the tower section is hauled up with the gin pole
how is the tower section moved up and down as needed to seat it
on the existing tower?

Terry N4TZ
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--

73

Roger (K8RI)


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