I have used those units as well. The one we had went to 45 or 50 I think.
I've rented the tractor tired version you talked about a couple of times as
well, in the rocks you talk about they'd be much better. The one I used
went up 60'. Remember to keep someone there on the ground in case either of
these units won't restart for you.
I finally bought a 65' bucket truck at an auction a couple of years ago. If
you go this route plan on spending a LOT of money. My truck is a rusted
heap and didn't run, I picked it up for $900. That's the last cheap thing
though. It gets about 5 mpg. Just getting the boom structurally and
electrically tested was almost $400. The lines that go up to the bucket
control all got sun brittle and broke, the factory wants $2500 to replace
them. The boom is in pretty good shape and is perfectly safe, but I need to
eventually drop it on a new truck. Oh yeah, then there is the insurance,
$3000 per year if I let anyone else use it. $1000 if only I (not even any
employees) use it.
Hopefully sometime in the next decade I'll have it usable :-). We've
managed to bypass the upper controls so it'll have to be run from the
ground, a pain but not impossible.
laters,
Marlon
(509) 982-2181 Equipment sales
(408) 907-6910 (Vonage) Consulting services
42846865 (icq) And I run my own wisp!
64.146.146.12 (net meeting)
www.odessaoffice.com/wireless
www.odessaoffice.com/marlon/cam
----- Original Message -----
From: "Rick Tavan N6XI" <rtavan@gmail.com>
To: "Ken Waites" <BARBIEKENW@peoplepc.com>
Cc: <towertalk@contesting.com>
Sent: Friday, December 30, 2005 11:24 PM
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] bucket lift
>I used a bucket lift recently to R&R a 3el SteppIR for a 4el. It was
> arguably the neatest tool I have ever used! I thoroughly enjoyed the job.
> For $200 I picked up a JLG Pro-Boom 35 (T350) at closing time at a tool
> rental shop and returned it 24 hours later. This is a pull-behind unit
> that
> can be towed by a passenger car (although I used a pickup which felt very
> secure to this novice tower). It wasn't easy to position at the tower base
> because I have a very rocky antenna meadow but on firm, even ground it
> would
> be a piece of cake. You disconnect from the tow vehicle, move a couple of
> switches and four very hefty legs unfold and auto-extend to the ground.
> The
> unit levels itself on four heavy steel pads at the ends of the legs.
>
> In action, you climb into the two-man bucket and use a joystick and a
> couple
> of switches to control lift, extension and rotation. It is fast and feels
> secure. In theory, the bucket self-levels as you lift and extend but that
> feature started misbehaving toward the end of the job despite this being a
> pretty new unit. I mentioned it when returning the machine and the rental
> guy didn't seem too surprised.
>
> I think max height is 35' measured from ground to your feet but I only had
> to go up about 20' to the top of my retracted crankup. There are bigger
> units available. There are also self-propelled units with tractor tires
> but
> you can't tow them and truck delivery is very expensive.
>
> To do the antenna changeout, we took the old antenna down, moved it out of
> the way, brought the new antenna over to the tower and carried/pulled it
> up. A lift line rigged from the mast to the boom was important,
> especially
> while positioning the boom-to-mast bracket. Don't count on moving even
> medium length booms by hand. Although you could conceivably carry a boom
> on
> the bucket railing, this is prohibited by the manual and awkward as well.
> Use the lift line.
>
> The bucket positions quickly and nimbly. On the last trip down, I was able
> to do some re-taping of the cable bundle.
>
> This was the most enjoyable antenna erection project I've ever done and I
> thoroughly recommend this approach. However, all the usual safety
> warnings
> and then some do apply - this is a serious machine and if overloaded or
> misused it can injure or kill. Read the instructions even if the shop guy
> says it's intuitive. (I had to insist on a copy because they didn't
> routinely leave it on board.)
>
> GL & 73,
>
> /Rick N6XI
>
> On 12/30/05, Ken Waites <BARBIEKENW@peoplepc.com> wrote:
>>
>> I must repair a Katrina damaged Steppir 4 e beam on a GME tower with a
>> Hazer.
>> I had lowered the Hazer to the lower guy point, about 30 feet off the
>> ground.
>> Too bad I didn't take the time to put it on the ground.
>> The Hazer is damaged, and I think it is dangerous to try to lower it
>> further.
>> I think some kind of a bucket lift will be required. I will lower the
>> antenna to the ground the work on the rest.
>>
>> I would appreciate any wisdom from those who have experienced something
>> like this.
>>
>> Ken K5WK
>> _______________________________________________
>>
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
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>> TowerTalk@contesting.com
>> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/towertalk
>>
> _______________________________________________
>
>
>
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