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Re: [TowerTalk] Sad news N5IA SK in tower fall (Shawn Donley - N3AE)

To: Matthew Kaufman <matthew@matthew.at>, N3AE <n3ae@comcast.net>
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Sad news N5IA SK in tower fall (Shawn Donley - N3AE)
From: n4zkf <towertalk@n4zkf.com>
Date: Wed, 15 Jun 2016 17:40:26 -0400
List-post: <towertalk@contesting.com">mailto:towertalk@contesting.com>
Here is where I send my climbers.

 
https://www.gravitec.com/

 
Watch some videos

 
https://www.gravitec.com/videos/testing-videos/

 



73 Dave n4zkf
e-mail: n4zkf@n4zkf.com
web: http://www.n4zkf.com
AR-Cluster node: 145.05 Mhz. or telnet://dxc.n4zkf.com:23
CC-Cluster node: 145.07 Mhz. or telnet://ccc.n4zkf.com:7373
Packet BBS: 145.05 Mhz.-14.098 Mhz. or telnet://bbs.n4zkf.com:6300
BPQ Node: 145.05 Mhz.-14.098 Mhz. (n4zkf-5)
SEDAN Node: 145.770 Mhz. (n4zkf-7)
N4ZKF/R 147.375 Mhz. Tone 103.5






On 6/15/16, 12:10 PM, "TowerTalk on behalf of Matthew Kaufman"
<towertalk-bounces@contesting.com on behalf of matthew@matthew.at> wrote:

>OSHA requires 100% tie-in to structure. Can't meet that with a belay
>technique.
>
>Of course if you are a fire department doing a rescue and not an antenna
>installer, different rules apply.
>
>Matthew Kaufman
>
>(Sent from my iPhone)
>
>> On Jun 15, 2016, at 6:10 AM, N3AE <n3ae@comcast.net> wrote:
>> 
>> It's with some trepidation that I respond to this thread, but there''s
>>one other climbing technique I have not seen mentioned in this forum.
>> 
>> For modest height towers, say up to 75 feet, why not climb it like a
>>top-roped rock climb? Have two (redundancy) mountaineering grade locking
>>carabiners secured at the top of the tower with a suitable temporary
>>rope loop (like 3/16 Dacron) going to the ground through the carabiners.
>>On the day of the climb, use the temporary rope to pull some 9 to10mm
>>static line (like BlueWater Assaultline) through the carabiner to the
>>ground. 
>> 
>> Attach your harness to the climbing rope and have a competent and
>>properly equipped belayer on the ground to take up the rope and protect
>>you during the climb. "Competent" in this context means someone you
>>trust your life to and vice versa...i.e. a fellow climber.
>> 
>> Advantages: 
>> 
>> 1. Always on slight rope tension (provided by the belayer) so minimal
>>fall distance and shock loads.
>> 2. No energy expenditure (or fatigue related mistakes) hooking and
>>unhooking safety lanyards to the tower during the climb.
>> 3. Can concentrate on the climb with less distraction.
>> 
>> Disadvantages: 
>> 
>> 1. Need to climb in a conventional safe manner once to get the
>>carabiners installed.
>> 2. Carabiners will need replaced periodically
>> 3. Need a competent and experienced belayer
>> 
>> Some comments on rope:
>> 
>> A typical "dynamic" climbing rope with zero slack (belayer has slight
>>tension) will elongate by about 10% with a 180 lb climber on it.
>>Example: 60 ft tower. Say you are only10 ft up the tower. So ~ 110 ft of
>>rope between you and the belayer. If you fall, the rope will stretch
>>about 10 ft (but like a bungee) and you WOULD land on the ground but
>>softly. Fall near the top: ~ 60 ft of rope between you and the belayer.
>>So you'd bungee down about 6 ft. In either case, there could be risk of
>>injury if an arm or a leg was across a tower brace prior to or during
>>the fall. 
>> 
>> A "static line" typically used for mountain rescue or rappelling into
>>caves, has an elongation < 3% (for a 300 lb load), so in the above
>>example, the "fall distance) would be < 3 ft and <1.5 ft.
>> 
>> A "dynamic" climbing rope will be better at reducing shock loads in a
>>fall, but I'd be concerned about possible arm or leg injury if either
>>got across a tower brace member prior to or during the fall. That's why
>>I'm thinking a "static" type rope and zero slack at all times (belayer
>>responsibility). 
>> 
>> I've climbed towers and rock for many years. Not so much rock now that
>>I'm older. Always felt safer on a top-roped rock climb, even compared to
>>climbing towers with conventional "always attached" technique and gear.
>> 
>> So how DO I climb towers? I use conventional methods and gear following
>>the "always attached" philosophy only because I rarely have an
>>experienced rock climber around to belay. Nevertheless, having been on
>>both towers and rock, I wonder which technique would be better (safety
>>and efficiency)? 
>> 
>> OK. Ready for the incoming stones and rocks.
>> 
>> N3AE 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> _______________________________________________
>> 
>> 
>> 
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