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[Towertalk] CRANK UP TOWERS - Not a panacea

To: <towertalk@contesting.com>
Subject: [Towertalk] CRANK UP TOWERS - Not a panacea
From: ag0n@arrl.net (ag0n@arrl.net)
Date: Fri, 15 Mar 2002 07:46:05 -0700
On Fri, 15 Mar 2002 07:51:42 -0800, Jerry Kincade wrote:

> I keep hearing this "ground level" phrase tossed around, and I'd like to
> hear from crankup owners exactly what brand and model towers they are able
> to work on at "ground level" *with antennas installed*, assuming the tower
> is installed in the clear and not next to a roof.

That's one thing I did NOT say, but I know others did.  If you have read
my web page on putting up my HG54HD, you'll know I ran into the same
thing you allude to.  My wife and I managed to get the TH7DXX mounted on
the tilted over tower, but I said I'd never do that again and did
something about it.  Someone else mentioned they did the same thing.  I
mounted a pulley above the beam so that it can be lowered.

I have no problem climbing the tower when it is nested and blocked with
steel.  While I'm also comfortable working at 500' for hours on end, I
certainly wouldn't climb up on top of the tower and work on things above
it if it were that high.  I will, however, do it on my nested tower.
Call it psychological, because that's what it is.  It feels safer,
therefore it is, because you're not as worried about it.  That doesn't
mean you let your guard down.  It just means the thought doesn't
distract you from the job as much.

Every case is different and has to be weighed on its own merit.  During
this discussion, I was reminded of an old crankup I climbed when I was
very young and didn't know better.  I didn't make it all the way up.  It
just didn't seem safe, so I came down.  To say it wasn't safe was an
understatement.  It was a puny little thing with very small cable.  It
wouldn't even go up and down all the way, because it wasn't straight.
The construction of my HG, on the other hand, I trust.  It is very
heavy.  By the way, Steve (LXC), that puny one also had a latch of some
sort that operated at full height only.  I've seen or heard of several
like that, mostly many years ago.  There may be some out there now, but
I haven't looked to see.

gm
(www.qsl.net/ag0n)


-- 
There is no x in my ISPs domain name.

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