Date: Sat, 18 Sep 2010 13:18:22 -0500
From: "Ronnie Carter" <towerbob@hotmail.com>
Subject: [TowerTalk] Free climbing a 1700' tower
I always free climb, then snap the belt when I get where I'm going. Been doing
it for 20 years or more. There's just one rule -- hold on tight. But I'm 54
now, and suspect that in a few years I might start hooking up all the way.
## I have been doing the exact same thing since 1972.... climb up...then hook
on. All the tower's I have had, are too wide to put a lanyard around [ 30"
face width towers, straight sections] . The folks here in town, that had
guyed
rohn 25/45 all put the lanyard right around the tower... then un hooked, and
re-hooked at each guy station. [ one lanyard used] That always seemed silly
to me, since if u fell, you would slide all the way down the side of the tower
anyway.
## I mention before, a month ago, about using the 3/8" steel safety cable,
fall arrest system used on all commercial towers... and the consensus was/is...
if you fall, you will fall as much as 6' before it grabs. At which point,
you will get one of the 5/8" x 10" long step pegs in your eyes [ an wireless/
trylon super titan free standing towers] On a guyed 25/45/55 tower, the
3/8" safety cable would work... provided you had no tic-ring rotors, or
swinging gates. The safety cable will also not work on a rotating tower.
## Then someone mentioned using TWO lanyards.... both with gorilla hooks on
the ends....and alternately clipping and un-clipping the 2 x hooks as you
climb up/down. I have not tried this..yet, but it's probably a good idea,
although awkward, and time consuming. At least if you fell, you won't fall
very far. On the 30" tower I had.. I just free climbed up the IN-side of
it, the entire length. The yagi's were all fixed on EU, so no rotor
plates/masts, etc. It just feels a lot safer going up the inside of a tower,
than the outside. On my 40' trylon, I could climb the inside of it too.
## back in 1977, I had mast steps welded to the 2" mast on a 60' tower....so
free climbed the 60' tower.. then free climbed the 11' mast. ... then wrapped
the lanyard around the mast a few times, to take up the slack. [ no easy trick,
as your body is in the way, and u have to wrap it several times]. I said I
would never use mast steps again. On this new crank up, there will be mast
steps clamped to the 2" chromolly mast [3/8" thick wall tubing]. At least
with the tower nested, tower is only 24' tall, then 14' of mast above it.
IMO, too much hassle trying to remove a prop pitch from a crank up, then
lowering a mast, installing yagi's, then raising again, then re-installing the
PP. I have 2 x lanyards, one with gorilla hooks. I should make a custom
3rd lanyard... really short, like 12"- 15" long for the mast.. once up there.
## doing this stuff when you are 20 yrs old is one thing. Climbing in your
50's is another. I'd agree with K7LXC.... you have any kind of med emergency,
get stung, get caught in a rain storm, or a sudden wind storm comes up, or
smash your fingers, knees, cut yourself, and you can be in serious potential
trbl....real fast. Meanwhile the wife is doing laundry, or out
shopping...... and warns you to 'be safe up there'. Perhaps a cell phone
would be the ticket..then at least you could call 911.
later... Jim, VE7RF
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