[TowerTalk] When to RETIRE from climbing?

Fri Mar 18 12:13:17 PDT 2011

I'm 66 and I don't really mind climbing, but the darned arthritis sometimes puts limits on my agility.  I have an 80' piece of TCC angle tower that was formerly part of a microwave tower.  It is 38" across the face and guyed at two levels...so it will hold just about any antennas I want to put on it.  I normally climb up the inside of the tower, which makes it considerably easier and safer.  As far as retiring from climbing....I probably will always want to climb, but might not always be able to do it.  Trouble that I have found, however, is getting someone to do antenna work for me.  There aren't as many young hams around locally who are willing to do it anymore and it is extremely expensive to hire someone to do the work.  My last project involved taking everything off the tower and then installing new stuff.  We utilized a big bucket truck, but it only reached about 72' so the guys had to climb out on the tower anyway.

73,  Jack, W9GT
----- Original Message -----
From: towertalk-request at contesting.com
To: towertalk at contesting.com
Sent: Friday, March 18, 2011 3:00:30 PM
Subject: TowerTalk Digest, Vol 99, Issue 38

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Today's Topics:

   1. Re: When to RETIRE from climbing? (W2RU - Bud Hippisley)
   2. Re: When to RETIRE from climbing? (GALE STEWARD)
   3. cushcraft 40-2cd eznec model? (Felipe Ceglia)
   4. Re: When to RETIRE from climbing? (Tom Osborne)
   5. Re: When to RETIRE from climbing? (n8de at thepoint.net)
   6. PstRotator - supporting all rotators in common use (codrut buda)

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Message: 1
Date: Fri, 18 Mar 2011 09:09:12 -0400
From: W2RU - Bud Hippisley <W2RU at frontiernet.net>
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] When to RETIRE from climbing?
To: cqtestk4xs at aol.com
Cc: TOWERTALK at contesting.com
Message-ID: <A57D50A6-2C21-419A-9212-592073EFB6CA at frontiernet.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

On Mar 17, 2011, at 7:41 PM, cqtestk4xs at aol.com wrote:

> I'm pushing 65 and still climbing, although the trip to the top of  a 
> 199.999 footer is a lot further than it used to be.

Yes, it takes me a bit longer to get to the top than it used to.  The bigger problem is that once I get there, I've forgotten why I needed to go up there in the first place....

Bud, W2RU

------------------------------

Message: 2
Date: Fri, 18 Mar 2011 06:29:23 -0700 (PDT)
From: GALE STEWARD <k3nd at yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] When to RETIRE from climbing?
To: towertalk reflector <towertalk at contesting.com>
Message-ID: <609848.62242.qm at web110515.mail.gq1.yahoo.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

I still climb at age 63. My heart, knees, hips all still good so why not. I do 
use better safety equipment than in the "old days". I have a full body harness 
with a dual fall arrest lanyard instead of the waist belt type that I used to 
use.

My family requested that I only climb when someone else is home, to which I 
comply. I also take my cell phone and a 2-way radio up with me, just in case. 
It's the old boy scout training "be prepared"

Lets be safe up there!

73, Stew K3ND

----- Original Message ----
From: Gene Fuller <w2lu at rochester.rr.com>
To: Rex Lint <rex at lint.mv.com>; K8RI on TT <k8ri-on-towertalk at tm.net>; 
towertalk at contesting.com
Sent: Thu, March 17, 2011 10:32:01 PM
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] When to RETIRE from climbing?

Rex -

Age is just a number.

Gene / W2LU

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Rex Lint" <rex at lint.mv.com>
To: "'K8RI on TT'" <k8ri-on-towertalk at tm.net>; <towertalk at contesting.com>
Sent: Thursday, March 17, 2011 5:26 PM
Subject: [TowerTalk] When to RETIRE from climbing?

This brings up a question for me.  I'm 68 and I decited to quit climbing at
55, but then I get pressed into service each field day because I can "screw
up" a beam between the guywires, and I had to help K0TV put up his 50 ft
boom 20M stack last year because he can't climb, and I can't get help
everytime I need it on MY tower, so I climb mine SOLO...  my decision to
stop has been defeated at least every other month.

What age do YOU think folks should stop climbing?  How about climbing in
their underwear?

      -Rex-

       K1HI
Rex Lint
  Merrimack, NH
      WWW.QRZ.COM/db/k1hi 

------------------------------

Message: 3
Date: Fri, 18 Mar 2011 12:41:53 -0300
From: Felipe Ceglia <felipeceglia2 at gmail.com>
Subject: [TowerTalk] cushcraft 40-2cd eznec model?
To: "Tower and HF antenna construction topics."
	<towertalk at contesting.com>
Message-ID:
	<AANLkTinYv8EOFZFcFtXWQtE72KR1reLK0tSse3VXDbMY at mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1

Hello,

Would anyone here have a 40-2cd eznec model file?

If anyone, please contact me off-list.

73 tu,

Felipe Ceglia - PY1NB
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PR1T team member /// Rio DX Group member /// Araucaria DX Group member
http://dxwatch.com /// http://reversebeacon.net /// http://riodxgroup.com

------------------------------

Message: 4
Date: Fri, 18 Mar 2011 09:24:05 -0700
From: "Tom Osborne" <w7why at frontier.com>
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] When to RETIRE from climbing?
To: "Towertalk" <towertalk at contesting.com>
Message-ID: <D60926DB9C934A8B803083484666004C at Tom>
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1";
	reply-type=original

I am now 71 and climbed my tower yesterday to put a 15 meter dipole on it.

'Course, it was nested to about 20 feet, but I was still up there :-)  73
Tom W7WHY

Boxers or briefs?

I think John Hettish is in his 70s now and still going strong climbing....

Dave
n4zkf

-----Original Message-----
From: towertalk-bounces at contesting.com
[mailto:towertalk-bounces at contesting.com] On Behalf Of Rex Lint
Sent: Thursday, March 17, 2011 5:27 PM
To: 'K8RI on TT'; towertalk at contesting.com
Subject: [TowerTalk] When to RETIRE from climbing?

This brings up a question for me.  I'm 68 and I decited to quit climbing at
55, but then I get pressed into service each field day because I can "screw
up" a beam between the guywires, and I had to help K0TV put up his 50 ft
boom 20M stack last year because he can't climb, and I can't get help
everytime I need it on MY tower, so I climb mine SOLO...  my decision to
stop has been defeated at least every other month.

What age do YOU think folks should stop climbing?  How about climbing in
their underwear?

      -Rex-

       K1HI
Rex Lint
  Merrimack, NH
       WWW.QRZ.COM/db/k1hi 

-----Original Message-----
From: towertalk-bounces at contesting.com
[mailto:towertalk-bounces at contesting.com] On Behalf Of K8RI on TT
Sent: Thursday, March 17, 2011 4:16 PM
To: towertalk at contesting.com
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Fw: [WISPA] Always climb with a buddy......

On 3/17/2011 3:45 PM, Marlon K. Schafer (509-982-2181) wrote:

To me, a nut clad only in his underware climbing a tower really has 
little to do with tower safety except maybe for anticlimb devices and a 
better fence in this case as it was a commercial tower.

It's a good idea to have helpers on the ground when climbing, but I'd 
bet that well over half the climbs on ham towers are solo.

Even at my age the idea of a solo climb does not bother me.  OTOH I 
*need* some one(s) on the ground as I'd be lost without go-fers.  When I 
go up it's usually for a number of reasons which makes it difficult to 
foresee all the tools and parts that will be needed or that I can haul 
up and down by myself.

73

Roger (K8RI)

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------------------------------

Message: 5
Date: Fri, 18 Mar 2011 13:51:11 -0400
From: n8de at thepoint.net
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] When to RETIRE from climbing?
To: Tom Osborne <w7why at frontier.com>
Cc: Towertalk <towertalk at contesting.com>
Message-ID: <20110318135111.cxtj2g7dww844g8c at webmail.win.net>
Content-Type: text/plain;	charset=ISO-8859-1;	DelSp="Yes";
	format="flowed"

Unfortunately, my knees, injured 50 years ago, have kept me from  
climbing since the early 1990's.

At age 74, I'm planning one last trip to the top of my tower ... when  
it is erected next year ... to video the horizon and then never climb  
again.

I'll need assistance with a good halyard and someone pulling on it to  
haul me up there, but one trip for 'old-time sake'.

73
Don
N8DE

Quoting Tom Osborne <w7why at frontier.com>:

> I am now 71 and climbed my tower yesterday to put a 15 meter dipole on it.
>
> 'Course, it was nested to about 20 feet, but I was still up there :-)  73
> Tom W7WHY
>
>
>
> Boxers or briefs?
>
> I think John Hettish is in his 70s now and still going strong climbing....
>
> Dave
> n4zkf
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: towertalk-bounces at contesting.com
> [mailto:towertalk-bounces at contesting.com] On Behalf Of Rex Lint
> Sent: Thursday, March 17, 2011 5:27 PM
> To: 'K8RI on TT'; towertalk at contesting.com
> Subject: [TowerTalk] When to RETIRE from climbing?
>
> This brings up a question for me.  I'm 68 and I decited to quit climbing at
> 55, but then I get pressed into service each field day because I can "screw
> up" a beam between the guywires, and I had to help K0TV put up his 50 ft
> boom 20M stack last year because he can't climb, and I can't get help
> everytime I need it on MY tower, so I climb mine SOLO...  my decision to
> stop has been defeated at least every other month.
>
> What age do YOU think folks should stop climbing?  How about climbing in
> their underwear?
>
>       -Rex-
>
>        K1HI
> Rex Lint
>   Merrimack, NH
>        WWW.QRZ.COM/db/k1hi
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: towertalk-bounces at contesting.com
> [mailto:towertalk-bounces at contesting.com] On Behalf Of K8RI on TT
> Sent: Thursday, March 17, 2011 4:16 PM
> To: towertalk at contesting.com
> Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Fw: [WISPA] Always climb with a buddy......
>
> On 3/17/2011 3:45 PM, Marlon K. Schafer (509-982-2181) wrote:
>
> To me, a nut clad only in his underware climbing a tower really has
> little to do with tower safety except maybe for anticlimb devices and a
> better fence in this case as it was a commercial tower.
>
> It's a good idea to have helpers on the ground when climbing, but I'd
> bet that well over half the climbs on ham towers are solo.
>
> Even at my age the idea of a solo climb does not bother me.  OTOH I
> *need* some one(s) on the ground as I'd be lost without go-fers.  When I
> go up it's usually for a number of reasons which makes it difficult to
> foresee all the tools and parts that will be needed or that I can haul
> up and down by myself.
>
> 73
>
> Roger (K8RI)
>
>
> _______________________________________________
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> TowerTalk mailing list
> TowerTalk at contesting.com
> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/towertalk
>
> _______________________________________________
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> TowerTalk mailing list
> TowerTalk at contesting.com
> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/towertalk
>
> _______________________________________________
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> TowerTalk mailing list
> TowerTalk at contesting.com
> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/towertalk
> _______________________________________________
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> TowerTalk mailing list
> TowerTalk at contesting.com
> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/towertalk
>

------------------------------

Message: 6
Date: Fri, 18 Mar 2011 11:43:14 -0700 (PDT)
From: codrut buda <yo3dmu at yahoo.com>
Subject: [TowerTalk] PstRotator - supporting all rotators in common
	use
To: towertalk at contesting.com
Message-ID: <296718.8551.qm at web130201.mail.mud.yahoo.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1

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------------------------------

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