[TowerTalk] Work Platform

[Roger (K8RI) on TT]

On 1/5/2015 3:00 PM, K7LXC--- via TowerTalk wrote:

When I was climbing, I spent many a full afternoon "up there". It's 
different than typical maintenance.  On multiple antenna installs The 
longest was 10 hours.  I had the helpers send up lunch and took my 
breaks "up there"  It's a lot easier to sit down "up there" rather than 
climb down and back up.  Doing that uses more energy than the break 
rebuilds.  Installing large rotators and removing them usually only took 
15 to 20 minutes if all went well, but many a time Murphy was up there 
too and the work took far longer than anticipated.  Changing a connector 
or two often revealed a lot unexpected of work.  Yes, it often involved 
moving up and down, but after doing that kind of work, having a place to 
sit is kinda nice/handy.

As for work platforms, I generally preferred to stand on the cross 
braces and lean back against the harness.  Standing on a  small, flat, 
work platform gave me a lot of leg strain and resulted in putting more 
weight on the balls of my feet.

When you get to 100 feet plus, it's just easier to stay up there (saves 
a lot of energy particularly when you get older)  but beware the 
climbing harness that lets you sit in it.  A few minutes is fine, but 
some will restrict the blood circulation in your legs allowing the blood 
to pool with the possibility of clots, or Oxygen depleted blood..  
Standing after long periods of sitting can cause light headedness or 
even passing out.

They are semi comfortable and you don't realize anything is out of the 
ordinary until you stand up.  Like long flights across the Pacific.  I 
know of more than one person who had clots form in their legs from 
sitting so long and after getting home the clots migrated to their lungs 
resulting in hospital stays, or worse.

  73 and be careful,

Roger (K8RI)


>>   what would a ham be doing on a tower where you could sit  or stand in
> one place for hours??  I have been working on my towers for 30  years now and
> don't think I have even been in one spot for more than 10-15  minutes at a
> time.
>   
>      QSL that. My experience with work platforms  is that they're a PITA.
> They're not usually where you want them and they're  almost always in the way.
> And they're just another load to haul up a tower and  fart around with.
>   
> Cheers,
> Steve     K7LXC
> TOWER TECH
>
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-- 

73

Roger (K8RI)


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