[TowerTalk] Too Old To Climb Towers

[Don]

Amen! Only 78 and been at it only 60 years, but I have no desire to do any 
climbing anymore either.

I have one of the Wing double slide ladders, all but a permanent attachment 
to the HG-70HD crankup. BUT, have a friend down the coast who has a very 
nice bucket lift on his work van (cable contractor) that is often available 
for short periods in the spring through fall. SO MUCH EASIER THAN THE 
LADDER. Bucket has a nice tool tray too. Little small for a chair though!! 
Wish it were mine (pic attached). sked the wife if I could buy one and her 
response is not printable.

A couple of years after this pic was taken I installed a layover fixture and 
that is the position the tower is in now as I do some antenna cleanup and 
balun and coax replacement. Was tough to get out in December and work, 14.3 
inches of rain spread over the month. My layover system has a dual pulley at 
the fixture and the tower so raising and lowering is really easy. BUT, one 
still needs a ladder (I use a shorter one) to work on the antennas of course 
because the boom length of the TH7DX doesn't allow complete lowering. Also 
have a steel brace system to lay the tower on, allowing relief for the 
pulley cable and assuring it doesn't drop more than I want.

Don W7WLL

-----Original Message----- 
From: Chuck Smallhouse
Sent: Monday, January 05, 2015 3:01 PM
To: towertalk at contesting.com
Subject: [TowerTalk] Too Old To Climb Towers

There are varying excuses for not wanting to climb towers any longer,
too old is one !  At 83 and a ham for over 67 years, I prefer (not
desire) to only have to climb no more than 30-40 feet on something
similar to Rohn 45 or 55.

So some months ago, when confronted with climbing a retracted crank
up tower, with diagonal bracing, I purchased an aluminum 24'
extension ladder from Walmart, on sale for about $144.   Prior to
using it, I installed "ears or wings" on the top of each of its
vertical members to prevent it, when leaning up against my tower,
from inadvertently sliding off.  With the ladder's base about 3 to 5
feet away from the tower's base, it provides a comfortable climbing
angle.  I further anchored and stabilized it to the tower, with three
strategically placed, rachet "tie down" straps around both the tower
and the ladder, along it's length.

This is a cheap mental and physical insurance policy for climbing
retracted crank up towers, if you can't also "lay them down".  Bear
in mind that the advertised length of these ladders does not reflect
the necessary overlap distance of their sections.  Also there's
nothing wrong with storing them in place !

Chuck,  W7CS





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