[TowerTalk] Hidden danger in Tower Climbing

[Roger (K8RI) on TT]

On 1/7/2015 3:56 AM, Jim Thomson wrote:

Yup.

"They say" that heart attacks always give a warning, but normally those 
warnings are interpreted as almost anything other than what they are.  
Heart attacks are good at masquerading as something else until they are 
full blown, but sometimes they come with no recognizable advanced 
warning.  Strokes often come with no warning and can come on in 
seconds.  I don' remember who it was, but an announcer, or news caster 
on radio was giving his spiel when his normally well rehearsed speech 
suddenly deteriorated into gibberish in a sentence.

I always carried an HT on  a tether, but some how it came unhooked, 
whether I didn't hook up correctly or it caught on something? .  
At-any-rate that Kenwood TH-7HG (I think it was) hit the "soft" yard, 
antenna first. it drove the antenna all the way into the dirt (I said it 
was soft).  The antenna survived,   BUT the HT literally exploded. The 
window over the digital readout was blown out (never did find it) along 
with some other parts. I found most of them.  It was well beyond what 
they call economical repair.  I keep it out in the shop as a memento and 
reminder for new climbers.  <:-))  at 32ft/sec^2   that HT was moving a 
bit over 80 ft/s when it hit the ground.  I don't remember what that 
little HT weighed, but energy = 1/2(MV^2) where M = Mass and V = 
velocity a 1# object would hit with a force of 1600 ft lb

73

Roger (K8RI)


> Date: Tue, 06 Jan 2015 15:47:31 -0500
> From: "Roger (K8RI) on TT" <K8RI-on-TowerTalk at tm.net>
> To: "towertalk at contesting.com" <towertalk at contesting.com>
> Subject: [TowerTalk] Hidden danger in Tower Climbing
>
> I had an article published on this as a pilot, but I'll try to keep it
> oriented to tower climbing,
>
> Something to think about when climbing!
> I'd still be climbing except a stroke grounded me.  I exercised and
> watched what I ate.  I felt fine. One day I turned around and stepped
> forward only to have my left foot slip like I'd stepped on ice, but it
> was on the living room carpet.  No warning or advanced symptoms.  As I
> waited for them to haul me away I could feel my left side shutting down
> as I was able to do less and less movement.  I didn't know if I'd ever
> be back.  Had I been on the tower or piloting an airplane  I would not
> have had time to get on the ground safely.
> 73, good luck, and climb safely,
>
> Roger (K8RI)
>
> ##  yet another reason not to do something stupid.... like free climbing. Folks may
> want to take a cell phone up the tower with em...with the provisio  that its tethered
> in some fashion. Drop a cell phone  from 80 feet up.....and its not gonna help much.
> If you suffer a stroke up a tower, you would be better off to stay put..and phone
> 911...vs trying to climb back down.
>
> Jim   VE7RF
>
>
>
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-- 

73

Roger (K8RI)


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