[TowerTalk] Advice on Old TV Antenna Tower

[Roger (K8RI) on TT]

Remember, climbing is dangerous!  Rust is one indicator of condition and 
so are your instincts. Pay attention to what your body tells you.
I prefer to call it swaying, rather than bending, but "some" swaying / 
bending is normal on many self supporting towers.

A friend was given a 60' (could have been taller) self supporting TV 
tower of the riveted lattice type, for taking it down.  I did a lot of 
climbing back in those days and volunteered to climb it. I made it about 
2/3rds the way up and found myself "hugging" the tower to keep the 
swaying to a minimum and the top section was really skinny. I went back  
down, apologized and said, I'm sorry, but no way am I going to the top 
of THAT!
He managed to get it down without breaking anything. I had climbed 
enough towers, including TV towers to get a very bad feeling from that 
tower.

73, Roger (K8RI)

On 6/30/2017 Friday 3:40 PM, Cox, Norman R. wrote:
>       There is an old 55 ft (Delphi) TV antenna tower at the end of my house.  The antennas have blown apart in the wind and we haven't used them in years.
>
>
>        Not wanting to waste a tower already up, I wanted to climb the tower, take down the old TV antennas, and mount a light-weight VHF/UHF antenna.  I got up to the 45 ft level, but decided to come down.  As I would take a step upward, I could see the top of the self-supporting tower begin leaning and wagging around.  There is some rust on the galvanized steel at the top of the tower, but I think it's just surface rust.
>
>
> Question:  Have you ever known of these things buckling and bending over with a climber?  Or am I overreacting?  With the climbing/safety gear on, I am at 200 lbs.  I have seen a repairman go up this tower 20 years ago.  I'm wondering if the bending and bowing around is normal and I am overreacting.
>
>
> Thanks,
>
> Norm
>
> KE0ZT
>
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-- 

73

Roger (K8RI)


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