any tower climbers out there?

Just watching that video, my feet and lower legs are numb.

 

kinda makes me want to try it... all though i may try and use some safety stuff unlike them.

ok i’m out of here.

 

Over here!

Tallest here has been a big 1000'. Mainly cell towers but the odd radio/tv tower.

Winter months are terrible! -35*C Plus a windchill to -50. Fuck. I'm sick those days much like others

 

Same here. And especially not that 450 footer in the town next to mine. That would be reckless and irresponsible.

 

I fell off a pole once when I was young, about 10' in the air. I landed on my back. I used to climb shit all the time when I was young, now, only when work requires me lol.

 

So we tested an LTE only site yesterday that was failing all 3 sectors with RSSI. With antennas 20° Of parallel to ground, all 3 passed. Anybody experienced interference like that?

 

How many antennas per sector? 700, 2100 or 2600 mhz?

Ours fail if the antenna spacing is within one meter of each other (two antennas / sector). Weird, ours fail sweep while on the ground, but on the tower they pass

 

I'd climb those tall ass towers...just give me a parachute for the way back down.

 

Oh yea, this guy stepped backward out an open, unguarded aircraft door and land kinda head and shoulders first on his back onto concrete. He really wasn't expected to make it...

 

2 per sector, only 1 700 is hot per sector though.

 

i go in the opposite direction , electrical and hydraulic inspections on a gold mining shaft . Not that bad because its dark in the shaft and you cant see the bottom two miles below you . Getting deeper as i type this

 

I used to do that, hated the extension ladders to a second story the worst. The 3 story fixed, enclosed ladders made me pucker a little bit too. I hate heights.

 

this afternoon on my service run i was cleaning the back end of a Wind Turbine and i had to get back under a hatch to clean all the grease and shit that got back there. what i didn't expect to be looking strait down 300 feet through what appeared to be a chicken wire grate right under where i thought i would be standing. it was a huge shock when i removed the cover, stuck my foot down and and felt the floor squish under my weight. damn near shat myself.

 

Seen this vid a bunch of times. All I can say is, NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO, AND FUCK NO...

I still like watching it though.

 

Man, I used to hate working near communication towers. You could get your screwdriver out and write your name on the steel poles with the arc!

I don't know how you guys climb towers like those. Looks like a never ending jungle gym!

Most I've ever done is free climb 60' wooden poles. I transferred departments, so I don't really climb anymore. I work alone so there is no ground man. I only climb in emergency situations if alone. Now days there is 100% fall protection where the guys are supposed to wear harnesses and be belted in at all times, even when they use a buck squeeze harness. Times have changed.

 

I'm an RF Engineer and I love field visits, but you wouldn't find me up any of the towers I work with!
I have a lot of respect for the techs and riggers.

 

Recently in our market, it's been approved to ride the line. For those unfamiliar, riding the line line is transporting tower personnel by the rigging hoist line and capstan winch.

Thoughts?

I know if I was on the line, I'd be dropped by a few. Lol

 

Hey guys, if you dont mind me asking. Do you enjoy your job?

And how would someone go about getting their foot in the door for a program or school for this kind of work?

 

I do enjoy my job. I work for the National Weather Service and maintain the weather radios (little 300 watt transmitters, nothing crazy) and the Doppler Radar. I don't climb every day, but when I do climb it is in all conditions. I recently spent two days on a remote mountain top and the warmest it got was 25F, foggy with hoarfrost. That's the suck on the tower for sure. As far as schooling for my job, 95% of the guys I work with are prior service military. Usually commo dudes or electronics techs of some flavor (avionics, radar, whatever). I do know one guy who has a degree in Electrical Engineering, and got the job that way, but he is a tower turd and most people refuse to work with him. Practical experience trumps education 100% for this field. I don't get paid much compared to my peers though, you really have to like being a public servant to work for the government. I make around $60K, and one of the guys I work with (contractor, private company) makes well into the six figure mark for the same job. I have been offered jobs in the $200K range doing about the same thing...so maybe I am the wrong person to ask lol.

 

Worked on high steel above 60 stories, worked off of swing stages, bosun's chairs, etc. Installed skyscraper windows and roofing, little bit of church work, quarry work, crane repair, what have you. Rode the ball many a time.
Used to do a bit of climbing for fun and skydiving .
But it gets irresponsible to leave a widow and kids, especially uninsured.

I'm not so much afraid of heights or falling.
The sudden stop at the end scares me spitless though.

What some folks don't realize with tower climbing is it is also a fair bit of physical work. The steps aren't built for comfort, convenience or safety.
Weight is minimized to the maximum. Many tower guys have had the happy experience of having a part of the tower you are holding onto breakoff in your hand or snap under a foot.
This why you make you movements deliberately, much like any other climbing. You don't want to be sloppy, get in a rush, break a sweat, get careless.

Don't forget you are carrying your tools, and gear, etc.. You ain't gonna "Run back to the truck" for the screwdriver.
Climbing down is harder in some ways. Easiest time to get hurt. We usually don't use our muscles in that direction. And you've already had the workout of getting up there.
Have to guard against mentally letting down when descending.

You also have the weather. Rain, snow, ice, all suck.
But I always felt being totally fogged in is really quite the weirdest. You can almost convince yourself you are upside-down. Particularly with a head cold.

Beside the height, towers have all the electrical stuff. Easy placed to get fried, and the grounding isn't always perfect.
Even if you aren't getting a full juice poke, you get a sort of cattle fence zztt-zztt-zztt feeling. (Only way I can describe it.)

OTOH, you are paid pretty well.
You also have views that you simply can't get many other ways.
On a gorgeous day, standing unhooked atop way up there, pure rapture.

Yeah. You keep going "Dude. Take either hand off the rail. You ain't gonna fall. Move a foot. Wiggle a finger. Open your eyes. Look at me. I'm tap-dancing over here. You ain't gonna fall. You don't fall off the sidewalk do you? You gonna live up here forever? We're going for lunch."
They just keep whiteknuckling.
Same time you don't want a hotdog. His risk taking might kill other guys.

I hate ladders though. Awful lot of pros been hurt going ass over teakettle off a 3-foot stepstool.