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Stairway to Safety - Climbing to the top of a 1700 foot tall tower to change a light bulb
YouTube ^ | Feb 19, 2013 | Todd Horning

Posted on 11/21/2014 4:33:15 PM PST by kingattax

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To: boop

21 posted on 11/21/2014 7:44:59 PM PST by Delta 21 (Patiently waiting for the jack booted kick at my door.)
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To: Delta 21
Put all the spent bulbs inside a canvas bag, radio the ground crew, toss it.

I used to just toss em. Sometimes they didn't even break when they hit the ground.

Tallest I ever climbed was 750'. The tower was 1000', but I only climbed 750 of it. We side mounted a db-224. The brackets didn't fit. I tossed them over the side. The ground crew had to dig them up.

Came back next day with improved brackets and finished the job.

22 posted on 11/21/2014 7:53:08 PM PST by DiogenesLamp (Partus Sequitur Patrem)
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To: kingattax

Maybe they could consider parachuting for the speedy decent.


23 posted on 11/21/2014 7:53:46 PM PST by crusty old prospector
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To: Inyo-Mono
Years ago, I was offered $1000 to climb to the top of a 200 foot radio tower and change the bulb. Nope.

That's easy money. I generally do it for $300.00.

200 feet? Pffhhhtttt!

24 posted on 11/21/2014 7:54:12 PM PST by DiogenesLamp (Partus Sequitur Patrem)
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To: boop
What kind of bulbs are they using? They look like incandescents, but with an odd base.

What kind of wattage are they?

I'm pretty sure they are 600 watts and there are two of them. One in the top of the beacon and one in the bottom.


25 posted on 11/21/2014 8:04:40 PM PST by DiogenesLamp (Partus Sequitur Patrem)
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To: Delta 21
LORAN towers were ‘live’ when you climbed. You use a fiberglass ladder to mount the tower and your body takes on the potential of the tower when you touch it. Like a bird setting on a high voltage wire.

Didn't do any LORAN towers, but I did some AM band broadcast antennas that were 'live'. We were mounting a repeater antenna on top of one and I got a nasty burn on the arm when the heliax ground cable touched me. It picked up rf induced energy from the driven tower structure.

Didn't think of this until after it happened. Was much more careful not to touch any bare metal on the heliax until I had it grounded.

26 posted on 11/21/2014 8:09:00 PM PST by DiogenesLamp (Partus Sequitur Patrem)
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To: DiogenesLamp

The LORAN tower sat on a huge ceramic insulator. It supported the entire weight of the 700’ tower, all the guy wires and the top hat. The base of the tower was about 8-10 ft off the ground and attached via the “Z-feed” conductor right to the ass end of the transmitter.

It was best to be quick and get inside the structure. As soon as you touched the tower you could feel every hair on your body stand up. And at the very top you didnt want to stick your head out the top too much. Kinda made you tingle.


27 posted on 11/21/2014 8:27:33 PM PST by Delta 21 (Patiently waiting for the jack booted kick at my door.)
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To: Delta 21

Thanks, delta!


28 posted on 11/21/2014 9:37:21 PM PST by boop (I never use the words democrats and republicans. I use liberals and Americans.)
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