• Get involved.
    We want your input!
    Apply for Membership and join the conversations about everything related to broadcasting.

    After we receive your registration, a moderator will review it. After your registration is approved, you will be permitted to post.
    If you use a disposable or false email address, your registration will be rejected.

    After your membership is approved, please take a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself.
    https://www.radiodiscussions.com/forums/introduce-yourself.1088/

    Thanks in advance and have fun!
    RadioDiscussions Administrators

OT - AM Tower BASE Jump

I hope there were no RF signals coming off of that tower!

R
 
SFM-Ptgal said:
Robert Bass said:
I hope there were no RF signals coming off of that tower!

R
Click to expand...

Nope... the transmitter was shut off for that purpose... otherwise they would be friedand the camera couldn't handle the RF interference ;D
Click to expand...

Hmph! Some radio people have too much free time ;D

R
 
Transmitter Man said:
You 'can' climb on live guyed masts if you know what you're doing.
Click to expand...

Let me guess...just make sure your feet don't touch the ground as you grab the guy wire? You'd have to be able to jump pretty high to do that.
 
StephanieNYC said:
Transmitter Man said:
You 'can' climb on live guyed masts if you know what you're doing.
Click to expand...

Let me guess...just make sure your feet don't touch the ground as you grab the guy wire? You'd have to be able to jump pretty high to do that.
Click to expand...

Keep a trampoline in the shack, just for that reason. ;D

R
 
StephanieNYC said:
Transmitter Man said:
You 'can' climb on live guyed masts if you know what you're doing.
Click to expand...

Let me guess...just make sure your feet don't touch the ground as you grab the guy wire? You'd have to be able to jump pretty high to do that.
Click to expand...
All you need to do is get on the tower without touching ground and being conductive at the same time. I know some tower crews that jump off the wooden doghouses onto the tower, thus no contact. OR use a THICK wooden ladder to climb up and on....Ive climbed a 5KW AM tower once....coming down all sweatty, the last 10ft I jumped off the tower and thus avoided being burned...Base jumpers can touch the guys....as long as they arent touching ground if its a HOT guy....the ones closest to the ground are grounded and safe to touch...provided the insulators are working ;)
 
I climbed a hot 1kw am tower a few times in my younger days.. no problem but when wet the cement slab under the insulator offers you a little grounding action and the tower can get a bit warm if you touch.
 
"I think I'll stick to climbing FM towers."
Click to expand...

I hope you stay away from the radiating elements then.
But seriously, on AM towers, back in the 1970's and 80's we all used to climb them hot, at least at the 5kw level. I initially had some trepidation doing that and Paul Godley, the consulting engineer showed me to ensure being off ground and to firmly grab the tower, not to slowly touch it.
I later wound up spot welding a different station's towers while they where hot, even got a few sparks from the welding rod as I was applying it to the tower.

These days, RFR rules being what they are, those former practices are just that, FORMER practices.

Also be very RF conscious in the ATU sections and inside phasors. A few years ago I was applying a label to an ATU panel indicating which direction was DA/NON-DA near a contactor. As soon as my thumb slipped off the end of the label and touched the grounded panel an instant zap of 10KW AM signal jumped from a nearby live RF feed and went for my wrist. That's one way to reinforce the notion of RF safety that you want to avoid.
 
Status
This thread has been closed due to inactivity. You can create a new thread to discuss this topic.


Back
Top Bottom