Climbing to the Top of a 1,700' Transmission Tower--Eek!

I need a "pooped my pants" smiley. Wow, insane. There are times when I wish I got to get out from behind the desk more often but that's craziness!
 
I just about lost it when the guy said there is no quick way down.  I would tend to disagree.
 
I'm an ex paratrooper and skydiver and that unsettled me.  The tallest object I've climbed was city water tower. 
 
I would love to try it once! The transitioning to the beacon light did make me nervous though. I'd be the other guy in white hanging a little further down  [wink]
 
Festoolfootstool said:
I think these guys are wired up differently to most of us...
Click to expand...

Yeah!  Think Nicholas Berg, who not only did that for a living, but volunteered to go as a civilian to Iraq to fix and build those towers in 2003-04.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nick_Berg

Thanks, David, for posting that video.  My hands were sweating the whole time I watched it.  Now I know a little more about how much I take for granted in this life.

Regards,

John
 
That was great!  [thumbs up]
Not a great deal of space at the top for two guys but they are probably really good buddies so complete trust in each other is a given.

Guess I am wired different as heights are not an issue, it's going underground that I get sweats with.

Rob.
 
I just saw a show on people that can do stuff like this. They either have no or know how to turn off their fear switch. It's in some people's
DNA and not many can ever learn it, but are born with the ability. As they get higher or are put more in a dangerous situation their heart beats actually get lower not higher like a normal human. Amazing, I was scared just watching it.
 
I saw a show called "World toughest fix"(i think that's what is called)and the host helped this crew to replace a TV antenna on a 2000 ft tower.
They had to mount a crane at the top of the tower to remove the old antenna and install the new one.That thing was BIG!!!  Just a few thousand LBS !!!
Just watching the show made me very nervous  [laughing]
But each of those guys who worked on that tower said that they would not trade their job for anything.And the higher they get,the better.
Me?    I will keep my behind on the ground  [laughing]
 
I emplaced a 60-foot tower this spring, atop that I have a massive (260 lbs) pedestal and on that my solar panels. My initial plan was for a wind turbine there, but plans changed.  Jenny and I built the tower piece by piece by not and bolt and lock washer. 

But climbing that thing and performing the finishing wiring for the solar panels was one of the most difficult feats I ever have had to perform.  The triangular plate I had built - 1/2" steel - became awfully small up there in the stratosphere.  The idea of 1,700 feet is really too much.

All the same, I have been to the Far End Of The Earth - Attu Island, the westernmost point of the USA.  1,500 miles west of Anchorage, to give you perspective. And there stands one of the monster towers - I think it's about 1,300 feet - and I know one of the gentlemen who raised that Erector set. It is part of the USCG Loran systems.  Attu receives some of the most severe weather on this or any other planet - I discovered a buoy far larger than me tossed about 350 feet up a sea cliff so sheer I could barely climb it.....how would you like to have to change a light bulb atop THAT tower!?!?!?!?!?
 
I knew I should have downloaded that video! I wanted to show it to my bro. Does anyone have it?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

R
You Tube Festools
Replies
3
Views
384
Michael Kellough
M
A
Building cool tool storage cabinets, which integrate in a Systainer tower?
2
Replies
23
Views
1K
Crazyraceguy
Crazyraceguy
M
Washing Machines
2 3
Replies
51
Views
5K
squall_line
S
D
Wood Peckers Router table and fence
Replies
2
Views
283
Drich
D
S
Questionable design choice - or am I a curmudgeon?
Replies
5
Views
194
smorgasbord
S
Back
Top