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Lachy
Location: San Francisco Gender: Male Total Likes: 86 likes
| | | Radio Tower Climb < on 9/16/2017 9:43 PM > | Reply with Quote
| | | Now I'm no rookie at climbing things (with and without permission), but I was thinking about climbing my first radio tower and have decided to give it a bit more thought than most other things. I have visited the site multiple times, and I am sure that I am able to make the climb without being spotted or falling, but I want to be very careful to make sure it is a safe climb. I have a harness and devices that I am sure will help me from taking a fall and will assist me if I need a rest, but I am worried about whether or not the actual radio will affect me. The main radio tower is an AM tower that broadcasts 24/7 at 50kw 24/7 and is a non-directional tower that is what I would say around 550 feet high. I am not sure if the frequency matters, so I am going to leave it out unless it is relevant information. This is not the tower I am going to climb, for obvious reasons. The tower that I am thinking about climbing is what I would describe as a pyramidal tower around 300-400 feet tall. According to google maps it is around 280 feet away from the main tower. The reason I am making this post is to figure out if this tower is powered at all, and to see if it is worth climbing. According to websites, it is an auxiliary tower for the main and larger tower. I am not sure if this means that it also broadcasts at the same time, or if it is just used for backup, as there is no further information known online. If any of you have any knowledge or experience about radio towers,it would be much appreciated. I am also trying to see if there is some sort of multi-meter type device for radio towers to test if the tower is on. (PM me for photos/the site of the tower)
[last edit 9/16/2017 9:44 PM by Lachy - edited 1 times]
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| AnAppleSnail
Location: Charlotte, NC Gender: Male Total Likes: 49 likes
ALL the flashlights!
| | | | | Re: Radio Tower Climb < Reply # 1 on 9/17/2017 11:49 AM > | Reply with Quote
| | | You know the station address. In the USA I would look up the broadcaster site on the FCC and take notes on all the broadcasts there. They may specify which antenna is for which purpose. Electrically, towers carry a lot of power for broadcast. Ideally the tower you wish to climb is detuned correctly and is not inducing current from the AM signal. This causes the hundred meter tower to get as much as 1 volt per meter, or have 100VDC in bad cases. It's usually nonexistent or lower, but touching the tower frame could startle you into, uh, letting go. Radiation-speaking, it's obviously non-ionizing but it's still energy. Your body won't block much radio outside the resonant frequencies of water, but 1 percent of 1 megawatt is plenty. If you get hotter than you should, bail. Stay out of enclosed buildings especially around the AM tower. That has some exposed power that is lethal. The power is usually carried via conduit out in the open, so don't walk on the elevated bridge. With the power lines enclosed in metal conduit, I'm not sure where to stick a clamp meter. You can buy a cheap field strength meter, but that won't tell you more than On, Off, or Very On. For security, it's been getting tighter across the world. People used to break in and climb. Now some people break in and steal metal and components. So expect more detection... I would guess that it is an automated system that calls 911 on motion detector signal, so handle appropriately. Egress from towers is never great. Once I was on a (non-radio) tower when security came to patrol, probably based on a motion detector or camera due to elevated security. That was a rough stairclimb down. Go faster and be heard, or go slower and be caught? Many 'pyramidal' towers are blast-resistant Long Lines towers. These were built before reliable satellite communication. AT&T put them across the US with the distinctive 'horn' microwave repeater pairs aimed at the next tower in line. Around here thry are the typical red/white paint, with an unusual large platform on top to support 10' wide horns at the corner. These are often repurposed to cell phone (paddle shaped antenna) and other uses with conventional dishes on them. There are a few extra things that could kill you. A radio tower is a cross between a power pylon, a microwave, and a plain tower. People have died from electrocution, microwaving, and parts of the tower they tied off to falling off with them. Go slowly and bail if you feel funny. Don't lick the conduit or the helix. And touch the frame with the back of tour hand periodically. And check the broadcast and power schedule. There are anecdotes (including mine) that climbing active towers with nice cameras causes hot pixels.
[last edit 9/17/2017 11:55 AM by AnAppleSnail - edited 2 times]
| Achievement Unlocked |
| blackhawk This member has been banned. See the banlist for more information.
Location: Mission Control Total Likes: 3996 likes
UER newbie
| | | | Re: Radio Tower Climb < Reply # 3 on 9/17/2017 3:43 PM > | Reply with Quote
| | | Safety depends on the frequency and the power density; some towers are not safe to climb when energized. They are worked on when offline. The eye has very limited blood flow and delicate structures made of protein. Think of an egg when it gets too warm... also the retina has a very limited capacity to dissipate heat and is paper thin. If you actually are feeling "warm", you already have gone way over the exposure limits. Fortunately the eyes are somewhat buried in blood flow rich tissues. There's another thread where I posted the most dangerous frequencies (30-300 MHz) and safe exposure power density levels. If the tower is in the most hazardous frequency range, do not climb it if it's online. Active FM and TV towers therefore should be avoided. Remember the wave propagation from an antenna is not uniform. There will be areas with little power density and others maybe just inches or feet away that could cook your balls. RF fun bonus story So much for tag out/lock outs... http://www.rfsafet...ower_Climbing.html
| Just when I thought I was out... they pulled me back in. |
| That_Dude
Total Likes: 13 likes
@discover.ottawa
| | | Climbing radio tower < Reply # 4 on 9/27/2017 11:45 PM > | Reply with Quote
| | | I have found this radio tower and since the previous post I found relevant to this has been archived, I have chosen to ask my question here. Does this tower look ok to climb? https://www.google.ca/maps/@45.2188504,-75.5665022,17z I personally don't see anything that would be a significant risk on it, although I would like to have a more experienced person confirm that. Thanks
| I climb to forget about the world and the pain it causes |
| blackhawk This member has been banned. See the banlist for more information.
Location: Mission Control Total Likes: 3996 likes
UER newbie
| | | | Re: Climbing radio masts - advice? < Reply # 15 on 10/30/2017 2:47 AM > | Reply with Quote
| | | Posted by UrbanDK I read somewhere that FM towers are mostly okay but I'll just stay away from them. Thanks for that.
| 20+kw of RF radiation can get hot fast. Try water tanks, they are much safer to start on. They are 911 hot spots so remote ones are best. An abandoned one be perfect. Abandoned train bridges are great too. Mind what you're doing; 3 points of contact when climbing at all times. Every hand and foot hold count. Never climb on wet steel. Steel is completely unforgiving... expect broken bones or worse if you fall.
| Just when I thought I was out... they pulled me back in. |
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