[Boatanchors] The Problem With Boat Anchors

[Rob Atkinson]

Lifting and carrying certainly is an issue and most of us need to be
careful.  In my job, the safety zealots seem to be everywhere, but I
have to admit that some of what's been drummed into my head by them
has been good practice around the home ham station.   If injury isn't
enough motivation, money should be.   It is with me.  Nowadays getting
injured costs $$$.   If you have had to go to the ER in the past few
years you know what I mean.

I am no NFL player, so my limit on dead weight is about 80 lbs, if it
is small, like a choke or transformer.  Anything big, especially if it
lacks handles like the AR88s is something I need help with.

A few pointers:

Get the right gear and plan the move.   Wear heavy leather boots or
better yet, safety shoes.  Wear gloves, the kind that have rubber
palms for gripping.  Wear a jock strap or lifting belt and jeans and
long sleeve shirt.

Let's say you have a rig on the floor.  Consider putting a sling
around it with handles that when taught, are 3 feet off the floor.
There are such slings available that are made for lifting large heavy
clay plant pots.  You can lift with your legs by straddling it and
keeping your back straight and get it on to a stool or chair, then
from there up to a table.

If you are going anywhere far, get a furniture dolly or for stairs, a
refrigerator dolly.  It's a good idea to have lumber around like old
12 x 2s -- they make great ramps.  Do you have an old  junk table you
want to put out at the curb?  If the top is solid pull off the legs
and keep it.  They make great ramps.

Plan the move.   When I got home last year with a BC610 plate
transformer in the trunk of the car, I got it up on the trunk lip and
that was enough to tell me I could probably carry it myself, with the
aforementioned clothing on.  But I got it into the basement by mapping
out my path, clearing trip hazards out of the way, and clearing
emergency dump spots along the way also, in case I suddenly realized I
had to unload it immediately.

Another time I got home with a 175 lb oil cap in the car trunk (it was
put in there with a fork lift).   I made a ramp with a table top and
slid the cap up to the trunk lip and used a towel to help slide it up
on the ramp.  I had placed a four wheel furniture dolly at the bottom
of the ramp and I slid the cap down to the dolly and wheeled it into
the garage.

If you think you can't lift it you are probably right.  When I got
home with the CR88 in the front seat of the car I managed to get it
out on to a furniture dolly (lots of dollies--get the picture?) and
that little operation was enough to tell me there was no way in hell I
was getting it into the basement alone.  I got a friend to come over
and help.  Ditto when the HT20 came home in the trunk.

I have done the 240 v. extension cord thing too, but not all the way
to the garage.  If there is a way to set up some kind of small
temporary bench nearby in the shack or next to it, that would probably
make life a lot easier.   I have used my washing machine by putting a
large square sheet of plywood on it for a makeshift bench.  If you
have an electric dryer, your 240 is right there.

73

Rob
K5UJ