[SixClub] W5TFW, Tower accidents?

[Robin Midgett]

Hi folks,
I'm very glad W5TFW isn't in a life threatening situation after this 
incident. It is also very encouraging to see so many positive and 
uplifting posts.

I recently spoke with a ham who planned to install 60+ feet of Rohn 
55G tower with NO guy cables, and install a 3 element tri-band Yagi 
atop it. I discouraged him from this plan, as it clearly violates the 
design parameters of the tower.

Far too often I have spoken with amateur radio ops who think they can 
cut corners on tower jobs and get away with it. Yes, some do get away 
with it. It's kind of like running stop signs and traffic lights and 
railroad crossings (gates down, lights lit and bells ringing)...is it 
really worth it? NO!

This next statement isn't pointed at any one individual; it is simply 
the truth as I've witnessed it (more than once), and sadly, it 
reflects very poorly upon the hobby:
Having some 16 years of tower climbing and working experience, and 
sales of gin poles and Tower Jack tools, I can attest that many of 
these incidents aren't accidents...they are the direct result of 
completely avoidable acts of selfish carelessness. There is no excuse 
for taking risks on tower jobs...NONE. If you're offended by this 
statement, then there's probably a good reason for it..

Please don't let poor judgement for the sake of a hobby impact your 
life (hospital stays and funeral home visits), and/or the lives of 
your family and friends.

For reference, here is a very good list of what not to do on a tower job:
http://www.championradio.com/tn-topten-mistakes.html



At 10:19 PM 4/1/2007, you wrote:



>Joey's injuries are NOT life threatening, but he is in the hospital tonight
>with a broken ankle which will require surgery to repair.
>
>This afternoon while taking down a tower, one of the tower legs 
>broke and the tower collapsed with Joey on it.  He was about 30 feet 
>up.  When the tower reached about a 45 degree inclination he jumped 
>free of it and landed on his back, then the tower landed across hid 
>chest. Fortunately the top of the tower hit a barbed wire fence 
>first and broke 2 strands of wire before it hit Joey. At about 15:30 
>CDT he was transported to Baton Rouge General Hospital Mid-City. 
>After numerous x-rays and a CT scan, the doctors are convinced that 
>he has no serious internal injuries and no neck and back problems. 
>He will undergo surgery tomorrow to repair the ankle.
>
>I don't know yet how long he will be in the hospital. He will 
>probably not be able to return to the list for at least a week, 
>maybe longer. In the interim,
>I will try to keep an eye on the list to answer moderator requests 
>and help out. As soon as he feels like dealing with it, I will bring 
>him a laptop with a
>wireless connection and an HT :)
>
>73
>Richard  K5BTP

Thanks,
Robin Midgett K4IDC
Peace Be With You