Installing a Gin Pole Part 4

In this video we're finishing up on the installation and securing process. I hope the Gin pole episodes are not too boring. This is the last of this one. Hopefully the next time I work with one of these things it will be more interestng

[@antraciet]

I have a lot of respect for you Sir ! What a dangerous and difficult job.

[@jhettish]

The dipoles were not energized while we were working. The station was on the air using a temporary antenna about 100 feet down the tower. Even if they had been active, the total output of the transmitter in the building 500 feet below is less than 1KW. There would be a certain loss in the feed line going up the tower. Then the power would be evenly divided between the four bays so the actual power in each bay would be around 200 watts (but I haven't done the actual math). That's a directional antenna so the majority of the energy is directed away from the tower. There's are two videos on my channel about repairing the temporary antenna. I'd list the link here but KZbin won't allow links for some reason. The two videos are "Antenna Repair Part I" and "Antenna Repair Part II". The temporary antenna was ordered brand new but didn't work out of the box. I had to make it work.

[@jhettish]

The quick answer is "a lot" of weight. I don't have a good quick answer however. I'll look into a couple of my engineering diagrams and see if I can't come up with something. Vertical weight is governed by the type of steel and whether the vertical supporting members are solid or tubular. Sometimes the vertical members are basically angle steel. The compressibility of the steel that the vertical support members are made of governs how much weight can be supported on the vertical plane. The horizontal members of the towers keep the vertical members aligned with one another. Guy wires (not "guide" wires) keep the whole thing vertical. this particular tower has 2" solid vertical supporting members and horizontal members from 2" to 1/2" in diameter. The guy wires are seven strand 7 strand 1/2 inch diameter as best I remember.

[@TheClimberXyz123]

Is your middle initial G? Buddy of mind found some wrenches with the initials JGH in Williamson county the other day. Are they yours.

[@pacificrigger]

Curious, what kind of antenna is at the top that is on the climbing face. I see the safety cable runs through all the antenna bays. Wish we could ride the line. No man rated winches or riding the ball up here where I'm from.

[@jhettish]

I don't know if I ever answered this. The antenna is a directional Jam-Pro. We follow OSHA rules, not the fantasy of some safety director who won't climb a ladder. I don't do cell work so I can get by with OSHA and a personal focus on safety based on what I see as reality, not imagination.

[@NorthernChev]

Are your microphones open to the ground crew the whole time, or do you have to push a button for them to hear you?

[@jhettish]

The mikes are not "hot". We need to be able to hear what the ground guys have to say also so it's strictly push-to-talk. I've experimented with VOX (Voice activated TX) with simple headsets and with throat mikes but it doesn't work well. The throat mike (like WWII B-17) was interesting. My ground man told me I sounded like "Charlie Brown's teacher". John

[@jhettish]

Nope. Middle initial is R as in Robert. I guess you now have some extra wrenches. :-)

[@MrMac5150]

How much weight can these towers carry.

[@KB5PQL]

were those dipoles "hot"?

[@jhettish]

By the way, I love your avatar. Ralph is one of my favorite Simpson characters.

[@KB5PQL]

John Hettish lol yeah, ol' Ralph is "special". I really enjoy your videos! I climb towers for fun (ham radio) but I find some of the same challenges you face in your profession. My last climb involved installing a GMRS repeater system and a ham radio diamond VHF/UHF X50 antenna to the side of my dads tower with a 3ft standoff. That antenna doesn't like it at all! SWR goes crazy! I might have to move the X50 up near the top to clear as much of the tower as possible. I didn't quite finish that project two months ago and since his location is 350 miles away, I will try again in a couple of months. Any suggestions?

[@KB5PQL]

***** Yes, I agree! The Simpsons and King of the Hill are my favorites too. The newer shows just don't have that same type of comedy that the Simpsons and KOH have. I will also be sad when the Simpsons finally go off the air. :(

[@infinitecanadian]

5:09 That’s what she said...

[@CalicoJaX]

John Hettish I have been climbing towers for 14 years and Im dissapointed in the lack of safety I see in these videos the gate on your back lanyard doesnt even lock in pace and how many times are you going to turn your gate inward so if you was to fall the load would land on the gate and I dont care if your gate is rated its not cool be safe out there

[@jhettish]

CalicoJaX I understand and appreciate your sharp eye. I think "my problem" is that I've been climbing professionally for 43 years and have never come close to falling. I replaced the positioning hook seen in that video with a new one that never fails to lock. The old one had the tendency that I think you saw earlier. I appreciate all comments.

[@CalicoJaX]

Retire to the office your work is done is the field have some young buck carry the come along and 43 years of climbing you should have mounted the gin pole yourself with no questions asked I believe you may have worn a harness for several years probably building high rises or maybe high line power line towers but 43 years on a tower crew Jin poles were how everything was built almost ... Just be safe

[@jhettish]

CalicoJaX Actually the only reason I was helping on the tower was that three of the "young bucks" got stuck in an airport in New York and we needed to get this thing going. I'm constantly talking to the top guy because I want the gin pole to be installed the way he wants it to be installed. I won't be using it; he will. I'm not arrogant to think I know everything. I've been in the two-way radio business since 1972 and work every day. I've never worked on high-rises or bridges, just towers. I'm guessing you're younger than 43. I appreciate the fact you're still in the business, hopefully still climbing. Many people pass through tower work and after a few years they're gone. You've apparently found something you like. I have also. You came into the industry when the full body harness was already universally accepted. Prior to 1998 we used a variety of things. My harness in 1997 was a pound and a half Petzl rock climbing seat. Prior to that it was a lineman's belt. During the early to mid 90s I wore a Petzl rock climbing helmet and friends from other crews were making fun of me. You know my name and you have seen at least one of my 94 videos. You seem to miss the fact that the video was published in 2013. The work was actually from 2011. I took a look at your channel. Where are your tower videos? I'd love to see how you do it. Right now I'm guessing you do a really good job and that you were not yet born when I started.