In the third installment of DX Engineering’s Amateur Radio Tower Safety Video Series, Tim Jellison, W3YQ, discusses the differences between rock-climbing gear that’s non-rated for human suspension and the proper use of double-locking carabiners designed for human loads; the importance of choosing quality rope; and tips on rigging a load for lifting up a tower.
Tim is a longtime Amateur Radio operator, highly experienced and credentialed tower climber, certified rescue technician, and qualified climbing instructor who speaks frankly about following safety guidelines—at all times.
Click here to watch part 1 in the series, An Introduction to Climbing, and part 2, Is the Tower Safe to Climb?
In the coming days we’ll be posting more videos covering topics such as use of fall arrest gear, why you should always wear your hard hat, hooking cables to the tower, and more.
Why this series? Why now? We’ve read too many tragic stories of friends in the Ham Radio community who have been seriously injured or killed participating in the hobby we all love. It is our strong belief that even one accident is too many.
Most importantly, understand that these videos are not to be used as a replacement for taking the time to get trained and certified yourself. Consider them a warning of the inherent dangers of climbing—even small and moderate-sized towers. We hope they prompt you to seek certified training or to leave tower climbing to the professionals.
