It only takes one time that you don't use safety equipment to cause permanent injury or death. The small inconvenience of a hard hat and safety glasses is not worth the risk of injury. Find your motivation , stay safe, and do not die.

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Tags: safety

Safety comes first in regards to tower work. Make sure that your climbing harness is in working order, fitted tightly and comfortably, and you have safety glasses protecting your eyes.

In addition, a pair of cut resistant gloves would be wise. You don't want any punctures, lacerations, or burns (if you live in a hot, sunny climate) while climbing.

Also, tuck in baggy clothes and remove jewelry or anything that may snag on tower components.

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Always take the time to get someone to help. Never climb a tower without someone else to help or observe.

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A grounded wrist strap is for use on electronics and won't help when working on a tower. Insulating the base won't stop lightning strikes and eliminates the grounding system that protects the tower. The only answer that is an important safety precaution is to look for and stay clear of overhead electrical wires. The tower, guy wires and you should be well clear of any overhead electrical wires. Refer to question B06 for more information on safe distances.

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A gin pole is a temporary mast that is used to lift materials for tower construction. It also supports the materials while they are installed on the tower. It is much safer than lifting materials directly because you can focus on the installation instead of the heavy lifting.

For a diagram and more detailed explanation see "The gin pole: Solution in erecting antenna masts" on iw5edi.com.

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None of the other three answers provide any indication of how close the antenna will be to the power line if it falls. Note that this is the minimum and should only be used when necessary. It is better to create more distance than the 10 foot minimum whenever practical.

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Obviously, the tower must be grounded for safety. Clearly, the important safety precaution is to not climb the tower unless fully retracted. Climbing the tower requires that your hands and feet are placed between the parts of the tower that slide adjacent to each other. You can think of the tower as a possible guillotine that can severely injure and even remove body parts that are in the way if it accidentally slips. Even when retracted, it is a good idea to block the tower to prevent the sections from moving.

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The general idea of grounding a tower is to provide a short, direct path for high voltage/current lightning strikes to ground. If a single ground rod is used, it increases the distance required and drops the efficiency of the grounding system. A single four-foot grounding rod is not adequate to handle typical electrical energy generated in a lightning strike. Clearly, the ferrite-core RF choke is of no use, as it is used in electronic circuits. In addition to that, connecting the tower to a cold water pipe poses a serious safety concern for people who might be near the plumbing in the house the water pipe connects to. The best answer is long (8-10ft) grounding rods, one for each tower leg, that are bonded to the tower and to each other.

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It should be pretty obvious that any antenna should be far away from power lines, both to avoid accidental contact and to avoid interference. Also, consider that installing and maintaining the antenna exposes you to the risk of accidental contact with the power wires as well.

The answer about 60Hz radiations affecting the SWR says they are coming from the feed line, when they actually would be coming from the power lines.

Induced voltages in the antenna might damage the transceiver if they were strong enough, or be received as static or unwanted noise (aka, interference) if they were at the right frequency, but this does not mean the antenna would be malfunctioning per se. The antenna would actually be functioning exactly as intended, turning radio waves into electricity.

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Sharp bends, which includes right angles, must be avoided. While non-insulated wire is generally used for grounding, it is not required. For example, metal straps may be used instead of wires, but you won't see this commonly. Common grounds are recommended. The best grounding system uses conductors that are as short and straight as possible.

"Short and Direct"

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Because the grounding system falls under an electrical installation, it is governed by local electrical codes. Most local codes are based on the National Electrical Code (NEC), so in most cases they will just refer you to the NEC. You should be aware that local codes vary dramatically throughout the United States in terms of who can inspect and approve electrical installations, so it's always a good idea to check with your local code enforcement office to find out what the requirements are.

In Article 100 of the NEC, the local electric codes are governed by the term Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ), which is defined as “An organization, office, or individual responsible for enforcing the requirements of a code or standard, or for approving equipment, materials, an installation, or a procedure.” Grounding requirements would fall under their jurisdiction.

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Tags: rules and regulations grounding towers antenna