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Anything I should know about cell phone towers in general? I'm looking at a 299 foot freestander. Any advice?

don't know about BASE jumping, but why should it be different than another antenna??

Is it an outside climb small triangular one or a larger structure with four sides?

Either way stay away from the antenna arrays as you would any. If it requires exiting near the array then just climb over and jump quick. Don't get all tangled up in your bridle like I did once which requires extra time to get untangled before exit :)

Different freq´s can have differing effects, one case resulted in the riser retaining loop being basically hotknifed by the grommet due to the radiation heating up the metal.
take care,
space

Great...
now I need a rig with no metal parts on it

If you go to BLiNC and do a search for "radiation" you'll come up with 19 threads on this topic.

Here's one specifically on cell towers, but there's good information all over if you take the time to read all the threads.

Was climbing my local 135' c-phone freestander the othernight. Felt my fillings heating up. Decided it was a good time to exit

Small triangular with an outside climb. Looks like pegs up each side of the triangle, and a crows nest type platform at the top.

Ganja

Make sure you check to see it the pegs go all the way to the top on the side you decide to climb. Some have pegs only up to a certain point then stop. I guess it's for working on the equipment. Also, getting around the dishes might be a bit tricky on those peg climbs if they are bolted on the leg

Personally I hate peg climbs

570

Peg climbs separate the men from the boys. It's even more fun when there's a missing peg or two. Have fun, stay safe.....

Too much radiation will do that no matter what kind of climb it is.
-Josh

Personally, I don't like having to climb my fat ass up anything, but you boys won't take me to an elevator yet...

I will admit that the stairs in the B were'nt that bad, to this day, I close my eyes and count me feel my way up every stairwell though.

Ganja

Ahhh...Don't be skeert.
You've already had all the kids you want, right?

Be careful, don't die.
(at least not on my time)
Bandolero "shootin' blanks" Rodriguez

If I can't die on your time, why don't you drag your sorry @$$ down here and help me open this puppy up!

Ganja "If no more kids is a side affect, so be it" Rodriguez

Don't group me with those losers down there They haven't taken you because they don't jump anymore (well, at least sites that aren't within 1mile of there homes). They are just in it for the # and the fame that comes with it. Anyway you have to earn your altitude most of the time... so get used to it. I'll be in Chester next weekend doing some kick ass 4way so maybe we can get out and make a jump while I'm in the area.

Peace, 570

Hey guys, if you just want to talk to each other, take it to PM's ok?

Thanks.

You're not kiddin...

Climbing cell towers is safer than climbing broadcast towers when pertaining to the RF from antennas, I'll climb all over those cell towers and not bat an eye, but while if on a broadcast tower I won't climb past the top side markers (the top set of lights that don't flash) unless the station is turned down before I'll climb up to the stick. The thing to watch for is microwave dishes but even then it would be really hard to cross in front of those climbing the tower, getting behind the dish is safe but stand in the microwave path is not. Touching small metal 2-way type antennas can shock you if you touch them while their transmitting but there's not to much of those on cell towers. Climbing self-supporters and most cell guyed towers is hard cause you have to climb on the outside with nowhere to rest. You have your arms up most of the time and the blood doesn't flow good and your arms will crap out unless you can shake the blood back when you rest, it's hard to be tense on the climb and hold on tight the whole way. Most towers have a 3/8 cable on the climbing face to hook a "safety climb", a wire-rope grab made to trolley up the cable as you climb so if you fall it will catch you, they cost around $200 new but can be found on e-bay used for $50 or so and worth having one. When free climbing towers and other things remember the "three point rule" to be safe always use two hands and one foot or one hand and two feet on the tower all the time while climbing and save the falling for the actual jump.

>>Most towers have a 3/8 cable on the climbing face to hook a "safety climb", a wire-rope grab made to trolley up the cable as you climb so if you fall it will catch you, they cost around $200 new but can be found on e-bay used for $50 or so and worth having one.

...or for a couple of bucks you can use a prussic knot w/6 or 8mm cord looped through your chest strap. Not bomber but pretty effective.

(BTW jokin'abut the hot fillings)

...or for a couple of bucks you can use a prussic knot w/6 or 8mm cord looped through your chest strap.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

The average chest strap only has a 500 buckle. Far wiser to loop your prussic knot around a main lift web (4,000 to 7,000 pounds).

If you are climbing with the prussic around the cable, but sliding, and you fall, you risk two things: (a) the cord is sliced by the sliding friction with the metal, or (b) you take a fairly good fall onto a short piece of static line. Either one is very, very bad.

Using a prussic or quickdraw in this way is great for resting during the climb, but not so good as a self arrest system in the event of a fall.

If you are looking for a self arrest system, I'd definitely recommend using the gear the tower workers use, which is actually designed for the cable. A cheaper alternative is a Petzl Zypper or similar dynamic leash, which is intended for a roughly equivalent fall patter (the via ferrata).

Most of the jumpers I know don't bother with either.

I may not have all the technical info but I can offer this. When I closed my shop it was to go and work on cell towers. I've been up close and personal with them (while they have been on) for many months now and With ZERO affects that I have noticed. I asked my mentor about the risks, (a veteran in the cell phone industry-climbing towers for over 15 years) and he told me that he has never had any ill effects nor has any one he has ever worked with to his knowledge. Keep in mind that when we work on them we are not working in front of them. I don't imagine that you'll spend a bunch of time in front of the antennas. Probably just passing by.
My mentor believes that there has been much hype about what is an acceptable amount of exposure, He thinks it's all over blown. Yes, he is always on the tower with me when I'm working
There is a risk of being burned by the RF frequency if the coupling that attaches to the actual rectangle antena has not been tightened sufficiently and it is allowed to leak out and then you'd have to be very very close to it for it to get you. Besides that I'd say they are safe enough or at lease safer than jumping from the tower. Make every effort not to damage the small rectangular antenas. they cost a bunch and the owners will be non to happy.
If some one has any solid info, I'd love to see it. Hope this helps

Oh yea, one other thing. DO NOT MOVE OR TILT THE ANTENAS. If you do, then you will bring techs out to fix them and if they have to do that more than once, the'll be on to some one monkeying around on them and they will increase security.

 
in addition, be careful not to step on any cables that may be attached to the mounts, or going up the side of the ladder.

A broken cable means bad reception, which means technician. Maybe not at that moment, depending on the particular site, but will be there soon to find out why the reception interference.

Just what I've been told by a couple techs....

Oh, and don't climb past the top. There's nothing to hold on to up there.



Rod

That's funny Rodney. I was unaware that you could climb past the top of any thing with out the ability to hover