Cell towers
- Thread starter Omgbecki
- Start date
gijohn40
too poor to wheel... :(
- Location
- Layton, Utah
what questions do you have maybe I can help you out
- Location
- Stinkwater
Who are you working for? Please don't say Verizon.
gijohn40
too poor to wheel... :(
- Location
- Layton, Utah
make sure you get alot of training and use your safety belts and straps. make your tool bucket stable and cord all your tools so if you drop you don't kill. Get some great boots that have heavy soles cause you will be standing on small rungs that hurt after awhile.
4x4_Welder
Well-Known Member
- Location
- Twin Falls, ID
There's a few of the Timberland Pro boots that have steel shanks and ladder lock patterns on the middle sole. They are also very comfortable for all day use.
YouKnowWho
Member
Rattlesnakes are soon to be your friends....
shortstraw8
Well-Known Member
I worked cell towers for 2 1/2yrs. Who you going to work for?
Stay 100% tied off always with 3 points of contact!!!
Monopole and guide-wire suck to climb no matter the height, specially if the ladder rungs are spaced improper on monos.
Don't rush yourself, take your time plan your sectors; coax, fiber, power runs......
When you can, pre-building antennas and radios in shop is much better than at site
Color coding sucks and is different for each vendor and area
You will experience the best and worst mother nature has to offer!
Winters sucks more than you know, specially @ 200' with wind....... layer/layer/layer/layer small and light, thick heavy coveralls are the worst.
There is no such thing as a good winter glove
Same goes for heat, good UV resistant clothing and long sleeved & breathable.... protection for your neck
A good lightning app, I used weatherbug, storms change quick as hell and getting down 200' takes a while.
You will experience the best and worst mother nature has to offer!
Get used to hardhats and climbing helmets
Gloves suck, but ripped up hands and climbing 200' sucks much worse
Get comfortable with expensive electronics and taking pics at heights for closeouts
You will hate the phrase snap-ins and grommets after your first 200' experience, there is a method and they get easy.
Tools will all come with time, and most of the others will have an extra of their old junk to lone from. Good set of adjustable wrenches is all I used to take up with me, by the time some guys found their 1/2 socket and wrench in their different pouches, I was done. Though if you know you only need a 5/8 and 1/2 inch for the certain job, ratchet wrenches are well worth it.
Thank god all you will likely be doing with 1 5/8" coax is decomming.
I hate to say it, but AT&T, Verizon, Sprint...... none of them give a damn about you, and neither does your General (likely General Dynamics), you and your crew need to watch out for each other. Get a good set of binoculars, check your sector frames, and tower the whole way for bolts where they should be before you climb, you will learn more in class on what to check before the climb.
Live antennas, you will probably run into sites that can't be fully shut off (emergency services), learn the signs of radiation sickness. Thirsty, light headed/dizzy....... should all be covered in your climber safety. Pay attention in your climber safety class, and you should be fine. It should cover it all, and put the fear of god into you about not being tied off. There are many levels of idiot, and unfortunately some of those have worked on towers, check the "safety climb" or don't use it. I used to "clip climb" "crab climb" the first time and checking it the whole way.
I was in various construction gigs for 15yrs, electrical, framing, concrete, plumbing.
This work is not hard, your work environment makes the work hard; i.e. 80lb radio does not move easily when you are suspended with nothing to use for a counter. Good placement of the hoist line is key to not getting hurt placing that stuff, work smarter not harder!
Hopefully it is a good company, and you have smart foreman and crew.
The pic attached is not safe, T-booms are not man rated. Most companies now will require a manlift, IMO just as unsafe 100'+ in a manlift
I felt safe, and was tied off back to the tower via endless strap and a yoyo on a solid welded hook point. You will get used to it, again stay 100%.
Also if you are on the facebook, Tower Climbers of America was a good group for a while. Not sure now as I have been out of it for 4+yrs, but the guy used to monitor it heavy, and make sure it applied or was not nonsense.
It is fun, if you apply yourself you will learn so much that will help in many ways, and if you get really good, tiger teams make $$$.
Plan to never be home, and always get per-diam before leaving out of town.
I could go on and on, I still look at sites and miss it. Stay safe, stay 100!!
Stay 100% tied off always with 3 points of contact!!!
Monopole and guide-wire suck to climb no matter the height, specially if the ladder rungs are spaced improper on monos.
Don't rush yourself, take your time plan your sectors; coax, fiber, power runs......
When you can, pre-building antennas and radios in shop is much better than at site
Color coding sucks and is different for each vendor and area
You will experience the best and worst mother nature has to offer!
Winters sucks more than you know, specially @ 200' with wind....... layer/layer/layer/layer small and light, thick heavy coveralls are the worst.
There is no such thing as a good winter glove
Same goes for heat, good UV resistant clothing and long sleeved & breathable.... protection for your neck
A good lightning app, I used weatherbug, storms change quick as hell and getting down 200' takes a while.
You will experience the best and worst mother nature has to offer!
Get used to hardhats and climbing helmets
Gloves suck, but ripped up hands and climbing 200' sucks much worse
Get comfortable with expensive electronics and taking pics at heights for closeouts
You will hate the phrase snap-ins and grommets after your first 200' experience, there is a method and they get easy.
Tools will all come with time, and most of the others will have an extra of their old junk to lone from. Good set of adjustable wrenches is all I used to take up with me, by the time some guys found their 1/2 socket and wrench in their different pouches, I was done. Though if you know you only need a 5/8 and 1/2 inch for the certain job, ratchet wrenches are well worth it.
Thank god all you will likely be doing with 1 5/8" coax is decomming.
I hate to say it, but AT&T, Verizon, Sprint...... none of them give a damn about you, and neither does your General (likely General Dynamics), you and your crew need to watch out for each other. Get a good set of binoculars, check your sector frames, and tower the whole way for bolts where they should be before you climb, you will learn more in class on what to check before the climb.
Live antennas, you will probably run into sites that can't be fully shut off (emergency services), learn the signs of radiation sickness. Thirsty, light headed/dizzy....... should all be covered in your climber safety. Pay attention in your climber safety class, and you should be fine. It should cover it all, and put the fear of god into you about not being tied off. There are many levels of idiot, and unfortunately some of those have worked on towers, check the "safety climb" or don't use it. I used to "clip climb" "crab climb" the first time and checking it the whole way.
I was in various construction gigs for 15yrs, electrical, framing, concrete, plumbing.
This work is not hard, your work environment makes the work hard; i.e. 80lb radio does not move easily when you are suspended with nothing to use for a counter. Good placement of the hoist line is key to not getting hurt placing that stuff, work smarter not harder!
Hopefully it is a good company, and you have smart foreman and crew.
The pic attached is not safe, T-booms are not man rated. Most companies now will require a manlift, IMO just as unsafe 100'+ in a manlift
I felt safe, and was tied off back to the tower via endless strap and a yoyo on a solid welded hook point. You will get used to it, again stay 100%.
Also if you are on the facebook, Tower Climbers of America was a good group for a while. Not sure now as I have been out of it for 4+yrs, but the guy used to monitor it heavy, and make sure it applied or was not nonsense.
It is fun, if you apply yourself you will learn so much that will help in many ways, and if you get really good, tiger teams make $$$.
Plan to never be home, and always get per-diam before leaving out of town.
I could go on and on, I still look at sites and miss it. Stay safe, stay 100!!
Attachments
That was really helpful. I have actually no idea about this job. I've been driving myself crazy trying to figure some good boots, gloves, and such. The company has a lot of contractors. I've talked to the owner of the company and a couple of the guys and feel really good about it.
shortstraw8
Well-Known Member
Boots:
When it comes to boots IMO a good logger style with a heel is awesome, as when you climb it is nice to have something to push against going up knowing you are solid on the rung. I always would rest on the ridge when working, made it so I could just place my foot and work. I don't have the steel shank like the lineman style has, the hard rubber vibram sole was fine for my feet.
As for brand, after I bought my red wings, I will never own another pair of work boots. Free laces and oiling for life at their stores, usually just drop them off when I know we are going to be out for a bit and pick them up same day or next. I opt to have them dip the toe in the plastic/rubber whatever it is, easily the most comfy steel toes I have ever owned. Two pairs lasted 10yrs, first pair fell apart after some galvanizing paint dried out the leather, and solidified in the lace eyelets (my fault for not taking them in though guy said they could have cleaned them up). Still have my last set and wear them more often than I thought I would after getting out of construction.
Gloves:
I just use the 3pack at Costco Wells Lamont leather glove, buy them tighter fit and they stretch a little for a nice fit, and can still feel somewhat small items. Still buy the same pack as they are cheap and last. Some wore the mechanix style, some with the plastic gaurds, really if you have a pair you wear often and feel comfy they will probably be fine. Just something to lessen slicing your hand/finger on some metal edges that were not cleaned up, hot steel in the summer, and bird poop..... lots of bird poop. I prefer leather for tagging and hoisting, probably due to the fact that those were what was supplied by one employer, and I got used to them.
Pants:
Lot of guys would wear blue jeans, I highly suggest a thick canvas double knee style, I always bought Carhart, they lasted longer than wrangler and Dickies for me across all trades. They are heavy duty, don't breath well, + in the winter - in the summer, but worth it IMO.
Rain Gear:
You'll want a nice water proof jacket, there are some heavy duty ones that you can put on over your harness, I prefer close fit, easy for me to move in. By close fit I mean; for comfort I wear XXL, but for work I would Opt for XL, kept the baggy loose crap out of the way.
Just remember, your employer is supposed to provide PPE per OSHA. Usually they skimp and go cheap, I made a deal with mine that if they bought me a harness I liked, I would buy the rest of my crap. Win win, I got a nice harness with a seat, and did not have to wear the crap they considered PPE.
The harnesses with the seat built in will be what you want, I think they are pretty well industry standard now though from talking with a buddy of mine. Cheap enough most employers will buy them for you, if not I suggest saving up for something like this
If they don't supply stuff, let me know I have some Y lanyards that are good and just taking up space, and a harness (no seat).
Though I think OSHA has a 2 year standard on all fall prevention equipment.
Also an OSHA20 I think is required, but that has to be paid for by your employer as well.
You will probably end up wanting a good bucket bag, (OSHA requires it be rated for weight) I used Klein for bucket bag and my tool pouch.
Extra Carabiners, need to be 28kN iirc, can get those at most anywhere that sells climbing gear, and we used to hit those stores for odds and ends to make slings for drills and tools.
All this you will find with time what you want like, finding out the cheap stuff that works and what does not just takes trial and error.
When it comes to boots IMO a good logger style with a heel is awesome, as when you climb it is nice to have something to push against going up knowing you are solid on the rung. I always would rest on the ridge when working, made it so I could just place my foot and work. I don't have the steel shank like the lineman style has, the hard rubber vibram sole was fine for my feet.
As for brand, after I bought my red wings, I will never own another pair of work boots. Free laces and oiling for life at their stores, usually just drop them off when I know we are going to be out for a bit and pick them up same day or next. I opt to have them dip the toe in the plastic/rubber whatever it is, easily the most comfy steel toes I have ever owned. Two pairs lasted 10yrs, first pair fell apart after some galvanizing paint dried out the leather, and solidified in the lace eyelets (my fault for not taking them in though guy said they could have cleaned them up). Still have my last set and wear them more often than I thought I would after getting out of construction.
Gloves:
I just use the 3pack at Costco Wells Lamont leather glove, buy them tighter fit and they stretch a little for a nice fit, and can still feel somewhat small items. Still buy the same pack as they are cheap and last. Some wore the mechanix style, some with the plastic gaurds, really if you have a pair you wear often and feel comfy they will probably be fine. Just something to lessen slicing your hand/finger on some metal edges that were not cleaned up, hot steel in the summer, and bird poop..... lots of bird poop. I prefer leather for tagging and hoisting, probably due to the fact that those were what was supplied by one employer, and I got used to them.
Pants:
Lot of guys would wear blue jeans, I highly suggest a thick canvas double knee style, I always bought Carhart, they lasted longer than wrangler and Dickies for me across all trades. They are heavy duty, don't breath well, + in the winter - in the summer, but worth it IMO.
Rain Gear:
You'll want a nice water proof jacket, there are some heavy duty ones that you can put on over your harness, I prefer close fit, easy for me to move in. By close fit I mean; for comfort I wear XXL, but for work I would Opt for XL, kept the baggy loose crap out of the way.
Just remember, your employer is supposed to provide PPE per OSHA. Usually they skimp and go cheap, I made a deal with mine that if they bought me a harness I liked, I would buy the rest of my crap. Win win, I got a nice harness with a seat, and did not have to wear the crap they considered PPE.
The harnesses with the seat built in will be what you want, I think they are pretty well industry standard now though from talking with a buddy of mine. Cheap enough most employers will buy them for you, if not I suggest saving up for something like this
3M DBI-SALA 1113191 ExoFit NEX Tower Climbing Vest-Style Full Body Harness, Medium - Fall Arrest Safety Harnesses - Amazon.com
3M DBI-SALA 1113191 ExoFit NEX Tower Climbing Vest-Style Full Body Harness, Medium - Fall Arrest Safety Harnesses - Amazon.com
www.amazon.com
If they don't supply stuff, let me know I have some Y lanyards that are good and just taking up space, and a harness (no seat).
Though I think OSHA has a 2 year standard on all fall prevention equipment.
Also an OSHA20 I think is required, but that has to be paid for by your employer as well.
You will probably end up wanting a good bucket bag, (OSHA requires it be rated for weight) I used Klein for bucket bag and my tool pouch.
Extra Carabiners, need to be 28kN iirc, can get those at most anywhere that sells climbing gear, and we used to hit those stores for odds and ends to make slings for drills and tools.
All this you will find with time what you want like, finding out the cheap stuff that works and what does not just takes trial and error.
You really took a lot of initial stress of my shoulders. I know in a short time I will see what others use and see what works. I just wanted to get a decent idea of what I would need so I can show them I am serious about working with them. Pants are probably going to be the hardest thing to figure out. I get really hot really quick in the southern region so trying to find something that is strong and somewhat breathable is going to be hard. Obviously I'm going to put safety first. If I go to the red wing store would they be able to get me the right type if boot? What questions should I ask them. This company provides all the safety gear and if I need something they will get it for me so that they know I have the right stuff.
astjp2
Active Member
- Location
- Riverdale/Alaska
The harness I had at my last job was 10 years old, had to be inspected annually and before each use, but I was not a tower climber, they may have different rules, I was under just regular fall protection and it was a $380 MSA harness. Harnesses also are dependent on your weight, if you are over 200#, you have to be weighed annually and if over 250# 6 months and over 350, not allowed to do a job that requires fall protection, it is something like that if I dont have the weights correct. The weigh in's were required to be documented too.
shortstraw8
Well-Known Member
Same, I am the type in flip flops and shorts in the winter, anything above 70* and I am sweating. Another thing I just got used to, sucked in Saint George in 115*, but unlike the guys with holes in their knees I could rest mine on the tower. Lots of water and poweraid, I like Nalgene bottles as they can take a fall and survive, fill half way and freeze at night and the rest of the way in the morning guarantees cold water all day.
Honestly, showing up ready to work will prove it, you likely won't climb until you go through the class anyway, so wear any boots you have and dress like you are ready to get dirty. It was good to have the new guy that hung around and asked question on what was being done, or asked can you show me how to do that. Again, if you apply yourself, you will learn and go far, if you are the guy that takes a smoke break and is on his cell every 5 minutes, no one will like you.
Before I switched fields, I was going to go get my welding certs. Tower modders make good money, and where we were already tiger team, add that in and we would have never had down time. Something to think about if you like it, and want to stay in it.
Luckily I'm a cool 170 but I'm sure that's going to change quick with this type of work lol
Good thing I don't smoke. One of the first things I asked this company was about growth. They stood they would help me get any certifications I want to move up as far as I want. The pay goes up with every level naturally starts at a dollar and levels up with each skill.
4x4_Welder
Well-Known Member
- Location
- Twin Falls, ID
Duluth trading is always going on about their pants, but I have no firsthand experience with them. I do have Dickies ripstop pants, and they seem to be a good lightweight and breathable.