Fox 6 is moving their Antenna this Week!

[borghe]

Originally posted by kwinrich
Ths guys are NUTS!!!http://www.towerpainter.com/WITI1.htm http://www.towerpainter.com/WITI2.htm

umm...... I think I speak for most when I Say

SCREW THAT!!!!!!!! :eek:

[kwinrich]

Here is a great tower story......

WEAU - 13 in Ea Claire has a 2000' (that TWICE the size of the Milwaukee towers!!) tower.

Friends of mine were doing tower work there, putting up a multi ton antenna for WAXX - FM at 1800'.

Well the winds started to blow the antenna away from the tower, so this guy wrapped his leg around the antenna and pulled it back in.  At 1800 FEET!!!! YIKES!!!!  And for you broadcasters out there, this tower does not have an elevator!  Thyey had to CLIMB it!

You get me on top of a step ladder and I get dizzy, sheeeesh

[mrmike]

I used to change lightbulbs on a 700' tall 6' on a side guyed tower pretty regularly (old TV tower converted for FM use), that was a fun climb (inside ladder).  When they were setting up to mount the new antennas the rigger climbed the outside of the tower dragging a pull line up to rig the hoist with.  That guy was certifiable.  

I can still remember being at the bottom of the tower when the riggers were mounting one of the new antenna bays and hearing "ping, ping, ping" and wondering whether standing in the doorway of the transmitter shack would really protect me from something dropped 700'.  

Tallest tower I ever worked was 1100' guyed, I swear the thing moved 2 metres side-to-side when the wind blew.  It took me about 5 minutes after I got settled and clipped on before I could let go with both hands.  I have nothing but respect for guys who can do it day-in-day-out.

[borghe]

kid you not.. I got vertigo installing my dish when I was living at my mom's years back.. installed the dish on a second story window frame at the top of the window.. used a 25' aluminum ladder.. can't think of what the incline was now but it wasn't that steep...  man.. it took me hours of working on it before I could let go of the ladder... not to mention it was my first dish install so not only did it take some time for never having done it before but it was componded by being up that "high".

The ladder also "settled" when one of the feet slipped a couple of inches on the grass.. the ladder moved a total of maybe 2-3 inches and I thought I was going to die..

The other height thing I think about in relation to this is driving north bound 94 by the marklet interchange and they have all of those smoke stacks with the little doors and railings on them like like 400-500' in the air.. I couldn't even imagine it.. I Would probably go vertigo and fall over...

[Joseph S]

And for you broadcasters out there, this tower does not have an elevator! Thyey had to CLIMB it!

Would you want to install an elevator on a 2000' tower? I wouldn't.

I remember they ran a video at the CN tower about all these fearless Native Americans that did most the work. Amazing.

[jkane]

When I was growing up in the WEAU-13 viewing area (my parents listened to WAXX in my ears, but I prefered the station in Wausau, WIFC) we had 60 foot silos.  They had "ladders" on the outside to open the door at the top for filling them.  I couldn't get much higher than 20 feet before I had to slowly climb back down.  The silos also had the chute on the other side, and I climbed that weekly to move the unloader down a door opening with no problems.  Having that metal tube wrapped around me, made me feel so much more secure.  Although, I do have a scar on my "dairy-air" from falling down the chute once.  I landed on the corner of the conveyer at the bottom.  It made me climbing shy for a couple months after that.  Using the chute walls for friction, made the fall much slower and limited the harm to no broken bones.

Can't wait for Fox-6 to be on the air with digital from the "real" tower.  Hope I can get it when they do.  All that will be left is CBS, and I can actually start using the HD tuner I spent all that money on.  :rolleyes:

(Did I include all the topics in this thread and add a new one? )

[Tom Snyder]

This thread has gotten off topic. Not complaining, mind you. It's a great discussion, but when they turn on the power, we'll close this thread and start another one for the reports of signal strengths, drop outs, etc...

[Tom Snyder]

Progress report....

The antenna has been moved and it is installed on the main tower.

Technical crews are currently working on moving/installing the transmitter.

They will be working through the weekend, and if all goes well they should have it up by Saturday or Sunday.

[borghe]

excellent... glad we have an actual day to look forward to for checking.. been checking 33 for the past 4 days now.. will forget about it until probably Sunday night at this point.... will be nice to see like my second or third ever widescreen episodes of arrested development and malcolm...

[Tom Snyder]

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news... a small glitch will delay the launch for a few more days.

The antenna is up and ready. The transmitter is moved and ready. However the microwave link from the station to the tower enountered a problem with the audio transmission that will require replacement of a part.

That part may arrive over the weekend, but more likely, its arrival and installation will not happen till Monday or Tuesday.

So, Murphy strikes again...but at least progress is being made, and the goal is still to get the signal up as soon as possible. And once that part is installed, they'll be ready to launch.

[borghe]

that's fine.. I'll miss AR and Malcom (both repeats) but at least the delay is days, not weeks, months, or (ugggggh) years..

[Matt Heebner]

[sarcasm]Wait a minute.....FOX  delaying again ?  That doesn't seem like them.[/sarcasm]





Matt

[Detritus]

Hey, can't blame them for Murphy.

[Riktar]

Who's blaming them? Matt is simply echoing the feelings of others, myself included.

 While I haven't been waiting as long as others on this board I have read past posts regarding this issue.

 Seems to me like the "Boy who cried Wolf" comes to mind. In a sort of opposite direction.

 And the poking is obviously done with good humor.

 I'm sure that Fox 6 will have the signal cranking in just a few more days.

 Just to be on the safe side: I won't hold my breath.

[Rick Sass]

Well the weekend has passes and now what.... This is like waiting for the Hughes HD250's.

Rick