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1-8 of 8 messages
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safety belts
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by N8NRV on March 16, 2003
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What should I be looking for in the way of a safety belt for occasional use. Thank you for your responce.
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RE: safety belts
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by KZ1X on March 16, 2003
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I assume you mean for tower climbing.
W2ONV and Champion Radio sell climbing belts (and accessories) to hams for reasonable costs.
http://onvsafetybelt.com/listings.asp
http://www.championradio.com/safety.html
Do NOT scrimp; do not buy used belts at hamfests, especially leather ones. It makes no difference if your purpose is for "occasional use" or if you go up every day. One mistake, and you're just as dead.
Don't overlook the need for professional riggers, either, when it's called for. I own top-grade climbing equipment, and I _still_ hire pros when it's warranted.
http://www.xxtowers.com
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RE: safety belts
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by AB0SF on March 16, 2003
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I'm assuming you're refering to tower climbing harnesses. MSF Safety Products, DBI Sala, Klein, and Burkhardt all make great harnesses, none of which are cheap in price and quality. Glen Martin Engineering has some models that look great, but I have no experience with them.
I've worked in the commercial end for a while, so I've gotten used to, prefer, and recommend the full body harness. The full body harness is a bit of a pain to put on, but it's ability to distribute your weight makes "hanging out" that much more tolerable.
I have two of them. One, is a DBI Sala, which is a fully body harness, but has very little support or padding. It's light-weight, but it's only useful for quick inspections, maintenance, etc. I've used it for extended periods of time, only to curse it out after twnety minutes or so.
My other belt is type of full body harness you'll see 98 percent of all commercial climbing crews using. It has leg supports, butt support, a large belt with two or more D-rings (mine has two), rear D-ring for the "all important, OSHA-required fall-arrest," and a removable belt that will enable the installation of tool bags, lanyards, and caribeaners. My belt has one bag on each side, and I carry at least one lanyard and three stainless steel "beaners," and a 5000 lb. pulley. My belt isn't the lightest thing on the planet (50 lbs. fully dressed.), but I'd rather haul that weight up the tower once than either climb down the tower a couple times, or have to screw with running a parts bucket up and down. The other nice thing about this belt is it's so comfortable, I can (and have) fall asleep in it. Great feature for those days when trying to path long distance microwave hops in less than perfect weather :)
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RE: safety belts
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by W5RB on March 17, 2003
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I used the ONV belt when I used to climb as an occasional part of my job .It was far lighter and more comfortable than thos big brown pole-climbers' belts , and rope lanyards work a LOT better than a flat strap on tower of all sizes .Mine had the drop-down seat , a nice feature for longer stints aloft , and I ordered an extra 4-foot rope lanyard with mine .The extra lanyard's not strictly necessary for ham work , but allowed me to stay safe during the transition from inside to outside on larger towers .As KZ1X pointed out , the all-leather belts (the ones with no nylon webbing ) are killers .Last time I saw one for sale cheap at a hamfest , I bought it and cut it in half with a knife on the spot .Spend a 100 bucks or so on the ONV , and you'll be safe and comfortable a long time.
Climb safe ,
Russ, W5RB
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RE: safety belts
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by WA4PTZ on March 17, 2003
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After 34 years of climbing poles and working aloft
I can tell you with no doubt that you need to do
some serious homework on this. Your life depends
on it. There are many types of belts and materials
used in making them. Some of the Ham/Radio/electronic
stores have belts but they are not in the business
of belts. I recommend you consult "Lineman's Supply".
Research the heading of "climbing belts" and not
lanyard , splicing, or even aerial lift belts. They
cost more, but they are designed to hold up under
enormous stress. Be sure to get the correct size.
Tower and pole work involves high stress to equipment.
Now, don't buy a great belt and then compromise it
with a cheap safety strap. Get the recommended strap
as well. NEVER !!!! use a homemade safety strap.
And lanyard straps are for bucket/aerial lift work
not pole and tower work. Then learn how to inspect
your equipment for wear and mechanical failure.
73 - Tim
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RE: safety belts
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by AC5E on March 17, 2003
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Good advice all! Especially the part about leather belts. They are OK up to 1 foot off the ground. A new Klien belt straight from an industrial supply is a little better but not a whole lot.
Above 1 foot, buy something better. I use a nylon full body harness, and since my body still has some value to me I make sure I have at least one lanyard attached to the tower at all times. And two when I get to where I'm going.
One thing that has not been mentioned is a hard hat. A tin lid has saved more lives than you can count. I use a metal shell hat and a pro climber friend equips himself and his crew with Snell approved NASCAR approved full coverage helmets.
I think that's overkill, but he has the scarred helmets to prove his point. So get a good one with a full suspension for yourself and don't allow anyone within 100 feet of a tower job without a GOOD hard hat. They are about the cheapest insurance you can get - so leave the flimsy plastic things alone.
You will also need a couple of lightweight tool buckets. One for tools, one for parts. It's a good idea to put color coded lanyards and snaps on your tools as well. And DO tie those tools to the tower when you work. One slip can mean a long trek to the ground and then the chore of digging up a buried tool. Or a trip to the emergency room to dig the tool out of a member of the ground crew.
It's also a good idea to have a large tool bucket with a rope and pulley - you really don't want to carry something heavy to the top of a tower on your back.
73 Pete Allen AC5E
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RE: safety belts
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by W9WHE on March 17, 2003
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Buy what us rock climbers buy....a climbing harness!
Go to REI or your local outdoor supply shop. Tell them you want a climbing harness. I recommend either Petzel or Black Diamond. Have them show you how to fit it. The better shops will even let you hang in it so you can assess fit and comfort!
]
Then, while you are there buy 3, 1" slings and 3 auto-locking caribiners. Use all three while on the tower.
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RE: safety belts
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by VA3BRR on March 17, 2003
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Since I also rock climb, I do as the post says and use my climbing harness. I have a Petzl Guru. I feel very safe in it. For extra safety, buy the additional chest harness that's availible. And I can't say enough about the auto locking carabiners. Some people I have known cared more for having a black carabiner than having a locking carabiner. They almost fell off a train trestle on day because of it. So just get the locking ones.
Brian VA3BRR
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