Well, I'm standing on a corner
In Abington, Virginia
And such a fine sight to see
It's a girl, my Lord, in a flatbed Ford
Slowin' down to take a look at me...
Abington, near Bristol, south of Roanoke.
Watching them bring a client's 8,000 pound 60-foot long TV broadcast antenna up a mountainside. 1-mile of twisting narrow public road, followed by another mile of private access graveled road to the top of the ridge (4200' elevation).
They could not put the antenna on a truck and clear the sharp turns - so they had to use steerable dollies, that could pivot like a hook and ladder fire truck - steerable front and back. 24-steerable wheels in all with a walk behind operator with a remote control to drive the thing up the hill. Long steep walk. 2-miles.
Then a 350-foot boom crane was used to pick it up off the dollies and swing it into place atop the new tower. In the photos below note the tower rigger waiting to guide the pole into place. 8,000 pounds hanging over his head.
Mountain sites are fun. Not a lot of room to set-up equipment, narrow access roads, and steep inclines to the top. But the great views from the top are worth the climb.
Channel 14 TV Broadcast Antenna - 8,000 pounds, 60-feet in length and 18-inches in diameter. A big steel pipe with some fancy stuff inside. The grey pipe along the top of the antenna in this photo is the climbing ladder once the antenna is vertical. (Photo below.)
In Abington, Virginia
And such a fine sight to see
It's a girl, my Lord, in a flatbed Ford
Slowin' down to take a look at me...
Abington, near Bristol, south of Roanoke.
Watching them bring a client's 8,000 pound 60-foot long TV broadcast antenna up a mountainside. 1-mile of twisting narrow public road, followed by another mile of private access graveled road to the top of the ridge (4200' elevation).
They could not put the antenna on a truck and clear the sharp turns - so they had to use steerable dollies, that could pivot like a hook and ladder fire truck - steerable front and back. 24-steerable wheels in all with a walk behind operator with a remote control to drive the thing up the hill. Long steep walk. 2-miles.
Then a 350-foot boom crane was used to pick it up off the dollies and swing it into place atop the new tower. In the photos below note the tower rigger waiting to guide the pole into place. 8,000 pounds hanging over his head.
Mountain sites are fun. Not a lot of room to set-up equipment, narrow access roads, and steep inclines to the top. But the great views from the top are worth the climb.
Channel 14 TV Broadcast Antenna - 8,000 pounds, 60-feet in length and 18-inches in diameter. A big steel pipe with some fancy stuff inside. The grey pipe along the top of the antenna in this photo is the climbing ladder once the antenna is vertical. (Photo below.)
Antenna with grey climbing pegs - you need this climbing arrangement to be able to change the beacon/strobe light on the top, and for access to the top of the antenna if needed. (Photo below.)
Up the hill we go - it's on a steerable dolly. The operator walks behind with a remote control to drive the thing, up the steep incline with several tight turns and switchbacks to navigate along the way. A mile up a narrow, twisting paved road, then another mile up a private forest (mostly gravel) road to the top of the mountain ridge. (Photo below.)
Atop the mountain ridge, the black pole in the photo is the 350-foot boom of a crane that will pick up the antenna and swing it into place. These projects are very complex when you have to have two cranes on site, the little crane (yellow in front of the truck) is there to put the big crane together. (Photo below.)
Tower rigger awaits atop the new tower to position the antenna and bolt it into place. The old/current tower (Eiffel tower style) is to the immediate left of the new tower. (Photo below.)
And the boom swings the 8,000 pound, 60-foot long antenna to the top of the tower. The bag hanging down from the antenna contains the nuts, bolts, and tools to fasten the antenna into place. (Photo below.)
The antenna is slowly lowered into place, and it's time to bolt it down. (Photo below.)
