My first tower climb was the KCAU TV tower in Sioux City, Iowa in June, 1986. At 11:30 pm, after the station went off the air, we left the diner after having coffee and pie. We rode the tiny elevator (2 peeps inside & 2 on top) up to about the 1,700' level, then climbed up the ladder another 180'+ feet to the actual antenna, then climbed the bat wings to the top, 2,001' to change the light bulb. There were 4 of us, only me an Al McGraw went to to the top. The KCAU tower was built from 1965 to 1967 and is 609.9 meters (2,001') high. It is tied for the tallest structure in Iowa and is one of the tallest structures in the world. Yee haw... Fun night. Note the lightening pings on the cap...
As a drone pilot thank you Thankyou for providing a safe environment for us and all the other type of pilots out there Thankyou for doing what no ones want to for the safety of everyone
The video with the guy changing the bulb on the 1999ft tower makes this look like a kitty ride. Dude was literally above the clouds in the other video.
You know what matter? Lets say they both falled out, do you think either of them would live after that fall? Nope? So yea your statement is completely wrong they’re both risky and deserves the same respect.
Congrats, nice video. Great views up there! Old tungsten incandescent light bulbs, decades of bright service. It all comes down to price and reliability. Vintage lamps still kick ass in some niche markets. Telecom managers, usually keep a reserve stock of consumibles and systems. They keep using it, until eventual future technology offers more for less $$$$$. LED lights, light emitting diodes, produce electronic light, pretty nice, but always sensitive components. They will get there one day, sooner than later, but at a fat price. Resilience and long trouble free service life, goes hand in hand with good engeneering. An antenna flash beacon is a critical task, no room for "trial and error", and going up there frequently, is bad business... Just imagine the extreme temperatures and vibrations during all the service life of the lamp system. Neon or Xenon flashers and under driven tungsten light bulbs, are established standards, proven by its historical contribution to air safety. 💡 Nice video, please put a close-up of the lamp etch and box next time. Thanks! Cheers from 🇵🇹
Nice video, thanks for posting! Just wondering....is it possible to test the bulbs on the ground, or can you only find out if they're defective after you climb up there, and then have to go down again for replacements?
Yeh, I saw one of these and thought it was crazy til I saw that 2000 feet video. Dude didn’t even have hooks to put his lanyard to, just straight pieces, so if he fell his land yard could possible slide right off. Insane My uncles dad died falling off an oil rig a few hundred feet in the late 1970s.
I climbed a 50 foot tower once. I was scared shitless. I was changing some baseball lights and fuck, they were a pain in the ass to change considering I couldn't turn them facing me so I had to reach outwards to even get the bulb out.
