Tower School at Nashua ARC

antenna towerSterling Eanes, AK1K writes on nh-ares list:

“The Nashua Area Radio Club (NARC) would like to invite ARES members statewide to attend our annual Tower School event to be held Saturday, June 5 from 9am-2pm at AK1K, 19 Iroquois Road, Nashua, NH 03063. Talk-in on 147.045.

Each year shortly before Field Day, NARC presents Tower School to provide tower climbers and ground crew members basic training in safe and effective practices for erecting Field Day towers and antennas. The training will involve raising a small tower, using the Gin Pole to add tower sections, using come-alongs and wire grips to tighten guy wires, raising antennas through the guy wires, and handling guy wires and coax. We’ll go over safety issues, tools, and clothing as well as climbing and ground crew techniques. Plus, to top it off, we will provide lunch (burgers and dogs) and drinks (water and soda).

If you want to climb, wear good shoes with heavy soles. (Sneakers can be used if that’s all you’ve got, but they don’t provide a lot of support on the small tower rungs.) If you have climbing equipment (belts, lanyards, etc.), by all means bring it along, but if you don’t have equipment, we will have some to loan. A good pair of work gloves is also something you should bring. As far as other tools go, a set of socket and open-end wrenches (specifically 7/16″, 1/2″, and 9/16”) plus a crescent wrench are the most useful.

If you’re interested, contact Sterling Eanes, AK1K at ak1k@arrl.net or 603-472-4934 (work), 603-883-3686 (home) or 603-930-2888 (cell). Since we’re doing lunch we would like an advance count of the number of people coming.

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