Antenna tower guards

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Has anyone here built one before?  The manager of the local telephone company called me this morning to see if I would be interested in building some guards.  Sounds like they have a problem with drunks and little kids trying to climb the towers and the insurance company is going to raise thier rates if they don't do something.  My first responce was that if we idiot proofed everything, then we wouldn't need insurance.Anyways.....these are three sided truss type towers and they have at least three that need to be guarded.  I am trying to figure out if this problem has been solved before, or if somebody already makes some type of bolt on guard before I give him a call back.  Sounds like the guard needs to be 10' tall or so without anything to get a hand/foot hold on.I already have an idea of how to do it, but I'd hate to complete the job and then find out somebody sells a ready made kit for half as much.Here is a pic of a similar tower I snagged off the net. Attached ImagesMy name's not Jim....
Reply:Any tower I've seen with a guard is either a solid piece of 1/8" or maybe even 14ga plate fastened solid on two sides of the tower and hinged on the third. They look to be 8' or so long so a person can't get hold of the rungs above the plate and pull themselves up. If it were me I'd use expanded metal, wouldn't look so 'industrial'.Either that or razor blades on the back side of the rungs  ....Mike
Reply:Know of any pics?  I have been trying to find something on Google for the last few hours.My name's not Jim....
Reply:Don't have and can't find a thing neither, I tried every possible search term I could think of.I've seen similar ideas while sitting in the drivethru at Tim's. MacD's etc over their roof access ladders. Nothing more than a piece of plate hinged on one side stringer with a hasp and padlock on the other. Like I said tho, it's industrial looking, that's why I think expanded metal would look a bit better in a residential environment......Mike***EDIT***This is all I could find and it's for a ladder but it shows the idea http://www.hollaenderrainer.com/holl...er_ladders.pdf 1st page bottom right sideLast edited by mrmikey; 05-07-2010 at 06:13 AM.
Reply:That's a Rohn 25G tower. You need to take a look at the anti-climb panels for that tower.Example: http://www.kf7p.com/KF7P/Anti-Climb_Panels.htmlChrisChrisLincoln Pro Mig 180TMiller Spectrum 375
Reply:there ya go that is what all us CB users used back in the day...now I need to make one bad my 4 year old may get some balls one day.. even though he is scared to get lifted to the ceiling for now....won't be long I bet before he thinks about it....He is always under direct supervision but a couple of seconds would be fatal for sure. I'm going to use roofing tin on mine as there is plenty of colors to choose from and it's already painted 1.90 a lineal foot ....and there 38" wide bent in the brake 1 sheet would do each of them at 19.00 each clear profit there .without painting for ya or some flat sheet 26 GA. there about 19.00-29.00 each here in Oklahoma lil on the thin side but it don't support any weight cheaper than unfinished sheet....I'm gonna use the roofing panels the ribs will keep it from oil canning (getting wavy) and such good luck with it show us how they come outLincoln 225 Tombstone,Miller Big 20,Hobart 180,150' Argon,A/D hobart hood 22 Ton Log splitter,79 F350 dump eats 4.75 TONS and still turns cutters,grinders,And a  Hypertherm POWERMAX 30
Reply:cage it or sheath it Attached Images"Any day above ground is a good day"http://www.farmersamm.com/
Reply:OOPS, didn't see previous linkTHAT'S WHY I HATE LINKS.  LINKS BE FOR LAZY FOLKS"Any day above ground is a good day"http://www.farmersamm.com/
Reply:I did one years ago although it was on quite a bit larger tower. I use 8' long sheets of aluminum so it wouldn't rust and bolted it to the tower legs. No one has ever climbed it. Engineer wanted to build a big umbrella looking guard to hang on the tower but I talked him out of it.
Reply:Leave it to an engineer to come up with the most costly and complicated solution! I'd go with the sheet solution, I think. Could look at corrugated roofing. Comes in nice colors. 26ga would probably be good. Drill holes and mount with ready-rod. Lock tite on the nuts. Can still be removed if needed( probably not that often).Just 'tinken out loud200amp Air Liquide MIG, Hypertherm Plasma, Harris torches, Optrel helmet, Makita angle grinders, Pre-China Delta chop saw and belt sander, Miller leathers, shop made jigs etc, North- welders backpack.
Reply:Around here, they just fence them in with chain link, a square maybe 8 to 10' on a side.  6 to 8' fence.  Whoever is doing maintenance doesn't have to mess with anything except a padlock on the gate.
Reply:Originally Posted by mrmikeyAny tower I've seen with a guard is either a solid piece of 1/8" or maybe even 14ga plate fastened solid on two sides of the tower and hinged on the third. They look to be 8' or so long so a person can't get hold of the rungs above the plate and pull themselves up. If it were me I'd use expanded metal, wouldn't look so 'industrial'.Either that or razor blades on the back side of the rungs  ....Mike
Reply:look at the design they hook on the steps u-bolt or screw to their selves... as to not weaken the tower or cause it to rust inside. they are hot dipped inside and out and hardened when cooked. I would NOT weld on it at all just my thoughts....use the roof tin for cheap and tapping screws if they bring tools they can illegally get up there at their own risk ...as that is reasonable prevention for drunk folks and kids.... as door locks go tell the service guy to bring a ladder and it can stay on simple enough... don't gotta be fort Knox if they want up they can bring a ladder or stand on a friends shoulders that's how we did it when we were kids and needed to pin a coax of an agitator oops didn't say that  LOL ....Lincoln 225 Tombstone,Miller Big 20,Hobart 180,150' Argon,A/D hobart hood 22 Ton Log splitter,79 F350 dump eats 4.75 TONS and still turns cutters,grinders,And a  Hypertherm POWERMAX 30
Reply:Originally Posted by Tony Dlook at the design they hook on the steps u-bolt or screw to their selves... as to not weaken the tower or cause it to rust inside. they are hot dipped inside and out and hardened when cooked. I would NOT weld on it at all just my thoughts....use the roof tin for cheap and tapping screws if they bring tools they can illegally get up there at their own risk ...as that is reasonable prevention for drunk folks and kids.... as door locks go tell the service guy to bring a ladder and it can stay on simple enough... don't gotta be fort Knox if they want up they can bring a ladder or stand on a friends shoulders that's how we did it when we were kids and needed to pin a coax of an agitator oops didn't say that  LOL ....
Reply:Hi, I would go for an large tube about 8ft tall made from small hole expanded metal with a door fitted with a padlock on it, at the top put a  1.5 to 2 mm sheetmetal cone with a latchable drop down panel in it around it to cap it off and joined to the tube like a large conical hat. Put one side of the tube directly in contact with the tower and join the two together. So if you need to go up, you unlock the door, go inside the tube, unlatch the conical panel and climb up and out.The small hole expanded metal wont allow fingers in to get a grip and climb up and the conical hat will stop kids  standing on one anothers shoulders to grab the tower frame. Alternatively,  just put a conical cap (as above) around the tower at 10ft high and wire it up with a  protected micro switch so if someone was trying to climb up over it, it would set off a timed very loud pulsing alarm and flashing lights which would continue for 30 seconds or so. Place the alarm in an secured box near where their head would be so they get the full impact of the sound. It would scare the crap out of me if I was trying to climb the tower quietly without anyone noticing.  The only downside is that they may fall down and injure themselves and then sue you.Make sure that the siren was mounted in a box or other shielding in a way that sound can get out, but kids couldn't put a steel rod or something in it to damage the siren, maybe a 2 layer expanded metal screen with the inner mesh in an opposing direction and the light could be much higher up. You could put the on/off switch inside a padlocked steel box so you could switch it off if you had to go up yourself.A simpler alternative would be to make a 2 part hinged sheetmetal  cover over the entire tower or maybe 10 to 15ft which has a padlock to open up the 2 parts for access. If they don't have anything to grab then they can't climb up. Just some ideas for you.Miller Auto Invision 456 + S-62 wire feederC6240B1 Gap bed lathe16 ft3 air compressor16 speed pedestal drillHafco BS-912 Bandsaw
Reply:I would not weld or drill anything on the tower ,big liabilty issue if it fails.Whatever structure you build,make it free standing and separate from the antenna.Again I say...BIG liability
Reply:Originally Posted by Ed.Hi, I would go for an large tube about 8ft tall made from small hole expanded metal with a door fitted with a padlock on it, at the top put a  1.5 to 2 mm sheetmetal cone with a latchable drop down panel in it around it to cap it off and joined to the tube like a large conical hat. Put one side of the tube directly in contact with the tower and join the two together. So if you need to go up, you unlock the door, go inside the tube, unlatch the conical panel and climb up and out.The small hole expanded metal wont allow fingers in to get a grip and climb up and the conical hat will stop kids  standing on one anothers shoulders to grab the tower frame. Alternatively,  just put a conical cap (as above) around the tower at 10ft high and wire it up with a  protected micro switch so if someone was trying to climb up over it, it would set off a timed very loud pulsing alarm and flashing lights which would continue for 30 seconds or so. Place the alarm in an secured box near where their head would be so they get the full impact of the sound. It would scare the crap out of me if I was trying to climb the tower quietly without anyone noticing.  The only downside is that they may fall down and injure themselves and then sue you.Make sure that the siren was mounted in a box or other shielding in a way that sound can get out, but kids couldn't put a steel rod or something in it to damage the siren, maybe a 2 layer expanded metal screen with the inner mesh in an opposing direction and the light could be much higher up. You could put the on/off switch inside a padlocked steel box so you could switch it off if you had to go up yourself.
Reply:Originally Posted by bert the welderEd, you wouldn't happen to be an engineer, would you.....
Reply:so Boostinjdm have you decided on an idea with all the input, we would like to know your thoughts Good luck with itLincoln 225 Tombstone,Miller Big 20,Hobart 180,150' Argon,A/D hobart hood 22 Ton Log splitter,79 F350 dump eats 4.75 TONS and still turns cutters,grinders,And a  Hypertherm POWERMAX 30
Reply:200amp Air Liquide MIG, Hypertherm Plasma, Harris torches, Optrel helmet, Makita angle grinders, Pre-China Delta chop saw and belt sander, Miller leathers, shop made jigs etc, North- welders backpack.
Reply:Try searching for an anti-climb shield. A company by the name of Nello may sell them.http://www.nelloinc.com/
Reply:Originally Posted by Tony Dso Boostinjdm have you decided on an idea with all the input, we would like to know your thoughts Good luck with it
Reply:We have a tower at work.  It just has some L brackets and razor wire.  The L brackets are clamped with u-bolts to the legs about 10ft up.  Razor wire makes runs around the tower.  The u-bolts are on the high side of the razor wire so they can't just be unbolted.  I think the maint guys use a long ladder and skip right over everything when they need to climb it.Edit: the freestanding 4 legged tower has a whole mat of razor wire.  That one has a permanently installed ladder and a square hatch through the razor wire mat.  I sure would hate to fall off that tower and catch the mat! Last edited by AndyA; 05-10-2010 at 05:13 PM.Dynasty200DX w/coolmate1MM210MM VintageESAB miniarc161ltsLincoln AC225Victor O/A, Smith AW1ACutmaster 81IR 2475N7.5FPRage3Jancy USA1019" SBAEAD-200LE
Reply:Originally Posted by BoostinjdmSo far I'm kinda thinking three pieces of alum or galv sheet  and then a dozen or so pieces of flat strap bent to go around the corners and riveted or screwed to the sheets.  Access is not a problem, they have a bucket truck.  I'd love to ditch the straps and just bend the sheets to overlap, but I don't have a brake that large and paying somebody to do it would prolly double or triple the cost.