Many people write here asking something like:
'Yo! can I climb this mast?, here is a picture.'
Normally the answers are a garbled mix of 'lol, so you've had all your babies then..' to 'it'll be totally fine', and in most cases the people giving the answers have as much of a clue as the people asking the questions.
I've done quite a bit of reading on this (in addition to having a degree in electronic engineering) and often end up writing the responses to these questions to make sure keenos eager to score internet points don't end up cooking themselves in our name.
Seen as I usually end up writing the same things, I've decided to summarise the guidelines I go by when I'm looking at antennas I might be interested in climbing.
***THIS SHOULD NOT BE TAKEN AS A BIBLE.***
This document is not exhaustive, nor can I guarantee that its 100% correct. I'm not a telecomms engineer. I hope you find this helpful.
Forward:
CLIMBING ANY MAST IS DANGEROUS. I mean this in the sense of the immediate physical harm that will come to you if you fall, the internal burning you can receive from close proximity to transmission equipment and the long-term effects resulting from the electromagnetic radiation you will be exposed to on a live antenna. These risks can be minimised but not completely eliminated and you should understand this before embarking on any climb of a radio mast. I would also recommend a bit of googling around the mast you intend to climb as well as a good look at it. Is it live? What services does it transmit? What is the transmission power of the gear attached to it? etc. Knowing this information could mean the difference between a good night out and a proper cooking. The long term effects of exposure to non-ionising radiation are still widely unknown, and as such, the recommended daily dosage limits issued by the WHO are very small. You will almost certainly exceed these climbing any live mast, and you should be well aware of this fact before you do.
AM radio antennas
Example: Moorside edge transmitting station
High power LW/MW AM antennas are generally NOT SAFE to climb unless de-activated or de-powered. The whole mast *is* the transmission antenna, so as you climb it, there is the potential for your body to become part of the antenna. This means that large amounts on energy can be directed through your body and will become especially concentrated at your ankles and wrists (where you are making contact with the mast). Serious internal burning can result from this, and will manifest itself by nausea and headache in the first instance and prolonged pain later on as the tissues repair themselves. You can also end up receiving electric shocks from the mast, which could be enough to dislodge you from the structure and cause you to fall. I would never climb a mast like this unless I was 100% sure it was deactivated.
FM Radio dipoles / whips
Example:
You will find these attached at height to most combined masts. They usually deal with the transmission of FM radio services. Don't hang around near them and pass as quickly as possible. They can emit relatively high amounts of energy.
Analogue Terrestrial TV
Post DVB switch over - there are non of these remaining in the UK although you may encounter them in other countries. They will be most often be positioned at the highest point on a mast and you should avoid climbing up to them as they emit extremely large amounts of energy. They look like long thick cylinders and are similar in appearance to the newer style DVB-T transmitters.
DVB-T main antennas
Example: Crystal Palace
The large thick white antenna at the top of the image (and the smaller clusters below it) is the main DVB-T transmission set for London. The level of radiation emitted by a transmitter of this type is extremely high and should be avoided. The patten of dispersion is planar, and as such, you can stand at a much closer vertical distance than you can horizontal. Personally, I would keep *at least* one or two levels between me and a set of gear like this. Not very scientific but neither is climbing masts.
You can also see many FM dipoles attached below.
DVB-T repeaters
Example: Alexandra Palace
These are smaller antennas used to boost signal to local areas that might not have line of sight to the main transmitter because of hills etc. You can see the gear on top in this image. They are MUCH lower power than the main transmitters, but are still dangerous and you should seek to stay off the horizontal plane.
Microwave / telecoms drums
Found on many masts, they are used for communication between masts for shifting data (mostly cell-phone) up and down the UK. They are safe to stand behind for brief moments, but don't hang around as they can have strong rear lobes. (see diagram below)
Local cell / mobile phone
The long white sticks often found at low levels. Not too much of a worry and very directional. Don't stand in front of them.
If anyone with additional / more accurate knowledge would like to comment then please please do.
If you're still unsure, the best thing to do is just not to climb. I've known two people who have gotten extreamly sick after climbing masts they weren't sure about, and the possible long term effects on their health are unknown.
Use your head and stay safe.
Footnote/Update:
I recently saw an interesting post from someone in response to a youtube post put up by two guys who climbed Moel-y-Parc mast in wales. Rather than stopping underneath the active TV transmitter, they continued through it to the top of the mast, a decision that may have serious medical consequences in their later life.
It's worth a read.
'Yo! can I climb this mast?, here is a picture.'
Normally the answers are a garbled mix of 'lol, so you've had all your babies then..' to 'it'll be totally fine', and in most cases the people giving the answers have as much of a clue as the people asking the questions.
I've done quite a bit of reading on this (in addition to having a degree in electronic engineering) and often end up writing the responses to these questions to make sure keenos eager to score internet points don't end up cooking themselves in our name.
Seen as I usually end up writing the same things, I've decided to summarise the guidelines I go by when I'm looking at antennas I might be interested in climbing.
***THIS SHOULD NOT BE TAKEN AS A BIBLE.***
This document is not exhaustive, nor can I guarantee that its 100% correct. I'm not a telecomms engineer. I hope you find this helpful.
Forward:
CLIMBING ANY MAST IS DANGEROUS. I mean this in the sense of the immediate physical harm that will come to you if you fall, the internal burning you can receive from close proximity to transmission equipment and the long-term effects resulting from the electromagnetic radiation you will be exposed to on a live antenna. These risks can be minimised but not completely eliminated and you should understand this before embarking on any climb of a radio mast. I would also recommend a bit of googling around the mast you intend to climb as well as a good look at it. Is it live? What services does it transmit? What is the transmission power of the gear attached to it? etc. Knowing this information could mean the difference between a good night out and a proper cooking. The long term effects of exposure to non-ionising radiation are still widely unknown, and as such, the recommended daily dosage limits issued by the WHO are very small. You will almost certainly exceed these climbing any live mast, and you should be well aware of this fact before you do.
AM radio antennas
Example: Moorside edge transmitting station
High power LW/MW AM antennas are generally NOT SAFE to climb unless de-activated or de-powered. The whole mast *is* the transmission antenna, so as you climb it, there is the potential for your body to become part of the antenna. This means that large amounts on energy can be directed through your body and will become especially concentrated at your ankles and wrists (where you are making contact with the mast). Serious internal burning can result from this, and will manifest itself by nausea and headache in the first instance and prolonged pain later on as the tissues repair themselves. You can also end up receiving electric shocks from the mast, which could be enough to dislodge you from the structure and cause you to fall. I would never climb a mast like this unless I was 100% sure it was deactivated.
FM Radio dipoles / whips
Example:
You will find these attached at height to most combined masts. They usually deal with the transmission of FM radio services. Don't hang around near them and pass as quickly as possible. They can emit relatively high amounts of energy.
Analogue Terrestrial TV
Post DVB switch over - there are non of these remaining in the UK although you may encounter them in other countries. They will be most often be positioned at the highest point on a mast and you should avoid climbing up to them as they emit extremely large amounts of energy. They look like long thick cylinders and are similar in appearance to the newer style DVB-T transmitters.
DVB-T main antennas
Example: Crystal Palace
The large thick white antenna at the top of the image (and the smaller clusters below it) is the main DVB-T transmission set for London. The level of radiation emitted by a transmitter of this type is extremely high and should be avoided. The patten of dispersion is planar, and as such, you can stand at a much closer vertical distance than you can horizontal. Personally, I would keep *at least* one or two levels between me and a set of gear like this. Not very scientific but neither is climbing masts.
You can also see many FM dipoles attached below.
DVB-T repeaters
Example: Alexandra Palace
These are smaller antennas used to boost signal to local areas that might not have line of sight to the main transmitter because of hills etc. You can see the gear on top in this image. They are MUCH lower power than the main transmitters, but are still dangerous and you should seek to stay off the horizontal plane.
Microwave / telecoms drums
Found on many masts, they are used for communication between masts for shifting data (mostly cell-phone) up and down the UK. They are safe to stand behind for brief moments, but don't hang around as they can have strong rear lobes. (see diagram below)
Local cell / mobile phone
The long white sticks often found at low levels. Not too much of a worry and very directional. Don't stand in front of them.
If anyone with additional / more accurate knowledge would like to comment then please please do.
If you're still unsure, the best thing to do is just not to climb. I've known two people who have gotten extreamly sick after climbing masts they weren't sure about, and the possible long term effects on their health are unknown.
Use your head and stay safe.
Footnote/Update:
I recently saw an interesting post from someone in response to a youtube post put up by two guys who climbed Moel-y-Parc mast in wales. Rather than stopping underneath the active TV transmitter, they continued through it to the top of the mast, a decision that may have serious medical consequences in their later life.
It's worth a read.
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