Some of this gets down to a very basic problem. If you can't afford
to get the proper training, what else can you not afford? Customers
do not care what you can or can not afford. The care about the
service you provide.
I would suggest going back to your business plan and reviewing the
whole thing. How much money do you have? What do you need to get
started? What would be nice to get started? I left out the cost of
someone to climb my leased tower and it is killing the business plan.
I don't have much choice, even if I climbed, I could not afford the
insurance the owner requires any more than I can afford the climber.
My point is, I can't afford the climber, but I can't afford not to
hire him. Your customer service will be terrible if you fall. Even
20 feet and only in the hospital for a week could ruin a startup.
I do not climb, never will. Personal thing. So I am not offering
advice for climbing. It is a red flag to me when someone is starting
up and says "I can not afford ..." I don't care if it is training,
carrier grade equipment, or a screwdriver. That statement says to me
that the business plan is not complete.
Scott Reed
Owner
NewWays
Wireless Networking
Network Design, Installation and Administration
www.nwwnet.net <http://www.nwwnet.net/>
*---------- Original Message -----------*
From: "Tom DeReggi" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: "WISPA General List" <wireless@wispa.org>
Sent: Wed, 17 Aug 2005 14:08:25 -0400
Subject: Re: [WISPA] Lanyard and positioning straps (last chance
tosave mylife)
> Brain,
>
> > I still believe that common sense if better than an educated idiot.
>
> I fully agree with you. However, what you fail to realise is that
if you
> consider yourself a common sense person, and you get training, you
will be a
> trained common sense person. Which is better than a common sense
person
> alone. You will also fine that most trainers are not idiots. No
matter how
> much training someone is given, if they are an idiot they have no
business
> climbing either.
>
> There is a reason, that people like Bob are so attimate about their
advise.
> They know what you don't know.
>
> I also consider my self a common sense person, but I just made a
perfect
> example of how a common sense person can make a mistake, by not
taking the
> time to think of everything, which often happens when someone does
not have
> a lot of expereinece to reinforce memory. "IF you do that, you
know at
> minimum, you won't fall to your death." In reality that should have
read,
> "you MAY not fall to your death.". I forgot to ask what type of
tower you
> were climbing before advising, and forgot to consider a simple basic
concept
> that Bob mentioned, tie-off doesn't help if you are tied to
something that
> can't withstand the force of a fall.
>
> One of the reasons, Tower Climbing advice threads are not popular is
that it
> portays the messages that Climbing can be a casual do it your self
thing,
> jsut like installing a WIFI AP. But the last I heard, no one has
ever been
> killed by a WIFI AP. Tower Climbing is serious business, and
shouldn't be
> done lightly.
>
> I'm was in the same position as you are, I couldn't justify paying
$2000
> everytime that I needed an antenna adjusted, I had to learn more
about it,
> so I could climb as an option when needed. But there is significant
risk in
> doing that. I got the same backlash that you did on this list. The
> difference is that I took their advice, and learned more about it,
before
> taking the risk. At minimum, you should find an experienced person
to go
> with you for the first climb, and its not likely that that will be
free.
>
> Good luck.
>
> Tom DeReggi
> RapidDSL & Wireless, Inc
>
> IntAirNet- Fixed Wireless Broadband
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Brian Rohrbacher" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> To: "WISPA General List" <wireless@wispa.org>
> Sent: Wednesday, August 17, 2005 1:35 PM
> Subject: Re: [WISPA] Lanyard and positioning straps (last chance tosave
> mylife)
>
> > "IF you do that, you know at minimum, you won't fall to your death."
> >
> > I consider myself very observant. I will also always look for any
piece
> > of the tower that could be compromised. I understand that just
because it
> > still stands does not mean it is safe. I still believe that
common sense
> > if better than an educated idiot.
> >
> >
> > Tom DeReggi wrote:
> >
> >> Brian,
> >>
> >> I fully agree with George. Only issue is that when you start
young, you
> >> usually don't know what you don't know, and become over
confident. So be
> >> cautious about that. I see it way to often. The advantage of
people
> >> that start out working for someone else in a specific trade, is they
> >> learn by seeing, and don't have to figure it out blind. For
example in
> >> my case, I took a path of self employment instead of going to
college. I
> >> was making good money so I didn't think I needed the formal
training. It
> >> took 10 years into my business for me to realize what I didn't
know, and
> >> how if I had that knowledge I may have been more successful in my
> >> ventures. I am now working hard to correct those weaknesses, but
I wish
> >> I did it 10 years ago. My point is not to pass any judgement on
your
> >> expertise, just advising that you recognize your weaknesses, so
that you
> >> are in the position to address them, apposed to overlook them.
As far as
> >> tower climbing, I hired someone to do my first couple installs.
And I
> >> made sure that I was there every single moment to watch and
learn. It was
> >> invaluable to me, before climbing myself.
> >>
> >> The reality is, its near the same cost to take a course as it is
to pay
> >> someone for a day to install your gear. So thats one of the
reasons the
> >> advise is to take a course, by many. Its sorta like sky diving, its
> >> generally a good idea to have someone experienced around the
first time.
> >> If you make a mistake, the penalty can be severe.
> >>
> >> But if you member two simple rules, you'll probably be OK. Always
have
> >> atleast one other person around, so if you get in trouble they
can call
> >> for help. Second, use a Dual Tie-off shock zorber lanyard. One
of the
> >> two clamps should be fastened to the tower at all times. When you
go to
> >> move one, the other always stays fastened. Then once the first
one is
> >> fastened again, you move the second one. And of cource the other
end
> >> gets attached to the BACK D-Ring. IF you do that, you know at
minimum,
> >> you won't fall to your death.
> >>
> >> Tom DeReggi
> >> RapidDSL & Wireless, Inc
> >>
> >> IntAirNet- Fixed Wireless Broadband
> >>
> >> ----- Original Message ----- From: "George" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> >> To: "WISPA General List" <wireless@wispa.org>
> >> Sent: Wednesday, August 17, 2005 11:21 AM
> >> Subject: Re: [WISPA] Lanyard and positioning straps (last chance
to save
> >> mylife)
> >>
> >>
> >>> Brian :)
> >>> Your only 21 years old, CONGRATS!
> >>>
> >>> When I read about guys like you and Kurt , who is still in high
school
> >>> and running a wisp, it makes me happy and proud of you guys that
are
> >>> starting life embracing a business and making a go at it.
> >>>
> >>> So keep up the hard work, someday you'll look back on this era
of your
> >>> life and understand why your a success at what ever you will be
doing
> >>> then.
> >>>
> >>> I strongly believe in young people getting involved and
participating
> >>> in the business world.
> >>>
> >>> It's a sign of independence and ingenuity, which is what drives the
> >>> American way.
> >>>
> >>> Congrats again!
> >>>
> >>> George
> >>>
> >>> Brian Rohrbacher wrote:
> >>>
> >>>> Sure is nice to ask for advice and be insulted. If you know so
much
> >>>> about how I climb, tell me what I have done wrong. Or start
asking me
> >>>> trick questions that I'll answer wrong. Than you may insult me.
> >>>>
> >>> --
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> >>>
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> >>> 8/17/2005
> >>>
> >>>
> >>
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