Microwave Dish covers

Has anyone ever replace a 15 dish cover while the dish was still on the tower? (without swinging it)

Just so you know 1 CMXS we did.

Theres a few ways of going about this.
How far from the top of the tower is the dish?

I've rappelled down to a 15' to change the Teglar cover but had about 40' of headroom. "Moderately Easy w/ Botswain Chair.

Another way "without headroom" was to rig the rope completely around the radome and using 2 men to maintain an equal amount of strain on the rigging so it wont rotate on you, doing this we utilized the "Cheese Holes" in the back of the dish for foot holds and rope grabs attached to that rigging plus using your secondary lanyards to attach to a secure location for added stability. "Moderately Difficult"

A crane with a manbasket works too if the dish isn't that high up. "Easiest"

Setting up a real Gin Pole or a really stout outrigger overhanging that dish, then rappelling down. "Lotta Prep work".

How did you guys do it?





Rather fail by honor than succeed by fraud

Talk to TSgt. Tong. He can tell you some stories. He was my strong arm, engineer, and all around coniver. We did a lot of dishes on the tower. If you cant fine him....see SSgt Norton.