Jim Mullin - W8KKK SK

Jim Mullin - W8KKK SK

As i read through the many postings and ranging from safety, osha, equipment and legal remains a fellow amateur radio operator death. I did not know this fellow ham but only of his death, we all have been touched because some love one either by family or friend we all have an understanding. True, those who climb those tall towers must have safety of self and ground crews on their minds or at least have some continuing concern. But we must remain civil in our writing, respectful for he was while among the living a fellow human being. Yes, there is also hindsight is 20-20 but when safely, without rush, complete following of safe climbing and a set of steps events like these do happen even to the professional climber. As i sit here can recall a documentary on nbc about tower climbers and watched how for most of the camera footage did it very professionally, safe as one can be but even in their profession have witnessed a fellow tower climber fall to their death. They take not only their fate in every step but because they have families have a piece of their love ones or friendships brought with them during their climb. I have a great respect for tower climbers, those who behind the scene bring us all our communications in amateur radio, cellular communications, television shows we enjoy to watch and everything that is attached to those tall towers wide and small narrow reaching up into the sky. For myself have a respectful fear of heights (smile) and have a fellow amateur radio operator who turned 76 years old who helped my station to be operational on my 50 or so feet tower. Watching him from the ground was amazed not only in his flexibility and grace but respectfully his age when some older gentlemen are rocking in a chair or something similar but this fellow helps a lot of his fellow amateur radio operators in the surrounding community. When or if my fear of heights are slowly removed perhaps i could be as flexible as this tower gentleman being able to not only assist fellow amateurs in the new technology of amateur radio but tower work also. Terrible lost for his family to suffer during this tragic event and we as amateur operators will keep him and his family in our thoughts and prayers.

 

Someone mentioned age. What a shame to critique him. It is a tragedy. My father is 75 and an electrician. Should he put up his tools?

My condolences go out to his family.

 

I agree that age shouldn't matter. At least not in an absolute sense.

Mass is currently in an uproar over elderly drivers. They want them retested. Fine. If they pass the test, then they are ok. If they don't, then should they have been driving to begin with? But just being of a specific age it shouldn't be the criteria for being able to do something. Heck, I just read about a pilot that is in his 90's!

 

oh yeah?

You keep on thinking that.

 

Professional not Amateurs

Unless they come out of the birth canal with a Safety Harness and other tower climbing equipment there is no such animal. Professionals at one time were amateurs with experience during their lifetime is a profession taught or at least had a person taught to safely climb a tower. Again, death is a cycle of life. Birth....Life....Death, from birth we are children and experience..teachings...skill...etc...and at the end is Death. Some of us die suddenly either at birth or during the lifespan but some of us are fortunate to die peacefully in our sleep at an old age with two beautiful women on each shoulder. Of course the latter is a dream more than in life, except for Hugh Hefner. *GRIN*

 

IAlsoKnewJimW8KKKsk

I did not know Jim personally, but I did converse with him via email, several times. I still have the email thread, and if I have Jim's family's blessing, I will attempt to post them on this thread. The emails attest to his great character and willingness to help others. It is true that Jim repaired older electronic components and tried to get them in the hands of needy people, so that the electronics could have a "second life." I was in the process of helping a friend get a repaired laptop that Jim had offered him. All Jim asked for, was to cover the cost of shipping. He charged nothing for the repairs.
Jim was a good Christian gentleman, and often spoke of the Lord in his emails. For those that maybe curious about his callsign significance (KKK), Jim told me it was not for the obvious reason. I asked him whether it was a vanity or sequential callsign issued to him. He started to tell me that he was not a Klanner, but the acronim had some other significance; some reference to the Bible, but I did not fully understand his meaning. Our focus went back in the emails to the laptop and I never did learn to true reason he selected that call. Does anyone reading this thread, that was closer to Jim than I, know why Jim desired that callsign? I know Jim was a good Christian man, and I am certain he is now in a better place. Rest in peace, Jim. You will be missed! W8GL Gary Ronald Lauff, Grand Rapids, MI USA.
Added, Sunday, 7/19/09. Upon searching Jim's qrz bio info, I learned what the KKK in his vanity callsign stood for: Kingdom Key Keeper. W8GL/Gary.

 

I disagree with you that this is not the place to discuss OSHA and safety. True, we should be respectful of Jim and his family, but, if in discussing safety and prevention, we save just one more ham's life, then it was worth it. I personally have bought two used full bodied safety harnesses in pawn shops, with the intention of using them to climb mature trees on my property to install ham attennas. But after reading some of my fellow ham's comments from experienced climbers, I have just learned that I need more equipment (dual shock-absorbing lanyards) and to thouroughly inspect used harnesses, before even THINKING about climbing. The ham's life you gentlemen saved may be MINE, and I thank you for it! W8GL / Gary.

 

Surely, a tragic loss.

I worked in my theatre department while in college as a lighting technician (at least I had the sense to stay off stage), and sometimes, being young and foolish, took for granted that I was not going to fall. As the years went on, my director took notice of my ways, and asked me to be more careful. As a result, I adopted the practice of facing 'out' when going down the ladder, which would, at least, give me an opportunity to try to jump into a clear spot. Fortunately, I never had the opportunity to test my aim.

Nowadays, I have a 20 foot tower (which BARELY clears my roof), and have been working on hooking up new feed lines after a lightning strike took out all feed lines as well as ALL my rigs. It may not be pretty, or even approved, but I rig up a 'swiss seat' or 'bosun's chair' every time I climb and make very certain that it not only bears my weight but also has very little 'give' in it, even though the distance to fall would not be great. I also do my best to keep one arm around the tower once I reach the top (or working level) so as to minimize my dependence on the safety rig. I also have a rule that the higher I go, the slower I move, if at all possible.

Hopefully, everyone will use Jim's passing as a reminder to follow every possible safety precaution; then his death will not have been in vain.

73 to all!

Buck