Hacker News Reader

Comment by nickcotter | Hacker News Reader

Note that the tower doesn't really look like that picture in the nypost - it's a much more portable looking affair: https://maps.app.goo.gl/Y9QMBDPnazGT1cgj9

View on HN

A few guys with plasma cutters and a winch could have that pieced and loaded on a flatbed in no time.

Not easily. Those metal tension cables are dangerous to cut and it’s going to have to fall like a tree in some direction.

These towers often have several sets of tension cables at various heights, so you could cut the outermost/tallest set, drop the top-third of the tower, and work your way down. Still dangerous, but it's not always "bring all 500' down at once".

There are YouTube video compilations showing exactly what you've described.

Metal thieves are not known for following strict workplace safety protocols.

Sure, but if you’ve ever been around high tension mental cables before you’ll realize you need a huge pair of balls to cut those. It’s not safety protocols, it’s fear that it might cut you in half.

Actually, as I learned from MythBusters, a wire snap will be unable to server a limb or worse. You will still be dead, but your body will be intact.

https://mythresults.com/episode62

Container ship dock line snaps on the other hand...

Also Navy aircraft carrier arrestor cables. Like:

https://www.nytimes.com/1981/12/04/us/around-the-nation-two-...

If you cut a wire under tension at the very limit of its range on one end, can it hurt you?

I had the same question. Intuitively, I don’t think so, but that’s based on nothing but simulating it in my head. In reality you might risk the tower collapsing on you if you cut too many.

Why even cut the cables? Wouldn't they just back out the tensors at the anchors and do it all under control?

That's how I would do it without remote cutters, a small shaped charge, or thermite. Fall direction will be completely out of control, so it would be worth being close to the tower to reach a safe area.

I don't see how you would have less control by backing off tensioners vs. destructive approach. You don't have to release all guys at once in either case.

My tower has 8 guy wires and each is easily released from the ground with hand tools.

Almost certainly that tower was of galvanized steel, so if the mystery adbuctors had knowledge of welding or metallurgy (no idea if that was the case) they'd know that plasma cutters would be toxic overkill unless they knew how to paint/paste where they cut. Portable chop saws would do just fine. I witnessed pros take down a radio tower by remote-controlled chop saws cutting the guy wires sequentially.

Old timers will say, incorrectly, "just drink some milk"

On a serious note, a short term exposure like this probably wouldn't be that harmful*, and they seem like risk-takers already so the hazards are factored in for them.

Off topic, but why are there no remote control chain saws? Seems silly to stand next to an engine driven chain that could fly off at any time.

There are - a sort of tracked vehicle with an arm that can chop down a tree, hold it, and scrape off the small limbs before stacking the log.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com