Switched from manual tag lines to radio control on a job in Houston last month

I used to always have a guy on the ground with a tag line for every pick, but on a tight site near downtown Houston last month, we didn't have room for that. Got the crew boss to let me try a radio control setup for the hoist and it cut our positioning time by almost half on a 12-hour day. Has anyone else made the swap and found it messes with your feel for the load?

3 comments

3 Comments

murray.robert23d ago

Did the lag actually make you more cautious about how you handle the load at first, or just take some getting used to?

tessaperry24d ago

Did the lag in response time mess with your ability to stop a swing before it started?

stellat4614d ago

Honestly, I hear you on that "feel for the load" thing, @tessaperry. The lag is real and it drove me nuts at first because you can't rely on that instant muscle memory from the tag line. For me, it definitely made me more cautious on the first few picks, like I was overcorrecting every time a swing started because my brain was a half second behind the load. But after a few hours I started to adjust my timing, and now I almost prefer it because you can set the load down so smooth without a guy yelling at you. Still, ngl, I miss that direct connection sometimes when the wind picks up.