Jump or get electrified
By Judy Evans
@JudyEv (372157)
Rockingham, Australia
February 19, 2026 8:36pm CST
The photo has nothing to do with the discussion.
The Australian Broadcasting Commission’s (ABC) three radio stations are switching from Am to FM. I don’t understand much about it but it will supposedly give a better quality sound, among other things, especially in the city. What is interesting is the story a retired former radio technician told about his time working on the transmitter.
While still a trainee, Trevor Kelly and his fellow trainees were given permission to climb the mast. They were warned that they had to jump onto the tower. If they touched the ground and the mast at the same time, they’d be ‘electrified’; the term used at the time. Again, to get off the mast, they had to jump so they didn’t touch the tower and the ground at the same time.
I think today’s Health and Safety officers would have something to say about such a practice today.
10 people like this
10 responses
Geez, such a dangerous training, shouldn't there be an anti-electrified?
@Deepizzaguy (118456)
• Lake Charles, Louisiana
5h
It would scare me having to jump and get electrized touching the ground and mast at the same time.
2 people like this
@FourWalls (83078)
• United States
6h
FM (frequency modulation) does have better sound, but the signal doesn’t travel as far as AM. I grew up listening to AM stations hundreds of miles away. I still have Nashville (170 miles away) and Cincinnati (100 miles away) radio stations programmed in my car radio.
Don’t think the safety administration would allow that procedure of jumping these days!
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