Had to pick between a standard lift and a blind pick for a tight spot downtown

I was setting a big AC unit on a roof in Portland last month, and the spot was a real squeeze. I could either try a standard lift with a spotter on the roof giving me hand signals, or go for a blind pick using just my camera and the load indicator. I went with the blind pick because the spotter would have been in a risky spot with all the gear up there. It was nerve-wracking, I won't lie. I had to move it maybe 20 feet over a parapet wall with zero line of sight. But I took it slow, trusted my tools, and it landed perfectly on the pad. Has anyone else had to make a call like that in a tight city job? What helped you decide?

2 comments

2 Comments

kim_smith8d ago

Blind pick over a parapet wall with zero line of sight? That's a gutsy call. Just reading that made my palms sweat a little. Trusting the camera and the indicator for a 20-foot move with no spotter takes serious nerve. Glad it worked out, but man, that's a high-stress situation to be in.

christopher_kim8d ago

Respectfully disagree, that sounds like a huge gamble. A good spotter with a clear radio could have found a safe spot and given you real-time feedback you can't get from a screen.