Radio died during a roof lift, so I waved like crazy

Kai King · 2026-02-27T00:50:33.985292+00:00

I was lifting an AC unit to a roof when my walkie quit. I made up some big arm signals to chat with the ground crew, and it actually went smooth. What's your backup plan when tech fails?

carr.amy6mo ago

Ever make those signals official after they worked so well...

4

mark5946mo ago

You mentioned those big arm signals worked smooth. What kind of signals did you use for the basic stuff like stop, go, and lower? Did you guys have any pre-set signs, or did you just make it up on the spot?

2

the_troy6mo ago

How about turning those improvised signals into a quick cheat sheet for the team? Once you have a set that works, it's worth sketching them out on a laminated card for everyone. That way, next time the radio dies, you're not stuck waving like a maniac trying to remember what means what. Plus, new guys can get up to speed without the usual confusion. It's basically creating your own dumb-proof sign language for the job.

1