[BC] Wireless Internet Installation on AM Tower

[Milton R. Holladay Jr.]

Dana and Mark's seems like the best idea to me.
If it can't be done this way, the next best thing would be a shorted 1/4
wave isolation section (called a bazooka by some). As a conduit for shielded
cat 5, there should be 1/2'' or larger copper tubing on insulators going up
the inside of the tower a bit past the calculated 1/4 wave point and,
ideally, the exact point for the short found by probing while measuring the
tower Z so as to set it where the resistance is the same as before. The
reactance will change some, so the taps of the output coil will need
adjusting a bit to get the network input back to 50R j0. If not 1/4 wave
tall, oh well..................
M
----- Original Message -----
From: "Mark Humphrey" <mark3xy at gmail.com>

> I think Dana's suggestion makes the most sense, especially if the
> tower is already equipped with lighting.  The use of fiber all the way
> from the tower to the building will also help to prevent lightning
> damage to the network interface equipment.
>
> If the photocell control for the lighting system is mounted on the
> tower (as is often the case) then there's no need to leave the lights
> on full time.
>
> Mount a small weatherproof box near the tower base for the PoE
> injector and a Cat 5-to-fiber converter, which can be purchased for
> under $100.  Something like a metal outdoor NEMA box will reduce the
> chances of RF problems.   Run shielded outdoor Cat 5 cable from the
> box up to the Motorola Canopy and make sure the shield is bonded to
> the tower at top and bottom, and at least 50 ft intervals in between.