[BC] Cell towers and measurements...

[Robert Bowe]

My favorite episode was with a spec cell tower that was built less than 
1kM from the center of a DA about 5 years ago.

I was driving to the site for a monthly inspection and found a fully 
erected 180' Rohn SSV tower across the street!  Yes, you could see the 
array clearly from the tower base.  Since the tower wasn't registered, I 
had to do some research to find the owner.  I found the owner, notified 
him of the rules (he claimed that he didn't know about the rules 
regarding locating towers near AM facilities) and started the process of 
getting a proper proof but never got the chance to see it through - the 
station changed hands and the new owner couldn't see where engineering 
was listed on the income side (myopia strikes again).

I did run a few models, checked the array parameters and monitoring 
points - the tower was in a null and didn't seem to have any substantive 
impact, but I was looking forward to having the tower owner run the proofs.


-- 

Robert Bowe, CSRE
Director of Engineering
MBC Grand Broadcasting
Grand Junction, CO


Burt I. Weiner wrote:
> I would like to add the following:  When I've been involved in this type 
> of measurement I always advise the tower company to be ready to do their 
> build, antennas and all, promptly after the "before" measurements are 
> completed.  Waiting a long period of time can invalidate the proof with 
> regards to the effect of their tower construction.  It really depends on 
> many things but I consider it good advice.
> 
> I had one situations about 10 years ago where a consultant came into to 
> town and did the proof and about a month later came back to do the 
> "after" proof.  Nothing had changed so this was good.  Out of curiosity 
> I asked where the cell tower was because I couldn't find it.  I was told 
> it was one of those new stealth jobs and it would be very difficult to 
> find.  I insisted that the cell company show it to me which they were 
> happy to do.  They had trouble finding it.  Turned out it hadn't been 
> built yes and would probably be another 6 months to a year.  The 
> construction group thought the two proofs would suffice.  I've never 
> seen a grown man, their consultant, weep quite like that.
> 
> Burt
> 
> 
> At 06:48 PM 1/22/2006, you wrote:
> 
>> From: Mike McCarthy <Towers at mre.com>
>> Subject: Re: [BC] P.O.ed by transmission line damage
>> To: "Broadcasters' Mailing List" <broadcast at radiolists.net>
>> Message-ID: <5.0.0.25.2.20060122194231.02799fb0 at pop.ais.net>
>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"; format=flowed
>>
>> The radio station has the right to demand the pre-measurements.  If it
>> means the tower or other substantive work be de-erected so as to preform
>> the pre-measurements, then the towers's owner has an obligation to 
>> comply.
>> I did that only once and then word got around that stations can do
>> that.  To my knowledge, there hasn't been another one which needed to be
>> de-erected since.  What made this necessary was the unusual configuration
>> of a 5th tower added inside of a cluster of VERY closely located 
>> towers in
>> the middle of the main lobe at a distance of 1.3Km.
> 
> 
> Burt I. Weiner Associates
> Broadcast Technical Services
> Glendale, California  U.S.A.
> biwa at earthlink.net
> K6OQK
> 
> 
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