[TowerTalk] Cell Phone towers

[K7LXC@aol.com]

In a message dated 04/16/2000 6:50:16 AM Pacific Daylight Time, 
w9ol@dataflo.net writes:

> Lately I've seen some pretty impressive cell phone towers going up. Quite
>  tall and with monstrous pods at the top. (I'm assuming the pods represent
>  high wind loads).

    Not sure what a "monstrous pod" is but some of them do have big 
headloads. The antennas and mounts could be as much as 50 square feet and 
then some of them have platforms at the top as well. We put a 130-footer up 
that weighed 30,000 pounds. If you figure $1 or more per pound, you can get 
an idea of the cost.

     As you can imagine, these are engineered for worst case wx conditions as 
well as potential future growth (co-locating now being done more and more as 
tower permits become harder and longer to get).

>  Most seem to have ladders and fall protection cables built in.
>  Who manufacturers these towers and any ideas on cost?

       There are lots of companies that make them - Valmont, Rohn, Pirod, etc.
>  
>  I know about the fellow in WI who has a cell phone tower in his back yard
>  with ham antennas on it.

       I've got a ham tower with a paging antenna on it. It pays a couple 
hundred a month. A cell site can pay from $750 to over a grand a month for 
rent. 

Cheers,   Steve    K7LXC
Tower Tech 

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