[TowerTalk] Covert Mast and Yagi

[Jim Lux]

At 10:04 PM 11/6/2003 -0600, Wes Attaway (N5WA) wrote:

>One other thought ..... I am moving soon to an area that forbids
>"transmitting or receiving towers".  Antennas are not mentioned.
>Do your covenants specifically prohibit antennas?  Such a
>prohibition would be pretty drastic, given that antennas can be
>as short as a few inches.


And of course, there are antennae on such things as garage door openers 
(both the transmitter in the car and the receiver in the garage), cellular 
phones, AM/FM car radios, etc.

I used this distinction to "encourage" the local HOA board (or more 
properly, the rep of the management company) to conform their regs to the 
OTARD rules.  The former rules said no antennas and no radio transmitters. 
I just told them (fairly nicely) that
a) Both California and Federal law/regulation require them to allow some 
forms of transmitters and receivers (cell phones)
b) Homeowners wouldn't appreciate it when they started getting notices to 
cease operation of their cell phones, garage door transmitters, and 
wireless appliances. (If the board fails to enforce legally created rules, 
any homeowner in the association can act to enforce the rules).
b) That I thought the homeowners wouldn't appreciate incurring all those 
legal fees as a result of the management company refusing to encourage 
appropriate and legal behavior on the part of the association, especially 
when they found that the board members could be personally liable. (A bit 
of bluster, and I'm pretty sure that the mgt company is well aware of what 
the real situation is, liability wise, but, since the HOA has changed mgt 
companies a couple times in the last five years, makes it seem a wise 
business decision for the mgt company to get off their behind and do 
something.)

There's still a ban on certain types of antennae, but no "no transmitting 
and receiving" types of rules.  And, the board has seem distinctly 
uninclined to create any hassles about relatively inconspicuous antennae 
(arrays of dipoles strung just above the roof and on fence lines).  I also 
haven't gotten an static about parking my car with ham plates and a 
screwdriver antenna on the front bumper in the driveway. I'm not about to 
go putting up a 75 foot tower, mind you.


Jim, W6RMK