[TowerTalk] Wireless internet antenna on ham tower

Rick Bullon kc5ajx at hotmail.com
Sun Nov 7 23:36:51 EST 2004


Last week I learned that in the next 2 to 3 weeks we will have high speed 
wireless internet service available ( hooray). I stopped by the local 
computer store that was offering the service. The owner took me into his 
office and did a line of site survey on his computer, based on my location 
and the tower that is going into service later this month. Well according to 
the tropo program his is running there is a large hill between me and the 
tower site that will block the wireless signal. (which I find hard to 
believe because the tower is the same one  that the local 2 meter repeater 
is on and I can hit that full quieting with a handheld and 2 watts)
Anyway he said that he could not service me as there was no line of site for 
the signal. I mentioned that I had a 70' tower ( Rohn 25) and he ran the 
program again with the receiver antenna at 50' on my tower. Now we had a 
line of site.
Now the questions

1 I was told the internet antenna was about 2' square and the signal was 2.8 
ghz. My tower has a TH-6 @40' another TH6 at 70' and a F-12 EF240X at about 80' I 
don't think this little antenna has small enough wind load not to over load 
the tower right?

2 Since I am going to only be active on HF then I should have to worry about 
interference from or to the internet antenna right?

3 Now this is where I am concerned I plan to shunt feed the tower for 160. 
If I decide to run QRO on 160 do I need to worry about frying the internet 
antenna???

4 in the future I need to get an antenna up for 80 meters I have a full size 
dipole I can use for now. Later I am thinking about 4 slopers any problems 
here??

The guy at the computer store said that I may in a good position for an 
internet  node here at my QTH.  Do I really want to consider this what are 
the pro and cons of this?  I seem to remember a thread on here about someone 
being approached by a cell phone carrier to use his tower for a cell link 
but I think this is a little different as the antenna is smaller. I already 
know about getting them to take responsibly for inference problems as they 
are unlicensed and I am the licensed party anything else?

I also know to make sure they have proper insurance in place before I let 
them on my tower anything I am forgetting anything?

TIA
73
Rick
kc5ajx




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