[TowerTalk] Suburban House Hunting Advice Needed

[David O Hachadorian]

On Wed, 20 Jul 2005 20:38:33 -0700 Kelly Johnson <n6kj.kelly at gmail.com>
writes:
> My wife and I plan to move.  My options are limited by my need for a
> short commute to my job.  I live in Suburbia and need to stay in
> Suburbia.  I also want to be able to put up a tower (even if it is
> small) and remain an active ham.  I could use advice from those of 
> you
> (esp. those in California like me) that have found suitable 
> locations
> in Suburbia.  How do you find places with no CC&Rs?  What about 
> those
> darn power lines that run through the back yards of most 
> neighborhoods
> built in the 50's and 60's (ie. can't put up a decent tower with 
> them
> running through the back yard can you?)?  How to find a decent real
> estate agent.  Etc.  I'm really finding it difficult to find places
> without CC&Rs and/or power line issues.  Any advice?

Pick a city with reasonable zoning regulations (setback, height limits,
etc). Find a development built during the 1970's or so, with underground
utilities. Pick a house in the middle of the development, so you will be
as far away as possible from overhead lines. Put up a small footprint
tower, like a crank-up or freestander. There will be CC&R's, but usually
they didn't mention towers in the 1970's. You can read the CC&R's at city
hall. Don't pick an upscale development with rich guys who will hire
lawyers to harrass you. Don't pick a cheesy development where rednecks
will throw bricks through your window. 

I picked up this technique from Fried, WA6WZO, in Orange County, in the
1970's, and selected my own house using the same pattern. 



> 
> Sorry for the topic which is only tangentially related to tower
> issues, but I didn't know where else to turn.
> 
> Please respond OFF the reflector to avoid a non tower thread.  
> Thanks.

I don't think it's off topic, at least compared to some of the stuff on
here.


Dave Hachadorian, K6LL
Yuma, AZ