[TowerTalk] SteppIr's suck

[K8RI on Tower talk]

Sorry a couple of you received two of this. I hit the wrong key.


>
> really don't understand people who move to places where there are
> established
> businesses, entertainment facilities, radio towers, etc. and then try to
> make
> them go away.....
> This tale and others is so descriptive of where I until just last month in
> NY...
>
> It was originally a rural area in the mid Hudson Valley.  Then came
> development and city people who wanted nothing more than turn it into "the
> city".  What
> - No side walks??  Where do people walk??  Gotta have those.  What - no
> street lights?  It's DARK here...  So much for star gazing.  Then went the
> sporting
> clays course... "too noisy"  and THEY shoot guns there (they do too in the
> city, but in the city, they are shooting at people)...  Then the farms ...
> nice
>
> bucolic view.  But then the farmer spreads manure on his field.  Oh no -
> can't have that - it smells.. 300 dairy farms in the county shrink to less
> than
> 30

Move to Michigan. We protect the farms in most areas.  Don't like the smell.
Too bad. The farmer has a couple of days to get that *stuff* worked into the
ground.  If it still smells... Hey, this is the country. There is one
alternative. Offer to buy him out for far more than the farm is worth,
otherwise learn to like the smell of money.<:-)) Farm machinery too noisy.
Learn to live with it. He could take up raising hogs.

You know, I never knew that *stuff* could spoil until the advent of the
"Honey Wagon"<:-)) (and I was raised on a farm)

PLUS even if subdivisions build up around a farm and raise the land value
they are supposed to still tax the farm as farm land and not the same value
as the surounding land.  PLUS they are starting to add "green space" so when
people build in the country they have to keep a major portion of the
land...well...land and not covered with houses. In many areas it now
requires 6 acres per home, but those are local ordinances although they are
spreading.

> within 10 years.  Local airport?  More noise.  Can't have that either.

We had that too, but when they found that because part of the land had been
purchased with federal money they would have to pay it back "AT CURRENT
MARKET VALUE" and not just that portion opinions began to change. Also part
of it was donated with deed restrictions.  I think it would have run close
to the whole city budgett to pay off the feds and even the complainers shut
up after that.  The people in the subdivision south of the airport hated me.
At that time my plane had a two blade prop on it.
http://www.rogerhalstead.com/833R/833R_frame.htm  At take off RPM the prop
tips were supersonic which meant two sonic booms per revolution. It was
measured at 93 db from nearly a city block to the side of the departure end
of the runway. Imagine what it was like at 200 feet.  As they had fought
lengthening the runway (and that one is our shortest) I'd end up going over
just a couple hundred feet up. I eventually changed to a three blade prop
which has shorter blades and a higher frequency which eliminated the sonic
booms. It had a lower perceived volume due to the 50% higher frequency. It's
still loud but I think they are happy it no longer causes the dishes to move
around in the cupboards.   (Hey! I almost purchased a T-6 and they are
really loud at take off)  BTW, had we lengthened the runway I would have
been at pattern altitude and throttled back going over that subdivision. Now
if they complain about noise it has to be disclosed to any prospective
purchasers when they want to sell.

> Antennas - OH NO!  They are unsightly...  This from a guy who showed up at
> my

In our township you can go 80 feet before a building permit is required.
They won't issue a permit if it isn't required.  Over 80 feet it has to be
properly engineered, but that is only a formality such as following the ROHN
catalog instructions.  The only real regulation is the set back rule which
is for safety. IE, If it falls over it has to land on your property unless
you get the OK from your neighbor in writing.

There is one township NE of us (North of Midland) that has a 30 foot limit
on all structures.  Several hams in years past could not make it past them,
but recently one explained the federal rules to the zoning board and they
"quietly" let him put up an 80' crank up and it's in one of the nicer
subdivisions with large lots and lots of trees.    The reason they limited
heights to 30 feet?  That was as high as their ladder truck would go.

> zoning board hearings wearing not 1 but 2 cell phones and a pager on his
> belt.
Also, after seeing the tower take a direct hit from lightning and I had no
damage a few neighbors have started calling it the neighborhood lightning
rod. Undortunately it didn't do my neighbor across the road and one lot
north any good.  There was a multiple strike with the tower taking three
hits, The pole pig to the north got hit (I don't know how many times) and a
pine tree at the back of a vacant lot directly across the road was made into
lots of pieces.  I found one about 3' long stuck over a foot into the ground
about 50 feet from the base of the tree.  The one neighbor where the pole
pig was hit lost a TV, VCR, telephone, water heater, and a bunch of other
stuff.

OTOH most of the people out here are either younger professionals,  retired
professionals, or retired tradesmen. For the 22 yers we have lived here I
have only had one TVI report and that was settled amicably.
(I gave him an antenna to take the place of the rabitt ears)

Roger Halstead (K8RI and ARRL 40 year Life Member)
N833R - World's oldest Debonair CD-2
www.rogerhalstead.com
> Where did he think the signals come from??  Geez!  Am I glad I am out of
> there...
>
> de Bill
> K2EK/4
> _______________________________________________