Once you are at a site, go out of your way protecting not only your equipment but the "other" equipment at the site, since most likely they are commercial, high paying customers and they will not stand with "freeloaders", as they call us hams, interfering with their professional equipment! Use bandpass filters, isolators, Heliax, professional antennas, etc. just good engineering practice will always help.
Most likely during your time at the sight, you will come up against a customer finding out you pay little or no rent and want the same for their commercial equipment. After that, you could find yourself walking out the door overnight. I was a member of a system at a site for many years on top of the tallest building in town (a premier radio site still) and had very good relationship with the manager of the top floors. We were the first antenna up on the building, existing for many years with absolutely no problems, had insurance, used all the right equipment, and paid rent (albeit, $1 a year). Then, after a number of very successful years with zero problems, a management change must have occurred and, literally overnight, we were nicely asked to vacate. So, easy come, easy go. We left on good terms, but be aware that a situation like what happened to us could happen to you. It usually is a business decision and I could understand, but it is hard to take sometimes. My advice is just be as professional as you can be on what you equipment you install and make sure it is visibly as professional looking as the other equipment next to you. Sometime, your setup is better maintained than the commercial guys. I know ours was always and we were proud of the setup. It eventually outlived its original purpose and leaving the site was probably at the right time, just a little too soon for us who had lived with the maintenance day and night for many years. But, we enjoyed it, for sure, and the interface with our commercial benefactors (both building and TV) was great. Roger W5RD ----- Original Message ----- From: Alexander N Tubonjic To: Repeater-Builder@yahoogroups.com Sent: Friday, December 21, 2007 3:22 PM Subject: [Repeater-Builder] Getting On A Commercial Tower Site A group of us local hams have just started an Amateur Radio Club and are looking to place a couple repeaters on the air. We already have one VHF and one UHF repeater sitting in a garage waiting to be put on the air. We've been looking at local commercial tower sites as possible locations for the machines but before we contact the owners of the towers I was wanting to get some feedback from those of you that currently have or have had equipment located on commercial towers. We're looking at towers owned by power companies, county utilities, FM Broadcast stations, etc. I was just wondering from everyone's experience what's the best way to approach the tower owner about putting gear on his or her tower? What kinds of obstacles have yall had to hop through to get your equipment up? Any dos and don'ts you could suggest? Any words of wisdom from anybody? Any guidance would be greatly appreciated! Thanks es 73. Alex ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Internal Virus Database is out-of-date. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.503 / Virus Database: 269.17.0/1180 - Release Date: 12/10/2007 2:51 PM
