ERP or actual transmitter power?

[Lscott]

1 hour ago, WRKC935 said:

Oh I can't afford free towers.  Especially big broadcast towers.  What you end up finding out is the towers typically will not pass a structural analysis and can't be used unless extensive reinforcement is done to them, if it's possible at all.  When the power that be (local building inspectors) ask for the results, you don't be a permit to stand the thing back up.

 

And that says nothing of the cost of dismantling a standing tower, transporting it and erecting in at a new location.

I personally went through this with a Rohn 80 that was only 10 years old at the time.   While it would still pass analysis, the concrete alone to put it back up was going to cost me 15K.  With a total cost of about 50K to get the thing standing.  I didn't have enough land to do it either, which of course is a concern. 

Point is if a tower that costs tens or even hundred of thousands to erect is FREE, free is TOO expensive for most.

 

I see the point. None the less I know a few people who have done it so it’s possible. 

[WRKC935]

21 hours ago, Lscott said:

I see the point. None the less I know a few people who have done it so it’s possible. 

Oh it's possible.  I can see a broadcaster buying / acquiring a broadcast tower from another broadcaster and getting it in the air and making money.

But the key there is the money making.  If you are in a good market and have a 2K per day income in advertizing dollars then spending 50 or 100K for a tower and that much again on a transmitter and studio gear to be on the air makes perfect sense.  But it's gonna be rare that a HAM / GMRS operator is gonna be able to even relocate even 5 sections of Rohn 80 tower.  Mine was almost 4 times that.  Mind you the sections are 400 pounds for the top ones and the bottom and torque arm reinforced sections are 600 plus pounds.  They are also 20 feet long which is a standard for medium rated commercial broadcast towers.  Truly big commercial towers like Rohn 90 and above (some with 14 foot faces) weigh over 1000 pounds a section and are longer than 20 feet per section. 

But just so we are clear, I am not referencing the small TV and ham type towers that are in 10 foot sections and standing next to many houses with a TV antenna on top of them.  That stuff can be lifted and moved about with one hand and only weighs 15 or so pounds per section.

 

[WRVD377]

Anyone had a city tell them to install a 30' or 40' tower requires commercial tower zoning for GMRS, but if you have a HAM License it has other rules?

[Socalgmrs]

1 minute ago, WRVD377 said:

Anyone had a city tell them to install a 30' or 40' tower requires commercial tower zoning for GMRS, but if you have a HAM License it has other rules?

Yes.  Ham stations in some counties and city’s are exempt from some rules while gmrs stations are not.  Same at some home owners associations.  Might be a good reason to get your ham license even if you don’t use it. 

[WRVD377]

4 minutes ago, WRXP381 said:

Yes.  Ham stations in some counties and city’s are exempt from some rules while gmrs stations are not.  Same at some home owners associations.  Might be a good reason to get your ham license even if you don’t use it. 

Thank you for the confirmation.  Does that have to do with the cut out in the HAM side that contains this (47 CFR 97.15(b)) that I could not find in GMRS?

[gortex2]

No it has to do with HAM radio being a "emergency prepardness" and "civil defence" tool in the old days. MAny areas adopted rules to exempt certain stuff. In todays world it really doesn't do what hams preach about but as with other rules they are there and dont normally change. Some areas have absolutely no restrictions on towers yet some are vvery strick on what and where a tower were to go. 

 

[MarkInTampa]

22 hours ago, WRVD377 said:

Anyone had a city tell them to install a 30' or 40' tower requires commercial tower zoning for GMRS, but if you have a HAM License it has other rules?

I talked to a couple of county code enforcement guys at lunch about putting up a 30-40ft tower for ham use and if I needed a permit a month or two ago. They told me that if it has a concrete foundation, technically it needs a permit. It didn't matter if it was ham or not. One of them also told me in 25 years he has never checked permitting or gigged anybody for a small tower so take that for what it's worth. I'd guess it depends on how anal your code enforcement is where you live.

[AdmiralCochrane]

Yes, the permit would actually be for breaking the ground and installing a permanent structure.  The antenna nor tower is actually the permanent structure that a dugout and poured base would be. 

[WRVD377]

27 minutes ago, AdmiralCochrane said:

Yes, the permit would actually be for breaking the ground and installing a permanent structure.  The antenna nor tower is actually the permanent structure that a dugout and poured base would be. 

I was told the building permit is for the structure project as it applies to the fees related to the cost of the project, the paperwork that must be submitted. Then it gets sent to zoning to comply to the cities Tower codes. (Meaning how they wish to apply the code to this project) if it is approved or objections to whatever will be told to you.  So here they have excessively vague rules except on the commercial side. Yet the last email then said the HAM side must comply to the same sections in the commercial side even though it clearly states (except that section does not apply to "armature (HAM)" specifically called out. For me that is too much of a circle in the codes. 

I finally asked a Concrete general contractor if he could do the concrete work, paperwork, permit, replies from the city and at what cost to deal with the cities circle of rules.