Weird Microwave Tower

It is hard to tell from the picture if there are antennas on it. Did you see antennas? Is there an airport close to this?

 

Lol, I know that site. It and many others like it across the nation are old government sites. It was a special structural design. I used tpo have a link for more info on them, but I can not find it.

 

Sort of. Many of them were part of the MARS system back in the day, but have primarily been decomm'ed for years.

 

IIRC they were on the market about 6 years ago and ATC got some along with SBA. The coolest site is in Northen Jersey.

 

Do you know what town that one is in? Maybe someone here can snag a picture of it.

 

It's relatively common to see "H-Frame" towers (two towers with a cross-arm, like here) to support multiple omni-antennas, J-pole antennas, and the like. You don't usually see microwave antennas on the cross-arm because of twisting that could misalign the path at various times.

=Jonathan=

 

Hmmm... that's interesting. Is MARS still active and some of the antennas are decommissioned or is the whole program decommisioned?

 

The Military Affiliate Radio System is just as active today as it ever was. Morale and welfare messages are no longer the largest activity in MARS due to the increased use of the internet and e-mail by deployed military personnel. MARS now has an increased role in providing interoperability communications between Army National Guard and Air National Guard forces and civilian state agencies. MARS also provides beta testing of new technologies such as Voice over IP and antennas.

MARS participates in exercises such as Grecian Firebolt (Ft. Meade, MD) to help support military communications. MARS members from all around the world played a role in Grecian Firebolt 2005 by sending exercise Essential Elements of Information (EEI) reports through the MARS radio network. The EEI's consisted of scenario disaster information. When the EEI's were received, they were sorted and sent to Army intelligence centers. MARS plays a large part in reporting up-to-date information on disasters and requesting military assistance using a dispersed and redundant radio network.

MARS also supports government agencies such as FEMA, and participates in programs such as SHAred RESources (SHARES).

The 311th Signal Command is the first major subordinate command of the Army Reserve to move from strategic reserve, which means a traditional reserve unit with the 'one weekend a month, and two weeks a year' requirement for unit membership, to a unit that will serve seven days a week, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. MG Donna Dacier, is the commander of the 311th. They were the lead Signal Command in Grecian Firebolt. I will be visiting with them the week of November 6th. I'll try to get some pics, as allowed.

 

That's awesome. Thanks, wirles.

 

Great information! Thanks!
73/W6JLK

 

I took you for a ham from day 1, my friend. I grew up around the ARRL myself. I can't tell you how many times I went to Dayton as the proud 'harmonic' of K3EEX!!!

 

A ham from day 1, eh? :wink: Yeah, I got my Novice ticket back in High School in '72, as well as my 3rd Phone. In my HS Senior Year I upgraded to General. I got my 2nd Phone in College, and upgraded to Advanced. Once I started working for Motorola as a field engineer, I upgraded to 1st Phone + Radar, later a General Radiotelephone + Radar. A couple of years ago I upgraded to Extra. I joined the ARRL in 1973, and became a Life Member in the late 70s (when Life Membership cost $180...one of my best investments!).



j

 

1st phone, 2nd phone? Please to explain, Senor Kramer? Your HAM radio geek-speek confuses this humble cell phone geek.

 

Moto, I didn't mean to ham-geek you!

The FCC's top license (on land, that is) was called the First Class Radiotelephone License. You had to take a bunch of radio theory and radio law tests. Most people think the Second Class license was the hard 'ticket' to get. I tend to agree. The Third Class Radiotelephone license was for D.J.s at small stations who had to take and log transmitter readings.

Some years ago, the FCC combined the 1st Phone and 2nd Phone licenses into the "General Radiotelephone" ticket. It was great for 2nd Class licensees, but sucked for the 1st Phone group. Oh well.

Best,

Jonathan, your friendly "Lawyer/Geek"

P.S. Be glad I didn't throw in any Latin! Res Ipsa that, why don't you! :browani:

 

Thanks for the info! After I read your post, I went to my local library's online catalog and looked up a book on HAM radio. I'm going down there to check it out when I have time. HAM radio has always fascinated me since I was a kid and one of my dad's friend had this room full of HAM and shortwave equipment. Also, my dad used to have an old Hallicrafters S 77 A that we used to listen to world broadcasts on.

I think your post may serve as an impetus for more education on the subject... well, I guess it already has. :browani: I'll be sure to send my wife your way when she asks why I've started yet another expensive hobby we can't afford.:lmao:

 

I got my Novice (No Code) at 15. It has since died as has my ability to spend resources (time/money) on the activity. One day I'll pick it back up. It isn't like I haven't had the 'brain' resources for a General. My dad had an Advanced before he passed. I am not sure which different ones he had all along, but since he had a MSEE and dealt with mostly Defense Telemetry, I am sure it was up there. I believe he was a ham for over 60 years.

 

I haven't used my ham radio in a long time, I hang out now more on GMRS for some reason.

 

The tower was built for the Western Union system. I've seen some of the old tower drawings in some of the sites. They were manufactured in Sioux City, IA in the early '60s. I think (someone correct me if I'm wrong) the towers were made by "Communication Towers Inc". At least the ones I used to work on.

Curt
www.nmandt.com

 

Go to this link to see an H-Tower being semi-dismanteled.
http://www.nevadamicrowaveandtower.com/thevault2.html
Scroll down about halfway & you'll see some chopper pics, thats the one.

Curt
www.nmandt.com

 

that used to be a long-distance microwave tower for the phone companies. Back in the 80's before fiberoptics it had 4 reflector panels at 45 degrees and passed signals from somewhere southwest of that site to somewhere north-east. I used to drive past it frequently years ago, it is a pre-digital, pre-fiberoptic relic from the past. My guess is it formerly was used by AT&T or some other bulk long distance carrier from long ago when microwave was king.

to be honest, I have no idea who owns it or uses/leases space on it now, since the long distance hardware is long gone.

there are some other similar sites of note, on St rd 49 north of US-30 and south of the indiana toll road. There is another one south west of Albion IN, west of St Rd 9 out in the boonies. It is possible that this tower near Pierceton looked at the tower near Albion...

While microwave towers for long distance are disappearing and none being built these days (except for maybe cellular or private networks) some of them are still being maintained as a back-up in case Farmer Brown cuts the fiber cable with his backhoe.... see the tower near the intersection of St Rd 109 and US-30 that belongs to Sprint (Embarq) and is surely no longer used... (i hope).

greg

 

also, to be technically correct, many tower sites are only leased by the actual user. Many cell sites are owned by a company different from the cellular provider. So the actual registered owner may have never reflected the actual user. Like for example if you check cell towers locally to where I live, Centennial Wireless owns none, but use many. Or is the registered owner a subsidiary company of Centennial... who knows or cares...

that pierceton area tower used to be telephone long distance, dunno who is on it now. Surely it is paid-for vertical realestate and space is available for rent.

greg

 

so red and white poles mean the towers operate using microwaves, which is different from cell towers right?