Best of the ISP-Lists

Whoosh, Whoosh

Members of the ISP-Wireless list discuss generating your own power for your antennas. Sound crazy? People are doing it already, but noise is sometimes a problem. Whoosh, whoosh.

[May 1, 2001]

On the ISP-Wireless list, MS asked,

"Has anyone considered putting up a tower and using it as both an antenna and a wind power tower? What would the requirements for this be?"

A number of respondents advised doing things the other way around:

[SW suggested] "Wouldn't it be more structurally sound if you just buy a windmill and hang antennas off it, instead of putting a windmill on a radio tower? It seems that a windmill will be designed to handle excessive windloading and such, whereas no radio tower is made to handle the load of a windmill."

[JT agreed] "If you buy the tower for the windmill, then add the antennas, you should be in good shape. The windmill towers are pretty heavy."

Some respondents suggested being cautious with alternative energy sources:

[CM warned] "Alternative technology is great, but if you are planning to resell your service, you'd better have it engineered properly. Your customers won't be too happy with 'the wind didn't blow today.' Of course, current events (bad pun) in California may prove all expectations of power reliability wrong..."

[JP agreed] "Wireless and alternative energy can go great together, but make sure you do some research first."

JL observed that solar power might be a better idea:

"I've done three wind powered radio sites. The problem with the small wind plants is that you can get the same amount of power from solar cells at a slight increase in cost and installation area. The big advantage of wind power is that it delivers when you need it most (mid winter, without sun, at night).

The real problems with wind power, though, are aesthetic. One of our installations became unusable and had to be replaced by solar power because the metal blades reflected the radio signals and applied doppler modulated FM on the signal. The biggest installation precipitated a public hearing because of the noise (whoosh, whoosh, etc.). If either of these are a problem, think solar."

—End

Related articles:
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	[Dec. 16, 2000]	Hidden Towers