Alex,
I have used a State of Minnesota Dept or Natural Resources (DNR) fire spotting tower for amateur radio equipment for the last 10 years.I currently have a 2 meter repeater, a 440 mhz repeater and packet radio equipment running at this site. It took almost 2 years of asking to find the right person to finally say yes. I am also using a second DNR fire spotting tower for packet radio use for the last 2 years and it was easier to get the second one as I knew who and what to ask.
The DNR (or any other locall forestry agency) is liable to be REALLLY slow in all of their actions so you have to be persistent and not give up.
I do have leases at both sites and pay $ 120.00 per year at one of the sites (the 2nd one is free). But this site where I pay has a block building at the base of the tower and ready AC power so it was worth it. (There used to be an low power FM broadcast station operating at this site before I started using it)
Be sure that AC power is available at the tower site, as it gets VERRY expensive.to run a new power feed into a remote tower site. The 2nd free fire spotting tower site I am using only needed a 150 ft long AC power run (from a pole transformer to a new service entrance I had to install), and it cost over $ 2000.00 to put that in.
The antenna mounting can be a challenge (as they normally will not allow any holes to be drilled in the tower) but you will get really good at using hose clamps and pieces of pipe to hold up your antennas. It is a real challenge to "clamp" to 4 or 6 inch angle iron pieces. You might not be able to get your antennas over the 'Observation cab" on top of the tower, so side mounting of antennas has to be done. Yes, the tower does put a shadow in part of your pattern, but if you are flexible these tower sites are useful.
At most fire tower sites you will need an outdoor box for your radio equipment. I have found at the one tower site I was able to place this box on an extension of the first stairway landing I added to get it off of the ground and away from possible vandals.
I will send you some pictures of my site installations direct to your e-mail address.
Let me know how your project works out.
Paul K0LAV
-------------- Original message --------------
> Hello All,
> The local department of Forestry has an observation tower that is
> over 200' off the ground. I would like to put my UHF Amateur repeater
> on that tower. I stopped by yesterday and talked to the Fire Fighter
> that was stationed there. He had told me that cellphone companies had
> asked if they could put some equipment on the tower and the DOF flat
> out said no; however, the guy I talked to said a friend of his was a
> Ham and had expressed an interest in putting a Ham repeater on the
> tower and it was okayed but the Ham moved before anything was put into
> effect. The guy I talked with said to leave my contact information and
> he would pass it on to his boss and have him contact me with more
> information.
> I was wondering if anyone has done anything tower related with the
> Department of Forestry? If so what was your experiance like? I
> remember reading somewhere that hams and the DOF have an MOU together
> for tower space, anyone know anything about that? Any past experiances
> and tips would be greatly appreciated. Thanks and 73.
> Alexander KG4OGN
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