Gary, You may be doing what many of us do - looking to the sky and starting a wish list of the highest spots we can see. Consider instead the 8- to 10-story commercial buildings in the area which may not have any current RF tenants. I've had very good luck over the years getting sites like these, and they're often much less prone to lightning damage, intermod, and other problems common at the "elite" sites. Develop a track record as a trouble-free tenant and community asset, then knock on doors at the casinos, if you want. You're on the right track pitching the public service benefits to the community, but make sure it's done in a credible way, and not overstated. Sending clippings from other states where hams saved the world can be a real eye-roller for a building manager. A brief description of a legitimate, local community need you're seeking to fill is a better approach, especially if a reputable charity or ARES will support you with a letter. Keep in mind that you're focused on selling what the repeater can do for its users and the community, but the building manager will be most concerned with, "how big a pain in the butt is this gonna be?" How you answer that question will be the deciding factor, and how much of his time you take answering it will matter, too. While on that topic, make sure your machine uses good equipment, runs legally, and is trouble-free. Don't cobble together something that will require frequent service visits, or become known as the repeater that always pushes the regulatory envelope. It only takes one nose out of joint in the local commercial land mobile or ham community to screw up a free site. In the end, it's a numbers game. You may have to approach 40 potential sites, and endure 39 "hell no's" before you find the manager who'll say, "sure, why not." Consider working with hams who belong to local business, religious and fraternal groups. Connections help. I got access to a 10-story hotel rooftop in Buffalo, NY in the early 80's, along with AC power, a small indoor closet, and a phone extension off their switchboard for control/patch. All management wanted in return was to have us visit the bar once in a while. (Our whole three-member club!) I was able to help arrange in the mid-80s for the Atlanta Radio Club to get free space and power for ham repeaters on four bands at the 1400-foot level of a broadcast tower, because management needed to demonstrate to potential land mobile clients what the site could cover. Obviously, success here can be a mixed blessing if the paying tenants you attract eventually displace you. Then again, what a great history to take to the next landlord you pitch! (The ham repeaters are still there, 20+ years later.) The last site I got was the roof of a 18-story office building where there were no RF tenants and no AC power. We prepared an outdoor cabinet, and I built a solar/battery power system for the repeater. Later, we got AC power, and helped the building get a wireless internet provider to come on as a paying tenant. 10 years after I moved away, the wireless provider is gone, but the repeater is still there. Initial contact needs to be well-presented and BRIEF. A one page letter may be as much time as they'll spend on you. Make sure it communicates how unintrusive the repeater will be to the building and its tenants, that hams are not compensated for their service, and that the repeater will be a community asset. If you already have a track record of LOCAL public service, put it in the attachments, not the cover letter. That first page should be a very brief executive summary. Visual impact is a very big deal to many of these guys. Some office building owners are very proud of their architecture. Be sensitive to this, and ready to go low-profile with antennas, if that's what it takes to get the deal done. (I once had to put up an antenna, take pictures from surrounding streets, and let commercial tenants look at it for a week before getting approval to procede.) Get a written lease or memo of understanding, even if there's no rent, so your handshake survives changes in building management or turnover in maintenance staff. Make it clear you want to be contacted, and will respond quickly, if the repeater causes any problems, or needs to be shut down or moved for painting or remodeling. Make sure your callsign and contact info are kept up to date, both in that file, and on the outside of your equipment cabinet. If, three years from now, nobody remembers what it is, they may cut the cables and put it in the dumpster. No shortcuts! There may be building codes, insurance requirements or expectations from the maintenance department that seem like overkill to you. You must respect them all. If you get the building in trouble with code enforcement, compromise the lightning protection scheme, frequently blow breakers or create a water leak into the lawyer's office on the top floor, you're dead meat. Conversely, anytime you're at the site, make notes on anything you see amiss. Corrosion, lose lightning grounds or air conditioner shrouds, damage from weather, critters or sloppy contractors should all be brought politely to the attention of building maintenance. Those guys may not be aware of of small problems that could later be big ones. Showing stewardship for the space may be the most effective tactic you have. One ham club in the Carolinas saved its landlord the loss of a broadcast TV transmitter, which was almost at meltdown after the building air conditioning failed. When the ham repeater's over-temp alarm went off, instead of just shutting down the repeater until the next convenient opportunity to make a site visit, the ham club's tech took a moment to call the TV station's engineers. When they got there, the TV transmitter was so hot the plastic meter faces were distorted, but they saved the transmitter from serious, permanent damage. Do you suppose that club will ever have to look for another site? Be patient, respectful and friendly whenever dealing with building management, maintenance, security and, most important, the landlord's receptionist! And then, there's always the option of forming a group, finding a high spot, getting financed and building a tower, paid for by leases to commercial operators. The Big Shanty Repeater Group has supported its system that way since at least the early 1980s. How cool would it be to have the commercial guys paying you rent? Good luck! 73, Paul, AE4KR PS - I have never got even a returned phone call from the management of a residential apartment building. Maybe they're worried about TVI. I've had far better luck with office buildings and hotels.
_____ From: [email protected] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of garyp609 Sent: Tuesday, April 22, 2008 4:18 PM To: [email protected] Subject: [Repeater-Builder] Obtaining a Repeater Site (HOW) I hope this isn't off topic but I am hoping that someone can help. I am trying to secure a site for our repeater club in the Atlantic City, NJ area. Does anyone have any pointers on how to obtain a site. I have been getting a run around from most of the casinos and tower locations in the city. Nobody seems even remotely interested in giving us access. I showed and told them about the benefits of Ham Radio and the service we provide but it falls on deaf ears. Any help, suggestions or connections would be appreciated. 73's Gary K2ACY
