Re: Watertown Mount in Wireless Service Providers http://www.dslreports.com/forum/r16463060 en Sat, 05 Dec 2009 01:34:56 EDT Sat, 05 Dec 2009 01:34:56 EDT Re: Watertown Mount http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,16470778 lutful :
said by keefe007 See Profile :

I found out that the pricing for the magnetmount is about $1200. That's a little more than I thought it would be. It doesn't seem like it would take all that much to build one of these things.
We actually got permission to use mag-mount option for two water towers in early 2005, but somehow lost the tower rights to another WISP who did not use mag-mount. There is a photo of their Tranzeo setup in this relatd thread:
»Using Water Towers?

Once you have permission from engineering firm, making a professional custom mag-mount is easy. You should use multiple AlNico or other corrosion-resistant magnets on a curved steel frame customized for the local surface of the specific water tower. They may require an additional safety tether for the whole assembly.

Calculate windload for the frame and antenna and use magnets to provide 150% to 200% of the windloading - going way overboard with magnet strength is actually dangerous since you do not want the magnets to rip up the surface of the water tank in a hurricane.

Surplus AlNico magnets provide good corrosion-resistance and strength. This is a good site for general info and magnets. »www.stanfordmagnets.com/magnet.html]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,16470778 Mon, 10 Jul 2006 13:53:24 EDT Re: Watertown Mount http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,16469737 keefe007 : I found out that the pricing for the magnetmount is about $1200. That's a little more than I thought it would be. It doesn't seem like it would take all that much to build one of these things.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,16469737 Mon, 10 Jul 2006 11:02:05 EDT Re: Watertown Mount http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,16469505 slipstream1 : We have found that you can attach to the climbing ladder of a watertank if you keep it on the back side of the ladder and use some sort of standoff so as not to impede climbing. If you have to go on the legs you will have to figure painting and a banding system of some kind. We would normally use a crane with a man basket to install coax on the external surfaces of the water tank legs. The two part epoxy will hold whatever mounting system you would like to put on the top of that tank. ]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,16469505 Mon, 10 Jul 2006 10:20:24 EDT Re: Watertown Mount http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,16469131 LLigetfa : Tying to the handrail would create a safety hazard but there is no reason why you could not work from the ladder to attach sections of conduit that does not impede the use of the ladder. Just don't do one long straight section or else the tension on the wire at the top with all the weight hanging from it would do it in.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,16469131 Mon, 10 Jul 2006 09:12:09 EDT Re: Watertown Mount http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,16468129 Airplane777 : But bucket trucks aren't even that high.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,16468129 Mon, 10 Jul 2006 00:31:27 EDT Re: Watertown Mount http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,16468119 Diddy1 : That's one of the reasons we bought an old bucket truck :) I couldn't come up with a solution to that very type of problem other than a bucket truck etc.
Aaron]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,16468119 Mon, 10 Jul 2006 00:28:49 EDT Re: Watertown Mount http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,16467855 Airplane777 :
said by John Galt See Profile :

said by Airplane777 See Profile :

I assume you might run the CAT 5 down a railing of the ladder that you use to climb up the tower?
NO attachments to ladders.
Bummer...lol.

It seems like it would be pretty difficult to run cable down a water tower leg. Like...how do you do that? Seems next to impossible. Do you lower yourself down the water tower leg with a rope and attach the CAT 5 along the way?]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,16467855 Sun, 09 Jul 2006 23:36:57 EDT Re: Watertown Mount http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,16464939 keefe007 :
said by LLigetfa See Profile :

Could you post a photo of the top of the tower? Also, how do you plan to ground the mast and how do you plan to run the cabling?
I don't have a picture of the top yet but I'll get one soon. For grounding I was looking at a .012" thick x 2" wide copper ground strap made by the same company that makes the magnetmount. Link -> »www.metal-cable.com/page7.html The cables and grounding strap will be ran down the center column.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,16464939 Sun, 09 Jul 2006 13:56:25 EDT Re: Watertown Mount http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,16463812 LLigetfa : Could you post a photo of the top of the tower? Also, how do you plan to ground the mast and how do you plan to run the cabling?]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,16463812 Sun, 09 Jul 2006 10:30:18 EDT Re: Watertown Mount http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,16463781 John Galt :
said by Airplane777 See Profile :

I assume you might run the CAT 5 down a railing of the ladder that you use to climb up the tower?
NO attachments to ladders.
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A is A]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,16463781 Sun, 09 Jul 2006 10:23:55 EDT Re: Watertown Mount http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,16463508 Airplane777 : Are there any preferred places that you run the CAT 5 down the tower? I assume you might run the CAT 5 down a railing of the ladder that you use to climb up the tower? ]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,16463508 Sun, 09 Jul 2006 09:04:29 EDT Re: Watertown Mount http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,16463416 LLigetfa : You still need a good grounding point and for that, you need to go down to bare metal. If there is a vent that you can get even a single guy/ground wire to, you could use it as a hold-down for a tripod.

There is available, green thermoplastic stuff used primarily in the pipeline industry as a dielectric anti-corrosion coating that you apply over jeeps with a torch. The stuff works better than hot glue and can be resoftened if need be. It is also marketed for boat repair. You can use it to cover the grounding point, probably best cad-welded. If you have a centre hold-down guy, you could hot glue down the tripod legs.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,16463416 Sun, 09 Jul 2006 08:34:01 EDT Re: Watertown Mount http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,16463060 jdmarti1 : We went to a fab shop and had something built that looked like the cell phone mounts, it attached around the vent cap on top. I will try to find some pictures of them. The legs are then epoxied down to the tower. The epoxy works very well, this is what it is designed for. You only have to clean the area where you are actually putting the epoxy - so you do not damage the paint on the tower. DO NOT DRILL HOLES IN A WATER TOWER TOP!!! You will be opening a can of worms that you can't close.
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»magicwisp.com]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,16463060 Sun, 09 Jul 2006 04:51:16 EDT Re: Watertown Mount http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,16462929 robbin : Thanks, I didn't get insulted. :) I did a search of this forum for water tower magnets and found this old thread. Searches using water tower mount turn up reasons not to drill or weld. Epoxy may be an option but I would be hesitant as you would probably need to grind down to bare metal. I wouldn't want to be responsible for the paint job and that may just make me responsible.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,16462929 Sun, 09 Jul 2006 03:18:25 EDT Re: Watertown Mount http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,16462892 Diddy1 : Well, do you guys remember the CB radio days? There were a plethora of magnet mounted antennas that went directly on the vehicle and were several feet tall! So, there is something to the magnet thing. Funny how I forget past innovative solutions :( The magenet idea sounds very realistic after that. I thought robbin was joking but obviously he is a great deal more enlightened than me on the subject. I wasn't trying to insult robbin :huh:
Aaron]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,16462892 Sun, 09 Jul 2006 02:59:30 EDT Re: Watertown Mount http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,16462838 superdog :
said by Diddy1 See Profile :

LOL, but seriously. Didn't someone mention a solution like this not too long ago that was actually realistic?
Aaron
Yes. It has been mentioned a few times here. There are quite a few places to buy magnets, and I have seen some interesting mounts made from them. :)
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»www.wavecrazy.net Join WISPA today! »www.wispa.org/]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,16462838 Sun, 09 Jul 2006 02:41:08 EDT Re: Watertown Mount http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,16462833 keefe007 : I have found a heavy duty magnet mount that claims to withstand 125 mph winds with 10 square feet of capacity.

Here's the link -> »metal-cable.com/magnemount.pdf

I haven't called for pricing at all yet.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,16462833 Sun, 09 Jul 2006 02:39:14 EDT Re: Watertown Mount http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,16462832 Diddy1 :
said by robbin See Profile :

Heavy duty magnets?
LOL, but seriously. Didn't someone mention a solution like this not too long ago that was actually realistic?
Aaron]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,16462832 Sun, 09 Jul 2006 02:38:02 EDT Re: Watertown Mount http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,16462829 Diddy1 : I'm curious about this as well. I see gear mounted on this same type of water tower/structure and wonder how they do it. I just guessed that the stell wall/shell was very thick and you drill into it so far to hold a screw?
Aaron]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,16462829 Sun, 09 Jul 2006 02:37:01 EDT Re: Watertown Mount http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,16462824 robbin : Heavy duty magnets?]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,16462824 Sun, 09 Jul 2006 02:35:23 EDT Watertower Mount http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,16462798 keefe007 : What's the best way to mount a cluster of antenna's onto a watertower that doesn't have a railing? I've done installs before on watertowers with railings and they have been fairly straightforward but we're looking at a tower right now that just has a smooth top. If anyone else has mounted on such a surface, please give me any suggestions you have.

Thanks!

[mod edit - title changed to accurately reflect the topic]]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,16462798 Sun, 09 Jul 2006 02:27:15 EDT