underscore_
join:2004-02-25
Holland, MI
 ·AT&T U-Verse
| Question for WISPs..
A pic of me to the tower, it's about 2.5-3.0 miles away, no obsructions in the graph. They are using ~5 ghz though instead of 2.4
Okay, so early November I called my local WISP and signed up for service. Just like any other WISP they came out to my home with their equipment and tested for service. About 2 days later they called back and said that the small hill in my backyard (has trees on top) was too high and I would need to put up a tower. (Now my roof is around 31 ft at the peak, and I asked them if they had tried testing up there (when we called to sign-up we told them to try anything, and we don't mind if you get on the roof.) They said that they wouldn't do on the roof because of liablility reasons and they just pulled in my driveway and tested from their truck.
So anyways, I've been on the roof many times fixing various things and I know that at the peak you the view just skims the top of the trees & with a 10 ft tripod could clear it. Basically my questions are:
1. Do all WISP's refuse to get on your roof and test with their equipment?
2. Do you think a tripod would be sufficient and cheaper than buying a 40 - 45' tower?
3. What are the downsides to a tripod rather than a tower?
4. How hard is it to install a tripod, properly ground it, and make sure it is steady enough to withstand the wind?
Thanks in advance & if this should be in the Users forum you can move it, I just thought it would be easier to direct these questions at an actual WISP. |
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LLigetfa
join:2006-05-15
Fort Frances, ON
| LOL
A WISP that doesn't climb on roofs is in the wrong biz. If your roof is not treacherous (AKA 12/12 pitch) or covered in expensive slate or cedar, a WISP should have no reason not to climb it.
If it is clear to run a tower up along a gable end, bracketed to the house, it can go about 20 feet beyond the peak without guy wires. You generally cannot get that height with a tripod. A tower also provides an excellent ground path in case of a lightening strike. In my area such a tower costs about $10 per foot plus installation.
That said, there are good 10 foot tripods with integral ladder that you can climb and extend a mast another 8 or 10 feet which gets you pretty close to what the tower would at a lower cost. Such a large tripod requires that you have access to the underside of the roof to reinforce. This requires an unfinished attic. The tripod also requires a heavy ground wire run along the exterior to the ground. If the overall height comes up short, you can use a telescoping popup mast in conjunction with the tripod but then you would need to add guy wires. They make popups as tall as 50 feet but you need to buy a tripod that can accomodate a 2 1/2 inch mast.
But then again, you know all this cuz I've said it all before.
»Frequency question... |
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robbin
Premium,MVM
join:2000-09-21
Leander, TX
| I don't believe the liability referred to by the WISP has to do with being afraid to climb on a roof. Rather it is the liability incurred in penetrating a roof to install a roof mount. Many WISPs as well as satellite installers do not like to do this type of install. There are NO industry standard procedures recommended by the roofing industry to bolt through a shingle type of roof. As a WISP myself I do not rule out a roof install totally but most always find another place to install -- such as chimney or gable end mount. It is perfectly legitimate for a WISP to refuse to do a penetrating roof mount. |
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LLigetfa
join:2006-05-15
Fort Frances, ON
| said by robbin  :I don't believe the liability referred to by the WISP has to do with being afraid to climb on a roof. That should be an easy call. Ask them if they would mount the SM if you installed the tripod. You can even install an anchor point.
»www.ronard.com/9442.html |
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battleop
join:2005-09-28
00000
| reply to robbin
The first thing every land lord asks is, "Are you going to drill a hole in my roof?" We will not, for any reason, penetrate a roof. No matter how great you think that sealant job is it will eventually leak. It might be this year or next or five years from now but it will eventually leak and guess who gets the blame. |
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Diddy1
join:2003-07-19
Sidney, NE
| reply to LLigetfa
This is what I have done on a recent install. The sub wanted service, site survey checked out, but the only good location was on a gable window. I told him our insurance wouldn't allow us to install on the roof itself, so he said "let me do it"  Gave him the mount, told him to call me when he's ready for the gear, and signed a waiver that HE installed the mount, not me. He has been happy ever since but now he's moving out of service area 
Aaron |
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underscore_
join:2004-02-25
Holland, MI | reply to underscore_
Thank you for all of the helpful info. I'm planning on calling my WISP in the next few days and discussing my options/seeing what they are able to do/what I might have to do.
Thanks again! |
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