Antenna tower trailer weekends?

Interest Groups Amateur Radio
#1

While our rooftop antenna isn’t up in the air, would there be both interest in, and approval available for the following idea? I have access, on a bottom of the list basis, to a friend’s 50 foot tower trailer that takes about 4 parking spaces to set up, and I can likely also borrow a rotator and Mosley 10/15/20M 3 element beam. Set up time, including beam is anout 90 minutes with crew that hasn’t helped before, and about 45 min with an experienced crew. Take down is usually going to be 30 min to an hour with the same qualifications.

The proposal would be that roughly quarterly, I could bring it up Friday after work, get a couple of people to help assemble the beam, and stand it up. Sunday evening, also find a couple of people committed to taking the beam apart and packing it back up. The 48 hours in between I would propose should have a sign up sheet for 1 hour blocks of reserved time, with some rules about maximum block size and maximum number of hours that can be reserved on a weekend. Time not booked would be first come, first served with preference to those who have not worked reserved time.

To make this happen, I would need to know that people are committed to helping me set up and take down. We would need assurances that the periodic weekend set up and 48 hours in the parking lot was unlikely to be an issue with the landlord and that the board and infrastructure have no objections. After all, it would not be good if this difficult to handle combination wound up towed/impounded for trying to be generous. Based on the current AR sig bench, and the apparent access to a wall penetration for coax and rotator control, this would likely be somewhere along the north end of the building, but I havent specifically scoped out a minimum of 50 feet from the power line easement and clearing the trees.

Anyone have any thoughts, questions, or concerns?

I can confirm in advance that bigger amateur radio weekends like field day, winter field day, Texas state parks on the air, texas QSO party, and a few others are not going to be available. This would be more generally non contest weekends, but good opportunities for general operations.

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#2

If the photo comes through, here is a photo of it set up with a similar beam back on field day.

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7885EF1F-300D-477F-9ECE-A156A4FA3E63.jpeg1536×2048 590 KB

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#3

@Team_Amateur_Radio

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#4

I can definitely help with taking it down on Sundays. Chances are good I could get out there friday evenings too but the later the better.

#5

DMS is located in an Industrial Park. You will first need Landlord approval, then an Antenna Permit from the City of Carrollton.

#6

A city permit for temporary use of a trailer mounted 50 foot tower? So each time we set up for 3 days we would need a new permit? How much do they charge for this paperwork? Do news vans comply, or just not run remote video feed from Carrollton? Or how is a news van tower distinguished from a factory built, trailer mounted amateur radio tower?

#7

They have their own permits and are considered a mobile service. And as it’s considered a commercial radio, it falls under a different part of the FCC regulations.

#8

Dallas County REACT has used an antenna trailer for events, and last I recall we don’t need to get a permit for it for active, temporary use.

Might make a difference if we were to leave it cranked upright rather than lowered during inactivity?

I’m unsure. I can check with our technical officer to see what the process was. Of course may vary by city, but last I recall those permits were for permanent structures.

#9

During Field Day last month the Plano Amateur Radio Klub (KLUB) was set up in a City Park and needed an Antenna Permit. I would get Landlord approval first, that will be the hardest step. The City just just wants Permit fee.

#10

Here’s the relevant city code documentation. There is a section at the end with exceptions for temporary support structures which I think would give us the green light. Here is the relevant text.

  1. TEMPORARY SUPPORT STRUCTURES FOR ANTENNAS:
    Temporary support structures for antennas, for commercial purposes, shall be permitted on a
    temporary basis under the following conditions:
    a. The use of the temporary support structure shall be restricted to equipment testing or to restore
    service due to the failure of an existing antenna.
    b. The maximum height of the temporary support structure and antenna shall be 75 feet.
    c. A temporary support structure shall be permitted for a maximum of 30 days.
    d. A temporary support structure shall not be permitted to locate on the same lot or tract of
    property more than one time during any 12 month period.
    e. A temporary support structure shall be located a minimum of 500 feet from any residentially zoned
    district. (Ord. No. 2580, 12/05/00)

As long as we are “testing” our equipment once a month, I think this would cover it.

EDIT: Oh wait, section d might be a problem… :confused:

Full document can be found here. Amateur Radio section starts on page 28-3.

https://www.cityofcarrollton.com/home/showdocument?id=18816

#11

Double check the first sentence above “commercial purposes”. Amateur Radio is not commercial.

#12

Rule 6 of Exhibit D of the original lease states:

Tenant shall not install any radio or television antenna, satellite dish, loudspeaker or other device on the roof or exterior walls of the Building without Landlord’s prior written consent which consent shall be in Landlord’s sole discretion.

Rule 27 further states:

No trucks, tractors or similar vehicles can be parked anywhere other than in Tenant’s own truck dock area. … No parking or storing of such trailers will be permitted in the parking areas or on streets adjacent thereto.

I’m not trying to be Debbie Downer … I’m citing the lease language so you know the parameters to work within. It doesn’t sound insurmountable to me. In light of the fact that it’s not going to be actually installed, and if we agree to set it up only during “non-business hours”, they might be agreeable. ('cuz there is a clause that we can’t annoy the neighbors …)

@richmeyer went over the permit requirements in this other Talk post.

#13

I’m not talking about the landlord provisions, as we would obviously have to abide by the lease agreement, I’m just trying to get clarification on the relevant city codes. I understand amateur radio is not commercial and we would not be transmitting for commercial purposes, but would it not be considered a commercial use if the space is facilitating the use of the antenna to it’s members?

Either way, section d is still a problem so someone would likely have to request an exception from the city, which I have no idea how to accomplish, if it’s even possible.

#14

The section D stuff is the landlord’s restrictions.

DMS is in the Freeway zone of Carrollton. The zoning allows radio antennas - just need the permit.

#15

https://www.cityofcarrollton.com/home/showdocument?id=22187

As long as it stays below the zoning limit, there shouldn’t need to be a permit for the antenna from the city, but it would be best to check with code compliance after getting landlord approval.

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