Climbing and Maintaining Antenna Towers

LARC Clubhouse (4420 NW 41st St, Lincoln)

Presentation by Eric Schoenleber, KØMTV

Summer is full of excitement and activities, and it tends to be the ideal time weather-wise for antenna work. When that work involves altitudes beyond what a ladder can practically reach, as in the case of a tower-based installation, it’s often necessary to climb to install, maintain, or decommission one or more antennas or the mounting equipment or associated cabling. For July’s club meeting, I’ll be giving a high-level view of what that entails, safety things to keep in mind, and tips and tricks.

I’m by no means the most experienced climber or tower technician who’ll even probably be in the room, but I did a tower for Future Technologies, which is now Nextlink, which provides internet access to the club building and 16,000 square miles of Nebraska. I’ve been in an IT-related field since 1996 and have installed, maintained, or decommissioned quite literally thousands of outdoor communication devices in that time.

It should be noted that this is not meant to ensure anyone is ready to climb and perform these tasks, nor is it meant to dissuade you from taking them on. It’s just a presentation of some ins and outs of what I’ve encountered and some generally good things to know.

10 Meters – Cycle 25 Brings the Band Back to Life

In-person only: LARC Clubhouse (4420 NW 41st St, Lincoln)

For those who earned their ham licenses less than eve or ten years ago, the 10 Meter band (28 MHz) probably seems like a deserted wasteland. But, at least during sunspot maximums, 10 Meters is truly a magic band capable of providing exciting worldwide communications for even the most modest stations, and we are currently approaching the maximum for Sunspot Cycle 25. That’s great news! More good news, Technician Class hams have nearly full privileges on 10 Meters, including voice, CW, and digital modes! This month’s program will highlight what you need to know to fully enjoy “working the world” on 10 Meters, including some historical perspectives, propagation types, equipment, and operating tips. Don’t let the magic of HF radio pass you by! If you miss Cycle 25, you’ll have to wait another 11 years for Cycle 26 (at least for 10 Meters!)

Wireless Internet Service

Location: LARC Clubhouse (4420 NW 41st St, Lincoln)

TJ Lattimer and Aaron Clark from Nextlink Internet will present the basics of a Wireless Internet Service Provider (WISP) and how it works. Their presentation will cover the technology, equipment, and frequencies used in fixed wireless internet and explain current government initiatives to bring high-speed internet to the “last mile” of rural America. TJ and Aaron will bring some of the equipment used in the industry for display. The presentation will be approximately 30 minutes, with time at the end for questions and a demonstration of a new coverage area deployment.

TJ and Aaron are excited to share knowledge of the WISP industry and look forward to meeting everyone involved with LARC. “Your organization is truly the ‘first responders,’ keeping every community informed and protected. We appreciate everything you do.”

PROGRAM: AM and FM Broadcast Transmitters

Location: LARC Clubhouse (4420 NW 41st St, Lincoln)

Presentation by Ed Holloway, KØRPT

We’ve all seen them – those tall red-and-white towers with lights that flash 30 times a minute. However, have you ever seen what’s at the bottom of those towers? Not many have.

The March club meeting will cover AM and FM broadcast transmitters, including coax, control, and several other things you might find interesting without getting too technical.

As a broadcast engineer, I look forward to sharing some cool pictures and stories about maintaining a few of these towers in the Lincoln area.