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Does anyone know what the thin bar transmitters are on the top of this radio tower? This one is just a stock photo but the real one has the same bars on it.

I'm pretty confident in those being cell phone antennas.

Can confirm, they definitely are cell phone antennas. Keep all arms and legs to the back side of them, or they will cook you as a microwave would.

Don't touch the antennas. They're precisely aligned like a satellite dish. You'll cause people a whole lot of headache if you knock them out.

Definitely cell phone antennae. You can even check who owns it on this map.

In some places where aesthetics are a concern (i.e. richer suburbs), or places where people are scared of towers they hide them in crosses on churches and disguise them as trees and stuff. (poorly)

Thanks for the link, I found some 500 meter antenna on my own but they turned out that they where AM and would kill me

I should be able to find a cool one with that link thanks.

I wouldn't hang around the active antennas too long, while they're mainly directed outwards, there are side and back lobes to the radiation pattern that can cook your soft tissues (balls and eyes). Heats up the fluid inside just like a microwave oven

There are quite a few threads on here about antenna climbing and safety, if you search around.

Posted by catdog23 Definitely cell phone antennae. You can even check who owns it on this map. In some places where aesthetics are a concern (i.e. richer suburbs), or places where people are scared of towers they hide them in crosses on churches and disguise them as trees and stuff. (poorly) https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e9/Finishing_cross_view.JPG/180px-Finishing_cr oss_view.JPG https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/66/PalmCellTower.jpg/167px-PalmCellTower.jpg

The second one looks so cheesy

I've been looking into getting an antenna site installed on my back property. I don't think my neighbors would like it too much though.

Did I read that 500 meters right? Crap, that's high!

Quick question, I have website that shows who owns the radio towers in Canada. Little more tinkering, I found the power output and other information...

I have no clue, how powerful this is...Is there a rule of thumb?

Freq(MHZ)-----BW(Hz)-----Power(dbw)------height(m)
850-----------3.77M-------19.7--------- ---69
850-----------3.77M-------2.7------------69

Oh yeah, the website is http://www.ertyu.o.../cancellsites.html

With the higher frequencies in the gigahertz, I wouldn't want to be near anything over 20-30 watts, as they can be quite dangerous. When you get into the frequencies around 10GHz and up, it gets scary, even at lower powers.
Microwave ovens operate at around 2.4 Gigahertz at anywhere from 500 watts to over 1000, depending on the model.

As far as the antennas, like others have said, the long ones (sectionals) are likely for cell, but could also be for wifi or something similar.
The big round ones that look like drums are point to point microwave, usually used for communicating from one tower to another. There can also be AM, FM, and TV antennas on towers too.

Another danger is getting electrocuted or nasty RF burns from touching AM towers where the tower IS the antenna, you will complete a circuit to ground and likely regret it.

take it from a amateur "ham" radio operator who has been zapped a few times!

Posted by Waiver Quick question, I have website that shows who owns the radio towers in Canada. Little more tinkering, I found the power output and other information... I have no clue, how powerful this is...Is there a rule of thumb? Freq(MHZ)-----BW(Hz)-----Power(dbw)------height(m) 850-----------3.77M-------19.7--------- ---69 850-----------3.77M-------2.7------------69

In 1996 the FCC in the US took data from the IEEE to make maximum exposure guidelines for antennae for 6 minute (controlled) and 30 minute (uncontrolled) exposures.


American Radio Relay League

Oh yeah, the website is http://www.ertyu.o.../cancellsites.html

That's the same map I linked lol.

Posted by catdog23 That's the same map I linked lol.

Lol shit! I went to bed at like 4am and woke up and couldnt remember who posted that map. Being sleep deprived really does do what they say. Sorry 'bout that >.<. Thanks for the chart

Posted by Freak I wouldn't hang around the active antennas too long, while they're mainly directed outwards, there are side and back lobes to the radiation pattern that can cook your soft tissues (balls and eyes). Heats up the fluid inside just like a microwave oven

When I worked for a telecom company, we had one tower that was somehow ended up leaking radiation into the control room. A fair number of people ended up with "welders flash" just from being in the vicinity of the site...

Personally, I stay far away from cell/radio sites. There's nothing overly exciting inside and the dangers are invisible, so thats always a lovely bonus...