wireless internet dish/wind turbine tower [RE-wrenches]

Joel Davidson joeldavidson at earthlink.net
Mon Feb 17 21:12:07 PST 2003


Tom,
Why would you want to make them an offer they can't refuse? You are at in the
catbird's seat. Let them make you an offer that you can't refuse, but give
yourself an escape clause (period of contract) unless you want to marry them for
life. Leases and easements are easy to make and hard to break.
Best regards,
Joel Davidson

Tom Simko wrote:

> Fellow Wrenchs,
>  Here's the power requirements for the proposed wireless internet provider
> dish they want to install on my wind turbine tower, not as bad as I thought
> it may be, of course it was sunny AND windy today, 2:00 am December 21 st or
> so I may think differently!
>
>  I plan to make them an offer they can't refuse: that I set them up with an
> autonomous PV powered system, with my own home off grid system as a backup.
> Also, I will move the proposed site OFF of my wind tower, (and its potential
> complications) and about 200' away to an outbuilding, where I already have a
> pole with a windsock about 30' high. I will offer to erect a 40' length
> (plenty high for their purposes and requirements) of 4" schedule 40 pipe,
> bearing on a concrete footer, grounded of course, and secured to the hanger
> at about the 25' point, thus no guy wires. This will also allow them free
> access anytime without going into or around my shop, and its closer to the
> buried phone lines so it'll save them some money. I'll do all the required
> work with my own equipment, as its the kind of work I do anyway (although
> usually not at my own place, it'll be a short commute)!
>
>  It appears that a simple 48 VDC PV system, to handle the router loads,
> along with a 48 to 12 VDC converter to handle the 12 volts required by the
> radio unit, ought to do it. Then again.....It may be simpler to equip my
> 24VDC home system with 48 VDC and 12VDC converters, and supply all the power
> neeed from my main power center. I'm open to suggestions and comments. My
> home system is up to the job, I havn't used a generator for a couple years
> now. Below is the wireless ISP'rs requirements.
>
>
>  "I have looked at equipment that we may install at your location. The
> equipment is not finalized yet as to manufacturer so I am giving you what I
> would consider maximums at this time.
>
>   The router (Cisco systems, model 2621) 110VAC @1.5 amps 75w or if I can
> get it with a DC power module -38 to -75 VDC, 2.0 amps @75 watts.
> Radio unit, 110VAC/DC 12V output 7 watts.
>
>   Since you are completely green at your site and if these power
> requirements exceed what you would want to deal with, and if you have a
> neighbor that would be interested in what we discussed, I would be most
> pleased to take a call from them."
>
> on 2/13/03 10:09 PM, matthew tritt at solarone at charter.net wrote:
>
> > Tom,
> >
> > Wow-eeee. This sounds pretty interesting. But. One thing you might be
> > careful about is any frequency noise from the turbine blades themselves
> > (plus the alternator of course). I seem to recall that there can be some
> > weird feedback, if that's the correct word, between a parabolic receiver and
> > rotating blades. This was a big problem with windfarm installations way back
> > when, but perhaps your blade arc swings far enough above the dish.
> >
> > Around here, central California, I've noticed the fruits of a suggestion I
> > made early last year to a Cell phone tower installation company, in the form
> > of conventional water pumping windmills sprouting up all over the place,
> > with no plumbing at all, just 4 inconspicuous antennae sticking out of the
> > side of the towers! Kee=rap. I should have protected myself somehow. Pretty
> > funny, considering you have to go through all kinds of pain to put a wind
> > turbine in (not to methion a cell tower!) but not a pumper!
> >
> > Is there no justice?
> >
> > Matt T
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Tom Simko" <tom at skylinesolar.com>
> > To: <RE-wrenches at topica.com>
> > Sent: Thursday, February 13, 2003 8:14 PM
> > Subject: wireless internet dish/wind turbine tower [RE-wrenches]
> >
> >
> >> Fellow Wrenches,
> >>
> >> Today I had a guy drive up to my off grid place and knock on the door.
> > The
> >> first thing out of his mouth was "I noticed your wind turbine tower", and
> > I
> >> thought it was, as  has happened many times in the past, someone that just
> >> had to know how it all (my off grid system) worked. I am always happy to
> >> show a neophyte around my place, you never know, it may result in a sale,
> > as
> >> has  happened in the past.
> >>
> >> It turns out he's a rep for a wireless internet company, new to my rural
> >> area (SE Idaho), and my 50' 4 legged tower, currently occupied by a
> > Whisper
> >> H-80, very soon to be replaced by a AWP 3.6 (as soon as next week) fit the
> >> bill as to height and location for one of their network dishs. He went on
> > to
> >> say that if I gave permission, they'd come in and run a buried phone line
> >
> >> from the road to the tower base, install an 18" mesh dish 5' below the
> > tower
> >> top (from the top of the 4 legged tower its another 6' of 2 1/2" pipe to
> > the
> >> base of the turbine itself, and as the dish would point west, and the
> >> prevailing winds are south in my area I'm not concerned aerodynamically),
> >> and all they need is an outlet to plug their repeater or whatever it is
> >> into.
> >>
> >> At this I laughed and told the guy that I was totally off grid and while
> >> this may be possible it'd take some looking into, we'd need to get some
> >> power consumption figures etc, and I'd have to figure the load on my 1200
> >> watt PV/ 1000 watt wind system. He mentioned that it shouldn't be a
> > problem,
> >> the gear in his estimation drew little power. Then I pointed out IF the
> >> numbers worked the advantage to the company would be continuous power
> >> regardless of grid outages (pretty reliable around here, outages are brief
> >> and infrequent, darn it). He said that he'd get back to me tomorrow with
> >> exact numbers as to how much power would be required, its a given the need
> >> would be 24/7. I suggested checking with the company engineer's to see if
> > a
> >> low voltage DC repeater was available, and then pointed out the cost
> >> effectiveness and potentially greater reliability of a simple DC system,
> > and
> >> how a autonomous system, with its own PV panels/batteries, located on my
> >> property, using my tower, but separate from my home power system but
> > perhaps
> >> using it as a backup, would give a very great degree of reliabilty. He
> >> thought that was a great idea, but was puzzled as to who would know about
> >> all that solar stuff, he did not realize until I took him over to the shop
> >> and showed him my current project, (pun intended) a 960 watt PV off grid
> >> system that I had just finished putting together prior to delivery to the
> >> customers site, that I was in the business. So now it looks like not only
> >> will I lease my tower site to them, I'll sell the power equipment and
> >> install it. It gets better: I pointed out that since I have a trencher and
> > a
> >> boom truck (10 ton, 84' reach, very handy) I could handle ALL of the work.
> >> Sweeet.... They want to provide me with free internet access using their
> >> system (1,500,000 BPS) in exchange, but I think I can keep my old cable
> >> based provider, its adequate for my needs, costs me 35 a month including
> >> hosting my website, and shake them down for a monthly cash payment. He
> >> mentioned they may pay as much as 200 a month if the tech problems are few
> >> or minor and if I'd be willing to sign a contract.
> >>
> >> Anyway, first question is: anyone know if they can expect any electronic
> >> interference from the Trace 4024SW, the SolarBoost 50DL, the soon to be
> >> installed AWP or any other component of my off grid system?  Second
> >> question: anyone else with a wind turbine tower been approached with an
> >> offer like this? If so, what'd they offer and how'd it work out?
> >>
> >> Already spending the money,
> >>
> >> Tom Simko
> >> Skyline Solar
> >>
> >> - - - -
> >> To send a message: RE-wrenches at topica.com
> >>
> >> Archive of previous messages: http://www.topica.com/lists/RE-wrenches/
> >>
> >> List rules & etiquette: http://www.mrsharkey.com/wrenches/etiquete.htm
> >>
> >> Check out participant bios: www.mrsharkey.com/wrenches/index.html
> >>
> >> Hosted by Home Power magazine
> >>
> >> Moderator: michael.welch at homepower.com
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >
> > - - - -
> > To send a message: RE-wrenches at topica.com
> >
> > Archive of previous messages: http://www.topica.com/lists/RE-wrenches/
> >
> > List rules & etiquette: http://www.mrsharkey.com/wrenches/etiquete.htm
> >
> > Check out participant bios: www.mrsharkey.com/wrenches/index.html
> >
> > Hosted by Home Power magazine
> >
> > Moderator: michael.welch at homepower.com
> >
> >
> >
>
> - - - -
> To send a message: RE-wrenches at topica.com
>
> Archive of previous messages: http://www.topica.com/lists/RE-wrenches/
>
> List rules & etiquette: http://www.mrsharkey.com/wrenches/etiquete.htm
>
> Check out participant bios: www.mrsharkey.com/wrenches/index.html
>
> Hosted by Home Power magazine
>
> Moderator: michael.welch at homepower.com
>

- - - -
To send a message: RE-wrenches at topica.com

Archive of previous messages: http://www.topica.com/lists/RE-wrenches/

List rules & etiquette: http://www.mrsharkey.com/wrenches/etiquete.htm

Check out participant bios: www.mrsharkey.com/wrenches/index.html

Hosted by Home Power magazine

Moderator: michael.welch at homepower.com

==^================================================================
This email was sent to: michael_welch at sbcglobal.net

EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?bz8Qcs.bz9JC9.bWljaGFl
Or send an email to: RE-wrenches-unsubscribe at topica.com

TOPICA - Start your own email discussion group. FREE!
http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/create/index2.html
==^================================================================




More information about the RE-wrenches mailing list