Congratulations, Dan. However, I am wondering about why you painted your tower. Did you buy used tower that was previously painted, but needed some TLC?
-
Get involved.
We want your input!
Apply for Membership and join the conversations about everything related to broadcasting.
After we receive your registration, a moderator will review it. After your registration is approved, you will be permitted to post.
If you use a disposable or false email address, your registration will be rejected.
After your membership is approved, please take a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself.
https://www.radiodiscussions.com/forums/introduce-yourself.1088/
Thanks in advance and have fun!
RadioDiscussions Administrators
The Transmitter Died Again
- Thread starter R.D.P.
- Start date
How could it be used but never painted?
The paint on it was the original. I added a new coat, to keep the rust from expanding.
Dan <><
P.S. This tower is a freestanding one and was in use by AFR, when they had a small studio here. When they moved, the tower was left behind. After I started building, I wanted to get that tower and inquired about it. Contacted the owner who was leasing a room in his building, to them and expressed an interest in getting the tower. After a brief discussion, he donated it to me, where I could use it for Jesus Radio Selma.
Dan <><
P.S. This tower is a freestanding one and was in use by AFR, when they had a small studio here. When they moved, the tower was left behind. After I started building, I wanted to get that tower and inquired about it. Contacted the owner who was leasing a room in his building, to them and expressed an interest in getting the tower. After a brief discussion, he donated it to me, where I could use it for Jesus Radio Selma.
Last edited:
Keep checking your tower. Putting paint on rust is akin to putting a bandaid on skin cancer. If just light surface rust, and paint is flaking off, sand it down and apply some rust killer, then reprime and paint. Wanting all the best for you and your mission.
Not to mention, the general FAA rule is, if you paint it, you have to light it" (At least, that's what I've been told, being the owner of several towers for more than 25 years)
Does that apply, no matter the height of the tower? No doubt Selma, Alabama would get more scrutiny from the FAA than in my neck of the woods. The high school station I helped build has a 190’ unpainted tower, while the LPFM I volunteer for has a 166’ unpainted stick. I am curious about how the FAA goes about this in terms of tower maintenance and when lighting is mandatory. Experts, please sound off.
That is what I always thought as well. A local station started at 190, but had to add lights later when tower was added.
This is an FAA advisory from 2015 that explains lighting requirements for different antenna heights and a lot of other things too:
This site from 2015 explains lighting changes and says in part
“There has been some confusion about the change because unless a tower is within the glide slope of an airport or heliport and lower than 200 feet, no FAA authorization is required, and therefore no antenna structure registration. This new rule does not reduce the 200-foot limit to 150 feet and that is not clear from the FCC public notice.”
FAA Updates Tower Lighting Requirements - The Society of Broadcast Engineers
On Dec. 4, 2015, the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) released the Advisory Circular for Obstruction Marking and Lighting 70/7460-1L (AC 70/7460-1L), which cancels and replaces Advisory Circular 70/7460-1K.
sbe.org
When AFR used that tower, they never had lights on it either. According to the info posted from your link @radiofan2023, it sounds like I'm the in the clear about the light thing.
Dan <><
You should double check with the FAA
How far are you from an airport? There is a cell site less than a hundred feet tall that has to strobed daytime and red flashing at night with a side marker. It is only 3 or 4 miles from the end of a runway. IMHO a bit of overkill because it's less than 20 or 30 higher than the surrounding trees. It is the only cell site in the county with this requirement.
I am pretty sure your are good. I would check with FAA just to be sure.
I am pretty sure your are good. I would check with FAA just to be sure.
Assuming you replaced your old tower with a new tower at the exact same location and height as your old one, then FAA clearance was already studied when you got your original CP. If there are lighting requirements, you'd know because your tower would have an FAA-issued antenna structure registration number.
If you changed height when you got the new tower, you have some bigger issues, because you or your engineer should have filed for a minor modification (which again would have triggered FAA analysis if needed )
If you changed height when you got the new tower, you have some bigger issues, because you or your engineer should have filed for a minor modification (which again would have triggered FAA analysis if needed )
IMHO non guyed towers do have an advantage over guyed towers, no guy wires to worry about. You should be good for a long time.
A new LPFM certified type unit from Nicom. This is a replacement model, for the one I've had in the shop several times.
Dan <><
Dan <><
P.S. The issue itself wasn't in the transmitter, after all. Bad connectors in the Antenna, is what lead to the transmitter shutting down. When we checked everything, a few days ago, that's what we discovered. Nicom thought the issue was in the antenna and they were right.
- Status