Cell Tower Tree.....

1600vw

1600vw

Pattern Altitude
Joined
Nov 12, 2012
Messages
2,004
Location
Central IL
Display Name
Display name:
H.A.S.
They are talking about this in my town. http://www.sj-r.com/breaking/x1037522979/Pasfield-Golf-Course-neighbors-object-to-cell-tower

I say make this tower with leafs like an Oak or a big leafed tree. Each leaf could be a photo cell taking power from the sun and powering homes and such.

I see a forest full of cell Tree's across the world that give more then cell service but bring us power.

I bet someone could design these leafs to always face the shinning sun, and when it rained they would turn backwards like real leafs. Now would that not be cool.

To dream is to dream big.
 
Yeah, we got a cellular tree down the street from my house a few years ago. It's only really noticeable when the other trees around it drop their leaves. I've seen some pretty interesting conifer antenna trees out west.

We've also got them disguised as those giant car dealer flag poles. The poles are a bit thicker than you'd build otherwise (all the antennas are internal) but since they have those huge garrison flags on them, they're not so out of scale.

In urban areas where they don't need a lot of height on the towers, they often just stick them to existing structures. I'm quite amazed at times, the local wireless guys must employ some faux-finish artists because I've seen some that have been paitnted with faux brick or other things to blend them into the surface they're mounted on.
 
Talk about classic NIMBY types opposing this....all of whom are happy to connect their cellphones to towers located in OTHER people's back yards!
 
flyingron said:
Yeah, we got a cellular tree down the street from my house a few years ago. It's only really noticeable when the other trees around it drop their leaves. I've seen some pretty interesting conifer antenna trees out west.
Click to expand...
In SoCal they started making them look like palm trees.
 
They can put one in my back yard in exchange for free cell service.
 
1600vw said:
They are talking about this in my town. http://www.sj-r.com/breaking/x1037522979/Pasfield-Golf-Course-neighbors-object-to-cell-tower

I say make this tower with leafs like an Oak or a big leafed tree. Each leaf could be a photo cell taking power from the sun and powering homes and such.

I see a forest full of cell Tree's across the world that give more then cell service but bring us power.

I bet someone could design these leafs to always face the shinning sun, and when it rained they would turn backwards like real leafs. Now would that not be cool.

To dream is to dream big.
Click to expand...

An insult to nature.
 
geneseib said:
An insult to nature.
Click to expand...

Well sure it is, but we all use a cell phone so you can not complain. Since the world is full of these now why not do something usefull with them. I would prefer to look at a look-a-like tree then a cell tower anyday.
 
dell30rb said:
There is a stupid cell tree around here too, its in Cary.
Click to expand...

I think cell towers are stupid but I use them so who am I to complain about them. I say improve on what we have and this could be an improvemnet.

To me its like giving the finger to the folks who design ugly towers in the first place. Lets start thinking outside the box when we have to litter the country side with stuff like this.
 
cowman said:
They can put one in my back yard in exchange for free cell service.
Click to expand...

I suspect the monthly rent they pay would cover your cell bill and those of a number of friends. 20 years ago a church I attended was approached about putting one in the back corner of our lot. At that time they were offering $1,500 a month in rent. It was a great deal for the church, but neighbors killed the deal.
 
I love towers. As a broadcast engineer there is nothing prettier than a 1500ft tower with an ERI antenna on top. I'd have no problem with a freestanding cell tower in my back yard.
 
We have a tree tower down the road from us. It was there for years before I knew it was a cell tower, and I'm not exactly unobservant. I'd say it works pretty well. Would you rather a cell tower that looks like a tree or a cell tower that looks like a cell tower?
 
I don't understand why people get bothered by stuff like this. Maybe it's because I grew up in the country and spent a lot of time in un-maintained not landscape woods. All that stuff you see in parks and suburbia looks fake to me anyway.

Towers don't bother me at all, I think they're neat to look at.
 
LDJones said:
I suspect the monthly rent they pay would cover your cell bill and those of a number of friends. 20 years ago a church I attended was approached about putting one in the back corner of our lot. At that time they were offering $1,500 a month in rent. It was a great deal for the church, but neighbors killed the deal.
Click to expand...

A cell company came in and rented space inside the church bell tower. IIRC, it was about $1500/month and that was about 15-20 yrs ago. It's been a great relationship for the church, and the community got great cell coverage.
 
BillTIZ said:
A cell company came in and rented space inside the church bell tower. IIRC, it was about $1500/month and that was about 15-20 yrs ago. It's been a great relationship for the church, and the community got great cell coverage.
Click to expand...

When we owned our radio stations we had several tenants on our towers that were cell providers. Was a hell of a deal for us for what little space they took up.
 
Rumor has it the going offer around here is about $1500/mo and 3 free cell phone w/service. And any attempt to negotiate kills the deal with them going over and offering the deal to your neighbor.
 
We have them out here that are built into high-tension power line structures, and others that look like big windmills (so they fit into the Western scenery).
windgen_evening_005.jpg


I understand that usually the 'fake' windmill actually generates power, reducing the electrical use of the cell site.
 
cowman said:
They can put one in my back yard in exchange for free cell service.
Click to expand...

Actually, they pay pretty well to rent the space (not just the tower but here's also a small building needed for the equipment). AT&T or someone wanted to put a tower in our HOA common area. Half of us thought, "Great now we'll have decent cell phone coverage for once and we can eliminate the need to collect the HOA dues." Unfortunately the NIMBYs won even after they flew the tethered balloon and showed that the thing was not going to even be visible to most of the neighborhood (and it wasn't the people living near the tower that were the loudmouths).
 
We have a windmill cell tower nearby. About six months ago the windmill part blew off in a strong wind. I see they have repaired it.
 
ybyvyju3.jpg


I don't think they are fooling anyone with this one.
 
BillTIZ said:
A cell company came in and rented space inside the church bell tower. IIRC, it was about $1500/month and that was about 15-20 yrs ago. It's been a great relationship for the church, and the community got great cell coverage.
Click to expand...

:idea:

Dang! We should have put up a 90' bell tower! It would be paid for by now and the rent would be on-going!
 
Yeah, I think they offered us $750/mo to lease them the space for the monopole about ten years ago.
 
Anyone who objects to a cell-tower in their neighborhood should have their i-phone taken away until she consents. How do they think their twits make it to their tweetophone ?

Those fake-trees are so butt-ugly, an unstayed tubular galvanized steel tower with a little birds-nest to carry the antennas is far less intrusive.
 
cowman said:
Towers don't bother me at all, I think they're neat to look at.
Click to expand...
Ditto. But those "trees" on the other hand... an insult to Nature and technology.
Everything we make is as natural as honeycombs and beaver dams, after all, so I see no reason to be embarrassed about the occasional tower and try to disguise it.

I think man-made stuff only looks bad when it totally overwhelms what might otherwise be a nice bit of wild scenery. I do admire structures that are designed to complement a landscape, but that's not the same thing as trying to hide their Man-made origin.
 
flyingron said:
Yeah, we got a cellular tree down the street from my house a few years ago. It's only really noticeable when the other trees around it drop their leaves. I've seen some pretty interesting conifer antenna trees out west.

We've also got them disguised as those giant car dealer flag poles. The poles are a bit thicker than you'd build otherwise (all the antennas are internal) but since they have those huge garrison flags on them, they're not so out of scale.

In urban areas where they don't need a lot of height on the towers, they often just stick them to existing structures. I'm quite amazed at times, the local wireless guys must employ some faux-finish artists because I've seen some that have been paitnted with faux brick or other things to blend them into the surface they're mounted on.
Click to expand...

Out in the country you see fake windmills and fake water tanks (the old fashioned wooden barrel type) that are really antenna supports. There are also many existing structures pressed into service (like real water tanks and electrical transmission line towers). I understand that there is a cell tower that looks like a Saguaro cactus - but haven't seen one of those. OTOH I have seen some fake pine tree cell towers that look very out-of-place.

Dave
 
LDJones said:
:idea:

Dang! We should have put up a 90' bell tower! It would be paid for by now and the rent would be on-going!
Click to expand...

The "Church on the Hill" has been there since 1842, complete with bell tower.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top