 Most viewed - Non-Camouflaged Sites
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Flush Mount Cell Site on PG&E Transmission Pole - San Jose, CA Airport2349 viewsThe interesting point about the cell antennas mounted to PG&E's transmission pole (seen in the right side of the photo) is that the antennas are not out on arms. Usually power companies require carriers to mount antennas on arms to insure adequate climbing space under NESC/CPUC GO95.
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Sprint microcell - Omnidirectional pattern2085 viewsOne of the secret ways from the San Fernando Valley into West Los Angeles (or is it the other way around) is via Havenhurst Avenue. Sprint's customers know the route, and Sprint's capitalized on it by adding this omni site to cover the commuters.
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Sprint microcell - Omnidirectional pattern2065 viewsOne of the secret ways from the San Fernando Valley into West Los Angeles (or is it the other way around) is via Havenhurst Avenue. Sprint's customers know the route, and Sprint's capitalized on it by adding this omni site to cover the commuters.
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Cell site in parking lot1679 viewsNotice the addition of the lot lights.
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Pole-mounted Microcell1313 viewsThis wireless microcell provides uninterrupted coverage on a busy major highway in a steep winding canyon on the Southern California coast.
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GPS and LMU antennas1256 viewsThe GPS antenna (the pointed white dome) is used to receive satellite-delivered timing signals used to sync a large-area wireless network.
The LMU (Location Measuring Unit) antenna, which in this photograph is mounted on a bracket to the left of the GPS antenna) is used to help a wireless carrier locate its users as required by the FCC for wireless E-911.
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New Concept: A wireless site without antennas or base station equipment1234 viewsThis SCE tower features a three sector panel mount without panels. It also lacks any base station.
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Cell site, microwave mounted on wood pole1110 viewsWe don't need no stinking steel tower!
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The Tower Works LTD858 viewsThis structurally attractive tower is in Mangonia Park just north of West Palm Beach. The tower is just over 500 feet tall. I had a delightful chat with Marlin of TTW about her tower. She shared some great stories - and frustrations - about this and other towers she's been involved with.
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NextG Distributed Antenna System Node817 viewsNextG's DAS node located in Encinitas, California. The carrier supported by this node is Cricket Wireless. The DAS equipment manufacturer is Andrew Corporation. This DAS node is a member of Andrew's ION ("Intelligent Optical Network") line of products. The cover at the top of the DAS housing covers a cooling fan.
Under SDG&E rules, this site does not consume enough power to require a power meter; merely a breaker box (located to the right of the DAS node).
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Co locate site for multiple cell structures756 viewsThis multi-tower site is along next to Interstate 405 in Irvine, California.
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Sprint Monopole in Lebec, California755 viewsSite is controlled by TowerCo (soon to be SBC).
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Pad-mounted Base Station751 viewsThis is a concrete-pad mounted cell site base station. The powering is to the right, and the GPS antenna is seen in the top-background attached to the ice-bridge. The ice-bridge protects the coaxial cables, mounted below the bridge, from falling ice.
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Sprint microcell - Two Sectors748 viewsPole mounted Sprint microcell in Brentwood, California (Parkyns St.). The panel antennas should have been painted brown or green to afford some measure of camouflage. This site is near OJ's former home on Rockingham in Brentwood, California. It's a much nicer area than were he now lives in Nevada.
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Lambert Ranch - Irvine, California743 viewsThis view shows the separate fences for the varioud sites. Notice that the walkway between the Nextel site (left) and the Sprint site (middle, foreground) passes right under the various panels.
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"We Come In Peace!"731 viewsWater tank cell and microwave site south of Sacramento, California along I-5
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Awful AT&T Antennas720 viewsThis rather awful antenna site, from AT&T wireless, is located at 10239 1/2 Vassar in Canoga Park, California. The dual band antennas use tower mounted amplifiers to enhance weak signal reception.
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YMCA Monopole720 viewsA shorty monopole site at a YMCA camp in Thousand Oaks, California.
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Lambert Ranch - Irvine, California717 viewsAs of early 2006, Verizon, Nextel, and Sprint have sites here, above the Lambert sisters home. All of this property, save for the homestead and trees, is being developed. The cell site is to be relocated. Notice he ripe red yummy things in the foreground.
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Hot zone? What hot zone?709 viewsThis roof-top site (now removed) used cheezy plastic safety cones with pasted-on warning signs to alleged mark the edge of the general population/uncontrolled RF zone. Note the two cones at rear-right that have blown over. A very effective warning technique, eh?
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Microcell mounted in traffic signal light standard706 viewsThe cell antennas are pointed to cover short street segments on Ventura Blvd east and west of Laurel Canyon Blvd. San Fernando Valley, California.
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CEV Hatch with Bench697 viewsThe metal bench sits atop the hatch of a CEV (controlled environmental vault) used to house telecommunications equipment in a large, underground room. How large is large, you ask? CEV's are common, but bench tops aren't.
CEVs come in many sizes, but its common for the size of the room below ground to be measured in hundreds of square feet.
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NextG DAS Pole Mounted Site679 viewsA NextG distributed antenna system (DAS) site in Redondo Beach, California.
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Desert Storm!670 viewsVerizon's "Desert Storm" light standard site in Irvine, California.
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Generic monopole site662 viewsJust another example of a monopole antenna tower.
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NextG RF Safety Advisory Notice658 viewsThis is NextG's RF safety advisory below the DAS node. It clearly spells out the RF safety facts and compliance for this site as it pertains to the general population walking by the site.
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Verizon MTSO San Diego 2 of 2656 viewsThis photo shows Verizon's Mobile Telephone Switching Office and tower in San Diego, California. The microwave antennas connect various cell sites back to this MTSO. Telephone company leased data lines (usually T1 circuits) are another means of connecting remote cell sites back to a MTSO.
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Strand-mounted cell site (Sprint)655 viewsThis is a Sprint cell site using the cable TV system to connect users to the MTSO. Irvine, CA.
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Not too compliant with the FCC OET Bulletin 65 Rules652 viewsThe FCC rules require that where visitors (and even trespassers) are expected, a wireless carrier must protect those members of the general population from RF exposure exceeding the uncontrolled standard. This site does not meet that requirement due to the antennas mounted on the exterior fence of this water tank site.
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640 views
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Das da ticket!631 viewsA close up of the AT&T Wireless DAS antennas. Note several things:
First, the RF warning sign is on the rear of the antenna, where is cannot be seen by someone approaching the antenna. This is not consistent with the FCC RF safety requirements.
Second, these are dual band antennas. In the far antenna, the cellular band antenna feed is on the right; the PCS band feed is on the left.
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Cell site on a Call Box625 viewsThis cell site uses a travelers call box as the antenna support. The equipment is located just beyond the railing in the underground enclosure. Near Pt. Mugu, California.
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UCLA? I C LA!612 viewsVerizon's right-of-way microcell monopole site on Hilgard Avenue near Manning just to the east of UCLA. The base station equipment is located underground adjacent to the two vents.
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Awful AT&T Antennas610 viewsThis rather awful antenna site, from AT&T wireless, is located at 10239 1/2 Vassar in Canoga Park, California. The dual band antennas use tower mounted amplifiers to enhance weak signal reception.
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Pad-mounted Base Station609 viewsThis is a concrete-mounted cell site equipment and power package. Note the use of the ice-bridge (left-rear of the equipment) to protect the cables. The commercial powering package is to the right of the radio equipment package.
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Wireless sites on power transmission towers608 viewsA new trend to install wireless antenna arrays on high voltage power transmission towers. These new co-location sites are gaining popularity due their preexisting right of ways and available height.
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Four sector monopole cell site605 viewsIt's relatively unusual to find 4-sector towers. Here's one (although only 3 sectors are in use).
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NextG Distributed Antenna System Node600 viewsNextG is a wireless carrier's carrier. They provide fiber links between the BTS and the antenna site using a technology referred to as Distributed Antenna System (DAS). This is a NextG DAS node located in Encinitas, California. The carrier supported by this node is Cricket Wireless. NextG's Cricket network in San Diego County is thought to be the largest deployment of DAS in the U.S.
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Multipurpose monopole598 viewsThis tall monopole belonging to a Southern California radio station is occupied at several levels by various communications services.
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Das da ticket!596 viewsAT&T uses a distributed antenna system (DAS) to light this site on Valley Circle in the San Fernando Valley (Los Angeles County). The DAS node, manufactured by Andrew Corporation, is the small box affixed to the larger power meter pedestal cabinet.
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Great Scott!589 viewsScottsdale has some very interesting pole mounted sites. This long view of several carriers' sites shows an interesting deployment scheme to cover subdivisions along Shea Road.
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Palms guarding cell site - circa 2004588 viewsThis is a cell site 'guarded' by live palm trees. Its the same site I photographed in late 2001 (see that photo in this gallery). Notice how the live palms have grown, and so have the houses around the site!
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What's that wrapping around the antennas?586 viewsHere's an interesting site (close up in next photo). Notice that there are cars parked in the auto body shop lot directly below the antennas. Perhaps birds like to take aim and, er, hit the cars below. What a clever carrier solution! Put a net around the antennas to keep the birds off.
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Close-up of anti-Bird-bomb net over antennas586 viewsHere's a close-up photo of the net placed over the antennas to keep the birds off (and to keep them from bombing the cars below)!
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Great Scott! (Some more)586 viewsThis close-up view shows a very stylish use of an iron sculpture to provide an interesting surround to a cell site BTS.
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Sign me up!586 viewsSprint's site, at the intersection of I-405 and I110 in Gardena, California, is built atop a commercial enterprise sign. See: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=gardena,ca&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=29.025693,55.107422&ie=UTF8&ll=33.857997,-118.283083&spn=0.000873,0.002701&t=h&z=19&iwloc=addr&layer=c&cbll=33.857997,-118.283083&panoid=cnzdeipYOjdDXyBwyMclfQ&cbp=12,307.77006332815694,,0,-20.14375050524673
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Multi-Carrier Panels585 viewsJust west of Interstate 5 in San Diego County, California. Notice that anyone can walk up to the ground-mounted panel antennas via the path in the foreground. This site is not fenced.
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Nextel antenna structure on top of an industrial building581 viewsOpen antenna structures have little impact in industrial areas.
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PCS Base Station below PG&E Power Tower580 viewsUbiquitel's BTS in Olivehurst, California is located in a wood-fenced enclosure below the PG&E power transmission tower.
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Omni-directional Microcell on Sign577 viewsThis AT&T Wireless site, at Fairfax and Pico in Los Angeles, is an example of placing a microcell site atop an existing, small sign.
If you enlarge the photo, don't miss checking out the lid of the vault in front of the pole. The lid is a piece of plywood, apparently to replace the original concrete!
Nope, I don't want to drive my car over that lid, either!
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Sprint microcell - Base Station, Backhaul, and Powering577 viewsThe base station is the large box. Below it is the interface box that extracts power from the coaxial cable backhaul system. At the bottom, in the small box, is the power regulation transformer. Note that this installation, in California, does not comply with CPUC General Order 95 as it has cables below 8 feet above ground that are not in conduit.
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Freeway wireless site575 viewsThis double wireless array is situated on a building located immediately adjacent to the I-5 Freeway in Los Angeles.
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Building top multi-sector cell site575 viewsYet another roof-top cell site. This is a macrosite adjacent to a major freeway in Los Angeles.
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A well lit monolight brought to you by Verizon575 views...in the San Fernando Valley. A Verizon site. The base station equipment is located in one of the mall stores, which Verizon has taken over and added a new interior door.
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Utility Wood Pole Top Mount568 viewsCingular's three sector antenna system is mounted at the top of the utility pole it installed (it has a PBM pole number). The equipment cabinets are located to the right of the pole.
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CoLo Site - Escondido, California566 viewsMesa Rock Road north of Deer Creek Road, Escondido, California.
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Just park that signal!565 viewsT-Mobile's recently upgraded parking lot site in Long Beach, California.
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City Hall Clock Tower562 viewsIrvine, California's civic center is a sight to behold. The clock tower above the site supports public safety radio antennas, and an omni-direction antenna cell site.
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Das da ticket!560 viewsAT&T uses a distributed antenna system (DAS) to light this site on Valley Circle in the San Fernando Valley (Los Angeles County). The DAS node, manufactured by Andrew Corporation, is the small box affixed to the larger power meter pedestal cabinet.
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Cell site on power transmission pole558 viewsThis site in located in British Columbia, Canada.
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Guess which puts out more power?558 viewsThis is a massive power transmission tower that supports two different carriers. Yeah, the tower's REALLY that big.
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Lambert Ranch - Irvine, California556 viewsNextel's site is to the far left. Sprint's site is in the foreground. Verizon uses the short tower in the rear-right of the photo.
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Cell Call Box555 viewsWhere there's nothing else vertical, some carriers will build cell sites on call boxes. This call box (now replaced) was installed on the Pacific Coast Highway near Point Mugu, California. The base station equipment was located in the flush vault in the foreground.
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It's a sign...it's a monopole...it's a sign...it's a monopole554 viewsWhy, it's both, in Henderson, Nevada.
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Das da ticket!554 viewsAT&T uses a distributed antenna system (DAS) to light this site on Valley Circle in the San Fernando Valley (Los Angeles County). The DAS node, manufactured by Andrew Corporation, is the small box affixed to the larger power meter pedestal cabinet. Notice that the node is not directly affixed, but is held via stand-offs.
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Side Saddle Microwave Dish Installation551 viewsAnother view of this cell site which uses a microwave dish antenna system to provide backhaul to the MTSO. The interesting note for this site is the side saddle (offset) installation of the dish antenna. In most metro installations, a microwave antenna saves the carrier the cost of leasing a telco dataline, but at the expense of adding visual loading to the project.
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NextG Distributed Antenna System Node549 viewsNextG is a wireless carrier's carrier. They provide fiber links between the BTS and the antenna site using a technology referred to as Distributed Antenna System (DAS). This is a NextG DAS node located in Encinitas, California. The carrier supported by this node is Cricket Wireless. NextG's Cricket network in San Diego County is thought to be the largest deployment of DAS in the U.S.
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Wireless, with Cables547 viewsSome of the base station equipment cabinets (cellular, paging, etc.) at the upper landing of the Mt. Roberts Tramway in Juneau, Alaska
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A true Solar Cell546 viewsThis is a photo of AT&T's solar powered cell site just north of CA52 at Mast Road in San Diego. This site connects back to the mobile telephone switching office via a microwave antenna (behind the panel).
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Two levels? No problem!545 viewsThis cell site, located on Yerba Buena Island in the San Francisco Bay serves both levels of the Bay Bridge.
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Spectrasite Co-Lo Multisector at Different Levels545 viewsSpectrasite tower supports a three sector wireless system, with one of the sectors lower than the other two (to help shape coverage). Also, this site supports an omnidirection carrier (the vertical antennas on top of the tower).
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CellSign Updated544 viewsThis AT&T wireless site has been modified since the last time we photographed it. Search for "Pico" to find the original site configuration. Originally, this was a single band site; now this is a dual band site. The boxes adjacent to the amplifiers are called "tower mounted amplifiers" (TMAs).
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Unipole in Lacey, Washington541 viewsA T-Mobile unipole site in Lacey, Washington at the King Oscar Motel. http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=kings+car+motel+lacey+washington&sll=33.857997,-118.283083&sspn=0.000873,0.002701&ie=UTF8&cd=1&ll=47.061194,-122.766165&spn=0,354.468384&t=h&z=8&iwloc=A&layer=c&cbll=47.061194,-122.766165&panoid=dqNvyTifCTgz-nLk-Ftupw&cbp=12,3.8848713226988707,,0,-6.115048506611214
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NextG Distributed Antenna System Node539 viewsNextG is a wireless carrier's carrier. They provide fiber links between the BTS and the antenna site using a technology referred to as Distributed Antenna System (DAS). This is a NextG DAS node located in Encinitas, California. The carrier supported by this node is Cricket Wireless. NextG's Cricket network in San Diego County is thought to be the largest deployment of DAS in the U.S.
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PCS at City Hall538 viewsThis Sprint site at the Redondo Beach, California City Hall also supports public safety radio antennas above and below the panels.
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Yerba Buena Island Site Serving the Oakland Bay Bridge538 viewsFrom July, 2001: This multicarrier site is pumping RF along the upper and lower spans of the Oakland Bay Bridge. Located on Yerba Buena Island (on the south side of the spans), this is an interesting configuration, employing "tip-to-tip" construction.
June 2008: This site no long exists. It has been removed to make way for construction of the new Bay Bridge connection to Yerba Buena Island. -jlk
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About three hundred years apart537 viewsYes, this is big iron in Bird in Hand, Pennsylvania. Yes, it's in the middle of a field being tended by local Amish citizens. Yes, this photo captures technology spanning about 300 years. Amazing!
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Chester, PA Cell Site535 viewsAttention KMART shoppers! Now you can show for sundries and signal at the same time!
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Big Iron CoLo in Lacey Washington533 viewsNextel and AT&T Wireless share this tower in Lacey, Washington. Notice the climbing space through the bottom platform.
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Das da ticket!532 viewsAT&T uses a distributed antenna system (DAS) to light this site on Valley Circle in the San Fernando Valley (Los Angeles County). The DAS node, manufactured by Andrew Corporation, is the small box affixed to the larger power meter pedestal cabinet.
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Flamingos Have Antennas!531 viewsI always focused on the tail feathers of Flamingos. Who knew that they had antennas, too!
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Surface mounted antennas sometimes just require matching paint527 viewsThis surface mount wireless site is less visible due to the use of matching paint on the antenna radomes. Less visible, but not a true camouflage site.
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Central Sedona Arizona524 viewsThis multicarrier site is located at Fire Station 4 in Sedona, Arizona.
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Wood You Please Support These Antennas?522 viewsUbiquitel uses wood panels to replace antennas not installed on the two-antenna mounts atop this PG&E power tower in Oakhurst, California. This site is at 2765 Powerline Road.
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Antenna arrays mounted on transmission towers519 viewsClose-up view of an antenna array mounted on a power transmission tower.
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Two on a Stick519 viewsSprint's BTS equipment is located in the large flush-to-grade vault. It's flush vents bracket the BTS vault.
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Use a Cell Phone: Go to Jail519 viewsSpotted in Las Vegas, New Mexico
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Semi-camo tower516 viewsThe Santa Monica Mountains frame this cell site, located along Interstate 405 near the Getty Center in Los Angeles.
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515 views
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Wireless, with Cables515 viewsThis multicarrier site is at the upper station of the Mt. Roberts Tramway in Juneau, Alaska.
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It Radiates Near Radiation512 viewsThis is a monopole owned by American Tower located in Los Alamos, New Mexico. They work on things there that are better left unspoken (absent a suitable security clearance, that it).
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NextG Distributed Antenna System Node506 viewsNextG is a wireless carrier's carrier. They provide fiber links between the BTS and the antenna site using a technology referred to as Distributed Antenna System (DAS). This is a NextG DAS node located in Encinitas, California. The carrier supported by this node is Cricket Wireless. NextG's Cricket network in San Diego County is thought to be the largest deployment of DAS in the U.S.
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Cell site crowning a power transmission tower505 viewsThis cell site, in Walnut Creek, California, is atop a PG&E power transmission tower.
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Ground level wireless site on hilltop - CLOSE UP505 viewsThis is a close-up of a cell site atop a hill above a major Interstate Highway. The antennas are mounted at ground level.
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Tumwater Reservoir, Tumwater, Washington503 viewsNear the Tumwater Airport. Note the airport rotating aerodrome beacon on top of the tank.
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Park'n the Signal on the Roof501 viewsNotice how the coax ground wires are far from supported, attached, and protected at this site. This is a violation of the NEC 810.21(C) and (D) et seq.
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A Dam Tall Tower500 viewsThis tall tower, well, towers over Hoover Dam in Nevada and/or Arizona. I guess it depends in which state you live. This tower is on the Nevada side.
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Equipment Cabinets, GPS and LMU antennas498 viewsCingular's equipment cabinets are mounted in the hardscape area between the curb and sidewalk.
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What's Red and Whilte and Radiates All Over497 views...it's this T-Mobile lattice tower in Gridley, California.
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A parking lot light site at the Santa Fe Opera, Santa Fe, NM.497 viewsMulti-carrier sites (on parking lot lights) at the Santa Fe Opera in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
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Major Macrocell Site (multiple carriers)495 viewsThis is an example of a traditional multiple carrier macrocell site. Note the large microwave antennas facing to the right: They are used to provide high-reliability connection of this site to the MTSO some 25 miles away.
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Cell site on power transmission pole493 viewsThis site in located in British Columbia, Canada.
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Generator Socket493 viewsThis is a standby power generator socket to provide power to the cell site during local commercial power failures
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Monopole491 viewsA monopole site between Victorville, California and Littlerock, California. Carrier unknown.
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Palms guarding cell site - circa 2001490 viewsHere's a photo of a PCS site I photographed sometime in 2001. Notice that its 'in the middle of nowhere.' Fast forward to the shot of the same site I took in October, 2004.
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Lots of signal!490 viewsThis is a co-location site located south of Worcester, MA.
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Microcell - Two Sectors489 viewsHigh gain (directional) antennas facing up/down the highway.
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Cell Site Generator Plug and Breaker/Switch-over Panel486 viewsMany cell sites must operate 24/7, even in the event of a commercial power failure. Most carriers have standby power generators that can be driven to cell sites and plugged in to a generator plug such as the one shown to the right of the breaker/switch-over panel. This facility is owned by AT&T Wireless. It's in the western part of Los Angeles.
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Multi-carrier cell site and TVRO downlink485 viewsThe multiple carrier tower isn't connected with the TVRO satellite antennas in front, but it makes for a nice picture. This site is located in northern San Antonio, Texas at a very large church facility. An interesting note: The antenna structure registration number shown on the site is, per the FCC's database, cancelled. Interesting!
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Got Desert?484 viewsThis little Verizon 3-sector site sites atop a wood pole in Victorville, California. The BTS equipment is in the fenced area to the left, and the telco and power panels are to the right.
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484 views
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DAS Outboard on Power Meter484 viewsOnce more, Cingular (now AT&T) employs the cabinet-on-a-cabinet technique of placing its DAS note, here in Rolling Hills Estates, California.
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Cricket in Santa Fe481 viewsThe Fashion Outlets of Santa Fe hosts this Cricket site.
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Spectrasite co-location site480 viewsThis Spectrasite cell/microwave site is located in Carson, California. The tower is registered to what is now Verizon Wireless. Note how the microwave antennas are identified by code to permit identification of specific microwave antennas from ground level. It's located in an "Enterprise" zone (sorry...inside joke).
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Das da ticket!480 viewsAT&T uses a distributed antenna system (DAS) to light this site on Valley Circle in the San Fernando Valley (Los Angeles County). The DAS node, manufactured by Andrew Corporation, is the small box affixed to the larger power meter pedestal cabinet.
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Co-location cell site479 viewsThe lower array was added after the tower was constructed. How do we know? Many of the cables for that array are mounted on the outside of the pole on the righthand side.
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Power transmission pole - Underground equipment shelter479 viewsThis cell site, on a power transmission pole, is connected to a controlled environment vault ("CEV"). The CEV is an underground room housing the equipment. The hatch for the CEV is the green box show below and to the left of the pole.
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Blessed Be This Cell Site479 viewsAT&T's monopole at the Calvary Community Church in Phoenix sports not one; not two; but three crosses mounted at the corners of the radomes. Quite an interesting design!
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Close-up of GPS Antenna and LMU Antenna474 viewsCingular's GPS antenna (left) and the LMU antenna are mounted at about the 5 foot level adjacent to the sidewalk. It's amazing that they're still there. Hope no pedestrians walk into the bracket at night.
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Close-up of Cell Antennas and GPS Antenna on Traffic Signal/Light Standard473 viewsThis is a close-up of the antennas mounted on the traffic signal. Note the two coax cables into the bottom of each panel antenna. One is for transmitting and the other is for receiving.
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Rocket South of Santa Fe on I-25472 viewsOne of the worst located sites I have ever run across.
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Rover's Roof471 viewsOn the roof of the drive test 'rover' is a GPS antenna (the square antenna in the center of the roof), plus two PCS omnidirectional antennas for signal measurement and communications purposes.
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A Tower That Helps Birds!471 viewsThis is American Tower's "Taos Center" tower site in, ah, Taos (New Mexico). It's most unique feature is the federally protected bird's nest on the tower. Here's the sign warning against climbing without permission.
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Righty Tighty, Lefty Loosey470 viewsWater tank site or giant doorknob in Maryland.
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The Golden Signal468 viewsHere's a close-up of one of T-Mobile's sector antennas and tower-mounted amplifiers at its Chico, California water tank site.
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8 foot antenna on building466 viewsA rather ugly 8' antenna stuck on the side of a building in Tarzana, California
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Microcell Bolted on Parking Lot Light465 viewsSpotted in Glen Ellyn, Illinois, this microcell site is bolted to the top of an existing parking lot light standard. Notice the equipment mounted in the grass area (hey, guy, open that car door slowly or you might hit something).
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Sprint Conducts a Drive Test465 viewsWhen a wireless carrier selects a candidate cell site it will usually conduct a 'drive test' to determine actual coverage. The drive test consists of elevating an antenna to a predetermined height. Inside the truck is a portable PCS transmitter powering the antenna. In a separate vehicle (call it a 'rover') the carrier will drive the streets around the test site out to a predetermined distance from the site. The received signal level and GPS location information are stored in a portable computer inside the rover.
After the test is concluded, the received signal strength and location information are plotted on a street map. That map then serves to guide the RF engineer to select a final candidate site, and to design the antenna system to cover the desired area without causing unreasonable interference to other cell sites on the same network.
Attached to the left of the antenna (and blowing in the breeze) is a measuring tape used to determine the height of the antenna.
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Church bell tower463 viewsThis is a non-camo site atop (well, just below) the bells of a church. Notice the shadowing of the antenna cables on the right side front of the tower.
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Building side mount omni site463 viewsNotice that the omnidirectional antennas are mounted on the side of the building near the corner. Even more interesting is that the GPS antenna (used for network timing) is mounted in such a way as to be shielded from about 120 degrees of sky (this site faces northwest).
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Nextel's Interesting Lattice Tower463 viewsA Nextel site using an interesting lattice tower to support its antennas and microwave antennas.
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Yahoo! What a site!462 viewsThis omnidirection site is in Santa Monica, California. The GPS antenna is the right (north) of the antennas on the roof.
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Take me to the Opera!460 viewsThe BTS cabinets for the multi-carrier sites (on parking lot lights) at the Santa Fe Opera in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
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Oh thank heavens for RF from 7-11459 viewsHere's an example of a microcell designed to illuminate a road segment for adding spot capacity. Notice that the apartment (right of the antenna) is just off the main lobe beam.
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Parking lot cell site459 viewsHere's another, wider view of a cell site mounted on a parking lot light standard in San Francisco.
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459 views
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Great Scott!457 viewsYet another view of a pole-mounted cell site in Scottsdale, Arizona. Notice the LMU antenna mounted at the top.
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457 viewsClose up of the Fountain Hills three sector site atop a traffic and light standard.
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Two on a Stick457 viewsHere's a close-up of the dual antennas on this wood pole in Santa Monica, California. Sprint is on the bottom; Cingular is that mass at the top. By the way, the palm is not a camouflage element of Cingular's antennas.
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Co-location cell site - sectorized and omnidirectional456 viewsA single monopole tower can support one or more sectorized carriers. The lower carrier does not use diversity reception (two receive antennas spaced so as to better receive lower power mobile handsets). The upper carrier does use diversity. Usually, in diversity configurations, the two receive antennas are on the outsides of the sector, and the transmit antenna is located inside, adjacent to one of the receive antennas.
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Sprint Conducts a Drive Test456 viewsThe tech mounts the omnidirectional antenna to the telescoping mast. Once the antenna is mounted, he'll connect the coax that runs back to the portable PCS transmitter sitting inside the van. Then the tech will elevate the antenna to the desired height, and set the proper output power of the transmitter. With all this done, another tech will drive the streets in the area recording signal strength, latitude, and longitude for later mapping.
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CellSign Updated456 viewsThis AT&T wireless site has been modified since the last time we photographed it. Search for "Pico" to find the original site configuration. Originally, this was a single band site; now this is a dual band site. The boxes adjacent to the amplifiers are called "tower mounted amplifiers" (TMAs).
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CoLo Site - Escondido, California456 viewsMesa Rock Road north of Deer Creek Road, Escondido, California.
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NextG Distributed Antenna System Node455 viewsNextG is a wireless carrier's carrier. They provide fiber links between the BTS and the antenna site using a technology referred to as Distributed Antenna System (DAS). This is a NextG DAS node located in Encinitas, California. The carrier supported by this node is Cricket Wireless. NextG's Cricket network in San Diego County is thought to be the largest deployment of DAS in the U.S.
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RF on the Roof454 viewsThis commercial building in Tarzana, California shows how to poorly plan a roof by sticking almost anything (antenna wise) on the roof. A very poor (or good, depending on your view) example of how not to plan a rooftop.
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NextG Distributed Antenna System Node454 viewsNextG is a wireless carrier's carrier. They provide fiber links between the BTS and the antenna site using a technology referred to as Distributed Antenna System (DAS). This is a NextG DAS node located in Encinitas, California. The carrier supported by this node is Cricket Wireless. NextG's Cricket network in San Diego County is thought to be the largest deployment of DAS in the U.S.
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Cell site and Microwave Relay453 viewsThis site is not a mobile telephone switching office (MTSO). Rather, its an aggregation point for microwave backhaul from other wireless sites. Verizon and Nextel are co-located here.
Why red and white? This site is located adjacent to the Ontario, California airport.
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Co-location external generator sockets451 viewsWhen the commercial power fails, many carriers rely on portable power generators to keep cell sites operating. Here are two generator sockets at a co-lo site (Verizon and AT&TWS [now Cingular]).
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Elevated Water Tank Cell Site451 viewsArtwork adorns this 4-level multi-carrier water tank site near Philadelphia.
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