 Most viewed - Non-Camouflaged Sites
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Flush Mount Cell Site on PG&E Transmission Pole - San Jose, CA Airport2424 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 pattern2158 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 pattern2125 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 lot1738 viewsNotice the addition of the lot lights.
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Pole-mounted Microcell1386 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 antennas1329 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 equipment1295 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 pole1185 viewsWe don't need no stinking steel tower!
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The Tower Works LTD939 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 Node886 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 structures848 viewsThis multi-tower site is along next to Interstate 405 in Irvine, California.
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Sprint microcell - Two Sectors827 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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Sprint Monopole in Lebec, California822 viewsSite is controlled by TowerCo (soon to be SBC).
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Pad-mounted Base Station820 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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Lambert Ranch - Irvine, California817 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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Awful AT&T Antennas809 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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Hot zone? What hot zone?792 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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"We Come In Peace!"791 viewsWater tank cell and microwave site south of Sacramento, California along I-5
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CEV Hatch with Bench780 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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Lambert Ranch - Irvine, California780 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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YMCA Monopole779 viewsA shorty monopole site at a YMCA camp in Thousand Oaks, California.
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Microcell mounted in traffic signal light standard772 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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NextG DAS Pole Mounted Site761 viewsA NextG distributed antenna system (DAS) site in Redondo Beach, California.
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Desert Storm!758 viewsVerizon's "Desert Storm" light standard site in Irvine, California.
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Not too compliant with the FCC OET Bulletin 65 Rules740 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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Generic monopole site736 viewsJust another example of a monopole antenna tower.
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Strand-mounted cell site (Sprint)731 viewsThis is a Sprint cell site using the cable TV system to connect users to the MTSO. Irvine, CA.
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NextG RF Safety Advisory Notice731 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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730 views
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Verizon MTSO San Diego 2 of 2726 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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Das da ticket!711 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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UCLA? I C LA!694 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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Cell site on a Call Box692 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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Pad-mounted Base Station691 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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Awful AT&T Antennas687 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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Four sector monopole cell site685 viewsIt's relatively unusual to find 4-sector towers. Here's one (although only 3 sectors are in use).
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Das da ticket!682 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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Wireless sites on power transmission towers676 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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Great Scott!671 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 2004668 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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Multipurpose monopole667 viewsThis tall monopole belonging to a Southern California radio station is occupied at several levels by various communications services.
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Great Scott! (Some more)666 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!665 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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NextG Distributed Antenna System Node661 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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Nextel antenna structure on top of an industrial building658 viewsOpen antenna structures have little impact in industrial areas.
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Close-up of anti-Bird-bomb net over antennas658 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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What's that wrapping around the antennas?654 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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Multi-Carrier Panels654 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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Building top multi-sector cell site651 viewsYet another roof-top cell site. This is a macrosite adjacent to a major freeway in Los Angeles.
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PCS Base Station below PG&E Power Tower650 viewsUbiquitel's BTS in Olivehurst, California is located in a wood-fenced enclosure below the PG&E power transmission tower.
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A well lit monolight brought to you by Verizon649 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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Omni-directional Microcell on Sign648 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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Freeway wireless site644 viewsThis double wireless array is situated on a building located immediately adjacent to the I-5 Freeway in Los Angeles.
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Sprint microcell - Base Station, Backhaul, and Powering644 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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Just park that signal!643 viewsT-Mobile's recently upgraded parking lot site in Long Beach, California.
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CoLo Site - Escondido, California639 viewsMesa Rock Road north of Deer Creek Road, Escondido, California.
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Cell Call Box637 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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City Hall Clock Tower637 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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It's a sign...it's a monopole...it's a sign...it's a monopole637 viewsWhy, it's both, in Henderson, Nevada.
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Guess which puts out more power?636 viewsThis is a massive power transmission tower that supports two different carriers. Yeah, the tower's REALLY that big.
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Das da ticket!632 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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Utility Wood Pole Top Mount630 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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Das da ticket!629 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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Cell site on power transmission pole628 viewsThis site in located in British Columbia, Canada.
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Two levels? No problem!625 viewsThis cell site, located on Yerba Buena Island in the San Francisco Bay serves both levels of the Bay Bridge.
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Side Saddle Microwave Dish Installation625 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 Node623 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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A true Solar Cell622 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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CellSign Updated621 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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Spectrasite Co-Lo Multisector at Different Levels620 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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Wireless, with Cables620 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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Lambert Ranch - Irvine, California613 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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Flamingos Have Antennas!612 viewsI always focused on the tail feathers of Flamingos. Who knew that they had antennas, too!
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Big Iron CoLo in Lacey Washington611 viewsNextel and AT&T Wireless share this tower in Lacey, Washington. Notice the climbing space through the bottom platform.
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NextG Distributed Antenna System Node610 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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Das da ticket!610 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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Unipole in Lacey, Washington606 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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Surface mounted antennas sometimes just require matching paint601 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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Yerba Buena Island Site Serving the Oakland Bay Bridge601 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 apart601 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 Site598 viewsAttention KMART shoppers! Now you can show for sundries and signal at the same time!
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PCS at City Hall594 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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Central Sedona Arizona594 viewsThis multicarrier site is located at Fire Station 4 in Sedona, Arizona.
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589 views
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Use a Cell Phone: Go to Jail588 viewsSpotted in Las Vegas, New Mexico
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NextG Distributed Antenna System Node585 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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Semi-camo tower583 viewsThe Santa Monica Mountains frame this cell site, located along Interstate 405 near the Getty Center in Los Angeles.
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Tumwater Reservoir, Tumwater, Washington582 viewsNear the Tumwater Airport. Note the airport rotating aerodrome beacon on top of the tank.
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Cell site crowning a power transmission tower579 viewsThis cell site, in Walnut Creek, California, is atop a PG&E power transmission tower.
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Wireless, with Cables579 viewsThis multicarrier site is at the upper station of the Mt. Roberts Tramway in Juneau, Alaska.
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Antenna arrays mounted on transmission towers577 viewsClose-up view of an antenna array mounted on a power transmission tower.
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A Dam Tall Tower577 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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It Radiates Near Radiation576 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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Two on a Stick575 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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Wood You Please Support These Antennas?574 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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Generator Socket569 viewsThis is a standby power generator socket to provide power to the cell site during local commercial power failures
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Ground level wireless site on hilltop - CLOSE UP567 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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DAS Outboard on Power Meter566 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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Cell site on power transmission pole564 viewsThis site in located in British Columbia, Canada.
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Park'n the Signal on the Roof564 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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What's Red and Whilte and Radiates All Over564 views...it's this T-Mobile lattice tower in Gridley, California.
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562 views
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Monopole561 viewsA monopole site between Victorville, California and Littlerock, California. Carrier unknown.
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Major Macrocell Site (multiple carriers)560 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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Spectrasite co-location site559 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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Equipment Cabinets, GPS and LMU antennas559 viewsCingular's equipment cabinets are mounted in the hardscape area between the curb and sidewalk.
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Multi-carrier cell site and TVRO downlink558 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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Cell Site Generator Plug and Breaker/Switch-over Panel558 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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A parking lot light site at the Santa Fe Opera, Santa Fe, NM.557 viewsMulti-carrier sites (on parking lot lights) at the Santa Fe Opera in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
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Cricket in Santa Fe555 viewsThe Fashion Outlets of Santa Fe hosts this Cricket site.
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Microcell - Two Sectors553 viewsHigh gain (directional) antennas facing up/down the highway.
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Palms guarding cell site - circa 2001550 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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Got Desert?549 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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Das da ticket!549 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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Lots of signal!547 viewsThis is a co-location site located south of Worcester, MA.
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8 foot antenna on building547 viewsA rather ugly 8' antenna stuck on the side of a building in Tarzana, California
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Co-location cell site546 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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Blessed Be This Cell Site546 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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Rocket South of Santa Fe on I-25546 viewsOne of the worst located sites I have ever run across.
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Power transmission pole - Underground equipment shelter545 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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CoLo Site - Escondido, California545 viewsMesa Rock Road north of Deer Creek Road, Escondido, California.
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541 views
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Oh thank heavens for RF from 7-11538 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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Close-up of GPS Antenna and LMU Antenna538 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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Yahoo! What a site!537 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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Elevated Water Tank Cell Site535 viewsArtwork adorns this 4-level multi-carrier water tank site near Philadelphia.
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Microcell Bolted on Parking Lot Light534 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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534 views
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Righty Tighty, Lefty Loosey534 viewsWater tank site or giant doorknob in Maryland.
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NextG Distributed Antenna System Node533 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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Building side mount omni site532 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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Rover's Roof532 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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Close-up of Cell Antennas and GPS Antenna on Traffic Signal/Light Standard531 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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531 viewsClose up of the Fountain Hills three sector site atop a traffic and light standard.
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A Tower That Helps Birds!531 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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NextG Distributed Antenna System Node530 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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Church bell tower529 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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Co-location cell site - sectorized and omnidirectional528 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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RF on the Roof526 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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Penthouse external mounted site525 viewsThis is a plain, externally mounted cell site on a commercial office building. Note the GPS (timing) antenna well above the roof line, which might have been mounted at the roof level to minimize its visibility from ground level without impairing its function.
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Great Scott!525 viewsYet another view of a pole-mounted cell site in Scottsdale, Arizona. Notice the LMU antenna mounted at the top.
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Los Angeles Cathedrial525 viewsA surface mount antenna site at the Los Angeles Cathedral.
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Lots of BTS Equipment in the Sidewalk Area523 viewsHere's a close-up photo of the AT&T Wireless BTS in the public right-of-way (sidewalk). Notice how tall the equipment stack is (about 6').
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Sprint Conducts a Drive Test523 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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Cell site and Microwave Relay523 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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CellSign Updated523 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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Take me to the Opera!523 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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Santa Fe Opera523 viewsSingle carrier on a driveway light at the Santa Fe Opera, Santa Fe, New Mexico. Note the BTS enclosure.
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Blessed Be This Cell Site521 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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Sprint Conducts a Drive Test520 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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