A tower site visit can be revealing...
At least the access road is not flooded, as you arrive at the perimeter gate, this time.
On arrival, perhaps the keys fit, but the lock is seized. Or, when opening the door you can be greeted with any or all of the following:
Wasp or scorpions falling from the top of the door or, rattle snakes hiding under the entrance steps. Or, just a hot room where the last thunderstorm took out the ac unit along with the temperature sensor that was supposed to trigger an alarm to let you know there was a problem. Or worse yet, the remote controle itself.
Perhaps nearby construction is going well for your neighbor. The sixth floor of their building is in perfect alignment with your data or microwave link and your signal is just above the point of total failure.
Its summer and its getting hot! Perhaps only one ac unit is working. Do you do have at least two units in case one fails on a holiday or weekend?
Do you call into, or remote into, the tower site to check operations every day? Or, does it call, email, or text you and a second person at a given time each day to confirm that the monitoring system is working properly?
Perhaps even someone has been sleeping in your equipment room or has a tent nearby.
Are trees or limbs close to the tower guy wires or anchors that could fall on them during high winds?
Are trees already laying on the guy wires that could bring down the tower or damage equipment.
Has someone driven through your perimeter fence and managed to park their car on one of your tower guy wire anchor/fan plates after a good night of partying?
But we just mowed it last year! Frequent tower site visits, mowing and tree work are not optional if you want to stay on the air. You will be surprised how fast things begin to deteriorate, especially with climate change effects that certainly appear to be increasing.
Do your perimeter fences have the proper tower registration signs posted? Are the guy wire anchor fences secured with the proper RF warning signs?Are remote security measures in use? If so, you should be able to, at least, see or better yet ID the driver of the truck that dumped tires in your driveway since it was so much faster and easier than paying to recycle.Of course there are tower, lights, ground systems, transmission lines, antennas and supporting equipment heading skyward that need periodic inspection.What's the history of this site and past vandalism reported.
How's the neighborhood, does the front door have bullet holes in it or do you hear gunshots frequently when on site.
Is the location flood prone or worse yet, becoming flood prone?
McGuire Broadcast, Inc. 2022
