Please help me identify this device

Scott4957 · Mar 22, 2011

This thing is attached to my power/phone/cable pole outside of my house. Looks like the top antenna is for a lower frequency band then the bottom matching antennas. Tried doing an FCC database search in my area to see if anything looked like it would match up, nothing found. I am assuming local government, maybe something the power,phone or cable company uses? Municipal wireless? Drives me nuts not knowing what is coming off those antennas hahaha. Thanks for any help!

charlielinn · Mar 22, 2011

Weird lookin!! I wonder ( just a guess ) if it's possibly a repeater of some sort ?
Maybe used in the case of a "dead spot" in coverage, of which there are many many of these
dead spots here in Sacto CA . Drives our law inforcement people nuts. Just a wild guess, though.

scanpprcn · Mar 22, 2011

Do you by chance have automatic utility meter readings in your area?

N9JIG · Mar 23, 2011

Looks like a SCADA system, used to measure and control utilities. Our local electric company has a similar system here.

It could also be a local HotSpot system, some communities have it for public or private WiFi operations.

Scott4957 · Mar 23, 2011

Thanks guys

I will take a look at the possibility that it is some type of utilities control system. Rich, I don't think its Wifi as I have scanned the whole area and none of the SSID's look to be anything like that. I'll do some research on SCADA.

Thanks, K0ATC

fineshot1 · Mar 23, 2011

I used to work for a company called "Metricomm" who went bust in 2001. They marketed
service plans and installed mobile wireless data infrastructure. These resemble the pole
top radios in that "Ricochet" network. That top antenna looks identical to the ones on
the pole top radios we had and they were a 900Mhz antenna for the uplink. The other
antennas which were mounted in the 4 corners of the radio box were for the downlink
on 2.4Ghz but they were smaller and not as elaborate than the ones shown in your pics.

In the Ricochet mobile data network the poletop radios would repeat the data through to
if necessary a few pole top radios until the data reached a local WAP(wireless access point).
The WAP's would channel the data via a terrestrial wide area network to a central point in
Houston TX and then it would be distributed to the internet from their.

Most probably a similar network.

talkpair · Mar 23, 2011

Since it doesn't appear there is a meter wired in to monitor kilowatt hours used I'd say it's the power company's equipment.

It's unlikely they'd give away free power to a wireless provider to improve coverage.

kayn1n32008 · Mar 23, 2011

The antenna with the 2 coils looks like a hi-gain 800Mhz antenna, and the two antennas that are upside down look like elevated feed 800mhz antennas. Top one if it is 800mhz is around 6db gain the two upside down ones, if they are 800mhz would be 3db gain. Just a guess tho...

Edit: They are very common antenna used for cellular and 800Mhz trunking where I live, although with enclosed coils for the upright antenna.

fineshot1 · Mar 23, 2011

talkpair said:
Since it doesn't appear there is a meter wired in to monitor kilowatt hours used I'd say it's the power company's equipment.

It's unlikely they'd give away free power to a wireless provider to improve coverage.

Sorry but thats not how it works.

The wireless data providers nagotiated a flat rate with the power companies
and the local townships(they had to get a peice of the action) and it would
all be paid on a scheduled basis. These devices use a small amount of
power but if there are many of them it does add up.

K9WG · Mar 23, 2011

You are all wrong! You can clearly see by the top picture it is a WiFi system being used by that bird for Twitter. Sheesh

31834d1300851357-please-help-me-identify-device-ant1.jpg

Scott4957 · Mar 23, 2011

Still not sure

Well, I have somewhat ruled out SCADA because I am unable to find any SCADA device that looks the same as this one. Though its still possible, it seems that this is some type of repeater. Seeing that it has one antenna on top that seems to be on a different band than the two antennas on the bottom, and the bottom antennas are shielded from the top one it would make sense that it is repeating something. I am back to my original idea that it is for police, maybe county because they have poor coverage, likely their data terminals.

N9JIG, you would know more about this, back in the day you could monitor police data terminals, the name of them escapes me at the moment. I lived up your way most of my mischievous teen years and had fun with that. Could this be a repeater system for their data terminals? I think that the STARCOM system only does voice correct? Are state and local municipalities still on their own when it comes to data terminals? Wouldn't most use cellular by now?

N9JIG · Mar 23, 2011

Most police MDT's these days use commercial data services such as the Verizon or Sprint networks. Some still use private infrastructure, but usually they use a centralized tower similar to that used by voice radios.

ipfd320 · Mar 23, 2011

it sure looks like a transformer transmitter--if something happens to the transformer a multi signal goes back to power co. i.ding the problem area effected

Scott4957 · Mar 25, 2011

Still looking

IPFD320, I don't think that's it. It looks to only be pulling power from the pole, and with the combination of antennas I am fairly confident in saying that it is repeating a signal. I can't find a picture of a device that looks like this anywhere. I need to see if I can get a closer look with some optics and find a manufactures marking on it, then I will be able to figure out quite quickly what it is.

OsloViking1975 · Mar 25, 2011

K9WG said:
You are all wrong! You can clearly see by the top picture it is a WiFi system being used by that bird for Twitter. Sheesh

Also he can add more charachters instead of the 144

Ok I am going to try myself and see what I can come with, probably nothing though.

reedeb · Mar 25, 2011

Looks like the EVIL goverment is keeping an eye on you!!. Be afraid,be VERY afraid!!!

box23 · Mar 25, 2011

Scada

It IS some type of SCADA system. I'm not sure on the specifics such as frequency or who makes them as I have not been able to figure it out either. A power company here uses the exact same boxes spaced about 1/2 mi apart on their poles. The automatic meters relay through these back to the main office. I also hear the office pinging probably both these boxes and the meters when they are trying to locate an outage.

OsloViking1975 · Mar 25, 2011

I'll have to agree with box23 after seeing some pictures searching through google they all said scada.

gewecke · Mar 26, 2011

N9JIG said:
Most police MDT's these days use commercial data services such as the Verizon or Sprint networks. Some still use private infrastructure, but usually they use a centralized tower similar to that used by voice radios.

We have these also in the city of bloomington. These look similiar,except our are mounted to pole mounted boxes that also seem to be the ground planes.
I tend to agree. We have area wide MDT's in service here in my area,BUT another idea might be the linked receivers/transmitters for a outdoor siren system? The bands in use here would be correct for these.
Just a thought .

n9zas

Hooligan · Mar 26, 2011

If all-else fails, put a couple bullets through the box & then see who eventually comes around to see what's wrong with it.

Please help me identify this device

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