Giant Tower going up in Montauk Recycling site.. anything good going on it?

[giguchan]

Hey all,
I might be behind the times on this one. I noticed a rather Large Tower going up.. Looks a tad too big for just Cell Carriers. I'm guessing that it's Public service/FRES/PD.

 

[w2lie]

Sometimes towers that go up will be for both public safety and cell carriers.

 

[giguchan]

Yeah, thats what i was sort of thinking

 

[w2lie]

I'm pretty involved in those things. Are you talking about where the other cluster of towers are in Montauk by the recycling center?

41°01'53.9"N 71°58'31.3"W · 41.031639, -71.975361

goo.gl

 

[giguchan]

I'm pretty involved in those things. Are you talking about where the other cluster of towers are in Montauk by the recycling center?

41°01'53.9"N 71°58'31.3"W · 41.031639, -71.975361

goo.gl

Yes, that's the one... North side of the main strip before going into town(not sure if that's still considered Sunrise hwy or not)
I believe there's a weird kind of Square structure with stairs.. I think there is some kind of Aviation aid back there in addition to the cell Carriers.

 

[w2lie]

There is a lot going on back there. Back when I worked for a paging carrier as a field tech we used to run out there in pairs. One guy would run into the shelter to work on the equipment and the other guy would pull the ticks off the other tech's back . Fun times!

The square tower with the stairs is an old fire lookout station from what I've been told. There is a tower back there that I believe had FAA equipment in there. Of course you have cell carriers, old paging, commercial users, FM transmitters and public safety.

I'll have to check my work emails, but if this is the site I'm thinking of, the new tower will replace an existing tower. I work on so many sites during the day that sometimes it's hard to keep them all straight in my head unless I'm looking over my notes

 

[giguchan]

Ticks... Terrific.. That's what we all need. I love to go fishing out there and yeah Join the club.
What you said about replacing an already existing tower makes a lot of sense. I believe as you enter from
the Main road it's on the Left hand side.. where the current structure is.

 

[Lynch_Christopher]

I also believe this one may be a USCG Rescue 21 site

 

[nyscan00]

That new tower going up will be used for Public safety, specifically the EHT p25 system. The new tower will be taller then the existing and is needed to fill coverage gaps with the buildout of the new p25 system.
And yes that other tower pictured is indeed a rescue 21 tower for CG.

 

[giguchan]

Thanks for all of the information.
I had a feeling it was for public safety. Where is the other CG Same area?

 

[w2dsx]

There was debate the last few years to cover gaps at the Point, alternatives were possibly putting something up at Prospect Hill (old USAF GATR site with the poles still sticking up on the hill) or Camp Hero. Due to having to deal with NYS Parks and several NIMBY's, they decided to go bigger at the recycling facility.

The CG has an installation at the old WSL antenna site at Amagansett, but it has a big blind spot at the Point, and I believe they're both looking to fill that gap and possibly abandon the Amagansett tower.

The ticks out there are no joke, and have only grown worse over time. Any time I go out there, fish or work, I treat the clothes I use with Permethrin, as DEET has no effect on the Lone Star ticks.

 

[archduke]

Just to clarify re: the CG at the old WSL site on the stretch:

The CG abandoned the WSL site and established their "Rescue 21 system" for the last 5+/- years has their own tower at the Montauk Dump site next to the East Hampton tower(s). It's the one with a couple of 4 bay folded dipoles pointed SE and an RDF array at the tippy top

 

[ecps92]

The Rescue 21 site should be at the below location

Name Montauk
Latitude__DD_MM_SS_SSN 41-01-52.50N
Longitude__DDD_MM_SS_SSW 071-58-32.50W
Lat 41.03125
Long -71.975694
Covering Radius__NM_ 28.911128

Just to clarify re: the CG at the old WSL site on the stretch:

The CG abandoned the WSL site and established their "Rescue 21 system" for the last 5+/- years has their own tower at the Montauk Dump site next to the East Hampton tower(s). It's the one with a couple of 4 bay folded dipoles pointed SE and an RDF array at the tippy top

 

[giguchan]

Thanks for all of the replies..
I used to take pride in knowing every tower on the Island... or at thinking i did.. What is the "WSL" site you guy are talking about? This one i don't know.. or perhaps i knew it by another name? if you have already answered it just chalk it up to old age. Thanks.

 

[giguchan]

There was debate the last few years to cover gaps at the Point, alternatives were possibly putting something up at Prospect Hill (old USAF GATR site with the poles still sticking up on the hill) or Camp Hero. Due to having to deal with NYS Parks and several NIMBY's, they decided to go bigger at the recycling facility.

The CG has an installation at the old WSL antenna site at Amagansett, but it has a big blind spot at the Point, and I believe they're both looking to fill that gap and possibly abandon the Amagansett tower.

The ticks out there are no joke, and have only grown worse over time. Any time I go out there, fish or work, I treat the clothes I use with Permethrin, as DEET has no effect on the Lone Star ticks.

Thanks for the information... I had a tick on me this morning I left the house in Coram and realized the Lil Bastard was crawling on my arm.
I really could do without ticks.. they're a Nuisance. I'm surprised that old Tower on the North side of the road wasn't used for anything. Is that the WSL site you keep talking about? I thought i saw Cellular on there once but i think i was seeing things. The next time I'm out there I would like to get a closer look. I'd like to get me one of those white suits so that way i can see the bugs before they hop on me.

 

[w2dsx]

What is the "WSL" site you guy are talking about? This one i don't know.. or perhaps i knew it by another name?

WSL was one of the Island's big shortwave stations and one of their transmission sites was at the stretch of Montauk Hwy between Amagansett and Montauk. Roughly opposite the Lobster Roll aka Lunch is a big old antenna tower. It had another tower of same size farther west and between the two was suspended a LF wire antenna for CW marine operations. At one time there was a HF curtain antenna for point to point HF comms to Europe, but that was moved to their Brentwood antenna site. WSL shut down operations in 1984 and sometime after that the west tower came down. The USCG had antennas there (remoted to New Haven?) and I'm not sure else did. Great location except the hill immediately to the East blocked the vicinity around Montauk Point, especially along the south shore. Now that the USCG is gone, I wonder how much longer it will stay up. Being in a salt marsh can't be good for corrosion if no one's actively maintaining it.

Maritime Radio Historical Society

 

[giguchan]

Ahhhh hahaha!!
I always called it something else.. I think i might have asked about this but forgot. I know the Tower you speak of. I always called it the "Telefunken" tower" it looks pretty sturdy. I don't think it's going anywhere for a long time. I'm glad that i finally know the proper name. Some Ham repeater owner needs to make use of that! although i don't think it would work that well. Thanks for the reply.

 

[w2dsx]

There was a Telefunken tower, but it was in Sayville. Not sure if they're still active but there was a group who tried to save what was left of the station there before a former Town of Islip supervisor plowed it under. The supports for the original tower are still there, massive concrete blocks in the midst of a rare open parcel. Hopefully they haven't developed it yet. This group (LIRTVHS) used to give talks at Ham Radio University, there may be a video of one lurking somewhere on YouTube or Vimeo. Here's what they have on their website regarding that site: https://lirtvhs.org/telefunken/

 

[Rudy3145]

NYSP has a VHF site (of used to) on the Napeague Tower just east of Amagansett. Is this the tower being referred to?