Tower locations
- Thread starter Igorsi
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- Feb 20, 2003
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I use to do this, but has been a longtime. Got the data from the FCC website, hope I can remember where. Did some conversions in Excel then brought the data into ESRI ArcGIS which made point from the tower coordinates. Then exported the points into a Shape-file or Geodatabase. I’ll have to find the instructions.
nd5y
Member
Go to the trunked system's Downloads and Reports tab. Go down to Other Reports and click on Site Location Data Report.
If that doesn't have what you want (probably not if it is a simulcast site) then you will have to look up each FCC license for the system and find the locations of each site.
If that doesn't have what you want (probably not if it is a simulcast site) then you will have to look up each FCC license for the system and find the locations of each site.
The only location i'm getting is the center of the coverage area.
so for a system with 2 FCC Licenses and 6 towers i get only 1 location for the middle of the coverage area.
I appreciate the help, if you can't find it just a point in the right direction as far as how to download it from the FCC website and i will figure out the rest.
Keep in mind that some site licenses are State Licenses that may not show up in an FCC search. Many 700 MHz assignments fall under a state license.
Also, sites that are using unallocated frequencies from Market Areas for services like paging will also not show up in an FCC search. Same goes for the allocations taken from unused NTIA government allocations. None of those will likely show up in an FCC search.
Most would show in CAPRAD but I'm not sure this type of data can be obtained from them.
I think the FAA maintains a tower site database also that may have coordinates for some of the sites that don't show up at the FCC site but like CAPRAD, I don't know if there is a way to easily get the data.
nd5y
Member
Which system?
That is a simulcast system, you will need to get your data from the FCC links.
nd5y
Member
The FCCInfo.com Google Earth tool has the FAA obstruction database and FCC ASR database.
FCCInfo - Now on Google Earth!
radioman2001
Member
The FCC website for the license sometimes not always gives the area of operation based on power and gain (a new feature ?). You will need to have java script enabled for it to work.
nd5y
Member
Its not new and the area of operation can be a point radius, county, state, or other geographic area so it may have nothing to do with power and antenna gain.
radioman2001
Member
Partial Quote"may have nothing to do with power and antenna gain."
???????? I am sure it does, as the FCC tries to prevent interference between license holders. As long as the graphic portrayed by the FCC website is accurate to the location, elevation, power and gain (if not then what the licensee applied for is a lie). If the license is a geographic area then you would have to physically go out and find the transmitter, since the FCC is saying you can put your transmitter anywhere within those boundries as long as it doesn't go out side of it. Our 60 or so licenses are pretty accurate.
You can always do your own map plots using tools found on the web, but you do need to know where the site is physically. The rest is in the license application.
???????? I am sure it does, as the FCC tries to prevent interference between license holders. As long as the graphic portrayed by the FCC website is accurate to the location, elevation, power and gain (if not then what the licensee applied for is a lie). If the license is a geographic area then you would have to physically go out and find the transmitter, since the FCC is saying you can put your transmitter anywhere within those boundries as long as it doesn't go out side of it. Our 60 or so licenses are pretty accurate.
You can always do your own map plots using tools found on the web, but you do need to know where the site is physically. The rest is in the license application.
The licenses i'm looking for are only public safety (fire mostly) all of them are government/state, i get the sites locations and generate a coverage area map.
I use google earth to mark all the site locations (witch can be very time consuming).
I work with both conventional and trunked systems across the states, i have tried using the FCCInfo plugin for google earth but it has to much clutter, **see attached**.
I included an example with pics:
Montgomery County (EDACS) Texas - 800Mhz system.
The system has 2 FCC licenses.
WPWY444 - 5 towers
WQKB260 - 1 tower
In the report it gives 1 location (center of coverage area, 25 Miles range)
Latitude N 30.25123
Longitude W -95.49472
Range 25 Miles
I use google earth to mark all the site locations (witch can be very time consuming).
I work with both conventional and trunked systems across the states, i have tried using the FCCInfo plugin for google earth but it has to much clutter, **see attached**.
I included an example with pics:
Montgomery County (EDACS) Texas - 800Mhz system.
The system has 2 FCC licenses.
WPWY444 - 5 towers
WQKB260 - 1 tower
In the report it gives 1 location (center of coverage area, 25 Miles range)
Latitude N 30.25123
Longitude W -95.49472
Range 25 Miles
Attachments
nd5y
Member
The area of operation is not for permanent repeaters and base stations, it's for mobiles, certain control stations, and temporary base/fixed/mobile stations and has to be approved by a frequency coordinator. Those stations can certainly be anyplace in the area of operation.
that's good to know, but back to my question is there any way i can pull all tower locations from RR using a report.
If not did anyone had any experience downloading any kind of data from FCC website?
I'm trying to avoid pulling each tower individually (already did that on over 400 towers across the US)
Last edited:
nd5y
Member
Igorsi, Your first attachment is what you want. The list above the map shows the transmit locations on the FCC license. The list below the map shows the frequencies and lat/lon of the transmitter locations on the license. The ones with class FB2 are the trunked system repeaters. Note that there are multiple frequencies at each location. You can copy/paste the lat/lon coordinates shown into whatever list you are trying to make.
The site report with the red circle in your middle attachment is a range circle that the RadioReference database admins pull out of their @$$es for most most database entries. It is what the geolocation feature in some modern scanners uses and has usually has nothing to do with the FCC. Sometimes the db admins use the mobile area of operation circle from the FCC license, if it has one, but not always.
The site report with the red circle in your middle attachment is a range circle that the RadioReference database admins pull out of their @$$es for most most database entries. It is what the geolocation feature in some modern scanners uses and has usually has nothing to do with the FCC. Sometimes the db admins use the mobile area of operation circle from the FCC license, if it has one, but not always.
nd5y
Member
I don't know of any way to easily do that. You would have to look up multiple FCC licenses and copy/paste all the desired locations.
You can try playing around with the Site / Market / Frequency search at FCC General Menu Reports 3.1.14 October 7, 2010 and check Data Export: Format output for raw data export. at the bottom of the page. That will make a table that you can easily copy from but might not have all the data you want depending on how what you searched for.
It can also make your browser crash or time out the web server if you search for something with too much data like all frequencies of all licenses in a state or within 120 miles of a large metro area.
Thank you, that link is super helpful.
I must admit i was not expecting such a quick responses.
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