There are a number of sources to locate towers. You could use the FCC tower
registration system ALS to do a search for towers in the areas your interested
in. You could work through Fryers Guide to locate the towers. You could
work with the radio shops in the major cities to obtain the tower information.
As to leasing, that takes on a whole new collection of issues. Many tower
owners have been introduced to the high sums of money the cellular
companies are willing to spend for tower space. This has skewed the
way tower rates use to be. Most of the old time rates were based on
the height up the tower, plus a multiplier for the size of coax cable,
plus a multiplier for the antenna wind load it places on the tower.
Today you can run into everything from a flat rate of say $3 to $5 a
foot up the tower to prices as high as $1800 a month at 100 feet up
the tower.
You will probably find that the tower owner want insurance, a lease
for at least 5 years and extra money if they supply the shelter, air
conditioning and power.
Make sure you get the ability to have 24 hour access to the site.
Make sure your lease doesn't include you as part of any legal settlement
for the tower lights going out. Make sure your lease provides for the
transfer of tower use if the site is sold.
A word to the wise, expect to get big time hassle from Crown Castle if
you want to go on one of thier rental sites. In the past they have been
hard to work with, take it or leave it attitude to the lease document.
You will need a good legal expert to review any lease these verticle
slum lords come up with. Have seen a number of sites that look like
a red neck jack leg did the install. Expect nothing but problems from sites
that look like that. Not sure you will even find a site grounding system
at the sites that are maintained in this condition.
Visit a site before you even think about putting you name on the lease.
Jim
holyshipmon said:
Does anyone know how to, where to, ect. lease tower space for a vhf antenna in the state of texas or nationwide for that matter. I need tower space along the gulf coast(anywhere will work) so that I can monitor ship traffic.
Any information anyone can give would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you,
Chris Shelby
www.shipplotting.com
