Antennas on streetlights in OKC

[WhatsnOKC]

I noticed today, while driving around the Northwest part of OKC, 2 short white antennas on some of the street lights, and the same kind (it appeared) sitting on a platform connected to a tornado siren (I think that was on Hefner Rd but it might have been 122nd) on Rockwell.

Does anyone know if this is perhaps part of a new mobile data system (MDT) the city is putting in (WIFI in the cars)? I'm just guessing here.

 

[akuter]

I do believe we have the samething here in Bozeman Montana.

They are short with black caps on top.

I think these are for Signal Remote Control used by Fire and EMS.
The traffic aroud here is sometimes gridlock.
I clean the local City police and Sheriff office, I'll ask around.

 

[JamesO]

If they are on steet lights and not traffic lights and look like a cellular antenna on a small box (somtimes mouted upside down near the head of light) they my be Ricochet boxes.

JamesO

 

[N5TWB]

If they are on steet lights and not traffic lights and look like a cellular antenna on a small box (somtimes mouted upside down near the head of light) they my be Ricochet boxes.

Details, please, on what a Ricochet box is. I am not familiar with that term.

 

[nd5y]

It is a wireless network that some Blackberries and other devices use.

According to the website http://www.ricochet.net it is only in 2 cities.
I think Ricochet went bankrupt or started installing them in other areas and
abandoned them or something, or some other service provider uses them now.
I have seen a couple of these that use upside down mobile type antennas
on streetlight poles (not traffic signals) in the DFW area.

Ton

 

[poltergeisty]

Would anyone know by chance the reason for the antenna to be just an upside down mobile type antenna? And why upside down? Better propagation or something? This is an interesting subject.



You would think the antennas they use would look like this. :arrow:

 

[Thayne]

I think they are probably Ricochet boxes. We have them in Denver; but I think they will go broke again, since DSL and cable internet has pretty good market penetration, and is much faster for less $$$.

It doesn't make any difference if the antennas are upside down, since the light poles are higher than most houses anyway. Those boxes are so easy to install because they get power from the photocell twist lock receptacle on top of the streetlights so no power wiring is needed.

 

[nd5y]

The ones I saw around here look like this
http://www.annsgarden.com/stealth/MetricomCU.JPG

I found it on this page with a bunch of other interesting antenna pictures.
http://www.annsgarden.com/stealth/CAPTIONS.HTM

Tom

 

[JamesO]

nd5y,

The first link looks to be a ricochet box.

Not sure who might be operating them. They did have some money problems. Some of the local power or utility companies were rolling out the systems, possibly for remote metering??

The idea is these are all small store and forward boxes. Kind of a repeater, but not in the conventional term.

JamesO

 

[2112]

Came across this article that might help explain the antennas:

Oklahoma City gets citywide Wi-Fi for public safety

Oklahoma City is deploying a citywide Wi-Fi network to be used for its police and fire departments. The network will cover 1,036 square kilometers. The deployment of the network is just one part of the upgrade of the city's 20

Rest of the article is at:

http://www.muniwireless.com/archives/000451.html[/i]

 

[Gilligan]

So any consensus as to what these antennas are actually used for? They look exactly like the ProVoice antennas on city vehicles. I am thinking maybe for the Police and Fire MDTs, as there is an MDC idle talkgroup on the city system.

 

[mule_tail]

They are wireless routers that support OKC's Public Safety wireless system for mobile data. The antennas you refer to as Provoice antennas on Police and Fire vehicles are wifi antennas, not EDACS. The EDACS antenna is very small (approximately 4 inches tall).

 

[Gilligan]

Why would wifi require two antennas?

 

[mule_tail]

Diversity - one in front of the light bar; one behind. Same reason most home wifi routers have 2 antennas.

 

[Patio_RF]

More Info

Well just as I put together a response I see Mule Tail has already jumped in there. But I will add some websites for references. The WiFi routers are part of the Tropos MetroMesh:
http://www.troposnetworks.com/products/metromesh_os.html

The signal light and pole mounted units are described here:
http://www.troposnetworks.com/pdf/datasheets/tropos_datasheet_5210.pdf

And the mobile units in the police or vehicle is described here:
http://www.troposnetworks.com/pdf/datasheets/tropos_datasheet_4210.pdf

The project was paid for out of this City Office:
http://www.okc.gov/p&f_equip/index.html

I have noticed recently more pole mounted units showing up on smaller poles in neighborhoods, apparently filling in some holes in the Mesh.

 

[mam1081]

This has been discussed at some length in the past...


http://www.radioreference.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6172&highlight=Wifi


http://www.radioreference.com/forums/showthread.php?t=29358&highlight=Wifi

They are definately for the city Wifi [closed system].

 

[crayon]

This has been discussed at some length in the past...

For real. I was surprised to see this thread on this topic resurrected. Come on G, you should know how to use the seach box by now ...

 

[dbestfirefighter]

Good luck with that one Crayon, and now for my next trick watch the thread disappear

 

[Patio_RF]

This has been discussed at some length in the past.....

I was expecting more of a comment about Mule Tail and I popping in again to make a posting.

 

[Sparky_one]

Help fight crime

Improve crime fighting capability in your neighborhood. Be the first one on your block to have a Tropos router.
http://cgi.ebay.com/Tropos-5210-Mes...ryZ44996QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Best of luck.