Cell phone towers

vodacom3g said:
Best way to think about this is to try and visualise this as follows:...

So remember to think of radio transmitters as light sources, it's 100% accurate and it give you a nice way to visualise all the signals flowing around you! If you want to play it safe avoid the bright spots!
Click to expand...

Thanks V3G. I suppose at some point I should get on the roof and have a look at the antennas up there, perhaps take a few pics to post. I know what they look like from a distance but some pictures and which way they face may be interesting.
 
LancelotSA said:
Thanks V3G. I suppose at some point I should get on the roof and have a look at the antennas up there, perhaps take a few pics to post. I know what they look like from a distance but some pictures and which way they face may be interesting.
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Most likely a 360 degrees array of antennas.

Take a vienna with and see if you can cook it in front of the antenna! :)
 
vodacom3g said:
Most likely a 360 degrees array of antennas.

Take a vienna with and see if you can cook it in front of the antenna! :)
Click to expand...

You are just trying to get me to step in front of it aren't you!?!? :) ;)

There are actually three "antennas" (flat long rounded on the front panels) on three of the corners of the building facing out obviously. One is directly above my bathroom, well two floors up, so perhaps that is why our bath water is so hot! :)
 
LancelotSA said:
You are just trying to get me to step in front of it aren't you!?!? :) ;)

There are actually three "antennas" (flat long rounded on the front panels) on three of the corners of the building facing out obviously. One is directly above my bathroom, well two floors up, so perhaps that is why our bath water is so hot! :)
Click to expand...

We'll send the invoice ;)

Each antenna will have a radiation pattern that covers a wide(ish) angle, say 90 degrees, so the 3 antennas together will provide complete coverage. The corner that's missing an antenna probably overlooks an area that's already well covered by another tower.
 
sn3rd said:
And to answer your other question, if there WERE any ill effects, you'd probably experience LESS being directly below, because those antennas are designed to radiate OUTward, not DOWNward
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In general, the radiation patterns are designed to be at maximum at about 8 degrees below the horizon, unless they want better coverage in a specific area.

In my tower hunting days I used a phone with a signal strength meter (netmonitor) and confirmed this. The signal right underneath the tower wasn't any better than say at 100 m away.
 
Theres so many types of frequencies around us, they "safe" but the question is for how long?
A scary thing to think about is if the towers frequencies increased and fried all of us!!:p

Did you know that a microwave uses 2.4Mhz frequency.... the same a Wifi!!:eek:
 
ajax said:
In general, the radiation patterns are designed to be at maximum at about 8 degrees below the horizon, unless they want better coverage in a specific area.

In my tower hunting days I used a phone with a signal strength meter (netmonitor) and confirmed this. The signal right underneath the tower wasn't any better than say at 100 m away.
Click to expand...

Maybe don't mention to Sir Lancelot, you went bald because of your 'tower hunting' activities ;)
 
TonyA said:
Sorry Capri Village is situated between Fish Hoek, Kommetjie and Noordhoek. It is adjacent to the Glencairn Express way. Actual address is Las palmas Drive, Capri.

Thank You
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Tony, I need your contact details please. As per my sig.

The guys would like to chat to you to see what they can do.
 
TonyA said:
Sorry Capri Village is situated between Fish Hoek, Kommetjie and Noordhoek. It is adjacent to the Glencairn Express way. Actual address is Las palmas Drive, Capri.

Thank You
Click to expand...

Tony, the guys might have a solution for you, but they need to chat to you.

Still waiting for your contact details.
 
OK well I was up on the roof today and after all my discussions with v3g it turns out we in fact have two cell phone providers using us and neither are Vodacom! :) We have Cell C and MTN using us! Apparently MWeb are looking at putting something up there but this will be discussed at the AGM (maybe I should push for free ADSL for all flats!).

Below is a description and some photos which i want the experts to please comment on if it means anything to them as regards output, frequencies, area of coverage or anything of the sort.

We have three cell C antennas mounted on poles at the edges of the building with all cables leading to a room.

And we have four MTN antennas mounted to a central high point on the building roof and again leading to a central "room". The strange thing with these at that for every large antenna there is one smaller, similar shaped antenna. Not sure what these are?

The MTN ones are a little more worrying as any 8 degree downward "spray" of waves will find the flats below in their paths. Please feel free to provide some info here which will make me feel better like the unlikelihood of these waves penetrating three layers of concrete before getting to my flat on the 13th, of 15 floors. :)

Herewith the pictures :

http://mybroadband.co.za/photos/showphoto.php?photo=4946&size=big&cat=500
This one shows the general set up on the roof with the Cell C at the edge of the building and the MTN on the central part. Feel free to comment on all the satellite dishes killing us anyway! ;)

http://mybroadband.co.za/photos/showphoto.php?photo=4939&size=big&cat=&ppuser=37325
http://mybroadband.co.za/photos/showphoto.php?photo=4938&size=big&cat=&ppuser=37325
Two more views showing the two MTN antennas (one small and one larger), the Cell C and the "control room"

http://mybroadband.co.za/photos/showphoto.php?photo=4941&ppuser=37325
Close up of the MTN antenna

http://mybroadband.co.za/photos/showphoto.php?photo=4940&ppuser=37325
Close up of the Cell C antenna

http://mybroadband.co.za/photos/showphoto.php?photo=4944&size=big&cat=&ppuser=37325
One of the control rooms complete with "radiation" warnings!! And still people claim it is 100% safe! :)

http://mybroadband.co.za/photos/showphoto.php?photo=4942&ppuser=37325
Underside of the Cell C antenna

http://mybroadband.co.za/photos/showphoto.php?photo=4943&ppuser=37325
Box to which the MTN antennas connected

Any comments or thoughts welcome :)

I think I would feel better if the MTN ones were on the edge of the building facing out! Also need to make enquires about the Mweb one!
 
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Everything I told you about safe antennas and radiation obviously only applies to Vodacom towers.

You're in mortal danger! and I would advise you immediately take an axe to those antenna cables leading into the two central rooms. But chopping off the cables is not good enough, harmful radiation could leak out the broken ends and seep down to your level. Rather blow the whole setup sky-high!

Don't delay, every minute you're exposed takes at least 3 to 5 days off your life expectancy!!
 
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