Dr. Jonathan Kramer's Cell Tower Photo Gallery

Copyright 2000-2023 Dr. Jonathan Kramer


Most viewed - Verizon's "Armacost" Site in West Los Angeles
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28. Close up of the Site Name Sign637 viewsIt's for sure...We'll call this Armacost!
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34. A Loose Wire?542 viewsThe loose wire is actually a ground wire. The rolling portion fo the fense is grounded via this lead.
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32. Looking down on the Activated Site497 viewsHere's the bird's-eye view looking down at the BTS equipment mounted on the far pad.
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2. Routing the Antenna Cables up to the Roof495 viewsThe coaxial cables for the antennas, including the GPS antenna, are loosely placed against teh wall going up to the roof. As you'll see later, these cables will be secured in a cable tray. At this time the GPS antenna is not yet installed.
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1. Antennas to be Hidden in Clock Tower487 viewsThree of four sides of the exsting clock tower had walls partially removed to permit the installation of RF-transparent fiberglass panels. As you'll see later, once the antennas are installed behind the panels, the panels are painted and textured to match the rest of the structure, thus hiding the antenna locations.
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14. Installing the Telco Interface and Power Switching Cabinets484 viewsThe large cabinet on the right (with the open door) is to house the telco interface. A telco dataline is used to connect this cell site back to Verizon's mobile telephone switching office. The two smaller cabinets on the left, starting at the far left, are the power breaker panel, and the power generator transfer switch. The transfer switch senses loss of commercial power and automatically starts the generator (yet to be installed) and transfers power to the generator once stabilized. The reverse occurs when the commercial power is restored for a minimum period of time.
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29. Which Way Tray?460 viewsIt's now January, 2006. The site is active (but without a backup power generator). It seems that the installers missed putting all of the covers on the cable tray. Too bad.
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31. Cable Termination to BTS Jumpers450 viewsHere's a nice photo of the the cable terminations for the hardline cable to/from the roof, and the jumper to the equipment cabinet. The colored bands identify what cable is connected to what antenna.
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3. Base Telecommunications Station Equipment438 viewsThis new addition to the existing structure at the rear of the building is to house the BTS equipment, plus a future standby power generator, power switching equipment, and a telephone interface panel. The standby power generator pad is the the one nearest the fence. The BTS equpipment pad is to the rear-left in this photo. Later, things will change a bit...oops!
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33. Personals Ad: "Concrete Pad Sks Standby Pwr Gen!"437 viewsAs noted above, the standby power generator isn't (yet) installed here. Who knows...maybe it'll never be installed, but if it is, this is where it'll go.
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27. The Name Goes On Before the Quality Goes In429 viewsThe pad has been poured, again, and the fense is on it's tracks. No BTS yet, but the site sign has gone up announcing to the world that this is Verizon's Armacost site!
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12. Close-up of GPS antenna and top of Cable Tray425 viewsAs noted before, the cables are carefully pulled on to the roof so as to prevent kinks. The GPS antenna provides system synchronization time signals. This location is inferior as it can been seen from the ground. A better location would have been on the roof away from the edge so as to hide this element.
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30. BTS Installed and Humming418 viewsThe site is active. This photo is looking down on the site BTS equipment cabinet through the roof fence. You'll see more of the fense in a later photo.
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4. BTS Pad and Cable Termination412 viewsThe raised concrete pad is to support the BTS equipment. The cables that dead-end in the wall-mounted tray will connect the roof antennas to the BTS.
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8. Installation of the Cable Tray to the Roof412 viewsThe techs are installing the cable tray. Once installed, the coaxial cables will be lashed to the ladder arms to provide for support, and to prevent excessive bending of the coaxial cables.
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20. The Scaffolding is Down410 viewsHere's a good shot of the clock tower with the scaffolding removed. Nice pic at sunset, eh?
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16. Clock Tower Painting Underway402 viewsYet another view of the re-painted clock tower.
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6. A Close-Up View of Two Sectors of RF-Transparent Panels401 viewsYet another view of the bell tower being modified to enclose the antennas.
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21. Huh? What Happended to the Concrete Pad?401 viewsIn a surprising twist, the concrete pad has been hammered out and new frames and conduits installed. What gives? According to the work crews, it seems that the generator pad was installed 90 degrees off. Go back in the gallery and look and you'll see what I'm talking about. Because of the little error, weeks were apparently lost in site activation...not to mention $$$ (which I didn't, okay?).
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11. Cables are now in the Cable Tray393 viewsWe're getting closer! Notice that the cables make a gentle (less than 90 degree) bend at the bottom of the ladder where it connects to the tray in the hallway. Bending cables too much can kink them. Kinking can cause excessive signal transmission losses. Not a good thing! Also notice that the GPS antenna is now installed--quite visibly--at the top of the cable tray on the roof. More in the next photograph...
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9. More Cable Tray Installation390 viewsHere's a further view of the cable tray as it transitions from the hallway leading from the side of the building over and down to the BTS equpment housing area.
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10. Securing the Coaxial Cables in the Tray389 viewsA tech secures the cables to the tray. Notice that the cable tray extends out a bit from the edge of the wall. This will connect with the vertical portion of the tray heading to the roof.
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18. Now You See the Cables...Now You Don't385 viewsThe cables are now safely tucked away under the cover of the tray, now installed.
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25. It's Raining, It's Pouring (Concrete)382 viewsHere's the new re-poured pad. It's just been poured. There'll be a cure period to let it harden before moving the equipment into the area.
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17. Clock Tower Painting Underway377 viewsA rear view of the re-painted clock tower.
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15. Clock Tower Painting Underway375 viewsThe panels are fully installed and are being painted and textured to match the building.
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13. Securing the Cables and Painting373 viewsThings are moving forward downstairs, too!
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26. Anyone for a Tumble?372 viewsThe concrete mixer has done its job and is ready to go home, again!
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24. It's Concrete Pour Day...Again371 viewsThe wood frames are in place and braced for the pour...again. Notice the very nice cable terminations at the far end of the cable tray. You'll see these again, later.
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5. A Close-Up View of Two Sectors of RF-Transparent Panels370 viewsHere's a close-up of the bell tower being modified to enclose the antennas. The cut-outs on the front and left side of the tower are the RF transparent panels.
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22. Another View of the New Generator Wood Frame367 viewsYup, it's clearly rotated 90 degrees from before. Oh well.
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7. A Close-Up View of Two Sectors of RF-Transparent Panels365 viewsThis is a close-up of the rear of the bell tower modified to enclose the antennas.
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19. Now You See the Cables...Now You Don't364 viewsAnd the cables in the BTS area are also safely tucked away under the cover of the tray.
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23. An outside view fo the BTS Equipment Area363 views...with the sliding fense not installed on the track, yet.
   
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