City Of Annapolis.MD. selling radio tower and land

[Chip Fetrow]

The 860 foot tower is an FM tower, built with a LOT of extra capacity  
for additional tenants, including a VHF combiner system (two antennas,  
UHF combiner system (three antennas), 900 MHz combiner system (two  
antennas), three cell systems and microwave dishes for university  
distant learning classrooms.  Of course, each antenna has a line, and  
the minimum size was 1-5/8" with 4" rigid for the FM.  It is not a  
small or light duty tower.

AM radiators are MUCH less expensive since all they have to hold up is  
themselves until they are over 200 feet tall, at which point they need  
some sort of lighting, either medium intensity white or a dual 720  
Watt beacon.

Rohn 25 towers are used up to 200 feet because they can support  
themselves up to that height, but they are not rated to support  
lighting!  It just amazes me what hams do to and with those towers!

--chip

On Aug 8, 2011, at 3:00 AM, <wb4jfi at knology.net> wrote:

> When I left Gannett in 2006, the going rough price estimate for  
> simple (non-AM) towers (from a couple of vendors) was about $1k per  
> foot.  That did not include any buildings.  And, it did not include  
> monstrosities like what we had to build in Denver (or the Mt. Sutro  
> tower in San Fran).  Several times, we exceeded that per-foot  
> amount.  $360k to built an 860ft tower seems pretty low in this day  
> and age.  But, I'm used to non-AM towers that are more substantial  
> because they are supporting an antenna and transmission line going  
> up, not as the radiator itself.