Members of the ISP-Wireless list discuss surviving ice storms. Whatever you do, here's an important piece of advice: don't try to climb an eighty-foot tower if it's covered in ice!

[December 23, 2000]

On the ISP-Wireless list in December, MCC complained,

"We just had an ice storm, and a number of our customers lost their signal. What do you do to deal with ice?"

[PJ said] "We had the same thing recently, with about two inches of ice everywhere. I don't see what we can do about it, short of climbing the tower in the freezing rain and knocking the stuff off."

JL urgently warned against trying to climb an ice-covered tower:

"Don't climb the tower. We had two inches of ice and three inches of snow. I climbed our tower to try and clear some of it and lost my grip; scared the hell out of me."

Others agreed with the warning, and offered their own suggestions:

[JS advised] "You can use the de-icing kit that Radio Shack sells for the DirecTV Dish; it runs about $99. Be creative, but please do not climb an iced-up tower!"

[DS noted] "We install tiny sprinklers on top of the antennas and run a hose down the tower. When there is ice, we run a small electric pump and 'spray' the antennas with alcohol. It melts in seconds."

[BM suggested] "Wax the panels with the same stuff they use on snowboards and skis. The water does not accumulate on the surface. We do this commercially."

[MKS offered] "Go to the local hardware store and get those water pipe heaters that have a built-in thermostat. Run an extension cord up the tower, and just leave all that up on the antenna."

[JM added] "Remember to use a loop where the plug from the extension cord and the plug from the heater meet. Put the plugs on the side of the loop. This way, the water hangs around at a spot where the insulation is unbroken, at the bottom of the loop. And wrap the plugs in electrical tape."

[JT recounted] "When we install larger systems where ice is a problem, we install an ice shield. It looks like a platform located right above the antenna; it lessens the amount of ice that builds up on the antenna and protects the antenna from falling ice from the structures above. A big one runs about $1800."

—End

 

Related articles:
	[Oct. 11, 2000]	Lightning and the Wireless Antenna
	[Sep. 13, 2000]	Licensing for Antennas and Towers
	[May 26, 2000]	Water and Wireless Buildout