Commercial Antennas Have Improved Their Appearance

By Essie Osborn


Years before the digital communications revolution, nearly every suburban home was crowned with an ugly aluminum television antenna. While their disappearance has not been mourned, today's communication and media devices still demand excellent transmission, often requiring the installation of new antenna arrays. Consumers not only demand good service, but are equally concerned about the placement, visibility and safety of those units.

At its most basic level, an antenna consists of poles, wires, dishes and other metal devices designed to both receive or send electromagnetic signals. Commercial antennas are integral to generating money, and are used by television, radio, cell phone and other communications enterprises. Amateur home radio transmitters, satellite dishes, and other related devices are not considered commercial.

Before a business can place a new installation, however, a number of local issues must be seriously considered. Although consumers purchasing new electronic communications expect that they will have strong, reliable connections, most simply do not want to actually see the necessary installations and towers that make the entire experience possible. Because of this understandable attitude, cities have created new regulations regarding antenna visibility, size, and location.

A high-tech antenna array sporting gleaming metal spikes might appeal to some, but generally not to those people living in its shadow. This understandable attitude has driven technicians to new levels of creativity when designing and placing new installations, with the goal of making them less obtrusive. Many of these solutions are based on the concept that new equipment should be almost invisible to casual observers.

One of the most cost-effective is termed co-location, an increasingly common practice. This process places the new array on an already existing tower, which eliminates the need for additional construction. Successful completion of this kind of project involves close cooperation between all the companies using the tower. New operations must never interfere with present users, and must also conform to aesthetic standards.

If co-location is not possible, then a multitude of local regulations must be considered before building another tower. While cities vary, most have enacted fairly stringent rules regarding new sites. If the area is residential, for example, many locales prohibit this sort of construction in front or side yards. Devices must never interfere with traffic, or even alter existing parking spaces.

In addition, the color scheme has to blend properly with existing designs. A new antenna must not block the view from adjacent homes. Some regions stipulate that all connective wiring be run beneath ground, and covered by vegetation or landscaping when above ground. Ordinances regarding height must be followed. Although these requirements may seem restrictive, the positive outcome is a new generation of towers that most people happily never notice.

For many residents, the results look like nature. In California they may look like palm trees, while those in New York sport deciduous branches. Other towers have been disguised to blend into unique natural desert backgrounds. Although designing antennas to fit the natural world may initially cost a little more, it proven to be a popular practice that benefits both business and consumer.




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