Milford
Cell Tower |
Location
and Description |
Carriers |
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FAKE PINE TREE
Milford NH just west of the Amherst St Rt 101A and Route 101 bypass intersection (just west of Lorden Plaza). This tower is disguised to look like a pine tree, and was erected back in 2001. It's a Telecorp tower. The top picture shows the pine tree disposition of the tower with it's three carrier tiers. This picture was taken on the access road to the tower. The 2nd picture shows what the tower looks like from the east most side of the Lorden Plaza parking lot. The 3rd picture shows the base housing for all the equipment. The 4th picture shows a close up (looking
through the fence) of the base equipment. Parris Wood states:The cabinet
in the foreground is an Ericsson RBS The 5th picture is of the power meters
for each of the present carriers (with room to grow!). Top left meter
is for Nextel. The one below it says Telecorp, (now Cingular Wireless).
The top right meter is vacant, and the bottom right says "IWO",
probably Sprint PCS. Parris Wood says: IWO could refer to any
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Sprint PCS Cingular Wireless (GSM 1900Mhz) Nextel
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LAT: 42 Deg. 48.278' N LON: 71 Deg. 37.813' W AMSL: 525 ft (at base of tower) |
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On top of Federal Hill in Milford, behind Hampshire Hills, is this fully functional Fire Watchtower. On the top of the building is one huge antenna array which has been there since the early 1990's. The top photo was taken near Chappel Tractor on Rt 13 in Milford looking East at the watchtower. You can see the watchtower just above the tree-line is you look closely. |
US Cellular |
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The rest of these photos were taken on Sunday August 31, 2003. This collection of photos are of the watchtower. We gained access to it from Ponemah Hill Road in Milford where there is a gate and access road to the top. A quick 10 minute hike and your at the tower. Impressive this structure is, and also impressive is the size of the antenna paddles for the US Cellular TDMA installation. I don't think I've ever seen antenna paddles as tall and wide as these, but considering the incredible vantage point, these antennas provide the widest coverage. There did not seem to be any down tilt at all to these antennas, which is unusual considering the altitude at which they live.
Also present on top of the tower is a variety of emergency services antennas for fire communications, as well as various weather instruments to measure precipitation, and wind speed/direction. There is also a solar-powered panel attached to a circularly polarized antenna pointing up into our atmosphere - probably for a satellite to collect remote data. The microwave dish is for USCC's backhaul from another remote site (see below). It should be noted that this tower is not closed off - the public can access it year round via the hike up the hill, and then a few fights of stairs to the two-level lookout platform just below the building's base. An incredible vista to sya the least. On this day we were able to see the White Mountains as well as the outline of downtown Boston, and many things in between. |
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A picture of the base building housing the TDMA equipment. The base is fenced in containing the building, as well as a generator and a bunch of propane tanks. The light blue building to the right in the top picture is for the fire officials. The 2nd picture is a close-up of the microwave dish used at this location as the relay for another USCC site to the west. One of the outlook platforms was on the same level as this dish, and if you stand directly behind this dish and perform a line-of-sight measurement, it's pointing to either the Mason NH or Greenfield NH USCC sites (hard to tell which one without binoculars). |
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A few shots of the view from this tower. The top photo is looking North at Mt. Uncanoonuc in Goffstown NH. The middle photo is looking South/South East at the Haystack Observatory equipment (on the horizon) located on the Westford/Groton MA town lines. The third photo is that of the Verizon Wireless Fake Fire tower looking due south. This tower is located on the Hollis/Brookline NH line.
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Town Hall Communications Tower Has Facelift
Update May 14, 2007
Finally, the new communications tower has been erected on top of the town
hall ! !
US Cellular has finally put it up, and it has three cell antenna
panels flush mounted on it.
The new service from US Cellular is not yet "live".
View the Milford Cabinet newpaper online article here.
Some of the tower facts:
It took over 6 years to get the project to to this point
(See some of the older history below).
It was installed on Friday May 4th.
The Cabinet newpaper article
was published on Thursday May 10th.
The tower weighs about 3,000 pounds, and was installed by Aerial Site
Communications of Gorham, NH.
A crane capable of lifting 70 tons was used to lift
it into place.
It took just less than 6 hours to do all the work
.
U.S. Cellular is paying for the tower.
The tower will transmit radio signals for the police, fire, ambulance and Department
of Public Works.
The tower is
70 feet high and will have three cell panels and be topped by a 20-foot whip
antenna.
The tower will replaces two existing towers.
The projects is expected to be complete at the end of June, 2007.
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Click on each photo to view larger size
Old News Archives for the Town Hall Tower:
In year 2000 US Cellular approached the Milford Planning Board to ask
about using the downtown Milford (on the oval / Union Square) Town Hall building
roof for an additional cell tower. This has turned into a 6+ year plan, and
an "all in favor" vote was so moved on September 20, 2005.
In the PB Minutes for November 15, 2005:
US Cellular c/o KJK Wireless and Town of Milford – One Union Sq (Town
Hall) – Map 26, Lot 178. Public Hearing for
proposed co-location of 3 cellular antennas on the emergency communications
tower located on the roof of the Town Hall and for
the installation of transmission equipment within the attic of the Town Hall.
This plan got tabled and then got approved via vote in December 2005.
T-Mobile coverage coming to the First Congregational Church - 10 Union Street
In August 2006, T-Mobile has applied for a permit to install a cell site
inside the church steeple.
First Congregational Church of Milford/Omnipoint Communications, Inc. – 10
Union St- Map
25, Lot 51. Public Hearing for a minor site plan for the location of a proposed
wireless communication
facility on an existing structure.
The antenna panels would be located on the front and both sides of the
cupola.
More information to be revealed.