Man builds 60-foot tower to nab some wireless broadband

And we thought we were serious about our Internet access, what with that $50 check and spotless goat we offer to the cable co. each month. Seems like a certain small-town Canadian man has us beat -- with a 60-foot tower and 14,000 pounds of cement. After suffering with a 56k connection for long enough, he was excited to hear of a new wireless ISP in his area, but couldn't establish a line of sight due to a nearby church that stood in the way. But not one to give up so easily, our Canadian protagonist proceeded to erect a 60-foot tower in his yard, complete with a 6-foot deep concrete anchor. What have you done with your week?

[DT @ Mar 3rd 2006 10:47AM]

Raised my child? Made progress towards becoming a doctor, so I can save some lives?

[lejupp @ Mar 3rd 2006 10:52AM]

Ham radio is back! Well, sort of...

[Kevin Moon @ Mar 3rd 2006 10:53AM]

At least someone is doing something important....
saving lives, who needs that. I'd rather die than suffer 56k

[Matt Rausch @ Mar 3rd 2006 10:53AM]

I think this story may have come from the comments on the "Ask Engadget" story from last night? Wow.

[Orale @ Mar 3rd 2006 10:55AM]

Raised your child in a week? What are you raising, a fly? And one week must have gotten you so much closer to saving lives.

[Timmah!!! @ Mar 3rd 2006 10:56AM]

I really can't stand people who can't see the sarcasm in a statement like "What have you done with your week?
" and need to make themselves look all big and important. Yeah, I mean you, DT. Get a grip.

[Jurgen @ Mar 3rd 2006 10:58AM]

#1: Through the Canadian's work, he has improved enjoyment of his life, and heart condition, more than you who would achieve in a week. Apparently you think your child wouldn't raise without you, and just studying and saving lives is more important than quality of life..?

[Thrasher @ Mar 3rd 2006 11:01AM]

Definitely a long length to go to for wireless internet access, but putting up this kind of tower in and of itself isn't particularly unique. Thousands of ham radio operators across the country have them, many quite a bit taller than 60 feet.

[hcmiller @ Mar 3rd 2006 11:02AM]

DT- little tidbit, the only people who talk about being doctors are not doctors...

[Buzzcut @ Mar 3rd 2006 11:08AM]

I wonder if I could get away with something like that in my yard. 60' is really high, most zoning regs limit you to something like 35' or so.

So you get your tower, you get an antenna rotor up there, and you mount it with a highly directional 2.4GHZ Yagi antenna with a pre-amp. You could effectively mooch off ANY open wifi in the surrounding area.

I don't know about you guys, but almost every house in my neighborhood has wifi. Some are open networks (and if you are going to mooch, you could probably hack into any b network if you wanted to, security or not).

I can't imagine that that tower was cheap, but at $50 bucks a month, you can pay off a significant sum in very little time at all.

Myself, I've been thinking of just getting the antenna, rotor, and pre-amp, and seeing what I get when I put them on a tripod on the roof.

Wifi is indeed the ham radio of our generation.

[Dermot81 @ Mar 3rd 2006 11:09AM]

Also, you shouldn't be raising a child, if you are still in Med school, unless your significant other is capable of supporting a family by her/himself.

[mark @ Mar 3rd 2006 11:10AM]

This guy is a tool. He built the tower to overcome the church in his small villiage of 2000 people (the curch being relatively close to his house). Why didn't he just ask them if he could put a small antenna on it's roof? Would have saved himself a lot of time and well, there wouldn't be a huge eye-sore in his backyard.

[mark @ Mar 3rd 2006 11:12AM]

Wow, that person really is desperate to get away from dialup. About time!!!

[Josh @ Mar 3rd 2006 11:12AM]

That's a really good idea!!!!
jk.

[Mark Young @ Mar 3rd 2006 11:18AM]

My wife won't even let me put up an indoor antenna for HD channels, I wonder what she would say if I went to her said "honey, I am taking abou 500.00 from checking to dig a six foot ditch in our yard then rig up 60' of gun metal grey steel to erect a giant tower in the backyard...can you watch the kids for a while?"

YOu know what she will say don't you??? "Honey, why don't you take that time and become a doctor or raise our kids?"

Good point honey, pass me another beer.

[Mark Brewer @ Mar 3rd 2006 11:21AM]

Exactually mark #11, Our Church is used by Cell Phone and Internet providers. Were not called Church on the Hill for Nothing. If you look in most your smaller towns a Church is the tallest building.

[Brett Versaso @ Mar 3rd 2006 11:23AM]

...and I thought I was cool with my Chinese strainer and USB Wifi adapter. Oh well.

[James Scott @ Mar 3rd 2006 11:25AM]

Its probably Look.ca they have wireless broadband now available.

[David @ Mar 3rd 2006 11:35AM]

#3 Wins best comment ever (of today).

[Ben @ Mar 3rd 2006 11:35AM]

"Do you think he's compensating for anything..." -Shrek

[Karl Viklund @ Mar 3rd 2006 11:39AM]

Wow. Realy nice haha :)

[Spyvie @ Mar 3rd 2006 11:39AM]

I wonder what lightning would do to your wireless adapter?

[Malarky @ Mar 3rd 2006 11:40AM]

I had a busy week of removing 60ft wifi towers during the night. Not an easy process. Also I taught children bad habits.

[David @ Mar 3rd 2006 11:43AM]

And he only spent $404 CND. I suppose he could have saved a few children for Sally Struthers, #1 any comment?
:P

[Steve @ Mar 3rd 2006 11:45AM]

I faced a similar problem where I live. The local broadcast broadband company said I would need a 60 to 80 foot tower to get a signal. It was not cheap, but every day I spent on dial up at 28k (the phone network in my area is badly in need of an overhaul) brought me closer to putting one up. Luckily the local guy found a new system called Canopy. I did need a tower, but its only about 20 feet tall. It sits atop my garage with three small guy wires and a yaggi antenna. Now I get sweet, delicious broadband and life is good.

[Richard @ Mar 3rd 2006 11:48AM]

Um, since when did a 6 foot deep column of concrete weigh 14000 lbs? Maybe 1400 lbs....

[Buzzcut @ Mar 3rd 2006 11:54AM]

It's 14,000 lbs. Canadian. That's like 1400 lbs. American.

[DT @ Mar 3rd 2006 11:59AM]

Sheesh, chill out people. And hcmiller, NYU school of medicine, class of 2008. Bite me.

[Relocation-Canada.com @ Mar 3rd 2006 12:02PM]

This guy's internet is now flowing in wonderfully fast and stable.

But everyone who attends the church seems to leave with random stray thoughts of free porn, cheap viagara and various hair-growing pills...

(Oh, and now the pastor can pick up Howard Stern on his gold tooth fillings if he stands jussst right.)

[Alan @ Mar 3rd 2006 12:03PM]

"It's 14,000 lbs. Canadian. That's like 1400 lbs. American."

That is too funny... Hold on I am Canadian.

[abi @ Mar 3rd 2006 12:04PM]

see what 56KBPS does to you head. Helps you aim higher. Kudo's friend, admire your tenacity if I can call it that!

[Eric @ Mar 3rd 2006 12:08PM]

Where I live, applying for the permit alone will take 6 months by which time then they'll send me the permit rejection letter.

[spiff @ Mar 3rd 2006 12:23PM]

Canadians will one day conquer the world, be afraid, very afraid!

[Garybaldy @ Mar 3rd 2006 12:25PM]

WOW. that was expensive. That tower probably laid him back at minimum $1,800. Unless he bought it used.

[Shawn @ Mar 3rd 2006 12:30PM]

Check out this - http://www.windcastbroadband.com/trees.htm

[Garybaldy @ Mar 3rd 2006 12:39PM]

Correction $1,249.99

http://www.solidsignal.com/prod_display.asp?PROD=SDMX52

[Skan @ Mar 3rd 2006 12:39PM]

Maybe he built that tower to save some money so he can afford to raise his child while learning to become an anle surgeon? =O)

[Skan @ Mar 3rd 2006 12:42PM]

#Edit#
Maybe he built that tower to save some money so he can afford to raise his child while learning to become an anal surgeon? =O)

[Max @ Mar 3rd 2006 12:42PM]

Do you not have to have planning permission to do that kind of thing in Canada ?
I think you would probably have to in the UK

[arekkusu @ Mar 3rd 2006 12:43PM]

"This guy is a tool. He built the tower to overcome the church in his small villiage of 2000 people (the curch being relatively close to his house). Why didn't he just ask them if he could put a small antenna on it's roof? Would have saved himself a lot of time and well, there wouldn't be a huge eye-sore in his backyard."
"WOW. that was expensive. That tower probably laid him back at minimum $1,800. Unless he bought it used."

The answers to your questions ... in the article you didn't bother to read before posting a comment.

[Eric A. @ Mar 3rd 2006 12:46PM]

WIth all of the connections that this guy had with all of the different materials, equipment, and manpower needed to pull of a project of such magnatude I'm really suprised that he couldn't just have the church moved just as easily.

[Garybaldy @ Mar 3rd 2006 12:54PM]

Wow he got his 60 feet cheap. i paid 300 for mine used

[Garybaldy @ Mar 3rd 2006 12:59PM]

arekkusu, If i choose not to read anything but the headline. thats my choice. So long as i dont make stupid replies in regaurds to what i did not read. And my reply did have the used remark. So get a grip

[IL @ Mar 3rd 2006 1:10PM]

Everyone needs to chill out and grab a beer. Unless you are a doctor in training, raising your kids, saving the world and all that other good stuff, all while having time to tell people to bite you on some silly, frivolous comment board. Ironically, why are you even surfing and posting, go save some lives, Dr. Irony.

I'm drinking to rabies tonight.

[Joe @ Mar 3rd 2006 1:15PM]

I think we're missing the obvious solution here: burn down the church.

[revwillie @ Mar 3rd 2006 1:40PM]

About 30 years ago my dad put up a 30 foot CB antenna next to our house. If anyone thinks this is a good idea, I have two words for you: Proper Grounding.

[Jonathan @ Mar 3rd 2006 1:53PM]

$404 CDN total. That's incredibly cheap. I've got a co-worker here that was looking at doing the same thing. The quote?

$4000.

Plus, he had to run power and wiring himself to the tower location (which had to be ~ 100' from his house to avoid a treestand).

He went with Ka-band satellite instead.

[play free games @ Mar 3rd 2006 3:04PM]

I think what this guy did was great. He was driven to get himself broadband, and didn't let technical issues get in the way. He's not harming anyone, and as long as he's taking care of his family and his responsibilities, there is nothing wrong with it. Anyone into hobbies of any sort spends a considerable amount of time and money on that interest. This was his.

[Emceay @ Mar 3rd 2006 3:56PM]

I know microwaves are supposed to be non-ionizing, but do you think this thing is entirely safe and up to regulation? It's awfully close to his and his neighbor's house. If I lived next to him I'd probably be just a little worried. For all practical reasons though, kudos to that guy.

[john @ Mar 3rd 2006 4:02PM]

what happens when lightning strikes?