SteveB wrote:

"Pete C." wrote

Rent scaffolding and assemble a temporary test tower first. Also check
my other post about functional VoIP over satellite.

Pete C.

Pete: Puhleeze. I don't want my wife to know that you can RENT
scaffolding. She'll be having me do all sorts of work.

I own my scaffolding, damn useful stuff for all kinds of stuff. Right
now I have an 18' tower setup for practicing my vertical rope skills (or
lack thereof) for caving. Of course I don't have a wife problem.

I want to build a
observation tower out of telephone poles. For now, I'd just mount it on the
peak of the second floor of the cabin, about as good as all the effort to
put it on a pole.

What kind of height do you think you'd need to get a cell antenna to?
You could buy or build a nice little crank up tower that would be safely
down and less of a lightning target when not in use.


I did some changes according to the things Skype sent me. I DID get it to
work on the test call to London from my lowland house, and it uses a dish
satellite for Internet service. It's just a DIFFERENT dish ISP service than
the one at the cabin.

Sounds like progress. No reason it can't work as long as you can make
the necessary adjustments so it will tolerate the latency.


We are driving to the cabin this afternoon for a couple of reasons, and I'm
going to test the unit up there now that I know it is at least working.

Get a nice helium balloon, a long kite string and some binoculars. Hang
your cell phone from the balloon aimed so the signal display points
down. Send it up, watch the signal with the binoculars and mark the
string when the signal is good. Bring back down and measure the string
to see just how high a tower you need.


I worked on offshore platforms in the 70's. We had radio phones, and you
had to say "over" when you were through. Two people could not talk at one
time. If there is a latency problem, I can live with it for the purposes of
having a marginally working phone in the remote location. I'll post more on
this after the trip to the cabin, and after we get back in Las Vegas
tomorrow.

Yep, for the application the delays shouldn't be a big deal.


I did get the post about the cell phone antenna, and that's a thought.
Looking for a cell amp right now, and trying to find a price. We may have
another tower we can get that right now is too far. Problem is, the tower
that is closest to us is on the other side of the mountain, and the waves
don't penetrate.

Didn't look at that particular link, but I know there are some decent
quality cell repeater systems designed to get coverage into big
buildings. One of those with an antenna on a suitable tall tower / mast
would get you and any guests "normal" cell coverage in the cabin.


Thanks for the help, everyone. We'll see how this works out.

NP, good luck.

Pete C.