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Reserve Your Seat TodayFor years, there was a general lack of concern by licensees and owners of radio towers for tower light regulations.
Why?
Because the fine amounts were extremely small. Because the FCC lacked manpower and money for field inspections, enforcement was difficult. Times have changed considerably.
It all changed in 1989 when an air-med helicopter crashed into an unlit tower in North Carolina. Several people were killed in the crash and government lawyers took action. This led to increased surveillance and inspections.
There were also big fines that the FCC could levy against every licensee on a tower. In this new environment with stricter tower light regulations, you must protect yourself with an automatic tower light monitoring system.
Are you prepared for your next tower light failure?
Do you have the monitoring solution that allows you to comply with tower light regulations?
Having a high-quality monitoring solution installed will dramatically reduce your risk of crossing paths with the FCC. By choosing and implementing the right monitoring solution, you will reduce your risk of hefty fines and liability.
To successfully monitor your tower and ensure that all the FCC regulations are constantly met, you need a reliable Remote Telemetry Unit, or RTU, to give your tower managers complete visibility of your remote tower site in real-time.
Such an RTU will send your telecom operators detailed alarm notifications, alerting you of power failures and other problems at the site that could effect your tower lights. It will also have the ability to remotely turn on a battery or backup generator in the event of a commercial power failure.
As an additional point, look for an RTU that can also monitor other equipment you may have at the site. There's no sense in having one unit to monitor just the tower lights and other units to monitor other equipment. Simplify by getting an advanced RTU with complete telecom site monitoring capabilities.
If you have multiple cell tower sites that need to be monitored, you may also consider a master station. Your RTUs will send any alarm notifications to your master station at your central office. This means you only have to look at one unit to see alarms from all your sites, rather than checking each unit individually.
The AlphaMax and NetDog G2 are two high-quality telecom tower monitoring solutions that provide effective results against regulations set by the FCC.
AlphaMax:
The AlphaMax monitors your tower lights and reports outages to up to 4 paging devices. The AlphaMax also has the ability to remotely activate site equipment and can be equipped with a backup battery supply that lasts up to two days. If your tower loses commercial power, the backup battery can be activated until power is restored, so that you can avoid heavy fines and prevent air traffic accidents.
Netdog G2:
The NetDog G2 is perfectly suited for smaller remote sites that require constant monitoring.
The NetDog provides dial-up alarm reporting, LAN connectivity, and a convenient web browser interface. It also provides 2 analog inputs and allows for easy wiring with screw-down connectors. With the web browser interface, your tower operators can check the status of your tower lights from any computer with internet connectivity. Be the first to know of any problems at your remote tower site.
Related Topics:
Aircraft Obstruction Light Rules
FAA Lighting Towers Rule
