WSU Ham/Amateur Radio Club (W7YH)

Initial suggestions (in order of preference): Observatory Hill, ridge near NRC, CEA storage compound.  Goals of location: 1) out of the way / low political interest in space / politically easy; 2) possible to get RF microwave link back to shack; 3) location to put electronics; 4) power.  While our location may not include all of the above, we can work around some of these.  We can (and should) ask the campus their thoughts and be open to suggestions from them.

We have selected two sites, Observatory Hill, and the hill behind the soil storage facility. The observatory hill site already has several towers present. This site was quickly approved by the FAA and FCC. We are still working on FAA approval of the site by the soil storage facility. A public comment period will be required.

Site Details

• Observatory Hill (South End, Near Cell Towers)
  
  • FAA evaluation Approved!
  • FCC evaluation Approved! (FCC Tower Registration 1274286)
  • Pros:
    • Paved road
    • Power
    • FAA Approval
    • No Lighting Requirements
  • Cons:
    • 4+ existing high-powered (licensed for over 1 KW ERP) cell phone transmitters. May need additional filtering on radio gear.
    • FAA conditions are as follows:
      • ERP Limit of 1738 W in 2m and 219 - 225 MHz bands
      • Must verify spurious emissions are attenuated in air bands by at least 80dBc with a spectrum analyzer after installation
      • Must use a directional antenna on 1240 - 1300 Mhz pointed at least 10 degrees from Mica Peek (344 degrees)
• Hill behind Soil Storage Facility
  
  • FAA evaluation Awaiting Response
  • Pros:
    • Power on site
    • Out of the way, not visible
  • Cons:
    • Questionable link quality to EEME
    • Site surrounded by power lines

Microwave RF Link Evaluation

Our best bet for getting a microwave RF link back to EEME is using a 900Mhz radio such as the Ubiquiti XR9. Below are some possible sites with simulated 900Mhz radio links back to EEME. These sites were chosen based on: being out of the way, the site HAAT, and height off the ground of controlled airspace.

As can be seen by this simulation, a 900Mhz link should be possible to both sites, however the soil storage facility may require a 5W amplifier.

What's Next?

• Noise Measurements at Promising sites (partially completed)
• Consult university regarding site use
• Complete Structural Engineering