Tower and Network Video

[Geesmill]

So it seems that a lot of people on the site get a kick out of tower work videos, etc. My father has recently picked up a go pro and is pretty creative when it comes to putting his videos together. Give it a look.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_deiyF444GA&feature=em-upload_owner

[digiblur]

Pretty cool video... Thanks for sharing. The big microwave AT&T tower in Baton Rouge is now gone. They took it down piece by piece last year or so. Not sure if that's what he was showing in the video.

[Geesmill]

No, I think he was just showing different spots throughout the country where he had worked. He travels all over for different fiber projects and they do a little microwave maintenance when they can fit it in.

[mrzood]

Those big microwave towers are really cool.

 

Thanks for sharing!

[lynyrd65]

Those big microwave towers are really cool.

 

Thanks for sharing!

 

We used to have those in Tulsa. I always thought they were some type of wind speed measuring device.

[digiblur]

Now that's pretty funny... I knew what those things were when I was 12, they were all over the place connecting every city to the long distance phone network. Fiber has replaced many of them now.

[ddimit]

Now that's pretty funny... I knew what those things were when I was 12, they were all over the place connecting every city to the long distance phone network. Fiber has replaced many of them now.

 

Ok since this has popped up take a look at this site. A lot of History of AT&T Microwave and Coax deployment. cool history, cutting edge stuff for the 50-60's. Cool Cool Cold War Hardened bunkers and such. Interesting reading

 

http://long-lines.net/

[Geesmill]

Yep, when I first stared with AT&T fiber had been rolled out , but many cities still had active radio backbones as well. Then with the big buildouts in the late 90's early 00's there was so much excess fiber in the ground that as different providers were going bankrupt they were getting bought for pennies on the dollar. When I left AT&T, the large majority of microwave sites had just been sold to American tower which released AT&T from maintenance on the strobe systems, so these days there are a lot fewer sites to maintain, but between all the hot cuts for backbone moves and repairs the crews that remain still cover a lot of miles especially where Southwestern Bell and Bellsouth didn't provide native service.

[digiblur]

Been to that one several times... always a good read!

[Fraydog]

http://www.beatriceco.com/bti/porticus/bell/bell.htm

 

Speaking of the Old Ma Bell, the Bell System Memorial is a good guide for what life was like under the old Bell System.