The Secret Radio Site You’re Not Meant To See!

In the late 80's-early 90's in San Diego, CA, USA siting at churches was very difficult because they had boards to deal with and such. We finally found a church where the minister was a HAM and so were many of the congregation. We built them a lovely new steeple a couple of hundred feet tall with all of the antennas hidden behind fiberglass panels. They were also getting $3500 a month in rent. They let us use a very large closet to put the site in (Motorola LD8 AMPS). They did us a huge favor by hinting to other churches about how they scored a new steeple and how much rent they were getting. Churches started calling us to ask us to put in sites.

I love how so many things are genuinely hidden in plain sight these days - there must be so much more out there..

Looks like three are also co-locating with EE's antennas here. If you had a wedding here, The reception would be Excellent.

I saw it. Death tower. Nice. If i ever start a band i'm goig to call it death tower and play heavey metal

Death Tower subliminal flash was worthy as something from an episode of Father Ted 😅

'ckinell that WAS dramatic, specially on the surround system! I loved the "death tower" splice when saying they were generally accepted, nice touch!

Your chosen a nice section of ecclesiastical organ and bell music 🎵🎶🎵🎶

I once integrated a 5g site at a church where the base of the steeple had the radios and the cross was the 3 antenna; alpha, beta and gamma.

Yes please to more videos like this. They are very interesting and help identify antennas on other buildings close to where I live.

Yes, more covert/disguised antenna sites please.

One day I will dig out my 1980s brochures about huge antennae that were buried under the ground in EMP protected trenches. After a nuclear holocaust they would rise up to transmit the bunker's signals to other bunker's around the world. I expect the antennas are probably still buried in protected trenches,ready , waiting or rusting neglected ? Racal was a big player.

Ecclesiastical architecture and radio antennae.... two of my great interests coming together. Lovely to see this - and yes, more of these please.

There is a church I used to drive by in the US that had a big ground based antenna disguised as a flagpole. It stood out to me because it was a constant thickness all the way up (a perfect cylinder, quite thick) and then I noticed the wires at the base, and nearby telcom box.

That creepy dracula organ in the intro is way too loud for 5am. What a wake up, holy fuckin hell. The phantom of the radio, is here, inside my CRANIUM! AAAARGHHH 73s from a VK2 who is now very awake. Cheers haha. Thank you for another great upload mate.

A church close to me had hidden mobile phone panel antennas, fitted to the bell tower, in around 2000. The local tinfoil hatters weren't amused. 🙄

As a planner myself, these cases on balancing critical infrastructure and conservation of surrounding areas are often some of the trickiest. It seems to me that telecoms companies have much more leeway in permitted development rights nowadays though!

I seem to recall T-Mobile and Orange installing aerials inside roadside price signs on Shell fuel stations, and replacing solid clock faces in church towers with GRP faces so that aerials could be hidden in the towers directly behind them. The original faces were stored for refitting once the tower was no longer required for transmission.

Love the added "tower death" blip!!! Had to go back and see it again!!

Would rather see a tower than an aerial on the side of a church. Instal it on top by all means but not on the side.

Nice one! And again... beautifully filmed!