[Tfug] Cabling between buildings

[Bexley Hall]

--- On Thu, 5/28/09, Angus Scott-Fleming <angussf at geoapps.com> wrote:

> On 27 May 2009 at 8:26, Paul Lemmons  wrote:
> 
> > If they can afford to trench long distances i would recommend
> > microwave point-to-point. High bandwidth, reliable, secure and
> > no cables to have to bury. The only requirement is line of sight.
> > Distance is measured in miles.
> 
> We're having issues with a microwave link (2.4ghz, but not WiFi)
> between two buildings about a mile apart in Oro Valley.  When the
> link was put in, the line-of-site was clean, but in the 10 years 
> since, there has been so much construction that roof lines between 
> the two antennas now impinge upon the Fresnel zone and throughput 
> has dropped significantly.  For political reasons 
> we can't raise the antennas.
> 
> What I'm saying is that you need to be absolutely sure no
> new growth of trees or new construction will interfere with your
> microwave links.

Exactly.  But, you also have to worry about *weather* (in my
friend's case).  E.g., heavy snows and/or ice storms can drag
branches on some trees down several feet.  So, what may once have
been an unobstructed line of sight under/through the trees can
suddenly become completely blocked.

For example, a 20 ft white birch will literally fold itself
in half so that the top branches touch the ground when it gets
coated in ice.  I think the same would be true of the Aspens.
(pretty to look at but must be hell for the tree!)