Tower/site rental

[VK5DC]

I have had this thought running through my head on and off for a couple of months... Can a ham enter into an agreement with another ham or commercial provider to install a remote ham station and hire tower space or antenna time?

I currently live where a large tower is out of the question and local noise is very high. I do have fun on the digital modes but even so, my ability to communicate is pretty restricted.

My requirements would be fairly basic, tri-band beam,sloping wire for 80m, maybe a 6m yagi, internet connection etc. Most examples of this sort of arrangement seem to be done by an individual on their own (large) property (maybe good reasons for this..? cost!) e.g VK3OE

Any thoughts or offers would be appreciated.

Regards
Dale
VK5DC

[VK2XSO]

Everything and everyone has their price.

[VK3YE]

Everything and everyone has their price.

Or even a non-ham in a prized location.

There would be a lot of ordinary folk, possibly semi retired living on small acreages on the outskirts of country towns or coastal settlements, who are on fairly low incomes and I think would appreciate a bit of pocket money. Ditto for city types who are feeling the pinch servicing the payments on their rural hobby farms.

You may be able to help them with (say) free broadband or improved TV reception (eg installing a satellite dish) if the cockies have bitten their existing antenna to bits and they're unsure of this digital caper.

This stuff would be outside their comfort zone and you need to earn their trust first (not everyone has an entrepeneurial mindset or willingness to deal). So maybe visit your desired area put ads up on the general store's notice board or even doorknock? The link back to your home for remote control might be the hardest bit.

Another possibility is to buy a rental property (again probably a house on a large block near a country town) and put your installation there. Ideally this would have an extra shed with rear access where you'd put your stuff. You'd fence this off from the house and exclude this small area from the lease with the tenant. So you can visit to do maintenance work without disturbing the tenant (who are entitled to 'quiet enjoyment' and 24hrs warning of the landlord entering the premises).

A suitable property (old house on a decent block) in a cheap outer suburb of Melbourne like Werribee or Melton would cost $250 - 300k and return maybe $250 - 300pw rent. The SA equivalent would be Elizabeth or Salisbury (with somewhat cheaper prices) though maybe somewhere nearer the coast eg Christies Beach might be better for RF.

Assuming you borrow 80% for this property you'll need to find approx 10-11% of the property's value per year to pay interest and maintenance costs. Of this the rent contributes about half, with tax deductions maybe another 2%. On the latter you'll need to check with your accountant as you can only get deductions if it's a genuinerental investment property - you can't claim if a holiday house, hobby farm or the like). Holding costs for this negative geared property after rent and taxes might be (say) $10k pa, depending on your taxable income. However you're also getting an income producing asset that should help financial independence in retirement.

If $10k pa is too much, inland country towns offer the possibility of cheaper property and lower noise, but there is the issue of broadband access. Rental returns tend to be higher. I have heard of houses in central Victoria (Maryborough) going for around $100k with rent approaching $200pw. You could even consider providing free broadband to attract a good tenant (given you'll need it for your link). Management and maintenance costs will be higher than in the city, and I expect lower capital growth, but with those figures the rent should cover the mortgage and maybe some of the other costs as well. Which means its holding cost should be close to zero or even slightly profitable.

Have never done the remote station thing myself, though have contemplated it, even if just for receiving.

73, Peter VK3YE

[VK4MA]

I operated a remote HFstation whilst living in the inner city of Melbourne for about 5 years. It worked very well. I located my station at an industrial site owned by a relative (scrap metal yard) - bit noisy during the day but very quiet after 4pm when all the staff had headed for home. Advantage was that my system was in a secure location, no rents to pay and was also not too far to drive when something went wrong.
Good luck with the project
Cheers - Paul - vk4ma

[VK4WDM]

The other issue is finding a way to keep the older hams who have moved into "no antennas" retirement villages active. I feel really sad when I see well-known hams who have done a lot for the hobby, selling up all their gear because then can no longer operate from their new QTH.

These people are unlikely to have enough Db to buy or rent a property for a remote station, but it could be a good project for a local club who could use it for official club broadcasts and contests and then make it available for those who can no longer operate from their home.

73

Wayne VK4WDM

[VK4NM]

Our local golf club just allowed optus to put a tower on the course - they give us $18k / year.

[VK2AAH]

Site rentals vary a lot depending on where they are and who it is looking to rent the site. $18K a year is pretty typical (maybe even a bit cheap) for a carrier that earns a return from the site. It would be way too high for a non-profit, community service such as a CREST or a WICEN. The NSW Government actually had its IPART set standard fees for the use of publicly owned land for radio sites. Community funded non profits are under $500 a year but this doesn't include the charges from the tower/hut owner. My employer leases alot of sites and the costs can vary from free to well over $10K a year.

Cheers,

Richard
VK2AAH