Serious question: cell tower being built behind us, should we be worried?

[V1.47fan]

Originally Posted by Throwback28

I'm almost positive you'll win. Some towers emit frequencies that will drive you insane. I drive pass them on my way to school, its irritating for the ears.

How about wearing a Tin Foil Hat to shield your brain from Electromagnetic fields?

[Throwback28]

Originally Posted by V1.47fan

How about wearing a Tin Foil Hat to shield your brain from Electromagnetic fields?

I tried that, it only amplified the effects

[jpsum]

the health issue is debatable, but we can all agree that your house value will go to shit.

[Freakazoid]

Originally Posted by jpsum

the health issue is debatable, but we can all agree that your house value will go to shit.

this. the validity of the cancer claim is irrelevant.

[M3Bahn]

Originally Posted by V1.47fan

How about wearing a Tin Foil Hat to shield your brain from Electromagnetic fields?

Actually a faraday cage would work.

[V1.47fan]

Originally Posted by M3Bahn

Actually a faraday cage would work.

Isn't the car throwback28 drivin in a Faraday cage,like an airplane etc.?

Top Gear's Richard Hammond sits protected in a VW Golf that gets hit by a 600,000volts lightning.

http://www.topgear.com/uk/videos/car-lightning

[dth656]

hey dude,

i used to work as a civil engineer back in the day, and you could use a few things to raise questions about this:
-who is the local municipality (city, county jurisdiction, unincorporated)? different permitting regulations apply
-does that guys property have a properly recorded easement enabling the cell phone tower to be there (i'm assuming yes, since there was a survey run)?
-which public works department (city, county) reviewed the engineering drawings? were they stamped by a licenses professional engineer? are there any deficiencies which would require the permit to be revoked?
-was an environmental impact report completed?

thats just a starting point off the top of my head--you could probably visit your local public works department and see what sort of regulations are required, and where you might be able to raise objections...

[jpsum]

Originally Posted by dth656

hey dude,

i used to work as a civil engineer back in the day, and you could use a few things to raise questions about this:
-who is the local municipality (city, county jurisdiction, unincorporated)? different permitting regulations apply
-does that guys property have a properly recorded easement enabling the cell phone tower to be there (i'm assuming yes, since there was a survey run)?
-which public works department (city, county) reviewed the engineering drawings? were they stamped by a licenses professional engineer? are there any deficiencies which would require the permit to be revoked?
-was an environmental impact report completed?

thats just a starting point off the top of my head--you could probably visit your local public works department and see what sort of regulations are required, and where you might be able to raise objections...

very good advice

[whyrms]

Erect a fine steel net next to where the cell tower is. Tell everyone that it'll block the radiation. Profit. ??????

Will it really block the radiation? fuck no. Will it work psychologically? maybe, depends on how convincing you are. Will it ruin the cell reception put out by the cell tower? fuck yess! You can also purchase cell phone disrupting devices and put it next to that fucken tower too! do you have the right to do that? iono, but I'm assuming the same right that prevents you from smashing that cell tower into pieces will prevent them from doing anything to you. So what will happen? They're spending money and also power to maintain a cell tower that barely even do its job. If they're assholes they'll keep it up and lose money, if they're smart, they'll move it.

[GregTheStig]

Originally Posted by dth656

hey dude,

i used to work as a civil engineer back in the day, and you could use a few things to raise questions about this:
-who is the local municipality (city, county jurisdiction, unincorporated)? different permitting regulations apply
-does that guys property have a properly recorded easement enabling the cell phone tower to be there (i'm assuming yes, since there was a survey run)?
-which public works department (city, county) reviewed the engineering drawings? were they stamped by a licenses professional engineer? are there any deficiencies which would require the permit to be revoked?
-was an environmental impact report completed?

thats just a starting point off the top of my head--you could probably visit your local public works department and see what sort of regulations are required, and where you might be able to raise objections...

Thanks for the advice, but to be honest I don't know the answer to all those questions just yet.


UPDATE:
I did just find out that another cell company was looking to build one on his property and they thought they were supposed to be the ones building it there. They believe the company that's building it now are in violation because they were still supposed to have another hearing or something with the county. They also think the county is violating their own rules and they think we should sue them as well.

Also they had to get approval from the Army Corps. of Engineers because their property is a wetland, and they were surprised that they got it so quickly.

So now it seems that the company building it is trying to fuck the other company over and the county is trying to fuck us over.


And here's another interesting story: a few months ago a company was supposed to put 4ft antennas on top of our light poles that would boost the signal. We were told that it was approved and they would be installing them soon... they told us that back in like February or something and it hasn't happened yet. Now we and our attorney think that the county is in violation (again) for outright lying to us. According to their "laws" they didn't even have to tell us that the tower was going up 200ft from our fucking house. And if it we hadn't noticed the bulldozers back there we never would've even known about all this.

So again, everyone is trying to fuck us over.

[GregTheStig]

Originally Posted by jpsum

the health issue is debatable, but we can all agree that your house value will go to shit.

Yep. Our home owner's association's attorney is saying we have a very good chance of suing for compensation. It's also not just our house, but at least 20 others that will be very close to that thing, plus the dozen or so others that are going to see it on the way to their houses.

[1speedbike]

Originally Posted by pman10

Very nice way to reason it out . Wave-particle theory, I like that! Something to keep in mind the next time I get asked about cell phone radiation.

Also explains why no solid theory has emerged as to HOW RF might result in neoplasia, unlike X-ray, UV and Gamma ray radiation.

Yup But one more thing... and i don't mean to thread-jack or anything, but I just wanna make one thing clear...

CELL PHONES THEMSELVES ARE STILL DANGEROUS

For proof just look at this:

The RF waves still carry a certain energy. This energy hits your brain cells when you hold the phone to your head and your cells absorb it, converting it into thermal (heat) energy. This heat gives all your little molecules extra energy, causing them to zip around, spin, and generally go crazy. It's these molecules (from your own cells) which are energized by the RF waves that do damage to your own DNA. This is also how microwaves work . You can sometimes notice the side of your head actually getting warmer with prolonged cell phone use.

But.. the energy of the waves decreases with respect to the square of the distance between you and the source, meaning they die out fast. Exponentially fast. This is why even holding the phone in your hand on speakerphone (or with bluetooth, which uses much lower energy waves) is safe. This is also why even being 50 yards away from a cell tower will really cause you no ill effects. At 100 yards, only the most sensitive of meters will get a recording for the irradiance caused by the tower. I just had to make this clear so everyone that reads this isn't going out thinking cell phones won't ever hurt you.


Anyway.. hope everything is going well for you Greg. Sounds like this is truly turning into a giant mess.

And damn, how are they building the cell tower in "wetland"... I couldn't build ANYTHING (not even the tiniest of pools) around my house because other than my front lawn and about 12 feet away from the back of my house is considered "wetland"

[JayKay335i]

You are a moron if you think the above video is real.

On the bright side, pick up one of those shweeeet new 4G phones and you're going to get some sick reception/data speeds.

[1speedbike]

Originally Posted by JayKay335i

You are a moron if you think the above video is real.

On the bright side, pick up one of those shweeeet new 4G phones and you're going to get some sick reception/data speeds.

okay okay it's a bit exaggerated. microwaves (which take 2+ minutes to heat the popcorn enough to cook it) are higher energy than radio waves, so there's no real way it's possible. but the big debate is whether it's still enough energy to fuck with the molecules in your cells, and since DNA exists at the molecular level, it's still possibly enough to be a cancer concern. but the cell towers? no way.

[JayKay335i]

Originally Posted by 1speedbike

okay okay it's a bit exaggerated. microwaves (which take 2+ minutes to heat the popcorn enough to cook it) are higher energy than radio waves, so there's no real way it's possible. but the big debate is whether it's still enough energy to fuck with the molecules in your cells, and since DNA exists at the molecular level, it's still possibly enough to be a cancer concern. but the cell towers? no way.

Possibly, but its still inconclusive and they haven't found any data which really gives an answer. Theres definitely a magnetron under that table in the video though.

[V1.47fan]

Originally Posted by 1speedbike

okay okay it's a bit exaggerated. microwaves (which take 2+ minutes to heat the popcorn enough to cook it) are higher energy than radio waves, so there's no real way it's possible. but the big debate is whether it's still enough energy to fuck with the molecules in your cells, and since DNA exists at the molecular level, it's still possibly enough to be a cancer concern. but the cell towers? no way.

Will the OP be able to make popcorn just by leaving popcorn kernels out in his backyard then?

[fluidkaos]

Originally Posted by 1speedbike

Radio waves simply don't have the energy required to give you cancer. You can rest easy

This is truth, at least in the amount put off by cell phones or their towers.
A microwave oven, which uses RF waves at about 2.5GHz frequency put out around 1000 Watts of power to cook you food. A cell tower uses a variety of frequencies between 0.45GHz, and 2.1GHz, but only puts out a few Watts at most. The cell phone itself only puts out milliwatts. Unless you are sitting on the tower itself with the cell phone permanently attached to your head, they pose no risk whatsoever. You get exposed to more RF radiation just by walking outside, or even turning on the lights for that matter. Visible light is much much more energetic, nearing on 1,000THz in frequency (1THz = 1,000GHz) with enough wattage falling from the sky to power cars, homes, and cities, and it still takes many years of baking in the sun to develop skin cancer from UV light that has a frequency (i.e. energy) ten times that of visible light.

That said, a cell phone will never pop a kernel of corn, even if left transmitting for weeks. Although it does make for an entertaining video.

OP, coming from somebody who works in the field, you have nothing, health wise, to worry about from a cell phone tower. As for it being an eyesore, and causing issue with property values, I wish you the best in that battle.

[1speedbike]

Originally Posted by fluidkaos

This is truth, at least in the amount put off by cell phones or their towers.
A microwave oven, which uses RF waves at about 2.5GHz frequency put out around 1000 Watts of power to cook you food. A cell tower uses a variety of frequencies between 0.45GHz, and 2.1GHz, but only puts out a few Watts at most. The cell phone itself only puts out milliwatts. Unless you are sitting on the tower itself with the cell phone permanently attached to your head, they pose no risk whatsoever. You get exposed to more RF radiation just by walking outside, or even turning on the lights for that matter. Visible light is much much more energetic, nearing on 1,000THz in frequency (1THz = 1,000GHz) with enough wattage falling from the sky to power cars, homes, and cities, and it still takes many years of baking in the sun to develop skin cancer from UV light that has a frequency (i.e. energy) ten times that of visible light.

That said, a cell phone will never pop a kernel of corn, even if left transmitting for weeks. Although it does make for an entertaining video.

OP, coming from somebody who works in the field, you have nothing, health wise, to worry about from a cell phone tower. As for it being an eyesore, and causing issue with property values, I wish you the best in that battle.

I was hoping someone with more experience (and who is actually in a related field, unlike me), could back me up. I was 99% sure of what I was saying, but now I'm at 100%

[michaelthepsycho]

Lol... To all those so confident that cell towers won't give you cancer, just pray one never gets built near you. Science is a dog chasing its own tail. This year, egg's great for you; next year, it's the widow-maker. I'm pretty god damn sure the effects of cell phone towers aren't completely mapped out, despite all the numbers and statistics saying it's insignificant dosage.

I hope you win OP.

[stylinexpat]

Seems like everyone in the US loves to sue and complain these days. People that live in cities like Hong-Kong,Taipei,Singapore,Tokyo,New York,London and a bunch of other cities are surrounded every where by cell towers. If every other person sued and complained there would be no cell service what so ever and people complain about poor reception in the US

[NYCGP]

Originally Posted by stylinexpat

Seems like everyone in the US loves to sue and complain these days. People that live in cities like Hong-Kong,Taipei,Singapore,Tokyo,New York,London and a bunch of other cities are surrounded every where by cell towers. If every other person sued and complained there would be no cell service what so ever and people complain about poor reception in the US

My town on LI outlawed the erecting of cell towers. Every single person I know in the town complains about the cell service and blames their cell phone company.

[GregTheStig]

Originally Posted by stylinexpat

Seems like everyone in the US loves to sue and complain these days. People that live in cities like Hong-Kong,Taipei,Singapore,Tokyo,New York,London and a bunch of other cities are surrounded every where by cell towers. If every other person sued and complained there would be no cell service what so ever and people complain about poor reception in the US

As I said earlier we aren't the kind of people that sue for anything. But when you pay good money for a house in a good location only to have some hillbilly prick put up a cell tower right in your backyard - against several county rules, mind you - you can't help but feel like you got shit on. What we're trying to sue for is loss of property value and the fact that he and the county themselves aren't really doing this fairly. There are plenty of spots near supermarkets or uninhabited areas to build all the cell towers they please, but they had to chose our backyard and in plain view of dozens of families. You see why we're pissed now?

I hope you don't have to go through what we're going through right now.