[CTSARA] Urban Hilltopping

[Jon Perelstein]

Hilltopping is exactly what the name implies.  Get a VHF or UHF rig up on
top of a hill and you have a much longer range.  If the hill is high enough,
your range is out to the horizon -- AND the horizon is 90-120 miles away
instead of only about 70 miles away.  That's why all those FM and TV
stations have their transmitters/antennas up on top of the Empire State
Building (and before 9/11 on top of WTC).   

Urban hilltopping is getting up on top of a hilltop or high structure in an
urban environment.  For example, the Empire State Building in Manhattan.  Or
West Rock in New Haven.  The trick with urban hilltopping is finding high
buildings that let you get to the top.

Jon 
KB1QBZ

-----Original Message-----
From: ctsara-bounces at mailman.qth.net [mailto:ctsara-bounces at mailman.qth.net]
On Behalf Of Jonathan Solomon
Sent: Tuesday, May 12, 2009 11:02 PM
To: CTSARA at mailman.qth.net
Subject: Re: [CTSARA] Urban Hilltopping

Frank-
I'm not sure what Empire security might think about hams and HT's in  
public areas of ESB, but yes, there are quite a few AM/FM/TV  
transmitters, among many other RF devices! I do believe the ABC/Disney  
engineering ham club has a repeater on there as well.

Matt-
I agree 100%.  I got my General ticket this past summer, and haven't  
done squat with it. Mostly because of moving and everything else.  Oh,  
and I don't have an HF rig. But I want to...

On the other hand, I"m not really sure what hilltopping is...  Who  
wants to give the quick explanation.