r/longlines

Not planned but drove past on my way to Arrowsmith, IL -(edited the rest until I can confirm some stuff)-

This is the only tower in the area with 5g antennas on it and I'm connected full bars, so I uploaded these on site so that you could be treated to images which came in via a long lines tower.

I hope I don't wind up in federal fuck me in the ass prison for espionage activity 🤣

Shout-out L3Harris, last thing I used of theirs was the PEQ-15, on the end of my M4a1 in another life. I didn't know they made air traffic control systems.

This cat followed me all shoot and tried to get into my car, so fucking adorable

I am fully ready for your personal abuse and my asshole is, I assure you all, well lubricated.

Actual history of this site has come into full realization thanks to the investigative work of long lines most active historian Garret Fuller and our favorite tower owner and grandfather of long lines hobbyism Terry Michaels, who owns this tower and dug into his own records to find us the truth.

The FCC records are indeed shady for old towers, and this was built in 1984, not the late 90s, by what was then just Qwest microwave.

They were attempting to stand up their own backbone service in the wake of the bell breakup, and built their own microwave lines, which were probably almost immediately not useful and abandoned as the fiber revolution took over.

Qwest (the later Qwest, which acquired the name when they bought the small Texas based company in the 90s) innovated by laying fiber along rail lines when others weren't, became a primarily fiber company and acquired US West. Today they are Lumen and their fiber backbone dreams are fully realized.

This tower was manufactured by Tower Fabricators Inc, not Grasis or another more known company, out of Tulsa Oklahoma. TM says a bill of lading for steel shows OCT 84 as the start of construction.

Interestingly there was a pair of microwave transmitters going to a tower called "Bills tower" which was a local FM station. They probably used that more than the other connections given the fiber takeover.

Thanks to Garret Fuller for finding the original site of the tower it talked to in Champaign, which given it's location and the width of microwave paths puts it in the same path of the Champaign office, who's dishes that I assumed were aimed at Elliot may have been aimed at Paxton or rantoul, as it's hard to tell depending which sat image you pull.

Many thanks to all involved, what a ride.

I used to work for American Tower shortly after they bought all, or a lot of them. Just wanted to share (again) some old pics I found during horn removal. One in CT with a heli, it’s was 4 legged and 350’ to the top and had double stacked horns. We only picked the tops because getting the 2nd level out would of required taking the whole top deck off. The other was in Mass or maybe NY somewhere with a crane absolutely maxed out. Both jobs were thrilling and once in a lifetime. Early 2000’sish. I did many over years, but these are the only pics I have unfortunately. Enjoy! Oh and ask me anything.

Made one of my regular trips to local Long Lines sites, this time returning to the Barnett, Missouri, site that I’ve photographed several times before.

I love when I’m visiting somewhere new and see Long Lines towers.

https://long-lines.com/viewsite/10905

Saw this coming back from the store,

Way back in the American Tower days doing decommissioning. I’ve posted before of removals with a heli. Good times…I’m guessing’04- ‘06ish

Oh and that’s Foxwoods IYKYK.

My favorite Illinois site. Many thanks to the owner of tower sites for hauling those historical antennas up there.

Located on highway 49 just south of Clarksdale, MS