I live in a high rise and I have a really great view of the city and all the transmitting dishes in the area.  I need ideas on how to minimize the effects of the "bleedover" from the AT&T Tower that is pointing at my window!!!HELP, I need ideas. Please don't suggest moving, unless there is no other alternative.
211816
This is an important question - the health effects of microwaves.  Some comments: Lead is not necessary.  Lead stops ionizing radiation like x-rays, but for reflecting microwaves, any conductive metal will do; aluminum is the most commonly used for microwaves, and is a better conductor than lead.\n   Metal mesh will work, just like in a microwave oven, but the problem is, it will only be really effective if you build a sealed box.  If you only cover the windows, the microwaves will come through the walls, floors and ceiling.  Also, at the joints between sheets of metal mesh, you need to have a continuous eletrical connection.  Any seam which is unconnected over a few inches will allow power in.  A large seam may behave just as if the mesh is not there at all.  (This is why a cell phone will sometimes work in an elevator, and sometimes not)  \n    I would think that using aluminum adhesive tape running down the seams of the mesh on both sides would work. \n    Anything that only covers one wall or less may help, but it may not help at all, as microwaves bend around the edges of shields, and also are reflecting off all the other parts of your building.  Any non-sealed metal mesh structure will interact with the radiation field as a open metal resonator in a very complicated way, which is hard to predict and depends on the specifics of the metal geometry, the direction and frequency of the radiation, and all the collection of reflectors in your building (pipes, wiring, window screens, reinforcing bars in concrete).  However, if the metal mesh box is truly sealed and has no open seams whatsoever, you are 100% safe.  People build these out of mesh for low-noise testing chambers, but they are hard to build, especially around doors and inlets for electrical wires and plumbing.  It really is a huge undertaking for a non-professional, sorry.\n     One final comment: you can take some comfort in the fact that if what you see outside your window are dishes, they are highly directional antennas.  Typically, they direct nearly all of their power in a cone within 1 to 4 degrees angle of the satellite or receiver where they are aimed.  Typically, stray radiation (called sidelobes) are 30 dB lower, meaning that the power radiated in other directions is one thousand times lower.  \n      Cell phone towers, however, which do not look like dishes, but an array of typically three or more panels, are not directional, and spray alot of microwave power in all directions.\n     Is there a health risk?  I'm director of a microwave engineering firm, and I don't know the answer for sure.  Just not enough data.  In my own laboratory, however, I always take all precautions to make sure no one is ever exposed to any microwave radiation, just in case.  There are national standards which govern the equipment outside your window, which do specify a maximum 'collateral' radiation level, which is deemed to be safe, based on what data does exist.  I would tend to believe that it is extremely likely they are correct about these levels being safe (safe meaning less likely to hurt you than the air pollution you breathe, the chemicals in the products you use, etc.), but we cannot be 100% sure.\n    Personally, I would be fine with living in an apartment looking out on a bunch of dish antennas, but if it was directly adjacent to a cell phone tower or building with cell phone array on it, I would not want to expose my family to it, and would move out.
599851
It sounds like the settings on the monitor itself. Usually there are some buttons on the monitor that will activate a menu so that you can adjust the viewing area. The options usually include making the viewing area wide/narrow, tall/short, moving it around, and another one that I can't think of the name.. This last one changes how "square" it looks.\n\nMess around with those options, you cannot do any real damage, and it is easy to undo.
195555
Don't seek shelter under a tree!  The tallest thing in the area is most likely to get struck by lighting.  You go running for shelter under a tree and you're more likely to get struck!  Kneeling down, bending forward and putting your hands on your kness sounds like it would be less likely to be a conductor.  I'd try it.  Thanks for keeping me informed!  :)
366985
there are only three thing you need to get a great view.  1 make sure your in an area with no and I meen no man made light, 2 any field that is at least 1 acer this is do to the view of the event horizon, 3 last but not least, the higher up you are from sea level the better,  oh and if you can try to stay behind the wind if clouds are going to move in you want to be in a spot that the wind is not going to push then over head.  with that in mind you should have one heck of a show.  Have fun!!!
623858
What sort of time frame did you have in mind?  I'd like to know because I'd better be moving to higher ground.  \n\nUsually I don't bother with this sort of thing, but the recent hurricane season has got me thinking that something is up.  \n\nThanks for the warning! \n\nCheers!
52023
If you do not move around much, and the AP does not need to provide service to a wider arc, I recommend a directional antennae.\n\nyou may find this website helpful:\n\nhttp://www.cantenna.com
146874
First, you should call your phone and cable company and ask them what it would take to get the service out to you; do you have neighbors that would like the service too?  If you get enough people asking, you can get them to roll out a line into your area, that is after all the way the make their money.  You do not sound like the local pofok, so you might consider meeting them half way, your dig a trench and run a fiber line from and center point of activity to a location that they have a fiber hut set up and then they set up a new fiber hut at point you started from.  They can set up your phone and DSL service from there and it probably will be better than it is now.  You could also inquire about FTTN fiber to the node.  That is AT&T’s newest product and if you can convince them to drop a line in your area you are in like flint.  They are going to be hitting that hard and heavy and the price is going to be cheap, Phone, TV and DSL service for about $80 and you will not get a better connection or quality of service anywhere, it is going to be sharp.\n\nIf the answer is no to all of that, Satellite is fine there will be a ten second lag between send and receive, but when you do start receiving it will be steady, not like the lines going a crossed the monitor or a slide show instead of a vid, like in the 90’s, it is a very good service and if all else fails, I highly recommend it.  It will be better than dial up by a long shot, that I assure you.\n\nA little side note about the meeting them halfway part, do not discount the good old boys if you happen to have money, but the people around you do not.  They may still want the service and whereas they may not be able to pay some one to run in the line for them, odds are they will just do it themselves if it means getting something they want.\n\n\nHope that helps,\n\nJohn B.
296506
Only the Electric Power Company can answer this.\n\nAssuming your inforrmation is correct, and this involves RAIN only, not high wind, it is possible there is an Underground Line that shorts out.\n\nWhatever it is, it sounds like something that can be fixed, but this will only happen if you organize the members of the community and invite the Power Company representative to meet with them and explain why this happens.\n\nMake sure the TV News crews are there.
623458
I work in the management office of a large skyscraper in downtown Houston, Texas. Only a very small percentage of our tenants are closed for July 3rd. I think it is pretty commonplace to have to work that day! But on the upside---I'll be taking a day's vacation! Maybe you could try that too! :)
181511
Complain to Verizon\n\nI really don't think they are just waiting up a pole ready to cut you off as soon as you make a call...   If they wanted to do that, they could sit back in the exchange and do it with the touch of a button or two.\n\nIt's more likely they are up that pole trying to fix a problem which may be giving you the disconnects in the first place.\n\nAnd you mention "taps", rather than disconnects.. which is it?  What evidence have you that your line is tapped?\nI don't know of an online method to check your line...  a competent security company could come and sweep your home and phone line, to some extent, but you have to bear in mind that the ability to tap any phone line, at least for official agencies,  is built in to all phone exchanges in the USA these days, as a legal requirement.. and tapping a digital signal at the exchange level is undetectable by the consumer.\nGone are the days when they had climb up poles and sneak around hooking wires to your wall-box any more, they don't even need to leave their desk... just hit a few keys and sit back.    Isn't technology wonderful?\n\nIf you suspect that somebody un-official is tampering with your phone, that's a matter for the police. If I recall correctly, it may even be a federal case...   On the other hand, if it's official, then you won't get a lot of help.. and, frankly, if the tapping was being done by some official body, they'd be a lot better at it and you wouldn't notice.\n\nThere's also more than a hint of paranoia in your question, you may want to wonder if perhaps you're reading more into it than is there.
616273
One of the TV specials indicated that the WTC was designed to take the impact of jet plane.  However it was smaller one than what hit it.\n\nObviously each tower was able to absorb an impact above what it was designed for.\n\nThe near full load of jet fuel in the plane ignited and with the sprinklers not function due to the impact, the intense heat of the fire soften the structural beams.\n\nEventually the structure, already damage by the impact, failed because the reaming steel became too weak
592714
My suggestion is you first move to the suburbs.The reason there is so many  skyscrapers in the downtown is there is so many people in the downtown while land is getting less and less.If there are more people like you would like to live off the downtown,the skyscrapers would look elegant.
195949
If you already know the regulations then you problably know more than I do about them.  All I know is that you need an FCC license.  You have to get the bandwith from the FCC too, I think.   Obviously you'll want the transmitter's antenna to be as high as possible and due to radiation hazards I don't know if you could get away with putting it on the roof of your house.  The link shows a 25mW transmitter for $250.  It also has a 50W transmitter for $2000.
622250
Depends on whether you are in downtown Manhattan or Smallville USA. Ask your potential neighbors as to their opinions. Also, determine as to whether you need the exposure that you are paying for. For example, are your customers "drive by" or are you building a customer base. You might be able to rent a less expensive building in a low traffic area if you do not need the "drive by" exposure.
276378
Yeah! I love em. I'm a weather freak. I'll stand outside until it starts hailing hard or I'm gonna get struck by lightning. But if they're at night when I'm trying to sleep, and I can't see much, it's not so fun. Especially if hail is hitting your window with 60 mph wind gusts. when I get out on my own, I wanna be a storm spotter
3740
Skyscrapers are prone to lightning strikes that could cause damage if not safely conducted to ground.  The mast on the Empire State Building in NYC is apt to be struck more than once in a single storm.  The grounding system must be operable at all times therefore it is unlikely that the lightning that is grounded could be put to useful work.  Also, the lightning voltage is highly variable and may be as strong as 6,000 Volts.  Electric charge dissipated to ground on a clear day would also be lost.  Incidentally, the sky may have both positive and negatively charged clouds since lightning strikes from cloud-to-cloud are common.  Charge is a relative thing.  Airplanes are also struck while passing between clouds and must be able to conduct electrical surges across movable airfoils to avoid welding hinges in a fixed position.  Conducting cables or straps are used in some applications.\n\nAdded 12/21/05.  Actually atmospheric charge does cause a current to ground and also along a power transmission line, especially as a result of sunspots and ionization of air.  An electrical engineer buddy told me that it was a great nusiance affecting global communication by cable and causing power grid outages.  I imagine that the power could be arrested and utilized but is not cost effective or steady enough to count on.  Still someone may find a way.  As you say it is free although the equipment may be costly.  Good luck.
589246
My suggestions: Invite your neighbors over for lunch, or out on a picnic, and tell them your concerns. Ask them what they would do in your situation. Try to make it as friendly and non-combative as possible. \n\nPlant hedges along the fence, or better yet, flowers bushes. The hedge alone would deflect a lot of the odor. Night-blooming jasmine grows around my bedroom window. It's delicious. \n\nGet an air purifier to use near your bed. That would help a lot.\n\nPut a fan in or near your window, blowing out. Spray Arm & Hammer's air freshener around your window.\n\nLast but not least, be glad you have five dogs nearby to help protect your property. You'll never know, but their presence may have saved your family from burglaries, rape, even murder. \n\nYou sound like a patient person. Just give a little, compromise where you can. And good luck.