His neighbors are an eyesore and should be forced to get a permit to go out into public.

Absolute work of art. And yes I am a licensed Ham Radio Operator.

It is a thing of beauty to me!

People quit your whining! This man is helping in emergency's some times! If you do not like you move to the country! He has the right to put up antenna towers by the FCC. They are part of our FEDERAL GOVERNMENT! SO SHUT UP!!!! Some day when this man's radio transmissions assist in getting you or a loved on emergency help then you will praise the Man and his antennas!

from what I can see in the video that is a beautiful setup. almost brings tears to my eyes.

It must be nice to live a life in which the biggest concern is a ugly antenna in a yard next door.

HEHE......I have noticed none of the husband's made a camera appearance.

I love his antenna!!! If I lived there I would have one!! :)

The reason why the law protecting hams from antenna restrictions was enacted is that hams are an invaluable resource during emergencies. Prohibiting hams to erect antennas could potentially lead to the loss of many lives during an emergency. most ham equipment nowadays is very efficient and not likely to cause interference the way it did years ago.

bottom line, "because they don't like it" they said it over and over again. Just because YOU don't like it, does not make you right . How often do you think it the normal goings on that these people would even look up at the antenna ? hardly at all. Except they have their noses out of joint and will spend most of their time looking at it now and whinging about it. Go on about your boring lives and find somewhere else to invest your time that actually matters or makes a difference. I'm sure if there is a disaster and he becomes a central communication point, they will be lined up at his door. Not to mention, its a bit rude to do a spot on the antenna and not even speak to its owner. Talk about one sided bullshit.

Good for the Ham operator. He is within his rights and it is great to see Liberty in action. Watching all these little conformists freak out is really funny . If they don't like it, they can leave.

They might not like it but when all communication is down Amateurs will be on the air.

old women. got nothing else to worry about

haha .... the law protects Ham operators rights !! .... too bad Lakeridge !!

The antenna an eyesore? The antenna doesn't bark all the while like their wretched dogs!

Dam, I would WANT to be his neighbor!!

think all the local residents need to go out and get a life ,instead of looking over at ya neighbors property /.....

I'd LOVE for these nosy neighbors to read ALL THESE POST BELOW!! I BET they would feel like a FOOL because NOT ONE supports them on having the guy take down his antenna-NOT ONE!! Maybe they are reading this? CONGRATS on making YOURSELVES "NATIONAL FOOL of the YEAR" if your reading this!!!!?

I liked that this article it clearly said what many people don't understand. Federal law in both the United states and Canada make a very direct and inarguable point. Licenced ham radio operators are IMMUNE from State, city and home owners agreements as well as local rules around antennas. They must be constructed in an accepted safe way and they can't be so tall that if they fall over they land on someone else's house and they are subject to height restrictions around airports but they CAN NOT be prohibited because they are ugly or because that are seen as something that lowers property values. If he is licenced and he owns the property the neighbors, the city and the state have no say in the matter whatsoever. They need to suck it up and get a life.

When the emergency comes and his neighbors ask him to get word out to their loved ones, he should say "FUCK YOU, Get off my lawn". LOL

HE was nice enough to use a crank-up tower and it is not like his property is an antenna farm! I have a neighbor that has 3-4 antenna on his tower and his back yard is just their to hold all the other antenna's you do not see easily from the road. Not once has one come down in a storm, no one has issues with him tearing up the tv's or garage doors etc. Other then Halloween you do not even see the guy!

Only 50 feet and its not even kept at that height all the time. Get a permanent 200 foot tower and see how they like that. Lol.

Leave him alone! Who cares what you like or don't like. It's not hurting anyone.

way to go, I think it is a thing of beauty!!! You need to leave it extended and folks will forget about it...

im loving it, i love seeing people put these towers up in stuck up neiboorhoods

The neighbors just need to get over it.

This antenna is an item of beauty in my opinion .I would be proud to have such a person living near my home.Not only does this man have a gentle hobby that promotes peace and greater understanding between peoples of the world,but he even takes it upon himself to save lives during times of national and international emergency.Lets hope that the local kids see him as a role model and one day grow up to be just as public spirited and patriotic

That looks like the blandest subdivision I've seen in ages and yet the residents were complaining about a tower? Some people need to get a life and stop worrying about everything that appears "out of place."

These old bags will be the first ones to go to him when there is a tornado or something through the area.

Gee, if they don't like those beams, wonder what they would say about my 540 ft. loop that is up 50 feet :) You can't satisfy some people if you hang them with a new rope!

Heres another case of mind your own god damn buisness

@KB9NLL Also only one antenna on it? Theese old hags have no clue how good they have It. Lol.

This is precisely why I would not even consider living in one of these places. If I buy a house, I'll be damned if someone else is going to tell me what I can and cannot do there!

She's a bute ! Keep her standing tall and proud !!

His antenna and license, along with his skill and equipment should make him a well respected member of the community. How may people can say their neighbor helped in disasters all around the world. He can pass information both ways and be the one who can help if his own neighborhood was hit. his skills at building antennas could bring help to the ones who are disrespecting him now.

Beam 1500 watts right at them until their hearing aids fry.

A well installed antenna is worthy of pride and admiration. While trees are often misshapen, messy and troublesome.

I am so glad my QTH has no antenna or tower restrictions, and I'm not under an HOA (I would never buy property subject to an HOA!) That guy has invested many thousands in that antenna, many more thousands in the tower, and undoubtedly many thousands in the communication equipment connected to it. Amateur operators like him are the ONLY communications channels in or out of major disaster areas, all over the world. Without that rig, he couldn't do the emergency work mentioned in the news story.

Amateur's and even dedicated CB radio enthusiasts are the people you want nearby when all other communications fail or disaster strikes believe you me

I hate my neighbor.. I'm getting my licence and some serious hardware asap!!!

I think it looks pretty good. For those complaining about it, what did you do to help with the last emergency? What communications did you provide? Were you even involved in emergency response? If you want to be able to communicate, you will need an antenna. Try using your cell phone with no antenna on the cell tower.

Main Stream Media... this is what they choose to produce. I think there are much more serious issues they could spend two and a half minutes on, besides this divisiveness.

Such a shame how they edited this. Interviewed the village idiots the whole time just to add some drama into their evening news. And they leave the antenna owners great contributions to disaster communications for the last 15 seconds.

everybody Gangsta until the HOA tells you to put up an antenna because the communications are down

"NOBODY IS ALLOW TO HAVE FUN IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD!!! NOT EVEN ME!!!"

Good for the FCC. I wish we had something like that in the UK.

It's a beautiful sight to me. I've watched a Committee of Architecture in Pueblo West, CO drive out a ham radio operator for a simple ground-mounted vertical antenna in 1989.

You notice how its a bunch of old hags that dont have anything else to do. As a fellow licensed amateur radio operator, its nice to see well built antenna's. And that they are protected federally. :)

H.R 1301 amends part 97.15 of the FCC rules that HOAs have to comply with

A radio antenna doesn't diminish the "beauty" of that boring suburban neighborhood one bit. In fact, it adds character. If i lived there I'd also build an astronomical observatory in my back yard! 73 y'all.

I'm a ham and this is a little obnoxious for that subdivision. He could still do very well with a good vertical antenna on a fold over mount for when he's not operating. It's guys like this that are going to eventually get all ham antennas outlawed in city limits, thus ruining it for all of us.

That 4 element HF yagi appears to be hanging over the property line. Part of the requirements for my tower's permit was that no part of the structure and antenna(s) would be allowed to protrude over any property line. My 72' tall tower is no closer than 50 feet from a property line, and the turning radius of my yagi is 28 feet. My tower has been up just over a year. Last week, a woman happened by when I was in my yard and we chatted. She hadn't noticed my tower + yagi 'til then!

You ladies could be doing other things like tracking sexual offenders and protecting the neighborhood children. Watching drug house activity, Speeders, Stop sign runners, or someone who cheats at Bridge, Bunko, or Kanasta. and Um ?

The neighbors can move...come on now it's a Ham radio antenna I am sure he doesn't tell them what to wear, or where to put there plants. Need more ham radio operators to move in the area. So sad that the news media used the complains they got to generate a story. Wait till something happens and no one can use their cellular phones they are going to be running to his house for help. PS. No Stagecoach rides in that neighborhood anymore.

Best lookin' feature in the neighborhood!

This story is old from, 2006, from what I read, he lost in court in 2007, so the tower and antenna's have been long gone. He tried to invoke PRB-1, the court found that PRB1 does not extend to CC&Rs.

I can just imagine how much money that Ham operator put into that tower, that looks like top of the line best money can buy antenna right there,

Those old women should thank their lucky stars that they have someone with such an emergency communications capability in their neighborhood.

I wish I could look at that tower every day, much nicer than mine. The day my neighbor complains about my tower is the day I call the FCC about their pool pump that gives my 20db over 9 RFI on 40 meters.

Its beautiful, wish it was mine

It's a fine looking installation, nice and neat and tidy, and retractable when not in use. It's also out of place and jarring in such a sterile, groomed community. If it weren't standard practice to clear-cut trees for this kind of development, there'd be NO WAY you'd have an unobstructed view of that beam when it was retracted to 21 feet. Dan, N3OX

If the grid ever shuts down or some kind of flooding happens ect they will run to the ham owner house for help

i love that antenna,,i wish i had one like that!

Ugly? I wouldn't be worried about the antenna. That neighborhood is butt ugly without any kind of trees in sight!

i think the antenna is beautiful these people in this neighborhood don't have enough real problems to worry about.

Ham Radio antennas and stations are "Federally" regulated, and any tampering with, will be investigated by the FBI. Randy Shirley N4QV

I support HAM and radio and the electronics hobby but I wouldn't want this monster HF Yagi antenna next door to my house either. Out of town, it's beautiful and would like to have it for myself.

I'm fortunate enough to not live in a CC&R neighborhood. However, when I erected my tower, I coughed up the money for a building permit and had the city come out and sign off on it. I put alot of time and money in that tower and want to be sure that some old busy body can't make me take it down.

The HAM antenna looks better than the stupid mini satellite dishes that are stuck everywhere on the roofs of the other nearby houses.

Ham operators provide services to county, state, and to the nation during emergency conditions for free! LEAVE THE MAN ALONE!!!

I think that the old ladies are just jealous because the antenna looks better than them. *snicker* Great looking Yagi. 73's KG4WXP

I think I would live in a cardboard box before I ever lived in a development like that with people with nothing better to do than criticize your house color, whether you put up an antenna or what kind of flowers you plant. Good for the radio operator! I hope he was smiling when he saw this report, I know I was. I'm glad those ladies have their panties in a bunch.

He owns the house, he can do whatever the fuck he wants to

The only ugly thing I see there is the neighbors. It's amazing and disgusting how many people want to tread on the rights of others. I've lived in places where I had to fight just to have a simple small satellite dish up. (the only place the condo jerks would let me put a dish was under a trees pointed at it... the head of the conbo board was nurse/drug addict..)

It’s gorgeous. A 4 element StepIR! Very nice! I wish I had it in my back yard! My neighbors were glad I had my tower up. Hams provide communications after everything else has failed. After Andrew, there were few Cell Towers still standing in south Miami-Dade, no power, and no land lines!

With all the killings and wars in this country it is sad when people sit around and worry about how an antenna that may help them in a time of emergency looks to them.

That antenna is beautiful. It made me cry when I saw old ladies make fun of it. 73, KD0MLQ

some people would complain about a new 100 dollar bill

What I hate is when those assholes don't even come talk to a person they just start complaining to everyone else and if they just come talk to the person that they have the problem with there is a good chance he would try to accommodate them. but sadly enough they would never be happy, and in the end if he's legal that leave him alone. the tower looks good to me wish I had one. That's why I refuse to live anywhere that I cannot do what I want antenna wise. If I cant put up as many antennas as I want I wouldn't live there.

I'm a Ham radio operator, in emergency services, and when ALL hits the fan and YOU need help..guess what, WE do the communications. People wake up. TRAINED FCC Licensed with technical, electrical, and FEMA certificates, you may be close to death or dead by the time some one gets to you, maybe days out. We train ALWAYS for disasters, and when all else fails..HAMS SAVE LIVES. Be thankful for this Ham operator, shake his hand, for one day he may be your ONLY communication to the out side world!!

There is no shortage of little old ladies who have nothing better to do than try to dictate how everyone else should act. It's even worse in condo associations.

Sure he should have his antenna up, he might be the only link to the outside world one day. Not only can he help in emergency situations but hams all over the world is a great contributing factor do modern development of IT, telecommunications, communication processes etc etc.

Before watching the video I saw the title and thought it was satire

It's messed up how that one lady says "if you want something like that you should go out the country." Doesn't she realize that we live in a free country and there are more important factors at play than her viewing pleasure? Uneducated people are the first to criticize the man with a big antenna, but when the electricity & phone goes out they change their tone because the ham operator is usually there to help in a time of need.

I'll tell you what the eyesore is! Those houses are way too close together! you could literally look out your window and see someone naked in their own house. And all the houses look the same. They can't tell him s*** about his antenna being an eyesore

Someone asked me if my antenna would control their mind, or open and close their garage door, and yes... it was an old lady. I tried explaining it all to her, and she didn't wanna hear it

I think deed restrictions and hoa's should be outlawed. Who do they think they are anyway?

i would never move to a neighborhood like this. too many old folks that have no life just peeking over the fence just looking for the most minor of anything that they might think will decreased their property value. is not just that antenna it could be anything that they feel they should be a part of. that antenna looks great in any home.

That would be PRB-1. I love when the FCC gets it right!

I see that this video is 11 years old. But the issue remains. Sadly, in Southern California we have cities that have persisted in denying FCC licensed and regulated amateur radio operators from erecting antennas of this type. One antenna had been in place for 50 years and one particular city forced the property owner to take the antenna down. The courts ruled in favor of the property owner but the city effectively bankrupted him. The ARRL was instrumental in reaching some type of compromise but we have other cities that have mandated that you may not have an antenna more than 20 feet above your roof and or visible from the street. As an active emergency communicator that works all bands I would tell those of you against these type of antennas to rethink your position. Think of Hurricane Katrina and how it was the amateur radio operators that moved in in no time flat and provided communication when all other communication systems had failed. You can't tell someone to move out in the country. your $275,000 house means nothing to those of us in Southern California where the same type of house goes for $800,000. The cost of the home is irrelevant. The fact that the homeowner lowers it to 20 feet when not in use shows that he at least is trying to cooperate and be a friendly neighbor. The least these people could do is accept a compromise.

same here! I closed on a house just 3 days ago that took forever to find it's features OUTSIDE of an HOA/CC&R. Time to start planning antennas!

At the frequencies hams operate at it poses no threat to personal safety at 1500 watts, your microwave oven operates at 2.4GHz, the same frequency as your laptop's wifi, hams operate between 1.8-30MHz for HF radio, 50MHz-222MHz for VHF, and 444-470MHz for UHF. All hams must do RF exposure evaluations if they are producing above certain amounts of power at different frequencies. 1.8MHz - 7.3MHz above 500 Watts -snip- 28Mhz - 225MHz above 50 Watts It all depends on the frequency

Up here in Canada,even the local Governments have no say about antennae,water towers,or aerodromes,unless covered by local restrictive covenants.Unless they are a danger,they can't touch them.They are only covered by Federal Dept of Communication.You might have similar laws.

They think it's ugly eh? If they don't look up they won't have to see it. However, if he passes them in the street he's no chance! He's just got to look at them! Sheesh....Tell me about ugly.

These same snooty people would want him to use his radio to help them in time of need. I'm a ham and wished we had more in our ranks.

I would not want to live in such unfriendly resentful neighbourhood.That i call a hellhole.

He has a license issued by the Federal Commumnications Comission to operate. Tell the neighbors to stuff it and mind their own business.

good for him! i live in a neighborhood that has antenna restrictions too. I am planning on putting up a 40 foot mast with 2 UHF antennas in my backyard for my home built back up emergency repeater. I have done some studying and found out that I can legally put up an antenna under FCC regulations as well. :) 73, Alex KD8BVS

love that antenna should be more of them ,i remember when i was a kid ,lots of them around the place .our country was built on these ham guys.should be like a national flag .

Giant monster antennas like this are just awful! Holy crap, can you imagine the piles of bird poop underneath this megalithic monstrosity?