Cell Tower Temperature Controls

[tuba]

I have recently started working on some cell sites. The temperature control I have come across, is nice, but the company that made it is not returning calls about parts and support. So I have to start replacing them. I was wondering what people are using for these cell tower computer rooms for automatic changeover temperature control?

[timjimbob]

I design and maintain many similar sights. I will not use circuit board controlled equipment or OEM equipment.

Stick with off the shelf parts and 24 volt controls. No microproccessed equipment.

70 miles to a sight..........you don't want to have to make a second trip to pickup a part that's not available unless it is air freighted in. Simple parts can be stocked on you truck.

The small current in microproccessors are easily upset by RF and lightning strikes near antenna.

[Tommy knocker]

I design and maintain many similar sights. I will not use circuit board controlled equipment or OEM equipment.

Stick with off the shelf parts and 24 volt controls. No microproccessed equipment.

70 miles to a sight..........you don't want to have to make a second trip to pickup a part that's not available unless it is air freighted in. Simple parts can be stocked on you truck.

The small current in microproccessors are easily upset by RF and lightning strikes near antenna.

Thank you!! I did alot of these back in the 90s and you are exactly rite!!when Nextel started going up they had Eubanks hanging on their buildings but had both units tied to one solid state control. Talked till I was blue in the face but they wouldn't listen. UNTIL those controls, all apparently with identical service life, started failing. Oops! One control= no redundancy! Solid state custom= no stock. Spent most of a summer replacing with 2 Honeywell bi metals.

[Tommy knocker]

I have recently started working on some cell sites. The temperature control I have come across, is nice, but the company that made it is not returning calls about parts and support. So I have to start replacing them. I was wondering what people are using for these cell tower computer rooms for automatic changeover temperature control?

I went to a cheap Honeywell bi metal. Don't remember the model. All you need is a basic 1 stage heat 1stage cool bimetal. Most sites will never need heat but if unit has heat put a stat that will support it on. I had a tower kit. Fan mtr, contactors, relays, transformers, pressure switches, almost every part on those units. Kept it in a box and didn't use it for anything but towers. 100 miles out to a tower in the middle of nowhere at 2am. Don't wanna have to make that trip twice over a $10 transformer.

[tuba]

That makes complete sense. Of the 5 or so towers I have been to so far, each one has some strange solid state or manufacturer specific control that has been different in each site. Trying to get parts or cooperation from digital datacom has been so terrible that I am going to just take their stuff out and not even try calling them anymore. Thanks for the tip.

[BaldLoonie]

Each unit gets its own stat or is said stat hooked to some kind of lead/lag control to alternate which wall mount runs?

[Tommy knocker]

Unless these are brand new towers with a brand new company they have been told this by others already. Probably why you are there now. Depends on the carrier you are working on but do not replace those controls without authorization. Some of them were tied into their alarm system to let them know when a site was getting hot.

[tuba]

I don't know who handled these before they called us, but from what I have seen, they gave up all maintenance a while ago, and now they only call when everything is down and the room is about 120 degrees. Or the company that has these is just totally slacking.......The hot alarm is a JCI manual temperature control on the wall.

[burto]

ICM makes a nice Leed/Lag control thats easy to install,havnt had any trouble yet.

[Control Freek]

I am new to this site and I know this is probably inapropriate but I cant figure out how to post a question myself. All I have found is the "reply to thread" button. Can someone please tell me how to post a question because I cant seem to find any instructions or anything....

Thanks

[Control Freek]

Nevermind sorry for my ignorance I figured it out...

[tuba]

Is that the ICM 600 and 602? Which one do you prefer for lead lag retrofit?