material extending outwards beyond each hole. Finally, cut
downward forming a long rectangular hexagon that will
slide over both the support
pipe and antenna. Then,
test fit each tying bracket,
further adapting them with
a knife or file as necessary.
Once you are satisfied with
their look and fit, both the
antenna and tying brackets
can be removed for paint-
ing. When the paint has
dried, permanently reinstall
them to complete the long
omni-directional antenna
atop the tower.
Add the small
antennas
While the large whip
antenna may be the most
dominant feature of a base
station tower, it is also com-
mon for a tower to carry
multiple smaller antennas
as well.
Often referred to as yagis,
these smaller directional
antennas have the look of
an older style television
antenna and are easy to
replicate using Gold Medal
Radio base station - 6
11 - 12: The brackets that
tie the support pipe and
antenna together are made
from .015" styrene strip.
12
11
13
13: The "yagis" are Gold Medal Products TV antennas.
Products #8705 rooftop TV antennas. Each photoetched
metal kit provides us with three styles of large antennas
that can be easily modified into smaller railroad band VHF
antennas by simply trimming the thin metal, then mounting
the antennas to the lattice frame of the tower.
With the centerpiece of our base installation complete, we
can focus on the ground level. With the electronics con-
cealed in an equipment enclosure adjacent to the tower, all
we need to model is the enclosure itself. A large electrical
box manufactured by BLMA (#4312) has both the correct
size and look for this type of modern installation.
While the enclosure generally follows the standards estab-
lished by a particular road, one difference of a radio base
enclosure is the addition of air conditioning. Radio equip-
ment is temperature sensitive and it is common for a base
enclosure to have a small window style air conditioner fit-
ted, relieving the sensitive electronics from heat build up.
MRH-Jan 2014
