The Internet vs. a tree

Years ago, when I wanted broadband at home, I had only one option: Sprint Fixed Wireless. This wacky system features a microwave transceiver on my roof pointed at a tower on a hill 15 miles away. As I've written before, it's very reliable and works well. Now that DSL and cable modem have at last come to my backwater little neighborhood (Silicon Valley), I have other choices, but I'd prefer not to switch.

Recently I started having unusual problems with my connection. The modem would lose its "lock" light, and the tech support folks couldn't do anything to fix it -- and then it would come back by itself an hour later. So for the first time in 4 years, Sprint had to send a service tech to my house to check things out. He was great, even putting on little plastic booties before tromping through my house. After checking the antenna, he told me the bad news: a tree 1/4 of a mile away was growing into my line of sight to the tower, and this technology needs line of sight. To fix the problem, he offered to put the antenna on a pole that would extend 10 feet over my roof. But the pole would have to be placed on the neighbor's property to see around the offending tree.

Anybody have a chainsaw?

Comments

[DaveP]

For similar problems, they invented the "Weedburner" electric fences year ago. Seems to me you just need a Goldfinger-esque cutting laser. You've already got a pretty accurate sight.

[DaveP]

Err. Years ago. That'll teach me not to preview.

[markd]

Do you know the owner of said tree? They might be ameanble to you hiring a Tree Guy to take off the top. Especially if you ply them with cookies first.

[Randolph]

Information in this site is aimed toward foreigners on the Internet and expatriates in Thailand, having the loved ones visiting the areas during the disaster, to get the information about their friends, relatives or colleagues. For Thai nationals, we recommend that you start at the Government official website website and jump from there.