( and C.B.radio users )

[108EH002]

There is a petition set up by Gary MOPLT,for the exemption of amateur radio user's (and C.B. radio user's) not being asked to apply for planning permission for
"their" antenna system's each time they are going to be changed (doesnt say if you need to apply once).they will really need 100,000 radio users to sign up,80 odd thousand hams and upto 10,000 CB radio user's (5k morelike if we're lucky).Petition closes November 2018.......if the petition fails to meet the aim of allowing people to put an antenna up without complaint.......hit them with YOUR human rights......to be a helpful and compliant radio user....ok made the last bit up

[STARSHIP]

this is the link.
https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/202179

73,
mark.

[108EH002]

^^ Thanks Mark ^^

[The Collector]

I can't put up anything bigger than a satellite dish or a high-gain TV aerial where I live due to a covenant. I've secreted a camoflaged Antron in the conifers at the side of my garden but can't get away with a more/bigger aerial

[Tim]

If the property belongs to you and you're not renting it then you could get the covenant removed, depending on it's wording.

[The Collector]

We own it Tim and the Antron's been up a few years now and even the wife doesn't know it's there lol, let alone the neighbours. By trying to change something, it may make them suspicious.
Saying that, most of the cable ties I put on the top section (which sticks out the top a little) to make it look more conifer-like have perished and fallen off, so although it's sprayed brown and green and stuck up inside a dead conifer, it's now a bit more noticeable if you know about aerials. I might have to move it and put it inside a live one further down but I'd need more co-ax

[Transwarp]

I know this is going against the grain on this topic but the idea of planning laws and restrictions is to stop folk from putting up structures and such like how they see fit. I've seen some radio hams homes on residential streets look like aerial farms, even as a radio person I wouldn't want to look at such a site out of my windows everyday tbf.

[The Collector]

I doubt if there's 100,000 radio users out there to get signatures off unfortunately, even if you included scanner and pmr users. I can agree with Transwarp's comments above somewhat, as I've seen some terrible and dangerous installations over the years.

A neighbour of mine in Birmingham had a silver rod up on a 22ft scaffold pole which was bolted to a wall over their neighbour's garage (upstairs/downstairs flats). He didn't think it through and the cheap U-bolts he used came loose (no spring washers or nylock nuts used) and the pole/aerial slid down 10ft, smashed through the garage's roof tiles and the bottom of the pole embedded itself down between the car's wing and bonnet! He was going to have to pay for the damage to the car (a lot) and roof, plus he was told by the council to remove said aerial and brackets as he hadn't got permission after the neighbour complained about the damage it caused.

Perhaps if gaining permission, they may stipulate what brackets and bolts must be used and what type of aerial and what height would be allowed etc. I've never asked personally in case they said no

[Transwarp]

In agreement with the subject of dodgy installations, being a radio & electronics expert does not make a competent antenna installer. TX'ing radio equipment can cause interference, but poor aerial & mast installing could cause death if not done properly. IMO installing anything over a small vertical antenna on a six foot pole should only be done by a qualified installation person, a ham radio licence does not count as that qualification either.

[108EH002]

If planning permission is granted,maybe better being safe than sorry,and getting an installer to fit said antenna.That way HE is responsible........making sure all components/materials used comply with British standards for weight and length of each different install being put up.My mates 827 was ripped away from the wall on t+k brackets.........he paid an installer £100 6 month before........he had used inferior plastic heavy duty rawl plugs

[The Collector]

Blimey, that's terrible, especially after paying that amount.
Even my first aerial, which was a 5ft "Invader" (crap) was bolted to a 4ft pole with spring washers, nyloc nuts and large thick, stainless steel washers. My dad made the 2 small brackets himself (one wasn't good enough in his eyes) being a fabricator and welder, so they were bomb-proof and they were bolted on with about 15mm expanding steel rawl-bolts. The bottom bracket had a cup which held the pole to stop it slipping down, with a drainage hole in it and they were all coated in red oxide paint and then hammerited. All total overkill for an 5ft aerial that weighed about 1kg on the apex, but that's the way it should be done. Even the co-ax was strapped to it properly with bolt-on clips, not cable-ties or anthing like that.

Looking at the almost-horizontal Antron that I've pictured on another topic, you can see why it pays to do a proper job the first time.

[108EH002]

Yeah bit of a joke really,told him to phone them but he just left it....too much money/too soft imo.Get a decent set of 24 inch t and k brackets/drill/good metal fixings not plastic and speak to your local roofer/builder/window cleaner.......a good chance they will have a 2 part ladder.

[DrAwesome]

I begrudge paying £10 every year (even though I pay road road tax), for a permit, which doesn't guarantee I can park in the space outside my house. Whats next a tax for the air that you breath?
Its a wonder by now, local councils haven't slapped on a £100+ charge, if radio enthusiasts do not seek planning permission to put an aerial up.
Councils take forever deciding who gets planning permission or not.
Depending on the annual cost of insurance, i would pay to just incase my radio equipment/antenna was stolen, and the insurance cover, if my antenna crashed through someones property (caused by act of God).
If planning permission is required, why not tie it in with the height of the poles/structure needed to house the antenna, a pole height limit, for example 30ft? (if the poles/structure exceed 30ft planning permission would be needed)

*Edited to make sense

[Transwarp]

Appearance is one thing but installing properly and safely is another.

C'mon, as keen radio users we've all fancied ourselves as aerial/sat dish installers/steeplejacks at some point when started out young and fit, but really if a person hasn't any experience on how to install a large pole/mast and antenna then they shouldn't even attempt it. In my time I've installed some big masts with vertical antennas as well as a few large beams, and loads of sat dishes in the late 80's and most of the 90's along with quite a few TV aerials. Some poles have bent (steel) some have broken (alloy) Had loads of GP27's and silver rods snapped in high winds, but I've never had a complete install collapse or fall apart due to incorrect fixings / brackets / lashing kit use or poor installation techniques. Got to know what doing as other people's lives and property are at risk if you don't.

[DrZ]

It really saddens me that planning permission is a requirement now , I remember in the 80's we weren't allowed legally to have anything bigger than a 1/4 wave, but no one did (apart from Thunderpole 2's) .. So even though pretty much all of our antennas were illegal, but back then we had none of this hassle!

People do love to complain though, back in the day I used a magmount on a biccy tin for about 9 months, no problems, then moved onto a half wave silverrod about 5 feet off the ground.. still no probs... Then when I graduated to a Sigma 4 just above the apex of the roof, I got 4 complaints from neighbours for TV interference in a week - Funny thing was, While SWR'ing the Sigma 4 in, I broke my rig, so at the time of those complaints I had no radio at all .

Miserable sods!