Masts & relays · beat the obstacle with height
Most impossible links are just a height problem.
When a stand of trees, a shed roof or a rise in the ground sits in the line of sight, the fix is usually to get above it or go around it. We raise an end on a mast, or hop the link through a relay point that can see both sides. The path that looked blocked opens up.
Ways we clear the path
There is more than one way past an obstacle. The survey says which one the site needs.
Raise an end
A mast or tower lifts the antenna over the obstruction. Often a few metres is all it takes to look straight over the tree line.
Relay site
A midpoint that can see both ends carries the link around a hill or a tree line, joining two places that cannot see each other directly.
Repeater
Active gear at the relay receives the link and regenerates it cleanly for the next hop, so distance and obstacles do not add up into a weak signal.
Passive options
Sometimes a small lift or a reflector is all the path needs. We use the simplest fix that holds, rather than over-building.
Built to stay up
Anything up in the air and out in the weather has to be put up properly, or it becomes the next problem.
Sized to the site
Mast height and class chosen for the span and the local wind, so the structure suits the job rather than being a guess.
Wind and lightning
Rated mounts, guying where it is needed, and proper surge protection and earthing, so a storm is a non-event for the link.
Power at the relay
Mains where it reaches, and solar and battery where it does not, so a relay on a remote hill keeps running on its own.
Licensed trades
Structural, rigging and electrical work done by the licensed trades the job calls for. We integrate the wireless and bring in the right people for the rest.
How we build it
The survey finds the block
A site survey identifies exactly what is in the path and how much height or relay it takes to clear it.
We design the height or relay
We work out the mast, tower or relay site and the structure to carry it, with power and protection planned in.
Install and monitor
We put it up with the right trades, aim the link, and monitor it so a knock or a slow lean shows up early.
When height or a relay is the answer
Trees or a hill in the path
The classic blocked link. Lift over it, or relay around it, and the connection that would not hold suddenly does.
Long hops needing more height
Over real distance the antennas have to climb to clear the ground itself. A mast buys the line of sight the path needs.
Reaching a hidden site
A third point that can see both ends joins two places that have no direct line of sight to each other at all.
Remote relays with no power
A relay on a ridge with no mains, kept running on solar and battery, to bridge a long or awkward path.
Where masts and relays fit in
Height work comes straight out of the site survey, and it carries every kind of link: point-to-point bridges, a point-to-multipoint base, and microwave hops. A remote relay runs on off-grid solar where there is no power to reach it.
Questions people ask
Why would I need a mast?
Because the obstruction in the path is usually low to the ground. Trees, a shed roof or a rise in the land sit between the two ends, and lifting an antenna a few metres often clears straight over them. Height is the most common fix for a link that will not hold.
What is the difference between a relay and a repeater?
A relay is a midpoint that can see both ends and carries the link around an obstacle. A repeater is the active gear at that point which receives the link and regenerates it for the next hop. In practice a relay site usually has a repeater on it.
Do I need council approval for a mast or tower?
It depends on the height, the structure and where it goes. Many small masts on existing buildings need nothing, while a tall freestanding tower may. We will tell you where a job is likely to need approval and what is involved before you commit.
Who climbs and installs the tower?
We design and integrate the wireless, and the structural, rigging and electrical work is done by the licensed trades it calls for. We do not claim to be a licensed rigger or electrician, and we will not put gear up on a structure that is not safe.
Can a relay run where there is no power?
Yes. A relay on a hilltop often has no mains, so we power it off solar and battery sized for the load and the weather. See our off-grid and solar links for how we keep a remote relay running.
If the path looks blocked, it usually isn't.
Tell us the two points and what is in the way. We will work out the height or the relay that opens the path, and price it.
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