On Sat, 20 Mar 2004 22:52:45 GMT, Jim Hampton wrote:

Sure, the cell phone towers have batteries. They're likely fine for a
number of hours of outage - but Gouverneur had no power for over two weeks.
Those batteries aren't designed to last for weeks of drain without recharge.
In this country, an engineer could well be fired for overdesigning something
(that costs money). Likewise, those batteries are there to keep things
working for a *short* power outage. It would cost too much to design those
cell towers to run on batteries for weeks on end with no recharging in that
period.

UPS float-charged batteries are designed to keep the equipment on
line until the backup generator gets up to speed/voltage. This
assumes that the latter is tested regularly. Pac*Bell learned that
the hard way when one of their gas turbine backup generators
literally tore itself to pieces when it attempted to start after
the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake - it had not been serviced or
tested for four years. Any garage mechanic can service a diesel
genset - it takes an aviation A&P qualified mechanic to service the
gas turbine....and their services cost money.

It probably wouldn't have mattered much anyways as the conventional
phone lines were out too - and cell phones are wireless only between the
user and the tower.

Survivable microwave and fiber are the downlinks of choice nowadays.

The engineering firm that I consult for is in the business of
designing such facilities for the public safety amd land
transportation sector. Seismic Class 4 - storm and earthquake
survivable - is now required for all new or upgraded critical (i.e.
public safety) radio installations in California and we recommend it
for everyone.

What the make-it-cheaply phone companies do would make ol' Ma Bell
spin in her grave.

--
73 de K2ASP - Phil Kane

From a Clearing in the Silicon Forest
Beaverton (Washington County) Oregon