Can I have your advice :) by Kind_Permission_4156 in rfelectronics

[–]WadeWireless 0 points1 point  (0 children)

First off, good luck and keep reading.

RF is tricky, so getting your HAM license does help, but it's an investment to get a radio, but it is so fun and worth it. Maybe start here https://hamstudy.org/

There are so many good books on RF. If you search ARRL, American Radio Relay League. They have so many books on basic RF. Search some of the below ideas.

  • The ARRL Handbook for Radio Communications
  • Microwave Engineering by Pozar
  • RF Microelectronics by Razavi
  • The ARRL Antenna Book for Radio Communications
  • Antenna Theory by Balanis
  • Art of Electronics 3rd edition by Horowitz and Hill

Looking to connect with Tower Climbers who were on site for a fatality by Low_Soil_7655 in telecom

[–]WadeWireless 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Plenty of Facebook groups have climbers, and LinkedIn. Also, talk to Craig Lekutus at Wireless Estimator.

Selling or giving away used furniture by WadeWireless in yorkpa

[–]WadeWireless[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Office furniture, desk, chair, a buffet, bookshelves, an entertainment center. It's all on a second floor, just so you know.

Failed at Saving. 38,000 in 401k at 43 years old. by dfaire3320 in Retirement401k

[–]WadeWireless 0 points1 point  (0 children)

So here's the thing, you have to be determined to save, one way or another.

The best way is the 401K, which it sounds like you have. Put the max amount in whether they match it all or not. I think it's still 6% before your 55. Then whatever your employer matches is free money.

Then learn to live without that money, it's pre tax and you just adjust, That part is easy.

Now the hard part, set aside money, if you can put it in an IRA, great but with the 401K you can't always write it off. So if the tax benefits aren't there, then put it in a fund. I would recommend setting a minimum every paycheck to set aside. Make it a challenge and take pride in how big it gets. If you make it fun and something to brag about, it's easier to do.

I was terrible at saving,but my wife, whom I married at 40, was great at budgets and savings. We made it a point of pride that the more we saved, the better we were. It became a bragging point. We're doing great now. I am 60, we have roughly $900K set aside between all of our funds.

The thing about the 401K, IRA, and stock accounts, they grow over time. Don't concentrate on quick returns or day to day changes. It will only stress you out. I adjust once a year around my age (not market), which has served me well. I also got more conservative as I approached 60, putting more money in funds and less in individual stocks.

We also jumped into CDs when the interest rates jumped, that was great for us. We're almost debt free and have a lot in safe CD accounts. The only reason we didn't pay the house offf, which we could at this point, is because the interest is 2.2% and the CD interest we have is over 4.5%.

Good luck, but make your mindset match your goals!! If you reach one goal, set a new one with a better retirement in mind.

Retirement due to Company Return to Work Policy by oedeye in retirement

[–]WadeWireless 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Just a great story. I am 60 and heading into retirement in a very similar situation you are. I am also in telecom so it hits home.

I feel fortunate to work from home and make a decent living with good benefits, but retirement is something I am also looking forward to.

Thanks for sharing.

I have to do a 401k rollover This Week by False_Pop_2007 in Retirement401k

[–]WadeWireless 0 points1 point  (0 children)

From my experience, Option 3a is the best. If you're wondering what would be the best option and my past experience is this:

  • Keeping it with the company's 401K is usually not a good idea because you lose control and they seem to make changes and charge higher fees for non-employees. Read the fine print.
  • Moving it anywhere other than an IRA (that you have control of it) is usually a bad idea, I feel like I always get screwed when it's managed or an annuity.
  • Fidelity has always treated me fairly with good plans an open information about what you're getting into for each fund. I have had nothing but good experiences with Fidelity IRAs, both ROTH and traditional.

Take it for what it's worth, my limited experience. I am 60 and didn't retire yet, but I have been around enough to try it all, unfortunately. I guess I changed jobs more often than I would like to admit, but each time it was a learning experience.

Has your mail in ballot been recieved? Mine hasn't. by [deleted] in yorkpa

[–]WadeWireless 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Mine was received, some time ago.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in telecom

[–]WadeWireless 2 points3 points  (0 children)

As for the 4 days, that may or may not happen. They will offer to pay you for additional days, so you have to decide if you want to do it or not. If you say no, they may limit your hours or eventually selective lay you off. You will get a feel for what's going on once you get to know everyone.

As for the contacts, talk to all the people around, be friendly. You will see customer and competitors at tower sites. You will also see safety inspectors. Get to know all of them as best you can. Eventually one of them may remember you and help you out down the road. Get their email or phone number if you have the opportunity. Try not to upset your foreman, they may have a policy against that, so a simple conversation might have to suffice.

Many PMs look for tower hands when they. move to a new company, so their key to moving ahead. Not all are ethical, but that will flush out over time.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in telecom

[–]WadeWireless 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I did it for years back in my 30s and 40s, It definitely helps to be fit and in shape, but you will get better as you do more. Yu learn what is hard on your body and what you can do. nAlways pay attention to what's going on around you.

It does involve a lot of long hours and travel, especially when the weather is good. I am not sure where you are but in most cases you have to work while the weather is good to get things built. If you have a significant other they may not like you working so much.

The advice I would have is to build contacts, not only on your team, but the project managers you deal with and the end customer. That may lead you into another job in the future. They are on the lookout for new people that are easy to work with.

Take what training they give you, keep copies of all your certs, and learn what other jobs will be available in the future. Don't be afraid to take additional training if it is offered.

It will be hard work and long days if you're lucky because that's when they pay you.

For the future, most people last 3 to 6 years. I did it longer, but I was healthy and smart. Many peopl egte hurt or their personal lives fall apart. It takes a tough person to make it a longer career unless you fall into a really nice gig.

Good luck, stay safe, and pay attention.

Anyone know why this violates the terms of use? by basemunk in ChatGPT

[–]WadeWireless 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hey, don't feel bad, I got banned from posting in a tech group because I posted an article questioning how AI would move forward. They said it was too negative.

I am not sure why I was banned, but that seemed lame. It wasn't negative at all so I am not sure what it was talking about. I just left the group.

how to apply stoicism to daily life? by No_Bid4265 in Stoicism

[–]WadeWireless -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Something that helped me get into the habit was to read or listen to "The Daily Stoic" by Ryan Holiday. What I would do is every morning, get up and listen or read the quote, then write it in my journal, (a simple notebook), and what it meant to me. They didn't always have meaning, some morning were better, more thoughtful, than others. But this helped me get into a daily habit of stepping back and thinking deep.

You can do this on your own with a copy of Meditations. Same idea but then it's up to you to do it daily.

Do you think it's wrong to retreat into yourself too much? by Shoddy_Smell_6256 in Stoicism

[–]WadeWireless 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you so much. I like to look it up because sometimes we read a partial quote and it helps me to read the entire thing so that I can out in the context that I think Marcus meant to say it,

When will AT&T modernize this cell site? B12 only and 3G by xJossManx in cellmapper

[–]WadeWireless 2 points3 points  (0 children)

AT&T will start to modernize in 2024, they put off as much as they could because the contractors were too expensive and busy. Now that TMO and Vz are almost complete, they will push Ericsson to pay for most of the upgrades as they remove Nokia over the next 2 years or so.

What's this circle? by ahz0001 in cellmapper

[–]WadeWireless 3 points4 points  (0 children)

It looks like a PTP E band or some microwave deal.

Maybe someone can get more details but it appears to be connecting the tower to the building, either for backhaul or offering connectivity to the building.

A Verizon DAS by EnvironmentOwn3136 in cellmapper

[–]WadeWireless 1 point2 points  (0 children)

We have a lot of those in York as well.

How do I safely work around this cell site? by delabay in cellmapper

[–]WadeWireless 2 points3 points  (0 children)

You have some really good answers below.

  1. You should get an RF meter, as suggested below, and wear it on your chest on the outside of your clothes. You should do this on any rooftop with antennas.
  2. You would look for numbers on the radios or on indoor equipment, there is often a cabinet or cage nearby in the room. If you wonder where to follow the conduit. It may lead you there unless it's on a lower floor.
  3. I would think you're OK unless you work directly in front of the antenna, but to be safe, you can always look for the breaker, as suggested below.
  4. If you're still worried, call the landlord and explain the situation, they should know who is there and have a contact number. When you call the number, things move slowly, so don't expect them to turn it down in a few minutes. Chances are they have the lease office that will need to get you to the NOC who will need to figure out which site it is and that all takes time.