Stealthy Antenna Spotted in Santa Clara - Share Your Story!

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the spotting of stealthy cell tower antennas disguised as natural features, such as palm and pine trees. Participants share personal experiences and anecdotes related to their observations of these antennas, including both active and abandoned structures. The scope includes conceptual reflections on the design of these antennas and their integration into the environment.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant describes a "palm tree" antenna spotted in a church parking lot in Santa Clara, suggesting it is a clever way for the church to earn money from a cell provider.
  • Another participant recalls spotting cell towers disguised as pine trees during a trip to southern Colorado in 1999 and expresses intent to find old photos.
  • A participant mentions an abandoned cell phone tower in Bali that was overgrown with vines, referencing a "Planet of the Apes" style appearance.
  • There is a playful exchange about whether the abandoned tower counts as a stealthy antenna unless it is re-activated and the vines are not trimmed.
  • One participant humorously suggests that a picture of a ninja parade might include some radios, linking it to the theme of stealth.
  • Another participant claims to have many pictures of what they believe to be invisible cell towers, indicating uncertainty about their identification.
  • A participant shares a successful search for a specific tower using Google Street View and provides a location map, indicating a personal connection to the topic.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

The discussion features a mix of shared experiences and playful banter, with no clear consensus on what qualifies as a stealthy antenna. Participants express differing views on the relevance of certain examples, particularly regarding abandoned structures.

Contextual Notes

Some contributions rely on personal recollections and may lack photographic evidence, leading to uncertainty about the identification of certain antennas. The discussion also includes humor and light-hearted exchanges, which may affect the seriousness of the claims made.

Who May Find This Useful

Individuals interested in telecommunications, environmental design, or those who enjoy sharing and discussing unique observations in their surroundings may find this thread engaging.

berkeman
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I spotted this "palm tree" in Santa Clara a few days ago. It's in a church parking lot, near some other real palm trees. Pretty clever way for the church to make some extra money on the side from a cell phone provider.

My girlfriend spotted a much stealthier cell antenna tower disguised as a pine tree -- I'll try to post a picture of it soon if I can figure out how to get a picture of it without getting run over (it's on a highway offramp).

What stealthy cell tower antennas or HAM/other antennas have you spotted? :smile:

Cell Tower Palm Tree in Santa Clara.jpg
 
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cool ...
gosh will have to hunt through my first USA trip in 1999, pretty sure I got a photo or 2 of southern Colorado cell towers looking like pine trees

will look when I get home toniteDave
 
I saw an abandoned cell phone tower in Bali that was completely covered with vines, Planet of the Apes style.
 
Hornbein said:
I saw an abandoned cell phone tower in Bali that was completely covered with vines, Planet of the Apes style.
Hmm, I don't think that counts. Unless of course, they re-activate the tower and don't trim the vines...:smile:
 
berkeman said:
Hmm, I don't think that counts. Unless of course, they re-activate the tower and don't trim the vines...:smile:

Sorry. It was the best I could do.
 
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I found a picture of a ninja parade online. I'm sure some of them had radios. :smile:
 
I have lots of pictures with invisible cell towers. At least I think they are cell towers. :wink:
 
found it ! :smile:

cellphone_tower.jpg


here's the same tower ... I managed to find it in google street view ( serious exercise !)

colorado cell tower1.jpg


the view below is from close enough to the same spot that I took my photo from

colorado cell tower2.jpg


and finally a google Earth location map ( within the red oval) ... not too far nth of Colorado Springs ...

colorado cell tower location.JPG
cheers
Dave
 
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