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FAA Tower Regulation Issues

FCC Tower Regulations

As part of the 2018 FAA Reauthorization Act, Congress directed that the FAA implement regulations requiring marking and painting of all towers.  Noting this would have adversely affected Amateur Radio towers, the ARRL, working with the Act's original sponsor, was able to successfully see the Act amended so that most Amateur Radio towers would not be affected by the new regulations.The original ARRL web story on this topic can be found here

The new FAA regulations, implemented in the summer of 2019 now require that the only towers less than 200 feet tall that have to be painted and lighted are meteorological aids and those within the glide slope of an airport or heliport. The remainder of such towers in rural or agricultural areas lower than 200 feet need to only be included in an FAA-maintained database, which will be updated by the owners of such towers.

In a presentation at Dayton Hamvention in 2019, ARRL Director, and noted tower attorney, Fred Hopengarten, K1VR, presented an analysis of the impact of the legislation on Amateurs.  Slides from that presentation can be found here

In summary, few amateurs will be affected by these regulations, including towerx adjacent to their homes, barns, or other buildings.

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