Topic: Stubborn condominium association

[mikejeep]

I recently bought my first home (yay!) in a very nice condominium complex across town from where I was living.  Installing my Davis VP2 never crossed my mind... until I was handed the very strict list of association rules.  After some bargaining, I was able to convince them to let me mount the ISS on my back porch (not a great spot, but better than nothing), however they will not let me mount the anemometer anywhere.

Anyone else out there run into a stubborn condo board?  They hardly allow TV antennas or satellite dishes; they say they only allow them because federal law requires it, and they do not allow any roof mounts (everyone must use their porch or balcony and some creative geometry).

Any suggestions?  They are open to reconsideration if I can come up with a location that is out-of-sight, and not a common area.

-Mike

[Anole]

Any place that is out of sight is most likely going to be completely unsuitable for an anemometer.

Have you tried the "I'm going to publish the data on the internet and make it free for all members of the association" approach? Andmaybe offer a "free" sponsorship for the complex as well.

[anchorageweather]

There are a couple of options (none of them great in my opinion).  You might be able to get away with a smaller unit somewhere like:

http://www.ambientweather.com/mamidaf2005mdl.html

or perhaps a hot wire unit like these:

http://www.ambientweather.com/mamihwa4204ha.html

or

http://www.ambientweather.com/ex40heducfmh.html

They cost a fortune and are not integrated, but some do have a PC interface and they don't look like a "wind gauge"

[anvana]

Maybe trying to convince them of the BENEFITS your hobby will have to THEM and the entire complex.

    1.) Having a weather station within the community will serve the general population with timely early weather warnings and advisories.

    2.) Protection of life and property.

    3.) Just knowing what the LOCAL weather is at any given moment without having to wait for the local weather broadcast.

Answer the question "What's in it for us?" with good facts and background information, and let them know that you know your "stuff".[/u]

[ncpilot]

At least they are one of the few associations that understand that FCC/federal regulations trump any rules they have about antennas and dishes (well, almost any rules)... lotsa threads about this in the home theater forums...

Good luck...

[mikejeep]

Thanks for all of the suggestions, I appreciate it!  From the beginning, I have been promoting the station as a benefit for all of the residents here, explaining that I would publish all of the data online for everyone to utilize for free.  I even brought the equipment with me to a board meeting to show how unobtrusive it is... they were not interested and basically cut me off.

The closest solution I almost convinced them to accept was to install the entire unit at the clubhouse, where it should be within wireless range of my console and would blend in with the utility wires, etc (everything is underground elsewhere in the complex)... but in the end, that was shot down as well because it is "common area", as is everything except your unit's interior (porches/balconies are 'limited common areas').

Those hand-held anemometers are cool, but not really a feasible solution for me.  I already have the VP2 and do not feel like buying more toys to try and piece together a mickey-mouse solution.

Unfortunately, the board seems to be made up of a stagnant group of people who have lived there since the complex was built 20 years ago, and the microwave in their kitchen is probably the most high-tech gadget in their house.  

-Mike

[Mark / Ohio]

Weld the anemometer to a TV antenna and tell them it was made that way.  

When I was installing DirecTV we ran into a trailer park of all places that had restrictions on small dish antennas.  The dish had to be inside a window or surrounded by a dog house type structure with a glass roof.  The latter being the most asinine thing I'd ever heard in my opinion.  Thing was the owners of the park had their own antenna and satellite system on the hill which they were trying to pressure the residents into using for a monthly fee of course.  The fee nearly the price of CATV but only a fraction of the available channels.  

[ncpilot]

Too bad most people aren't aware of the FCC OTARD (Over-the-Air-Reception Devices) regulations.

http://www.fcc.gov/mb/facts/otard.html

Interesting reading... The best part is that if an association says you can't do something, you can appeal to the FCC, and if they are violating the OTARD regs, the FCC has the power to preemptively strike down requirements they don't like. The burden of proof that a restriction is valid is on the home owner's association.

Cases are listed on the FCC site with their rulings against HOA's...

The big difference in a condo community vs. a single family home development is the "common/community property"... generally there's no way you can infringe on that, unlike a single home area, where I can erect an antenna on my roof, since I own it--if it's the only way I can reasonably receive a television OTA signal without incurring undue expense or other hardships, then there's not a damn thing any HOA can do... well, unless they can prove it's a safety issue.

So... maybe you can claim that you need a rooftop antenna to receive some digital tv signal, and then make sure the "special" antenna has a "whirly gig" thingy on it to "help" reception. So what if it also measures wind speed?  

But seriously, sorry to say, you are screwed in many ways by being in a condo community--regulation wise...

[anvana]

Sounds like you're up against ignorance and their isn't much you can do to educate those who already know everything there is to know and have controlling power. Ham radio operators around the country have run into the same goofey thing for years with antennas. Like ncpilot says, they were shot down simply because the Communications Act trumps any regulations an association can come up with. (One instance where "I'm from the Federal Government and I'm here to help" really is true.)

I like the antenna idea! Better yet, get a ham radio license and really pi** them off by erecting lots of shinny aluminum from your balcony.

[Russell797]

Sorry to hear about this problem Mike. I have enjoyed visiting your site to view your data for comparison purposes, being just a few miles distant from you. Maybe if you could manage to show off the web site to the powers that be, they would be impressed enough with it's very professional appearance and recognize the weather station's value to the community. You could also inform them of the importance of your data uploads to CWOP - how the data is disseminated to various agencies that use the data for vital research   . It may be a long shot with those troglodytes, but good luck.