User's Manual

PRELIMINARY FCC ID: BIB61201001 INTALLATION 3-1
PRELIMINARY MCC-6120 SDR Packet Data Radio Network
3.0 INSTALLATION
Site selection and general installation guidelines are provided in this section, including
instructions for cabling, antenna and power source connections. Power up procedures,
initialization and preliminary functional test procedures are described that should be performed
prior to placing the MCC-6120 SDR on-line within the network. The following types of
installations are described:
• Base Stations and Repeaters
• Mobiles
• Fixed Data Collection Sites
3.1 Site Selection
The site selection criteria given in this section is generally applicable for base stations, repeaters
and fixed data sites. General guidelines for mobiles are provided in Section 3.2.1. There are 4
important factors to consider in selecting an optimum site:
• External noise/interference
• DC power source
• Antenna height
• Antenna type
3.1.1 External Noise/Interference
Noise and signal interference can reduce the performance of the MCC-6120 SDR. The most
common sources of noise and interference are as follows:
• Power Line Noise
• Computer-Generated Interference
• External Signal Interference
Power Line Noise
One of the main sources of external noise are high voltage power lines. Noise on these lines is
generated by high voltage breakdown occurring on power line hardware such as transformers
and insulators. This noise can be seen on the MCC-6120 SDR using the MM command – enter
MM,100,DIST to see the distribution of noise detected at the site. Typical power line noise will
occur as a series of spikes every 8 ms (1/60 Hz) or every 10 ms (1/50 Hz). The level of the
spikes will be much higher than the normal background noise floor (usually -120 dBm or less).
The number of spikes can vary, depending upon the level of interference, from one or two every