User's Manual
Table Of Contents
- About This Manual
- System Description
- Mobile Equipment System
- Repeater System
- Base Station
- System Installation and Checkout
- User Interface
- Acronyms
- Radio Module Specifications
- General Description
- Functional Specifications
- FCC Items
- Channel Definitions
- Power and Distance
- Photographs
- DSSS Channels and Regulations
- EL Antenna Pattern
- AZ Antenna Pattern
12 Spread Spectrum Radio System User’s Manual
March 2001
• Solar power can be provided by way of panels, which are
available in 150-, 200-, and 300-W power ratings. The required
power rating is determined by the repeater’s geographic
location.
• Power can be provided by way of an ac-to-dc converter. When
this option is selected, the converter and surge protection are
physically located in the NEMA enclosure with the Hub. Both
50 and 60 Hz are supported as well as 100- to 120-V ac and 200-
to 240-V ac ranges, which are jumper selectable. The converter
requires 1.3 amps at 100 V ac.
• GPS capability to enable DISPATCH to track a relocated
repeater.
Base Station The repeater Hub is also used as the base station. In this case, the
environmental enclosure is not used because the base station is
normally inside a building, and the antennas are mounted outside.
The power source is hard wired to the Hub through an ac-to-dc
converter. A fiber optic Ethernet connection is used to isolate the base
station computers from the base station Hub, radio, and antennas.
System Installation
and Checkout
Installation of the hardware on mine equipment consists of installing
mounting brackets in predesignated locations, and then mounting the
radios and Hubs to the brackets. Cables are then routed and the
connections are made and checked. Neither the Hub nor radios
require being opened.
The repeater base and trailer require some assembly; then the
antenna mast and brackets are installed. After all hardware is
mounted, cable connections are made and checked.
The batteries in the 24-V solar-powered repeater system are charged
by the panels until they reach 28.2 to 29.0 V, and must be charged to
25.4 to 26.6 V dc before the load may be applied. When the batteries
discharge to 22.4 to 23.6 V, the load disconnects. On a fully charged set
of batteries, the repeater can continue operation without sunlight for
several days.
As each mobile equipment system and repeater system is installed,
operating and application software is downloaded from a laptop
through the Hub SLIP port. Then the RF links to the base station or
another communications node are checked to verify throughput is
acceptable.