Force3 PSB Industrial Tri-Band Radio Communications BDA for First Responders User Guide This is an in-building DAS Part 90 Signal Boosters ,THIS IS A 90.219 CLASS B DEVICE WARNING This is NOT a CONSUMER device. It is designed for installation by FCC LICENSEES and QUALIFIED INSTALLERS . You MUST have an FCC LICENSE or express consent of an FCC Licensee to operate this device. You MUST register Class B signal boosters as defined in CFR 90.219.
FCC Notice This is a 90.219 Class B Device. Under Section 90.219(d)(5) of the Commission’s rules, all Part 90 Class B signal booster installations must be registered with the FCC. In February 2013, as part of the Commission’s efforts to support the continued use of signal boosters in the Private Land Mobile Radio Services and Public Safety Radio Services, the Commission adopted a registration requirement for existing and future Part 90 Class B signal booster installations.
Contents HAPTER 1: Introduction 1 C 1.1 - Package Contents 4 1.2 - Features & Benefits 4 1.3 - Additional Items Needed 4 1.4 - How It Works 5 CHAPTER 2: Safety 5 2.1 - Safety Warnings 5-6 CHAPTER 3: Planning 7 3.1 - Overview 8 3.2 - Exterior Antenna 8 3.3 - Interior Antennas 9 3.4 - Antenna Separation 10-11 3.5 - BDA Location 12 3.6 - Accessories 12 3.7 - Need Help? 12 CHAPTER 4: Installation 13 4.
Introduction Introducing SureCall’s Force3 PSB Public Safety Band Amplifier. Please read this entire manual before proceeding with the installation. This manual applies to the Force3 PSB model 1.1 - Package Contents Your BDA box contains the following items: • Force3 PSB Bi-Directional Amplifier • Mounting kit (not shown). • DC power supply (not shown). • Wall anchors (not shown). 1.
Safety 1.4 - How It Works The Force3 PSB BDA amplifies signals from the nearest radio tower to a building and from those radios back to the tower to compensate for weak reception caused by distance, topography, building structure etc. The BDA receives the signal from an outside antenna, amplifies that signal, and then rebroadcasts it via the interior antenna(s) where it is picked up by radios. The interior antennas also pick up signals from radio devices and pass them to the BDA.
Safety • Some components may be heavy and/or bulky. Always use proper lifting and carrying techniques when handling components, especially when working on a ladder, roof, or other area with a fall hazard. • The exterior antenna must not be co-located or operating in conjunction with any other antenna. • Always use a properly installed SureCall lightning protector between the exterior antenna and the BDA.
Overview CHAPTER 3: Planning 3.1 - Overview The general BDA installation process follows these steps: 1. Decide where to mount the exterior antenna. This will generally be on the wall or roof of the building in the location with the strongest signal. You will need to decide whether to use an omnidirectional antenna mounted vertically or a directional Yagi antenna pointed directly at the radio tower (line of sight).
Exterior Antenna 3.2 - Exterior Antenna You may use either an omnidirectional antenna that covers (flat areas with no obstructions) or a directional Yagi antenna (to point directly at the tower). The omnidirectional antenna receives and transmits signals over a horizontal 360-degree circle while the Yagi antenna receives and transmits signals over a focused area and must be aimed directly (line of sight) toward the radio tower that provides the best signal to the building.
Interior Antenna 3.3 - Interior Antennas You may use any combination of omnidirectional (dome) and/or directional (flat panel) interior antennas needed to obtain optimal signal strength throughout the building or installation area. Dome antennas provide 360-degree hemispherical coverage suitable for mostly square areas while flat panel antennas provide a focused zone of coverage suitable for long narrow areas.
Antenna Separation Note: You may or may not need antennas on every floor of a multistory building depending on factors such as building material, BDA gain, etc. 3.4 - Antenna Separation Proper antenna separation is essential in order to prevent signal oscillation (feedback) that can interfere with the radio tower. Separation is measured in a straight line from the exterior antenna to the closest interior antenna.
Antenna Separation You may mix and match dome and directional antennas as needed to obtain proper coverage throughout the building or area where you need to boost the signal. If you are using a Yagi exterior antenna, you should normally aim it away from all interior antennas regardless of separation to prevent oscillation. CAUTION: SIGNAL OSCILLATION CAN CAUSE RADIO INTERFERENCE WITH RADIO TOWERS AND RESULT IN CIVIL AND/OR CRIMINAL PENALTIES.
BDA Location 3.6 - BDA Location Select an indoor location for the BDA that meets the following criteria: • Wall or ceiling mounts are acceptable. • Near a properly grounded 110VAC outlet. • Not in a tightly enclosed or overly hot space. • All power and warning lights easily visible. • Least amount of cable to connect all antennas. 3.7 - Accessories The final step in the planning process is to make sure you have all of the necessary accessories to complete the installation.
Installation Chapter 4. Installation This chapter describes how to install the BDA and antennas for best results. 4.1 - Selecting the Locations Select the locations for the exterior antenna, interior antenna(s), BDA, cables, and accessories as described in the previous chapter. CAUTION: FAILURE TO PROPERLY PLAN THE BDA INSTALLATION CAN CAUSE SIGNAL OSCILLATION AND/OR OTHER EQUIPMENT MALFUNCTION. 4.
Installation WARNING: FAILURE TO EXERCISE CAUTION WHEN WORKING IN HIGH AREAS COULD CAUSE A FALL AND PERSONAL INJURY. WARNING: DO NOT TOUCH ANY LIVE ELECTRICAL WIRES OR ALLOW THE ANTENNA OR CABLING TO TOUCH ANY LIVE ELECTRICAL WIRES. CAUTION: AVOID AIMING A YAGI ANTENNA TOWARD ANY INTERIOR ANTENNA. 1. Mount the antenna. 2. Connect a length of cable to the antenna and tighten until hand-tight. 3. Run the cable along the planned route. 4. Install a properly grounded SC-LP lightning protector. 5.
Installation 4.4 - Internal Antennas Mount the interior antenna(s) in the location(s) you selected during the planning process. Be sure to follow the instructions included with the antenna(s) for a safe installation. Remember: • Dome antennas should be mounted in the ceiling as close to the center of the desired coverage area as possible with the domed side pointing down.
Installation 4.5 - Mounting the BDA Mount the BDA as follows: 1. Verify that the selected location meets all of the criteria described in the previous chapter. 2. Attach the included mounting kit to the BDA using the screws provided. Tighten the screws by hand with a screwdriver until tight plus 1/4 to 1/2 turn. Do not over-tighten. 3. Mount 24” x 24”, 3⁄4” thick sheet of plywood on top of sheetrock into wall studs where the BDA is to be situated. Plywood should be flush against wall.
Configuration and Testing CHAPTER 5: Configuration & Testing The Force3 PSB has five dipswitches. Below is an image of the dip-switches and the frequency bands they utilize for attenuation. Next to the image is a general attenuation guide.
Configuration and Testing Each bank of DIP switches contain five switches. • Turning a switch OFF increases BDA gain for the selected channel. • Turning that switch ON decreases BDA gain for the selected channel. From left to right, the DIP switches in each bank provide 1, 2, 4, 8, and 16 dB of attenuation (reduced amplification). These switches are cumulative, meaning that the total amount of attenuation for a channel is equal to the combined dB of all ON DIP switches in the corresponding bank.
Configuration and Testing 5.2 - Initial Configuration By default, your BDA ships with all DIP switches turned OFF to provide maximum gain in all channels. This should always be your starting point whenever installing or reinstalling the BDA. 5.3 - Powering on the BDA To power on the BDA: 1. Make sure that exterior and interior antenna cables are firmly connected to the proper ports on the BDA. 2. Plug a surge suppressor into a grounded 110VAC wall outlet. 3.
Configuration and Testing • Do not expect to see full reception everywhere in the building as this is practically impossible. • A good rule of thumb is that increasing gain by 6dB doubles the coverage distance of the interior antennas. Start at the lowest gain setting and increase gain gradually as needed. • If one or more red Warning lights comes on, that indicates that there’s oscillation in that band and the band will immediately shut down.
Warranty 6. If the problem is not resolved within 15 minutes, the BDA will shut down (all lights off except the Power light, which is green) and must be reset by unplugging it from the power supply and plugging it back in. To resolve oscillation, increase the antenna separation (Section 3.4) and/or the attenuation (Section 5.1). 7. Each band on the BDA works independently from other bands. Therefore, Band lights will react accordingly.
Specifications Product Name Force3 PSB Uplink Frequency Range: 788-805 / 806-824 / 935-940 (Including D Block) Downlink Frequency Range: 758-775 / 851-869 / 896-901 (Including D Block) Maximum Gain: 80 dB Gain Adjustment 31 dB Noise Figure: ² 8 dB VSWR: ² 2.0 Supported Standards: Public Safety 700 and 800 and SMR 900 AC Input: 110 V, 60 Hz Maximum RF Output Power: 26dBm P1dB: 31.
Warranty This warranty does not apply to any product determined by SureCall to have been subjected to misuse, abuse, neglect, or mishandling that alters or damages the product’s physical or electronic properties. SureCall warrants to the Buyer that each of its products, when shipped, will be free from defects in material and workmanship, and will perform in full accordance with applicable specifications.
