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Chapter 5 • Pointing the antenna

 

1036469-0001  Revision D

33

Peaking the signal

Correct antenna alignment is critical to the operation of the 
system. When the antenna is pointed directly at the satellite, it 
receives a strong signal. If it is not pointed properly, the signal 
may be weak, and errors may result during data transfers.

Antenna pointing is accomplished by first 

receive pointing

 the 

antenna and then 

isolating the transmit signal

. Receive pointing 

adjusts the antenna to obtain the best receive signal. Isolating the 
transmit signal fine tunes the antenna alignment for the strongest 
possible signal received by the Hughes Network Operations 
Center (NOC). Both processes are explained later in this chapter.

To point the antenna, you go through cycles of making small 
adjustments to the antenna until you are satisfied you cannot get a 
stronger satellite signal. When you have achieved the strongest 
possible signal, you have 

peaked

 the signal.

You may achieve the strongest signal strength after just a few 
adjustments, or you may find that several adjustments are needed. 
By obtaining the strongest possible signal you ensure that the 
terminal can use all the system’s capacity.

Personnel requirements

One person can point the antenna if an outdoor pointing interface 
(OPI) is used (as explained in 

Outdoor pointing interface

 on 

page 34). Otherwise, pointing is usually a two-person task. One 
person aims and adjusts the antenna while the other watches the 
signal strength display on the computer and relays the readings to 
the person at the antenna. A portable telephone or walkie-talkie is 
helpful for this.

Pointing parameters

Prior to antenna pointing, you use the installation software to 
enter parameters such as longitude, latitude, and polarization 
angle. Or you can enter the local ZIP code and let the software 
calculate these values.

Summary of Contents for AN6-074S

Page 1: ...1036469 0001 Revision D March 31 2006 Hughes Installation Manual for 74 m Ku band Upgradeable Antenna Model AN6 074S ...

Page 2: ...t to ensure the correctness and completeness of the material in this document Hughes Network Systems LLC shall not be liable for errors contained herein The information in this document is subject to change without notice Hughes Network Systems LLC makes no warranty of any kind with regard to this material including but not limited to the implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a par...

Page 3: ...ed in this manual This section introduces the various types of warnings used in this manual to alert you to possible safety hazards DANGER Indicates an imminently hazardous situation which if not avoided will result in death or serious injury WARNING Indicates a potentially hazardous situation which if not avoided could result in death or serious injury CAUTION Indicates a potentially hazardous si...

Page 4: ... WARNING Only Hughes certified installers can install or service Hughes earth stations and components All Hughes certified installers must expressly acknowledge the Hughes requirements for installations DANGER If you work on a roof tower or other high structure or use a ladder or scaffold to access the work site follow these precautions to prevent personal injury or death Walk only on sound roof s...

Page 5: ...l power company to remove it Do not try to remove it yourself Failure to heed these warnings could result in serious injury or death WARNING Do not work in high wind or rain or if a storm lightning or other adverse weather conditions are present or approaching Do not attempt to assemble move or mount the antenna on a windy day Even a slight wind can unexpectedly create strong unexpected forces on ...

Page 6: ...or or window in a building or adjacent structure The antenna must be mounted such that no object which could reasonably be expected to support a person is within 6 ft 7 in of the edges of a cylindrical space projecting outward from the antenna reflector toward the satellite If the above distance requirements cannot be met the antenna must be mounted in a controlled area inaccessible to the general...

Page 7: ...t approved Radiation Hazard Caution label on the feed arm and on the back of the antenna reflector A fenced or roof installation in a commercial industrial or institutional environment must carry a Radiation Hazard Caution sign on the access door gate or permanently mounted access ladder that is within plain sight of anyone approaching the antenna from the front or sides of the reflector Failure t...

Page 8: ... Important safety information viii 1036469 0001 Revision D ...

Page 9: ...mary 3 Tasks related to antenna installation 4 Selecting the installation site 4 Installing the antenna mount 4 Grounding 4 Installing the IDU 4 Cables and cabling 4 Chapter 2 Antenna components tools and materials 5 Antenna kit components 5 Antenna reflector 6 Reflector bracket 6 Polarization plate 7 Elevation bracket and canister 7 Feed arm and radio assembly 8 Trimast or other antenna mount 8 H...

Page 10: ...nting the antenna 31 Antenna pointing overview 32 Determining the pointing values 32 Using the installation software 32 Peaking the signal 33 Personnel requirements 33 Pointing parameters 33 Outdoor pointing interface 34 OPI block 35 Prerequisites for antenna pointing 35 Adjusting the antenna 36 Adjusting polarization 37 Adjusting elevation 39 Coarse elevation adjustment 40 Fine elevation adjustme...

Page 11: ... Contents 1036469 0001 Revision D xi Acronyms and abbreviations 49 Index 51 ...

Page 12: ... Contents xii 1036469 0001 Revision D ...

Page 13: ...zation 16 13 TRIA position for horizontal and vertical transmit polarization 16 14 Feed arm and feed horn 17 15 O ring on back end of feed horn 18 16 Radio assembly in position to be attached to feed arm 18 17 Attaching the radio assembly to the feed horn 19 18 Radio assembly attached to feed arm 19 19 Attaching the reflector bracket to the reflector 20 20 Attaching the feed arm to the reflector b...

Page 14: ...rization 36 31 Adjusting polarization 37 32 Polarization adjustments on the antenna 37 33 Adjusting elevation 39 34 Elevation adjustments on the antenna 39 35 Elevation pointer 40 36 Adjusting the antenna azimuth 42 37 Loosening the canister nuts 43 38 Rotating the antenna to adjust azimuth 43 ...

Page 15: ... Tables 1036469 0001 Revision D xv Tables Chapter 2 1 Hardware parts shipped with antenna 9 2 Tools needed to install the antenna 9 ...

Page 16: ... Tables xvi 1036469 0001 Revision D ...

Page 17: ...kit It also lists the tools and materials needed for installation Chapter 3 Assembling and installing the antenna provides instructions for installing the antenna Chapter 4 Cabling and connections explains how to route and connect cables to the outdoor unit ODU Chapter 5 Pointing the antenna explains how to point the antenna at the satellite and acquire the satellite signal Related publications Fo...

Page 18: ... About this document xviii 1036469 0001 Revision D ...

Page 19: ...tasks related to antenna installation These topics are included in the following sections Broadband satellite system components on page 1 Antenna installation summary on page 3 Tasks related to antenna installation on page 4 Broadband satellite system components The 74 m antenna Figure 1 on page 2 is a part of the broadband satellite system which consists of the following major components Indoor u...

Page 20: ...on D Figure 1 shows the 74 m antenna installed on a trimast mounted on a wall Figure 1 The 74 m satellite antenna installed on a trimast T0143012 Antenna reflector Radio Trimast one of several possible mounting options Feed arm Az el assembly ...

Page 21: ...eed arm with radio attached to the antenna reflector bracket Chapter 3 Assembling and installing the antenna 8 Attach the reflector to the reflector bracket Chapter 3 Assembling and installing the antenna 9 Install the antenna on the mount Chapter 3 Assembling and installing the antenna 10 Ground the antenna assembly 11 Run transmit and receive cables between the IDU and ODU locations 12 Connect t...

Page 22: ...e information concerning antenna mount installation including various mounting methods refer to The customer specific installation specification if applicable The Hughes Antenna Site Preparation and Mount Installation Guide If the installation is part of an enterprise business network refer to the customer specific installation specification for customer specific guidelines concerning mount instal...

Page 23: ...This section identifies and describes the components of the 74 m antenna kit For an illustration of an installed 74 m antenna see Figure 1 on page 2 The 74 m antenna consists of the following main components Antenna reflector Reflector bracket Polarization plate Elevation bracket and canister Feed arm and feed horn Each of these components is described and illustrated in the following sections The...

Page 24: ...The reflector bracket Figure 3 attaches to the back of the antenna reflector It supports the reflector and includes a scale for polarization adjustment Figure 2 Antenna reflector CAUTION Take care not to bend the antenna reflector Prior to installation do not place heavy objects on the antenna shipping box or antenna reflector Figure 3 Reflector bracket ...

Page 25: ...ned allows you to rotate the reflector to adjust polarization Elevation bracket and canister The elevation bracket includes a scale to help you adjust the antenna elevation The canister fits onto the trimast or other mast It secures the antenna assembly to the mast The mast outside diameter must be 2 3 8 in Figure 4 Polarization plate Figure 5 Elevation bracket Canister Elevation bracket Elevation...

Page 26: ... the most commonly used mounting option for the 74 m antenna As shown in Figure 7 the trimast can be configured and manipulated in several ways to adapt it for mounting onto surfaces of various angles For other suitable antenna mount options see the Hughes Antenna Site Preparation and Mount Installation Guide 1035678 0001 Figure 6 Feed arm and attached feed horn Feed arm Transmitter mounting brack...

Page 27: ...RIA to feed horn M4 x 10 mm Allen screws hex socket head 4 Hex head bolts with flat washers and lock washers for transmitter Attach transmitter to feed arm mounting brackets 5 16 18 x 5 8 UNC 2 Carriage bolts with serrated flange nuts for reflector Attach reflector bracket to antenna reflector 5 16 18 x UNC 5 Carriage bolts with nuts flat washers and lock washers for elevation bracket Attach polar...

Page 28: ...Chapter 2 Antenna components tools and materials 10 1036469 0001 Revision D ...

Page 29: ... package components Assembling the antenna Assemble the antenna on a flat stable surface before mounting it on the mast Antenna assembly consists of the following four steps Attach the polarization plate to the elevation bracket Attach the radio assembly to the feed arm Attach the feed arm with radio attached to the reflector bracket Attach the reflector to the reflector bracket CAUTION Before you...

Page 30: ...ole in the reflector bracket as shown in Figure 8 with the raised outer edge of the polarization plate facing away from the elevation bracket 2 Pass four 5 16 in x 3 4 in carriage bolts through the polarization plate and through the front of the elevation bracket Note You may need to rotate the polarization plate until it snaps flush Figure 8 Fastening the polarization plate to the elevation brack...

Page 31: ...16 in flat washer 5 16 in lock washer and 5 16 in nut on each carriage bolt as shown in Figure 9 If you have difficulty starting the nuts with the washers installed the polarization plate may not be correctly placed Make sure the raised outer edge of the polarization plate faces away from the elevation bracket and that the polarization plate is flush against the reflector bracket Figure 9 Securing...

Page 32: ...the shim is located and shows three of the four M4 x 10 mm Allen screws that hold the shim in place To replace the horizontal shim with a vertical shim follow these steps 1 Obtain a vertical transmit polarization shim kit Hughes model VTX SHIM KIT P N 1033809 0001 Figure 11 on page 15 shows what a vertical shim looks like 2 Loosen and remove the four Allen screws and lock washers that hold the shi...

Page 33: ...him can only be installed in the position shown in Figure 11 upper right photo Note the position of the alignment pins Likewise the horizontal shim can only be installed in one position Because of the shim s alignment pins you must rotate the TRIA 90 from its horizontal polarization position You must rotate the TRIA before you re attach the waveguide end so Figure 11 Horizontal shim and vertical s...

Page 34: ...d 13 Figure 13 shows how the TRIA is positioned for horizontal transmit polarization compared to how it is positioned for vertical transmit polarization Figure 12 Direction of TRIA rotation for vertical polarization Figure 13 TRIA position for horizontal and vertical transmit polarization Horizontal polarization TRIA rotated for vertical polarization TRIA TRIA ...

Page 35: ...aching the radio assembly to the feed arm When you unpack the feed arm the feed horn and transmitter mounting brackets are installed as shown in Figure 14 Follow these steps to attach the radio assembly to the feed arm and feed horn 1 Obtain the required radio assembly The radio assembly consisting of the TRIA low noise block converter LNB transmitter and waveguide is not part of the antenna kit 2...

Page 36: ... transmitter mounting brackets and align the two bolt holes on the mounting brackets with the two bolt holes on the top of the transmitter 6 Insert two 5 16 18 x 5 8 UNC bolts in the aligned holes Use a lock washer and a flat washer for each bolt Leave the bolts loose turn them just enough to hold the transmitter in place Note Be sure to install the O ring Figure 15 O ring on back end of feed horn...

Page 37: ... end and the TRIA end together and insert four M4 Allen screws with lock washers as shown in Figure 17 9 Use a long shaft at least 5 in 3 mm ball driver Allen wrench to tighten the screws 10 Tighten the two bolts on the transmitter mounting brackets Figure 18 shows the radio assembly attached to the feed arm Figure 17 Attaching the radio assembly to the feed horn Allen screws Figure 18 Radio assem...

Page 38: ...hrough the front of the reflector and the five tabs located on the rim of the reflector bracket 2 Secure the reflector to the reflector bracket using a 5 16 in serrated flange nut on each carriage bolt CAUTION Take care not to bend the reflector Figure 19 Attaching the reflector bracket to the reflector Reflector view from rear Detail of circled area Arrows point to tabs on bracket where bolts are...

Page 39: ...sembly into the slots at the bottom of the reflector bracket aligning the four bolt holes See Figure 20 2 Fasten one of the feed arm tubes to the reflector bracket using four 5 16 18 x UNC hex head tap bolts For each bolt use a nut lock washer and flat washer 3 Repeat this process to fasten the other feed arm tube Figure 20 Attaching the feed arm to the reflector bracket Feed arm left tube Reflect...

Page 40: ...ating mount or a pole mount The mount mast must have an outside diameter of 2 3 8 inch The mast must be plumb Before mounting the antenna check the mast with a level to make sure it is plumb If it is not take steps to make sure the mast is plumb before you continue This is a critical requirement because the antenna assembly cannot be adjusted to correct for a mast that is not plumb Mount the anten...

Page 41: ...lide the canister onto the top of the mast as shown in Figure 21 3 Secure the canister by tightening the nuts on the three canister flange bolts 4 Hand tighten the flange nuts Figure 21 Sliding the antenna assembly onto the mast Canister Elevation bracket Canister flange bolts 3 ...

Page 42: ...e fixed bolts on the lower bracket into the two holes in the canister bracket c Replace and tighten the nuts onto the fixed bolts 2 Attach the upper bracket on the pointing tool to the upper bracket on the elevation bracket a Remove the wing nut and 4 in long bolt from the pointing tool s upper bracket b Place the pointing tool upper bracket over the upper bracket on the elevation bracket and inse...

Page 43: ...29 Before you perform the steps explained in this chapter you must route and terminate the transmit and receive cables from the IDU to the ODU For cable specifications and cabling between the IDU and ODU see the IDU instruction manual How the cable is run depends on the specific installation site Route and connect the cable according to your training and best practices CAUTION Use only the Hughes ...

Page 44: ... it has already been marked 4 Route the receive cable marked with red electrical tape up the mast behind the reflector and along the feed arm to the LNB to achieve a configuration similar to that shown in Figure 23 Leave 18 in of extra length on the receive cable to allow for a future Ka band radio upgrade 5 Coil the extra cable leave a drip loop and tie it Mark the receive cable with red electric...

Page 45: ... IDU power supply 2 Go outside and connect the transmit cable to the connector marked IFL on the transmitter as shown in Figure 24 3 Tighten the connection to 22 in lbf with a 7 16 in torque wrench 4 Secure drip loops and other points on the cable with black ultraviolet resistant cable ties 5 Back inside the building reconnect the power transformer Figure 24 Connecting the transmit cable IFL trans...

Page 46: ...ceive cable marked with red tape to the LNB connector which is shown in Figure 25 2 Tighten the cable connector with a 7 16 in wrench 3 Fill the connection with dielectric silicone grease 4 Secure the cable with black ultraviolet resistant cable ties Figure 25 Connecting the receive cable to the LNB LNB receive connector female F connector ...

Page 47: ... on the transmitter Ground the transmitter and mast For grounding procedures refer to your training best grounding practices and applicable parts of the NEC Note Wrap the ground wire clockwise around the ground screw so that the screw head tightens against the wire Figure 26 Ground screw on the transmitter Not used Ground screw ...

Page 48: ...Chapter 4 Cabling and connections 30 1036469 0001 Revision D ...

Page 49: ...ge 46 Final steps on page 48 As you perform these procedures observe the following safety precautions CAUTION This device emits radio frequency energy when in transmit mode To avoid injury do not place head or other body parts between feed horn and antenna when system is operational Keep at least 2 ft away from the area between the feed horn and the reflector when the system is operational Make su...

Page 50: ...tallation software from either of these sources In each case the software configures the IDU calculates your exact location and uses the location and other information to help you point the antenna The installation software calculates the values you use to set azimuth elevation and polarization Follow the instructions in the IDU installation manual for accessing and using SBC or WebSetup Using the...

Page 51: ...sfied you cannot get a stronger satellite signal When you have achieved the strongest possible signal you have peaked the signal You may achieve the strongest signal strength after just a few adjustments or you may find that several adjustments are needed By obtaining the strongest possible signal you ensure that the terminal can use all the system s capacity Personnel requirements One person can ...

Page 52: ...at are shown on the computer running the installation software The OPI attaches to the receive cable from the LNB as shown in Figure 28 Note that the OPI will not work unless it is enabled on the appropriate screen on the installation software Check the box labeled Enable OPI Display For further details see Outdoor Pointing Interface Operating Instructions 1031832 0001 Figure 27 OPI optional tool ...

Page 53: ...is block may have female F connectors at both ends If the block you use has two F connectors you will have to make a jumper cable to connect to the OPI Prerequisites for antenna pointing The following are required for antenna pointing The antenna must be installed The IDU must be installed The transmit and receive cables must be connected to the IDU and ODU The OPI must be installed The ODU and ID...

Page 54: ... illustrated in Figure 30 The corresponding mechanical adjustments on the antenna are explained in the sections that follow Figure 30 Adjusting azimuth elevation and polarization T0143016 Polarization Polarization x x 0 Antenna reflector front view x x 0 Elevation Elevation LOS to satellite Azimuth Positive Negative x x 0 Azimuth Note When recording or using antenna pointing values you must pay at...

Page 55: ...ation positive or negative Polarization is positive east of the satellite longitude and negative west of the satellite longitude Figure 32 illustrates the mechanical polarization adjustments on the antenna Figure 31 Adjusting polarization T0143010 Polarization Figure 32 Polarization adjustments on the antenna Polarization scale and pointer on back of reflector bracket Polarization plate lockdown n...

Page 56: ...ot change set polarization to the value given by the installation software Otherwise set polarization at the setting where the signal peaked 4 While monitoring the signal strength to make sure that it stays at maximum tighten the polarization lockdown nuts 5 After fine tuning the antenna pointing direction erase all marks previously made on the mast Mark the present position with a permanent marke...

Page 57: ...ts on the antenna Figure 33 Adjusting elevation T0143007 Elevation Elevation Figure 34 Elevation adjustments on the antenna Coarse Coarse adjustment 1 nut on each side of the bracket Fine Fine elevation adjustment nuts T0143014 Elevation scale Fine elevation pointing tool Fine Fine Coarse Elevation pointer Arrow below scale indicates antenna movement during elevation adjustment This movement point...

Page 58: ...ne tune the elevation adjustment Fine elevation adjustment Fine tune the antenna elevation as follows 1 While watching the signal strength display to ensure that the signal strength stays at maximum adjust the elevation adjustment nuts on the pointing tool Figure 34 a Move the top nut to allow movement then make adjustments with the bottom nut b Adjust by turning the bottom nut a few turns clockwi...

Page 59: ...ed the peak signal b Tighten the bottom nut until the signal strength begins to degrade then loosen the nut until you have regained the peak signal If you cannot tighten either the top or bottom nut without losing signal strength further elevation adjustment is necessary Repeat the previous coarse and fine elevation adjustment steps before proceeding 6 If you were able to tighten the top and botto...

Page 60: ...igure 37 illustrates how you loosen the canister so you can adjust the antenna for azimuth Figure 38 shows how you physically move the antenna from side to side Set the antenna azimuth as follows 1 Use a compass to determine the azimuth bearing specified by the installation software 2 Loosen the three 5 16 in nuts on the bolts on the canister flange Figure 36 Adjusting the antenna azimuth T0143018...

Page 61: ...nna and rotate the antenna assembly about the mast as indicated in Figure 38 until the reflector is pointed toward the azimuth heading Set the azimuth as accurately as possible Figure 37 Loosening the canister nuts T0143015 Loosen nuts at locations indicated by arrows Canister View from behind reflector Figure 38 Rotating the antenna to adjust azimuth Antenna movement during azimuth adjustment Top...

Page 62: ...na grasp the outer edges of the antenna and adjust the azimuth to the right about 1 8 in 3 Let go of the antenna and count slowly to 5 while reading the signal strength value from the OPI You must allow the IDU enough time to track and register the signal strength If you are receiving a signal and the signal strength has changed go to Peaking the signal on page 33 step 1 If no signal is present re...

Page 63: ...nt of the antenna reflector to the left of the estimated bearing Go back to step 2 and try again Peaking the signal After the satellite is detected peak the signal as follows 1 Mark the mast with a pencil so you can find the azimuth bearing again 2 After detecting the satellite continue turning the antenna reflector a small amount in the same direction you were turning it when you began receiving ...

Page 64: ...and see the test results Manual ACP test First run a manual ACP test 1 Lock down all antenna adjustment nuts and bolts 2 Initiate the manual ACP test Select the manual cross polarization test type If the manual ACP test passes stop the test and proceed to Automatic ACP test on page 47 If the manual ACP test fails let the test continue and follow these steps 1 Loosen the two elevation lockdown nuts...

Page 65: ...test as explained in Automatic ACP test Automatic ACP test Run the automatic ACP test 1 Initiate the automatic ACP test Select the automatic cross polarization test type 2 Check the signal strength If the antenna passes the ACP test and maintains signal strength within 3 points on the signal strength scale it is pointed and ready to be registered If the antenna fails the ACP test follow these step...

Page 66: ...ite Removing the fine elevation pointing tool Be sure to remove the fine elevation pointing tool so you can use it for subsequent installations 1 Remove the pointing tool s upper and lower brackets from the elevation bracket and canister 2 Replace the nuts and bolts in the pointing tool s tool brackets so they will not get lost Checking for safety labels and signs Make sure the required safety lab...

Page 67: ...Hz Kilohertz L LNB Low noise block converter M m Meter mm Millimeter N NEC National Electrical Code NOC Network Operations Center O ODU Outdoor unit OPI Outdoor pointing interface P P N Part number R RF Radio frequency S SBC Satellite based commissioning sec Second T TRIA Transmit receive isolation assembly U UNC Universal naming convention W WebACS Web based auto commissioning system Z ZIP Zone I...

Page 68: ... Acronyms and abbreviations 50 1036469 0001 Revision D ...

Page 69: ...Azimuth adjusting 42 44 defined 36 C Cables 4 connecting to ODU 25 27 marking with colored tape 26 routing at the ODU 26 IDU to ODU 25 ties cable ties 27 Canister 7 attaching to the mast 23 Components 1 5 Connecting cables 25 receive cable to LNB 28 transmit cable to transmitter 27 Connectors approved types 25 dielectric grease 25 28 for receive cable 28 for transmit cable 27 ground screw 29 D Die...

Page 70: ...evation pointing tool 24 general procedure 32 isolating the transmit signal 46 parameters polarization elevation and azimuth 33 peaking the signal 33 45 personnel requirements 33 prerequisites 35 receive pointing 44 safety precautions 31 Polarization adjusting 37 defined 36 plate 7 12 scale 37 shim for vertical or horizontal transmit polarization 14 R Radio assembly attaching to feed arm 17 connec...

Page 71: ...tion shim 14 Transmit signal isolating 46 Transmitter connecting 27 mounting on the feed arm 18 TRIA attaching to feed horn 19 positions for vertical or horizontal polarization 16 rotating for vertical polarization and shim 15 Trimast 8 illustrated 2 U Unpacking the antenna 11 V Vertical transmit polarization shim 14 W WebSetup 32 ...

Page 72: ... Index 54 1036469 0001 Revision D ...

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