2.3 Donor Antenna Installation
The location of the donor antenna strongly influences the performance/characteristics of the RSCP and
Ec/No of the intended coverage area.
The donor antenna is usually installed outside of the building, pointing towards the donor BTS (NodeB)
for best reception of the receiving signal. When choosing the location for the donor antenna, there are 3
criteria need to be met:
1 The RSCP of the donor signal is suggested to be in the range of -60dBm to -70dBm.
2 (Ec/No)AS_CPICH > -7dB; AS_CPICH is the Pilot Channel in Active Set (Serving Cell)
3 (Ec/No)AS_CPICH – (Ec/No)MS_CPICH > 6dB
The donor antenna should be installed at least 3 meters above the ground but not higher than 7th floor
of any building. If the donor antenna is located at a high floor, it would be difficult to obtain a dominant
BTS signal from nearby BTS.
A lightning rod is necessary when the donor antenna is located at a relative high position. A 50 ohm light-
ning arrestor could be connected between repeater and donor antenna for better protection.
Waterproofing of the antenna installation is also important, and it can be done with the following
process:
1 Use the donor antenna cable to form a half loop at the point of entry into the house so that rain water
would drop off instead of flowing inside along the cable, and also form a half loop before the antenna
cable connects to the repeater as the waterproof measure.
2 Secure the cable entry point. Seal the donor antenna’s connector and repeater’s connector with a
waterproof sealant.
2.4 Server antenna Installation
Find the right spot to install the server antenna so the required coverage can be fully covered by the
repeater is one of the most important concepts that need to be considered.
However, the following three points should be considered while installing the server antenna.
1 Do not install the repeater near metal or obstacles that may influence its coverage performance.
2 It is suggested to install the repeater at least 2m above the floor for the best coverage.
3 The server antenna should not be installed to close to the donor antenna to avoid issues with
isolation.
2.5 Repeater Installation
2.5.1 Installing the Repeater
Use the hanger that comes with the repeater package, and place the hanger on the wall where repeater
is going to be installed, use the hole on the hanger to secure the hanger on to the wall.
A lightening arrestor needs to be connected to the repeater’s BTS port when the donor antenna is
installed in a high position. Grounding is essential for the arrestor to work.
Plug the power cable to the repeater first before plugging in the power cable to the mains socket. Use
the power cable that comes with the package.
