User's Manual

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September 2007 IL42-4020C

Elster Electricity, LLC

Raleigh, North Carolina USA

+1 800 338 5251 (US toll free)

+1 905 634 4895 (Canada)

support@us.elster.com

www.elsterelectricity.com

A3 ALPHA

Meters with External Antenna Capability

For Use in the EnergyAxis

System

General

To function in the EnergyAxis System, the A3 ALPHA meter must be configured at the factory with either of the

following option boards:

■ The internal LAN node (ILN1) option board for operation as a node within the EnergyAxis System

■ The internal LAN controller (ILC1) option board

Typically, the internal antenna used on the ILN1 option board and the ILC1 option board are sufficient for reliable

communication with the EnergyAxis network. However, if the A3 ALPHA meter is enclosed in a metal service cabinet

or the antenna must be mounted higher to overcome signal obstruction, an external antenna may be used.

This leaflet contains general information for installing the A3 ALPHA meter equipped with connections for an external

antenna.

■ For information on the operation of the A3 ALPHA meter, see the A3 ALPHA Meter Technical Manual (TM42-

2190B or later) or the A3 ALPHA Meter Technical Manual For Use in Canada (TM42-2195A or later)

■ For information on installing the A3 ALPHA meter, see the “ALPHA Meter Installation Instructions” (IL42-

4001N or later)

WARNING

Use authorized utility procedures to install and service metering equipment. Dangerous voltages are present.

Equipment damage, personal injury, or death can result if safety precautions are not followed.

Use circuit closing devices on current transformer secondaries (3S, 4S, 5S, 5A, 6S, 6A, 8S, 9S, 10S, 10A, 26S,

29S, 35S, 35A, 36S, and 36A meters). Equipment damage, personal injury, or death can result if circuit closing

secondaries are not used.

Connecting an External Antenna

Note. This device has been designed to operate with the antennas listed below and having a maximum gain of

5.15 dBi. Antennas not included in this list or having a gain greater than 5.15 dBi are strictly prohibited for use with this

device. The required antenna impedance is 50 ohms.

Internal antenna: Elster Electricity P/N: 1B12150H01

Local external antennas: Laird/Antenex TRA(B)9023P (3.1 dBi); Laird/Antenex TRA(B)9023NP (3.1 dBi)

Remote external antennas: PCTEL/MAXRAD P/N MFB9380 (Tessco P/N 61900) for unity gain (2.15 dBi); PCTEL/

MAXRAD P/N MFB 9153 (Tessco P/N 74300) for 3 dB gain (5.15 dBi)

The external antenna connects to either the ILN1 option board or the ILC1 option board using a connector lead as

shown in Figure 1. In addition to the standard internal antenna, there are two options available for connecting an

external antenna:

■ Local external antenna

■ Remote external antenna

Summary of content (4 pages)

PAGE 1
September 2007 IL42-4020C A3 ALPHA® Meters with External Antenna Capability For Use in the EnergyAxis® System General To function in the EnergyAxis System, the A3 ALPHA meter must be configured at the factory with either of the following option boards: ■ The internal LAN node (ILN1) option board for operation as a node within the EnergyAxis System ■ The internal LAN controller (ILC1) option board Typically, the internal antenna used on the ILN1 option board and the ILC1 option board are sufficient fo
PAGE 2
IL42-4020C September 2007 N-type connector to external antenna Retaining clip Wire tie Connector lead External antenna connection lead Figure 1. Retaining clip and connector lead Local External Antenna If the A3 ALPHA meter is used in a metal service cabinet, using a local external antenna may be necessary. To obtain better coverage, the local external antenna can be mounted on the top of the metal service cabinet or the meter socket enclosure (see [1] in Figure 2). Elster recommends Antenex Inc.
PAGE 3
September 2007 IL42-4020C The collectors and nodes in the EnergyAxis System operate under Part 15.247 of the FCC Rules. Suitable antennas are omni-directional antennas of unity gain or 3 dB gain (2.15 and 5.15 dBi, respectively). Elster recommends the following, which are rated to withstand 100 mph winds and are fitted with Type N female connectors: ■ PCTEL/MAXRAD MFB9300 Series (Tessco P/N 61900) for unity gain (2.15 dBi) ■ PCTEL/MAXRAD MFB9153 Series (Tessco P/N 74330) for 3 dB gain (5.
PAGE 4
IL42-4020C September 2007 FCC and Industry Canada Compliance User Information (Part 15.105) This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation.