® SpotCell 2500Xl User Manual
Technical Support SpotCell® serial numbers must be available to authorize technical support and/or to establish a return authorization for defective units. The serial numbers are located on the back of the Coverage Unit (CU) and the Donor Unit (DU), as well as on the box in which they were delivered. Additional support information may be obtained by accessing the Spotwave Wireless Inc. website at www.spotwave.com.
LIMITED WARRANTY AND LIMITATION OF LIABILITY: will be warranted for a period equal to the remainder of the original Limited Warranty Period for the original System or for 90 days, whichever is longer. All replaced parts, components, boards or equipment shall become the property of Spotwave. If Spotwave determines that any System is not covered by this Limited Warranty, Purchaser must pay the costs for all parts, shipping, and labor charges for the repair or return of such System. 4.
Table of Contents Technical Support/ Important Safety Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . i Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Preparation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Packing List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Choosing a location for the DU . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Choosing a location for the CU . .
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1 – Introduction 1.1 This Manual The content of this manual complements the SpotCell® 2500Xl Quick Install Guide. It provides specific details that may be referred to if necessary during installation of a SpotCell 2500Xl adaptive coverage system. 1.2 No Special Knowledge Installation of the SpotCell 2500Xl does not require any specialized technical knowledge.
INTRODUCTION The SpotCell 2500Xl system receives signals from one or more wireless base stations and relays the signal to areas where cell phones do not work or work poorly due to obstructions or the remoteness of the location. DU CUs Figure 1.1: SpotCell 2500Xl in-building coverage The basic SpotCell 2500Xl system is comprised of a Donor Unit (DU), a Coverage Unit (CU) and a power supply. The DU is the outward facing part of the system that communicates with the base station.
INTRODUCTION 1.3.1 The Donor Unit (DU) The DU has a 2 meter (6 foot) RG6 coaxial cable on the bottom and indicators for showing received signal strength and system status on the back. Figure 1.2: Bottom view of DU and cable NOTE: In the initial version, the DU assembly is composed by a DU box and an external antenna. See Appendix B for a picture of the assembly. The antenna will be enclosed in the box in future versions, as depicted in Figure 1.2. Signal strength Status light Figure 1.
INTRODUCTION 1.3.2 The Coverage Unit The CU has two F-type coaxial ports, a power adapter port and indicators for showing coverage level and system status. CU cover CU Status light Coverage level Figure 1.4: CU with cover removed NOTE: In the initial version, the CU assembly is composed by a DU box and an external antenna. See Appendix C for a picture of the assembly. The antenna will be enclosed in the box in future versions, as depicted in Figure 1.4.
INTRODUCTION Alternatively, specifying your mobile phone provider (carrier) and zip/postal code on the Spotwave website will ensure the proper system is ordered. 1.3.3 SpotCell 2500Xl Configurations The basic SpotCell 2500Xl system configuration is one DU connected with a coaxial cable to a CU which is connected to an AC adapter that supplies power to both units. Figure 1.
INTRODUCTION To expand the coverage area, a second CU can also be added to the system. Figure 1.8: SpotCell 2500Xl configured with second Coverage Unit WIth a second CU in the system, one or two BIAS-T (power inserters) from the Hidden Cable kit can be used. The BIAS-T can be located between the DU and CU, between the two CUs, or both. Figure 1.9: BIAS-T installed between DU and CU Figure 1.
2 – Installation 2.1 Preparation The following are general considerations and preparations that should be looked at before installing the SpotCell 2500Xl system. 2.1.1 Signal Strength The SpotCell 2500Xl system brings signals from an area of adequate coverage to an area with poor or non-existent coverage. It is the DU which captures a good signal, and the CU that provides the signal to the area with poor cell phone coverage.
INSTALLATION 2.1.4 Proximity to power source The indoor unit (CU) must be located within 20 feet (6 meters) of a power source, unless the Hidden Cable kit is used. This kit includes a BIAS-T (power inserter) that allows the system to be powered from a AC outlet located within 20 feet (6 meters) anywhere along the coaxial cable. 2.1.
INSTALLATION 2.1.8 Barrier between DU and CU The greater the physical obstruction between the DU and CU, the better the performance. Dense obstructions such as brick, concrete or metal walls are better than wooden or plaster walls. 2.2 Packing List This section describes the components that ship with the SpotCell 2500Xl system and the available options. 2.2.
INSTALLATION 2.2.2 SpotCell 2500Xl Auxiliary CU The SpotCell 2500Xl Auxiliary CU kit is shipped with the following components: Auxiliary CU - this is the second indoor part of the system. Power Adapter - to be plugged into an electrical outlet and connected to the CU. Mounting kit CU Power Supply Figure 2.2: SpotCell 2500Xl Auxiliary CU kit Note: The coaxial cable needed to connect the CU to the DU can either be ordered from Spotwave Wireless or can be supplied by the installer. 2.2.
INSTALLATION Note: You may also need to purchase additional hardware specific to your mounting environment (such as a non-penetrating roof mount) before you begin the installation. 2.2.5 Unpacking the Equipment Physically inspect the box for shipping damage before unpacking the SpotCell System. 1. Remove the SpotCell 2500Xl components from the box. 2. Remove all packing material from the Donor Unit (DU) and the Coverage Unit (CU).
INSTALLATION 2. Temporarily connect the DU to the port labeled on the top of the CU with copper core coax cable. Note: Do not directly connect CU to the 10 ft (3 m) cable already attached to the DU. Directly connecting the CU to the DU cable may cause the system to malfunction. Figure 2.4: Temporarily connect CU to DU 3. Connect the power supply to the CU and plug the power supply adapter into a wall socket. Figure 2.
INSTALLATION 4. Alignment. Hold the DU upright and pointing away from you, while: Indoor DU Outdoor DU On a Roof Outdoor DU on an External Wall Rotating the DU left to right with the DU facing to the outside through the window or exterior wall. Rotating the DU in a complete 360° circle. Rotating the DU left to right with the DU facing away from the exterior wall. Exterior Wall Window or Exterior Wall If not in front of a window, rotate the DU in a complete 360° circle.
INSTALLATION 5. Note the direction the DU is facing when the greatest number of bars is displayed and the Status LED is blue (no faults). Figure 2.7: Note the DU direction with maximum number of bars and no faults This is the direction the DU must face when it is mounted. When multiple locations show the same greatest number of bars, mount the DU facing in the direction where the number of bars was displayed for the longest period of time during rotation.
INSTALLATION 2.4 Choosing a location for the CU The CU location is optimized, after the DU location and orientation have been optimized, the DU has been mounted, and the copper core coaxial cable has been pulled from the DU to the location requiring improved coverage.
INSTALLATION The unit should be mounted as high on the wall as possible. Note: The 2500Xl CU has been designed for convection cooling. There is insufficient airflow to guarantee proper operating temperature in all circumstances with the unit mounted horizontally. To avoid an operating temperature problem, the 2500Xl CU should only be mounted vertically. Do not mount the CU horizontally. 2.4.
INSTALLATION 4. Hold the CU in the position it is to be mounted. Ideally the display on the back of the CU will show 5 bars for coverage area. Figure 2.11: Coverage display on CU If it is not showing 5 bars for coverage area and there are alternate mounting locations, move the CU to the alternate locations and check the display. Place the CU in the location showing maximum number of bars. See CU indicators on page 33 for more information on the CU Coverage Indicator.
INSTALLATION 2.5 Positioning the Auxiliary CU The Auxiliary CU should be optimized and mounted after the MAIN CU has been optimized and mounted. The guidelines for positioning the Auxiliary CU are the same as those for mounting the MAIN CU. mount the Auxiliary CU in a location as far as possible from the DU, while being within the area where you require improved coverage.
3 – Mounting the DU and CU Mount the DU and CU only after the optimal locations for each unit has been determined (see 2.3“Choosing a location for the DU” and 2.4“Choosing a location for the CU”). 3.1 Mounting the DU The DU may be indoor or outdoor mounted. Based on the direction the DU will point, consider possible mounting locations. The SpotCell 2500Xl ships with basic hardware for mounting the DU to an inside wall and also includes either a DU Indoor Mounting kit or an Outdoor Mounting kit.
MOUNTING THE DU AND CU Wall Mount The wall mount configuration allows for some left to right rotation, but no up or down tilt. The second bracket required for this mounting configuration is provided with the optional Outdoor Mounting kit. Side Surface Mount (indoor only) The side surface mount allows for some up and down tilt, but no left to right rotation. There are two important concerns with this mounting configuration: 1.
MOUNTING THE DU AND CU Extended Vertical Surface Mount This configuration can be used to mount the DU from an overhead vertical surface (such as a beam or truss) and allows for full rotation either left to right or up and down, depending on how the mount is fastened to the DU. The second bracket required for this mounting configuration is provided with the optional DU Indoor Installation kit. 3.1.
MOUNTING THE DU AND CU Mounting to a pipe: 1. Fasten the bracket to the DU before mounting to the pipe. 2. Feed the u-bolts (from the Outdoor Install kit) through the rounded rectangular slots as shown in “Use U-bolts to mount the unit to a 2-in pipe.”. 3. Aim the DU at the signal source and tighten the u-bolts. Note: DO NOT use cable ties to mount the DU. Routing the cable When routing the cable on a roof be sure to locate it where it will not be tripped over.
MOUNTING THE DU AND CU Grounding the DU When the DU is installed outside, electrical (or building) code calls for the outer conductor of the coaxial cable to be grounded at or near the point of entrance of the cable into the building. A ground-block is provided with the Outdoor Installation kit. DU CU Ground block Figure 3.
MOUNTING THE DU AND CU Ideally the ground block should be bonded to the roof ground network, a metal cold water pipe, structural steel, or metal electrical conduit. Use #10-AWG solid-copper wire (minimum). Green insulation is preferred. Alternatively uninsulated #8-AWG aluminum may be permitted. Be sure to check national and local code requirements. Connect the ground wire to the cold water pipe or alternative using an appropriate crimp-on ring or lug connector.
MOUNTING THE DU AND CU 3.2 Mounting the CU Find a suitable location to mount the unit that will provide good signal coverage. Refer to section 2.4“Choosing a location for the CU”. The SpotCell 2500Xl CU is surface mounted using the provided bracket and can be either mounted to a wall or hung from a ceiling. To mount the CU 1. Fasten the mounting bracket to the wall or ceiling.
MOUNTING THE DU AND CU 2. Position the bottom of the CU into the hole at the bottom of the mounting bracket and push the top of the CU onto the bracket. You should feel the CU snap securely into place. Figure 3.5: Inserting the CU into the bracket 3. Position the CU cover such that the four pins align with the holes on the CU and push the cover securely into place. Figure 3.
MOUNTING THE DU AND CU Figure 3.7: CU mounted with cover 4. Secure the cables to the wall using tie wraps and mount directly to the wall where possible (using 1/2 inch pan head screws). If an anchor is required drill a 3/16 inch diameter hole, insert the anchor, and fasten with 1/2 inch screws. 3.
MOUNTING THE DU AND CU 2. If the AC adapter can reach the end of the 10 ft (3m) cable attached to the DU then simply attach the BIAS-T to the DU cable and then the cable coming from the CU. Figure 3.8: BIAS-T inserted near DU or If the DU is too far from the AC outlet, cut the coaxial cable at the chosen location, properly terminate both ends with Spotwave approved connectors, and attach the the BIAS to the two new connectors. Figure 3.9: BIAS-T inserted far from DU 3.
MOUNTING THE DU AND CU 3.3.2 F-90 connectors The 90 degree F connectors included in the kit, allow the coaxial cables to be run through the CU mounting bracket and directly into the wall opening. Figure 3.10:“F-90 connector used to hide coaxial cable” shows how the cable runs from the cut-in ring in the wall, through the mounting bracket and connects to the F-90 connector on the CU. The second F-90 connector is included in the kit for systems that use an auxialliary CU.
MOUNTING THE DU AND CU 3.4 CU Ceiling Mount kit The CU Ceiling Mount kit is used to hang the CU directly from a ceiling. This kit replaces the standard CU mounting bracket with metal bracket that attaches to the bacl of the CU and fastens either directly to the ceiling or to the supplied t-bar hanger. The kit includes: 1. Back cover 2. Ceiling bracket 3. Twist fastener (t-bar hanger) Figure 3.
4 – Trouble-Shooting 1. Status: The LED on the back of the DU and CU display information regarding the SpotCell system during operation. Action: A red LED indicates a fault condition, a yellow LED indicates an overdrive condition, and blue indicates power on, no faults. A green LED on the CU indicates reduced coverage due to a signal isolation condition. 2. Status: The LED on the DU is not illuminating. Action: Ensure the following: The cable from the DU is connected to the CU port labelled .
TROUBLE-SHOOTING 5. Status: The coverage area around the CU suddenly shrinks after a long period of reliable operation. Action: This is most likely due to man made environmental influences such as a large building being erected somewhere in between the DU and the location the DU is receiving a signal from. Repeating the install procedure with the DU in its current position may improve system performance (i.e. re-aligning it in the direction that provides greater signal strength).
Appendix A – 2500Xl System Specifications Note: Spotwave Wireless has the right to change specifications without notice. A.1 CU indicators The SpotCell 2500Xl CU has two indicators on the front, a mult-color LED for status and a 5 bar indicator for coverage. Status and Coverage indicators CU CU Status LED The status of the SpotCell system is indicated by the single multi-color LED located on the front of the CU. The meaning of each status LED color is listed below. Color Spotwave Wireless Inc.
CU Coverage bars The graduated bars on the CU indicate the level of coverage which is determined by the isolation required to generate optimum output power at the CU. 0 bars indicate either a >20dB back-off or that the power is off. System will not operate. 1 bar indicates a back-off between 17 and 20dB. Very small coverage area. Operation may be intermittent. 2 bars indicate a back-off between 13 and 16dB. Small coverage area that is likely to vary in size.
A.2 DU signal level indicators: The SpotCell 2500Xl DU has two indicators on the back, a mult-color LED for status and a 5 bar indicator for received signal level. Note: Both indicators automatically shut off after the system has been powered for 20 minutes. To re-activate the display, either cycle the system power off/on or disconnect and then re-connect the DU’s coaxial cable. DU Status LED The status of the SpotCell system is indicated by the single multi-color LED located on the back of the DU.
DU Signal Level Indicator The graduated bars on the back of the DU indicate the signal level received by the DU 0 bars indicate the received signal is too low (less than -95 dBm) or that the power is off. 1 bar indicates the received signal level from the base station is very low (-85 to -95 dBm). Operation may be intermittent. 2 bars indicate the received signal is just within operational range (between -85 and -75 dBm). 3 bars indicate the received signal is between -75 and -65 dBm.
A.4 Architecture (Dual Band 7 00 MH z/AWS Coverage System) Frequency Bands (see NOTE below) AWS Uplink: 1 7 4 5 -1755 MHz Downlink: 2 1 4 5 -2155 MHz 700 MHz Uplink: 7 7 7 -787 MHz Downlink: 7 4 6 -756 MHz Sub-Bands Operator sub-bands: Operator Specific Primary sub-band: 7 0 0 M H z (Upper C) AWS (None) Secondary AWS (split-band) options: N o n e Formats Supported 700 MHz (3GPP / LTE) AW S (TBD) Typical Coverage Area 25,000 sq. ft (2,300 m2) Open Coverage Area 50,000 sq.
A.4.2 BW Measurements Uplink = 6 MHz 700 MHz Band A bandwidth measurement at 20dB down Downlink = 6 MHz Uplink = 6 MHz 700 MHz Band B bandwidth measurement at 20dB down Downlink = 6 MHz Uplink = 10 MHz 700 MHz Band C bandwidth measurement at 20dB down Downlink = 10 MHz Uplink = TBD AWS 15MHz bandwidth measurement at 20dB down Downlink = TBD A.4.3 Installation Installation Time Less than one hour typical Donor (outward facing) Unit Alignment No prior knowledge of base station location required.
Appendix B – 2500Xl DU Assembly The SpotCell 2500Xl initial version includes a DU box and an external antenna, as displayed in the following picture:
Appendix C – 2500Xl CU Assembly The SpotCell 2500Xl initial version includes a CU box and an external antenna, as displayed in the following picture:
Notes
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SPOTWAVE coverage made simple www.spotwave.com Spotwave Wireless Ltd. 500 Van Buren Street, Kemptville, ON KOG 1 JO Canada © 2011 Spotwave Wireless Ltd. All rights reserved. Printed in Canada Spotwave and SpotCell are trademarks of Spotwave Wireless Ltd. Patents pending.
Notes 1. This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class A digital device, pursuant to part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference when the equipment is operated in a commercial environment. This equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instruction manual, may cause harmful interference to radio communications.
