ADL Vantage ADL Vantage Pro ADL Vantage 35 User Guide 1 ADL Vantage/ADL Vantage Pro/ADL Vantage 35
Contact Information Warranty limitations Customer support and sales contacts This warranty set forth above is exclusive and no other warranty, whether written or oral, is expressed or implied. Pacific Crest specifically disclaims the implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose. Quality, technology, and service are the hallmarks of Pacific Crest. We provide easy access to our customer service department to keep you running efficiently.
Safety Information Before you use your radio, ensure that you have read and understood this publication, as well as safety requirements. CAUTION – A license is required before operating radio communication equipment. Warnings and cautions An absence of specific alerts does not mean that there are no safety risks involved. Always follow the instructions that accompany a Warning or Caution. The information they provide is intended to minimize the risk of personal injury and/or damage to the equipment.
Contact your sales representative for model specific country approval. To assure optimal radio performance and to ensure that exposure to RF energy is within the guidelines in the above standards, observe the following operating procedures: • Do not operate a transceiver when someone is within the distance noted below of the antenna (unity gain).
WARNING – Avoid contact with the battery if it appears to be leaking. Battery fluid is corrosive, and contact with it can result in personal injury and/or property damage. To prevent injury or damage: • • • If the battery leaks, avoid contact with the battery fluid. If battery fluid gets into your eyes, immediately rinse your eyes with clean water and seek medical attention. Do not rub your eyes! If battery fluid gets onto your skin or clothing, immediately use clean water to wash off the battery fluid.
For more information concerning our worldwide compliances, contact customer support. Being part of the RF community Operation of a licensed radio product makes you a member of the RF community. Be aware that virtually all frequencies licensed are provided on a shared basis with other users. Each frequency dedicated specifically to RTK surveying activities has certain restrictions and limitations.
configuration file will not transmit any call sign. WARNING: Failure to transmit your station identification is in violation of FCC regulations. If you are operating outside the United States, check with the local authorities if you need to transmit a call sign. Carrier Sense Multiple Access (CSMA) CSMA is a technology implemented in the radios to meet the United States Federal Communication Commission (FCC) transmitter requirements.
Contents Safety Information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Contents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Note about this guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Introduction This manual describes how to set up and use the Advanced Data Link (ADL) Vantage®, Vantage Pro radio or ADL Vantage 35. The radios are advanced, high speed, wireless data links that are designed specifically for GNSS/RTK applications, but are also appropriate for many other applications requiring digital data links. Your success in using the radios is Pacific Crest’s primary goal. Pacific Crest stands behind its products by providing expert support and service.
Features and Benefits Compatibility • Facilitates radio equipment mix and match • Interoperable with Pacific Crest (RFM, PDL and ADL), SATEL, and Trimble radio products • All models support 12.
Configuring the Radios ADLCONF configuration software ADLCONF is the software application for configuring and troubleshooting all Advanced Data Link (ADL) radios. Running the ADLCONF software on a computer attached through a serial cable to an ADL radio enables you to check the status of the radio, enter receive-only channel tables, and set radio parameters such as channel bandwidth and output power. Channel tables for transmission of data must be obtained from authorized Pacific Crest dealers.
Setup in the Office 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 12 Plug the radio’s desktop power supply into the wall. You may alternatively use an approved 12 Volt battery for power. But you must never power a radio with a battery while it is being recharged. This will damage the battery. Attach the desktop power supply’s (or battery’s) SAE connector to the radio programming cable’s SAE connector. Attach the programming cable’s DE-9 connector into a serial port on your PC.
Setting up in the Field 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Attach the antenna to the radio, either directly to the top of the radio or to an antenna cable. Attach the radio to your tripod using the tripod clip on the back of the radio. See the figure be low for setup suggestions. Connect the radio to the source of the data you will transmit, for example, a GPS receiver, using the data/power cable.
Tripod mounts Each ADL Vantage radio includes a tripod clip on the rear of the radio. Insert the clip into a slot on the tripod: Each ADL Vantage Pro or ADL Vantage 35 radio includes a high-impact polymer handle with built-in tripod clip. Insert the clip into a slot on the tripod: Antenna and antenna mount The most important activity in setting up a radio transmitter is determining the placement and type of the antenna.
If you have an antenna with a male TNC connector, you can attach it directly to the RF connector on the top of the radio. We highly recommend, however, that you elevate the RF antenna as much as possible. The most common set up is similar to that shown in the following illustration where an antenna cable with male TNC connector is attached to the radio. The other end of this cable is attached to a tripod or elevated section of range pole. The RF antenna is then attached to the end of the cable.
Data/Power cable The radio is connected to a data source, such as a GNSS receiver, using a data/power cable (see below). This cable is available with different connectors for attaching to a large variety of data sources. Contact your sales representative for selecting the best cable to meet your needs: Data Source Connector Radio Connector SAE Power Connector Each radio data/power cable also connects the radio (and in some cases, the data source) to external power through an SAE-type connector.
effects of vibration on the radio receiver board. Antenna connector The integrated antenna connector provides an industry standard TNC-female RF connector that is compatible with a wide range of mobile whip antennas. Pacific Crest also sells cables that connect the radio to remote antennas. Battery care The ADL Vantage Battery/Charger kit includes a 12 V, 12-AHr, battery. The ADL Vantage Pro Battery/ADL Vantage 35 Charger kit includes a 12 V, 35-AHr, battery.
time. Storing batteries for an extended time in a discharged state damages them and will reduce the capacity of the battery. To recharge a user-supplied battery, select a charger of appropriate type. A battery charge designed for use with a deep-cycle, deep-discharge, sealed lead acid battery may damage an automotive battery. An automotive battery charger may not fully charge a deep-cycle, deed-discharge, sealed lead acid battery.
Operating the Radio Turning the radio on and off To turn on the radio, attach the radio to power using either the programming cable (attached to wall/mains current) or the data/power cable (attached to the external battery of the radio). Once the radio detects power on its data connector, it automatically turns on and is ready for communication within 5 seconds.
User interface The user interface includes three LEDs, an On/Off button, a two-row LCD display, four scrolling buttons marked with arrows, and a central Enter button: The LCD has a backlight that stays on for 20 seconds. The backlight must be on for the Enter or arrow buttons to function. If the backlight is off, pressing any button turns it on.
The following table describes the various functions available, and lists the choices for each function. The default settings, where applicable, are shown in bold.
Function Description Parameter choices Transmit Power Displays / selects transmitter power level Low power Low intermediate power Intermediate power High intermediate power High power Rx LED Meaning Serial Baud Displays/selects what it means when the Rx LED flashes Signal received Displays/selects serial baud rate of the radio’s data port 2400 Data received 4800 9600 19200 38400 115200 Signal Strength Press the Enter button Displays strength of the received signal (RSSI) in dBm High: RSSI > -9
Although the radio modem supports both GMSK and 4FSK modulation, you cannot select a modulation type with the user interface. The radio automatically selects the appropriate modulation based on the channel bandwidth of the channel table programmed into the radio (displayed on the Device Status screen as CH BW: 12.5 or 25 kHz), the data protocol, and the radio link rate.
Manual Frequency Entry Using the ADL Vantage radio (but not the ADL Vantage Pro), you can use the front panel interface to enter a receive-only channel into the channel table. Scroll left or right to the Channel/Freq screen, scroll down to the Manual Tune screen and press Enter. This displays “RO” ( for “receive-only”) and the frequency of Channel 01.
There are two ways to move to a different function screen: • When viewing a display-only function, such as Device Status or Signal Strength, press the left or right arrow. • When viewing a display-and-select function, such as Channel/Freq or Data Protocol, press the up/down arrows to display the currently selected parameter (marked with an asterisk) in the second row. Then press either the left or right arrow to move to a new function screen.
synchronize itself with the transmission. This is essentially what Scramble Control does and why we recommend you leave it on for all radios. However, if some of the radios in your system are not Pacific Crest or Trimble radios, you may need to turn Scrambling off. Note - Trimble protocols require Scrambling. With a Trimble protocol selected, you are unable to turn scrambling off.
Automatic Power Management All ADL radios protect themselves from heat damage by throttling back the output power or by shutting down if the temperature inside the radio exceeds safe levels. Not operating the radio in environments greater than the maximum operational temperature (see section on Technical Specifications) is the best way to ensure that the internal temperature of the radio does not exceed safe limits.
Tips and Techniques for Best Performance Antenna Antenna placement is critical for good performance. Range and coverage is directly proportional to the height of the transmitting and receiving antennas in addition to antenna gain. Where possible, select a reference station location that takes advantage of terrain to get the transmitting antenna as high as possible. Always use the telescoping antenna mast and raise the antenna as high as is practical and safe given terrain and wind conditions.
Use with Machinery and Vehicles Vibration damping ADL Vantage/Vantage Pro radios meet or exceed the MIL-STD 810F standard for vibration (up to 2.6 g). It is always recommended to mount the radio with rubber dampers. Avoid introducing vibration and tension into the data/power connector at bottom of radio. Consider supporting the data/power cable with a rubber-padded clamp. Mounting inside/outside vehicle cabin The radios are rated IP67 and can be mounted outside a cabin.
Pinouts and Connectors The radio uses a #1-shell, 5-pin circular data/power connector. For a mating connector, Pacific Crest recommends using a LEMO P/N FGG.1B.305.CLAD.72Z, or equivalent.
Technical Specifications General Specifications Communication 1 RS-232 port, 115.2 kbps maximum User Interface 2-row, 16-character LCD display with five navigation buttons Power Input Power ADL Vantage: 9.0 VDC – 30.0 VDC, 2 amp maximum ADL Vantage Pro: 10.0 VDC – 30.0 VDC, 15 amp maximum ADL Vantage 35: 11.0 VDC – 16.0 VDC, 15 amp maximum Warning - Supplying more than the specified current can damage the radio. Power Consumption (Rx) ADL Vantage:0.6 W nominal @ 12.
General Specifications Environmental Specifications Enclosure IP67 (Dustproof and watertight to depth of 1 m for 30 minutes) Operating Temperature ADL Vantage: -40 °C to +85 °C (–40 °F to +185 °F) (RX) ADL Vantage Pro/ADL Vantage 35: -30 °C to +65 °C (–22 °F to +149 °F) Operating Temperature (TX) ADL Vantage @ 4W: -40 °C to +65 °C (–40 °F to +149 °F) ADL Vantage Pro @ 35W: –30 °C to +55 °C (-22 ° F to +131 °F) ADL Vantage 35 @ 35W: -30 °C to +65 °C (–22 °F to +149 °F) Storage Temperature ADL Vantag
