Tips for installing external antenna and RF device with an antenna

In installing external antennas for the purpose of improving the quality and increasing the distance of transmission of RF reception, it is important to follow several essential steps which are described in more detail below in this article. An external antenna is a practical solution to compromised transmission of reception in your area due to terrain impediments, hills, or dense vegetation. In these natural conditions that are impossible to change, you can, by installing external antennas in elevated places, increase the quality and coverage of transmission over up to 30 kilometres.

Steps towards correct installation and functioning of antennas

Foremost, it is vital to install the device with an antenna or a separate antenna in places where direct visibility among the pieces of equipment can be achieved. For correct and quality transmission of RF reception, we recommend installing the antennas as high as possible above the terrain.

• Prior to installation, make sure that the places where you wish to install the antennas are high enough above all barriers and that nothing prevents transmission reception.
• Check, on the path among the antennas, heights of the trees, hills, buildings, or other objects capable of hindering transmission.
• Your location and the surrounding terrain may not enable you to meet the condition of direct visibility among antennas. In such case, try to eliminate as much as possible all barriers in the path of the transmission. Prior to final installation of antennas at a desirable place, check the quality of reception on the equipment display.
• Places overgrown with dense vegetation, such as groves and dense bushes, are the worst for transmission reception.

• In the picture depicting correct installation, you can see external antennas installed above the highest horizon (hill). In such case, the path of the reception is barrier-free and the antennas are in visible distance and have direct visibility. Hence, the transmission is without problems and the highest possible quality can be achieved.
• In the picture depicting incorrect installation, you can see antennas located very low below the horizon and be in the so-called radio shadow zone. In such case, the quality of transmission reception is poor and the potential of the external antenna cannot be fully utilized.

Radio Path

Radio Path indicates the area around an imaginary line among antennas into which radio waves are transmitted once they have left the antenna. For correct functioning and strong quality of reception, it is important to keep the radio path clean and barrier-free.

The quality of reception is indicated on the equipment display

On the displays of individual pieces of equipment, you can immediately see the quality of reception. The depiction of strong or sufficient reception indicates that communication among the pieces of equipment is good. Where medium or weak reception is displayed, we recommend choosing a better place to locate the equipment or installing an external antenna which could considerably improve transmission reception.

• Remember that the strength and quality of reception always depend on the local conditions and the surrounding environment.

Antenna Installation

Make sure that the place chosen for installing the antennas is located as far as possible from other antennas and poles. We recommend that there are no other objects, such as drainpipes, near the installation; these could disrupt and compromise the quality of reception. An important part is also the installation of the antenna itself. For correct functioning install the antenna vertically. Installing it horizontally or below the angle considerably compromises its output. Make sure that the installed antennas level with one another and are levelled into the centre of the reception path.

Observe the following steps during installation:

• Make sure that the antenna feed cable is not deformed or kinked during installation. This may lead to irreversible damage to the cable and, therefore, to bad transmission and loss of reception.
• Use the appropriate length of the feed cable. If you don’t use the whole length of the cable, do not wind the remaining cable around the post. This could lead to irreversible damage or breakage. Leave the cable hanging freely on the post and use the rest of the cable to make the gutter sling on the ground, which will prevent water (dew) from getting inside the equipment through the cable.

Finally, we would like to add that the entire issue of transmission of RF reception is complicated and is affected by several natural factors. For this reason, it is difficult to say whether or not the transmission among individual pieces of equipment is going to be of quality and sufficient.