Chapter 4: Preparing for installation
Safety
Page
4-3
External cables
Safety may be compromised if outdoor rated cables are not used for connections that will be exposed
to the outdoor environment. For outdoor copper Cat5e Ethernet interfaces, always use Cat5e cable that
is gel-filled and shielded with copper-plated steel.
RF exposure near the antenna
Strong radio frequency (RF) fields will be present close to the antenna when the transmitter is on.
Always turn off the power to the ODU before undertaking maintenance activities in front of the antenna.
Minimum separation distances
Ensure that personnel are not exposed to unsafe levels of RF energy. The units start to radiate RF
energy as soon as they are powered up. Never work in front of the antenna when the ODU is powered.
Install the ODUs so as to provide and maintain the minimum separation distances from all persons. For
minimum separation distances, see Configuration Guide.
Grounding and lightning protection requirements
Ensure that the installation meets the requirements defined in
Grounding and lightning protection
Grounding cable installation methods
To provide effective protection against lightning induced surges, observe these requirements:
•
Grounding conductor runs are as short, straight and smooth as possible, with bends and curves kept
to a minimum.
•
Grounding cables must not be installed with drip loops.
•
All bends must have a minimum radius of 200 mm (8 in) and a minimum angle of 90°. A diagonal
run is preferable to a bend, even though it does not follow the contour or run parallel to the
supporting structure.
•
All bends, curves and connections must be routed towards the grounding electrode system, ground
rod, or ground bar.
•
Grounding conductors must be securely fastened.
•
Braided grounding conductors must not be used.
•
Approved bonding techniques must be used for the connection of dissimilar metals.
Siting ODUs and antennas
ODUs, external antennas and GPS receivers are not designed to survive direct lightning strikes. For this
reason they must be installed in Zone B as defined in
. Mounting
in Zone A may put equipment, structures and life at risk.
