Safety Precautions when Installing Antennas
Do not locate the antenna near overhead power lines or other electric light or power circuits, or where
it can come into contact with such circuits. When installing the antenna, take extreme care not to come
into contact with such circuits, as they may cause serious injury or death. For proper installation and
grounding of the antenna, please refer to national and local codes (e.g. U.S.: NFPA 70, National Electrical
Code, Article 810, Canada: Canadian Electrical Code, Section 54).
Statement 280
Danger
• Before you install an antenna, contact your Cisco account representative to explain which mounting
method to use for the size and type of antenna that you are about to install
• Select your installation site with safety, as well as performance, in mind. Remember that electric power
lines and phone lines look alike. For your safety, assume that any overhead line can kill you.
• Contact your electric power company. Tell them your plans and ask them to come look at your proposed
installation.
• Plan your installation carefully and completely before you begin. Each person involved in an installation
should be assigned to a specific task and should know what to do and when to do it. One person should
be in charge of the operation to issue instructions and watch for signs of trouble.
• When installing your antenna, follow these guidelines:
• Do not use a metal ladder
• Do not work on a wet or windy day
• Do dress properly—wear shoes with rubber soles and heels, rubber gloves, and a long-sleeved shirt
or jacket
• If the assembly starts to drop, move away from it and let it fall. Because the antenna, mast, cable, and
metal guy wires are all excellent conductors of electrical current, even the slightest touch of any of these
parts to a power line completes an electrical path through the antenna and the installer.
• If any part of the antenna system should come in contact with a power line, do not touch it or try to
remove it yourself. Call your local power company to have it removed safely.
• If an accident should occur with the power lines, call for qualified emergency help immediately.
Avoiding Damage to Radios in a Testing Environment
The radios on outdoor units (bridges) have higher transmit power levels than radios on indoor units (APs).
When you test high-power radios in a link, you must avoid exceeding the receiver's maximum receive input
level. At levels above the normal operating range, packet error rate (PER) performance is degraded. At even
higher levels, the receiver can be permanently damaged. To avoid receiver damage and PER degradation, you
can use one of the following techniques:
• Separate the omnidirectional antennas by at least 2 ft (0.6 m) to avoid receiver damage or by at least 25
ft (7.6 m) to avoid PER degradation.
Cisco Catalyst 9124AX Series Outdoor Access Point Hardware Installation Guide
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Safety Guidelines and Warnings
Safety Precautions when Installing Antennas
