Hughes HughesNet Ka-band Pointing Manual Download Page 3

Page: 3 / 44

• Contents

1037663-0001 Revision A

iii

Chapter 1
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1

Scope and audience  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1
Related instructions  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1
Antenna pointing overview  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1

Pointing tools and user interfaces. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2

Global Positioning System (GPS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2
Local User Interface (LUI) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2
DiSEqC Antenna Pointing Tool (DAPT) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2
Squinter

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3

Pointing procedure summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

Entering installation parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
Coarse pointing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
Fine pointing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
Pointing validation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5

Chapter 2
Pointing the antenna . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7

Prerequisites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
Entering installation parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
Coarse pointing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13
Fine pointing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17

Attaching Squinter type A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18
Attaching Squinter types B and C . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21

Pointing validation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25
Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30

Acronyms and abbreviations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35

Summary of Contents for HughesNet Ka-band

Page 1: ...1037663 0001 Revision A March 26 2008 Ka Band Antenna Pointing Guide ...

Page 2: ...ss of the material in this document Hughes Network Systems LLC shall not be liable for errors contained herein The information in this document is subject to change without notice Hughes Network Systems LLC makes no warranty of any kind with regard to this material including but not limited to the implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose Trademarks Hughes Hughes N...

Page 3: ...UI 2 DiSEqC Antenna Pointing Tool DAPT 2 Squinter 3 Pointing procedure summary 4 Entering installation parameters 4 Coarse pointing 4 Fine pointing 5 Pointing validation 5 Chapter 2 Pointing the antenna 7 Prerequisites 7 Entering installation parameters 8 Coarse pointing 13 Fine pointing 17 Attaching Squinter type A 18 Attaching Squinter types B and C 21 Pointing validation 25 Troubleshooting 30 A...

Page 4: ... Contents iv 1037663 0001 Revision A ...

Page 5: ... IDU HN9000 shown 8 4 Icon to Installation screen 9 5 Advanced Configuration and Statistics Installation screen 9 6 Terminal Pointing Info screen 12 7 Installing the DAPT 13 8 Adjusting the antenna position 16 9 Attaching squinter type A 18 10 Positioning the squinter properly 19 11 Attaching squinter types B and C 21 12 Weatherproofing the cable connectors 29 ...

Page 6: ... Figures vi 1037663 0001 Revision A ...

Page 7: ... Tables 1037663 0001 Revision A vii Tables Chapter 2 1 Installation parameter B Codes 10 2 Installation parameter C Codes 10 3 Determining which squinter to use 17 4 DAPT display messages 30 ...

Page 8: ... Tables viii 1037663 0001 Revision A ...

Page 9: ...tallation process If the satellite modem antenna is not properly pointed toward the satellite it cannot communicate with the satellite to its full capacity resulting in a degradation of system performance The basic requirement when pointing a HughesNet antenna is to accurately aim the antenna at the satellite to within 0 2 dB maximum loss of reception and 0 45 dB maximum loss of transmission The H...

Page 10: ...itude and longitude information in the format DD MM mmm where DD degrees MM minutes and mmm fractional minutes the unit must display fractional minutes to three significant digits Local User Interface LUI The LUI is the satellite modem interface It is used to enter installation parameters required for pointing the antenna The LUI also displays the beacon signal strength for monitoring purposes To ...

Page 11: ... is an antenna pointing aid used to electrically fine point the antenna once coarse pointing is completed When placed on the antenna feed horn the squinter inhibits a portion of the RF signal thereby capturing the satellite signal from different portions of the antenna reflector surface The squinter is placed alternately in four different positions two for measuring azimuth and two for measuring e...

Page 12: ...ller submits these parameters the satellite modem enters Pointing mode In this mode the LUI displays the calculated azimuth elevation tilt angle and antenna polarization information required for coarse pointing the antenna Coarse pointing After entering the installation parameters you can begin the process of pointing the antenna at the satellite Using the proper azimuth elevation and tilt coordin...

Page 13: ...pointing method by which SQF readings are taken from different portions of the antenna reflector By ensuring that the SQF readings are the same at opposite points on the reflector this method ensures that the entire reflector is pointing directly at the satellite The squinter physically covers one half of the antenna feed horn inhibiting one half of the signal beam from reaching the antenna reflec...

Page 14: ...Chapter 1 Introduction 6 1037663 0001 Revision A ...

Page 15: ...ps 1 Assemble and install the antenna at the chosen ODU location following the procedures outlined in the installation guide for the specific antenna model being installed 2 Install the IDU following the procedures outlined in the installation guide for the specific satellite modem being installed 3 Run the intra facility link IFL cable between the SAT OUT connector on the IDU and the IFL connecto...

Page 16: ...grees _____Minutes _____Fractional mins Longitude ______Degrees _____Minutes _____Fractional mins 2 Using an Ethernet cable connect your laptop to the indoor unit IDU LAN port as shown in Figure 3 3 On your laptop open a web browser Internet Explorer 6 or higher or Mozilla 1 8 or higher 4 Type 169 254 0 1 in the browser address bar and press Enter 5 At the LUI System Control Center home page click...

Page 17: ...tenna 1037663 0001 Revision A 9 The Advanced Configuration and Statistics Installation screen appears as shown in Figure 5 Figure 4 Icon to Installation screen Figure 5 Advanced Configuration and Statistics Installation screen ...

Page 18: ...nter the appropriate code for the antenna as shown in Table 1 C Code ODU power Enter the appropriate code for the radio transmitter as shown in Table 2 U Code Satellite Unique Word ID The system supports four Unique Word sets identified as A B C and D Contact the field service office FSO for the site configuration Table 1 Installation parameter B Codes B Code Antenna size 0749 74 m 0988 98 m 1208 ...

Page 19: ...ed if you change any of the following installation parameters from a previous installation Site latitude Site longitude Satellite orbital location A Code Antenna size B Code ODU power C Code Satellite Unique Word ID U Code Pointing metrics are also deleted if the satellite modem is uninstalled although not when it is unregistered Note Do not change the Antenna Pointing Indicator Delay value Note 1...

Page 20: ...polarization setting LHCP or RHCP Figure 6 Terminal Pointing Info screen Note The initial SQF value listed on this screen will most likely be either 0 or 1 indicating that the demodulator is either initializing or searching for a beacon signal respectively Once the demodulator acquires the beacon signal the SQF value will be greater than 1 Note This is the true polarization setting Ensure that the...

Page 21: ...1 At the ODU install the DAPT in line with the low noise block LNB converter on the receive cable as shown in Figure 7 Be sure to connect the cables to the DAPT in accordance with the connector labels on the DAPT rear panel not shown Note You must also ensure that the transmit cable is connected between the SAT OUT connector on the IDU and the IFL connector on the ODU radio transmitter Figure 7 In...

Page 22: ...nt state during which the antenna can be coarse and fine pointed At any time during the Point state you can select one of two filters to support antenna pointing The SNR or short filter responds quickly to antenna movement but is also more sensitive to scintillation caused by fluctuating weather conditions If the SQF readings on the DAPT display vary significantly and do not settle down readily it...

Page 23: ...the actual display may appear as follows In this example the short filter is in use indicated by the S in the top row The highest recorded SQF value is 171 points and the current SQF reading is 94 points 2 Choose either the long or the short filter by pressing Toggle button 2 Each press of this button toggles the selection 3 Wait for the SQF reading to settle on a value then use the appropriately ...

Page 24: ... 8 Adjusting the antenna position Note You must use the adjustment mechanism for coarse azimuth adjustments Do not attempt to point the antenna manually by pulling on the antenna reflector or the feed support structure This can cause permanent damage to the antenna ...

Page 25: ...ifferent positions on the feed horn two for measuring azimuth and two for measuring elevation When the antenna is pointed correctly the SQF readings at the two azimuth positions will match and the readings at the two elevation positions will match The following steps describe the fine pointing process 1 Place the appropriate squinter for the antenna on the feed horn Refer to Table 3 below to deter...

Page 26: ...curely around the feed horn rim as shown in Figure 9 b Rotate the outer piece of the squinter until the bubble in the horizontal azimuth level is centered This is the first azimuth position The bubble must be at the center to ensure that the fine adjustment is correct Figure 9 Attaching squinter type A Note You must set the squinter so that it is level as shown in Figure 10 rather than in line wit...

Page 27: ...azimuth readings until the two azimuth values are within the tolerance level of 5 SQF points f Repeat steps b through e for the two elevation positions using the bubble in the elevation level to accurately position the squinter Figure 10 Positioning the squinter properly Note If using the short filter you must wait at least 3 seconds at each dither point If you do not wait before recording the rea...

Page 28: ...eadings should be within 15 points of each other k When finished press Advance The DAPT display should read When the FindSys done message appears proceed to step 2 on page 23 The following message may also appear This message indicates that an error has occurred If this message appears you must resubmit the installation parameters at the IDU and restart the pointing process beginning with coarse p...

Page 29: ... around the feed horn stem This is the first azimuth position c Wait for the SQF reading to settle on a value The time required is a function of whether you are using the short filter or the long filter When the reading has settled note the SQF value on the display Figure 11 Attaching squinter types B and C Note When reconnecting the collar be sure that the point where the two halves of the collar...

Page 30: ... elevation position and replace it on the feed horn again making sure that the four grooves fit over the feed horn keys j Wait for the SQF reading to settle on a value and check the reading at this position k Continue to adjust the elevation and take pairs of readings until the two elevation values are within the tolerance level of 5 SQF points l When the pair of elevation readings is within 5 SQF...

Page 31: ...parameters at the IDU and restart the pointing process beginning with coarse pointing 2 To continue remove the squinter from the feed horn and press Advance to proceed to pointing validation The following message appears on the DAPT display where S or L indicates either the short or long time constant filter respectively and SQF is a value from 0 255 The left value in row 2 is the highest recorded...

Page 32: ...If the search fails the following message appears This message indicates that an error has occurred You must resubmit the installation parameters at the IDU and restart the pointing process beginning with coarse pointing The following message may also appear This message indicates that the circular polarization must be reversed During cell selection it is possible that the closest working cell is ...

Page 33: ...onds then reads 2 Place the squinter on the feed horn in either of the two azimuth positions as explained in Fine pointing on page 17 and press Advance The DAPT display reads Wait AZ1 while the IDU records the first azimuth measurement This process could take up to 15 seconds Note Because you will be close to the feed horn when adjusting the squinter during the pointing validation tests it is like...

Page 34: ...s is within 15 SQF points the test will pass and the DAPT display will read 4 Press Advance to proceed to the elevation test The DAPT display shows a Wait message for approximately 15 seconds then reads 5 Rotate the squinter 90 degrees to the first elevation position and press Advance The DAPT display reads Wait EL1 while the IDU records the first elevation measurement This process could take up t...

Page 35: ...e DAPT display shows a Wait message for approximately 15 seconds then reads 8 Remove the squinter from the feed horn and press Advance The DAPT displays a Wait message while the IDU performs the second center measurement This process could take up to 15 seconds When this center measurement is within 10 SQF points of the Center 1 measurement taken at the start of the validation phase the test will ...

Page 36: ...he DAPT display should read This indicates that you have completed the pointing process successfully The DAPT displays this message for approximately 10 seconds then displays the IFL voltage to indicate that the pointing process has finished Note Do not disconnect the DAPT until instructed to do so Disconnecting the DAPT prematurely could cause a loss of all stored data invalidating the entire poi...

Page 37: ...y the IFL voltage Do not disconnect the DAPT until the IFL voltage appears Disconnecting the DAPT prematurely could cause a loss of all stored data invalidating the entire pointing process 12 When the IFL voltage appears disconnect the DAPT and reconnect the receive IFL cable directly to the LNB 13 Secure all cable connections with dielectric grease and weatherproofing tape as shown in Figure 12 T...

Page 38: ...tallation parameters on page 8 If the DAPT does not display the SQF reading SQF sqf after a few seconds press the Advance Permanent Logging VoltMeas message Cables on the DAPT are not connected properly Reconnect the cables to the DAPT in accordance with the connector labels on the DAPT rear panel SQF does not go higher than 1 Circular polarization setting is incorrect Installation parameters inco...

Page 39: ...o the proper setting then press Advance to proceed to the next phase Beacon Lost IDU has detected loss of beacon lock If beacon lock is reacquired within 10 seconds the pointing process continues Otherwise the satellite modem IDU returns to the Pointing state This error may occur while you are putting the squinter on the feed horn during fine pointing or validation You must keep the loss duration ...

Page 40: ...Chapter 2 Pointing the antenna 32 1037663 0001 Revision A ...

Page 41: ... G GPS Global positioning system I IDU Indoor unit IFL Intra facility link L LAN Local area network LCD Liquid crystal diode LHCP Left hand circular polarization LNB Low noise block LUI Local user interface M m meters MIP Megaframe information packet O ODU Outdoor unit R RF Radio frequency RHCP Right hand circular polarization Rx Receive S SNR Signal to noise ratio SQF Signal quality factor T Tx T...

Page 42: ... Acronyms and abbreviations 34 1037663 0001 Revision A ...

Page 43: ...ne pointing E elevation adjusting 15 determining coordinates 8 measuring 19 F filters pointing 5 14 19 21 selecting 15 fine pointing 3 description 5 overview 1 procedure 17 24 G GPS description 2 using 8 I IFL cables 7 13 29 31 voltage 14 initial satellite acquisition 4 installation parameters entering 4 8 See also LUI K Ka band antenna 1 L LUI accessing 8 description 2 display 8 11 O ODU power se...

Page 44: ... Index 36 1037663 0001 Revision A S satellite acquisition 4 satellite modem 14 25 29 31 scintillation 5 14 squinters 17 attaching 18 21 description 3 types 3 18 using 5 17 V validation 1 25 29 ...

Search results

Summary of Contents for HughesNet Ka-band

Reviews:

Related manuals for HughesNet Ka-band

Brands by name

Popular brands

Hughes HughesNet Ka-band, Pointing Manual

Search results

Summary of Contents for HughesNet Ka-band

Reviews:

Related manuals for HughesNet Ka-band

Brands by name

Popular brands