Moseley Starlink SL9003Q, User Manual, Page: 40 / 141

3-14 Section 3: Installation
Moseley SL9003Q 602-12016-01 Revision J
NOTE : Standard Wattmeters are calibrated for CW (carrier) power measurement. For
QAM digital modulation, these wattmeters will indicate approximately 1/2 of the actual
power.
• Apply power to the SL9003Q and check the status indications for proper initial operation.
• Observe forward power, and check that reverse power is negligible.
• Turn off power to the radio.
• Exchange the wattmeter with the barrel adapter and coaxial jumper at the antenna end
of the transmission line.
• Power-up the radio.
• Observe forward power to the antenna, and verify that power loss in the transmission
line is within system specifications.
• Verify that reflected power from the antenna is negligible. Reflected power should be
less than 5% of the forward value, and in most cases will be significantly less.
• Turn off power to the radio.
• Disconnect the test equipment.
• Reconnect the antenna feed lines.
• Continue with link alignment.
3.6 Link Alignment
It is very important to aim the antennas properly. If the antennas are not aligned
accurately, the system may not operate. An approximate alignment is achieved through
careful physical aiming of the antennas toward each other. The receiver should indicate
enough signal to operate when this is achieved.
Once an approximate alignment is achieved, align the antennas accurately by accessing the
QAM RADIO MODEM STATUS (BER POST) screen and observe the RSL in dBm (upper right
corner of display). This screen also displays Bit Error Rates, which is the primary parameter
for system performance.
Turn the antenna in small increments until the maximum signal is displayed. Please note
that the signal levels should agree with the initial path calculations plus or minus 6 dBm, or
there may be a problem with antenna alignment or the antenna system. The #ERRORS
display should be zero, while the #BITS is keeping a running count of the data rate. By
pressing ENTER while viewing the screen, the error count will reset to zero. This is useful
while making antenna adjustments, as erroneous errors can be eliminated from the display
for ease of use.
After peak alignment is achieved, tighten the bolts to hold the antenna securely. Double-
check the RSL and BER STATUS indications. Link alignment is complete.