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11. Antenna Alignment
SkyWay Essence radio units contain several tools to aid with the antenna alignment process
that is essential for Slave units.
Audible Alignment:
The radio produces an audible tone allowing antenna alignment without
the need for additional monitoring hardware.
CAUTION
-
A ping, or other network traffic is needed to ensure reliable operation
of the alignment feature, in which case the Activity indicated will be in a green state.
If no network traffic is detected, the Activity indicator will be in a red state.
The pulsed tone will begin once an RF link has been established, regardless of quality. It is
useful to reduce the RF modulation setting to its lowest value (BPSK) during the antenna
alignment procedure to maximize the system’s link capture envelope/angle.
The audible repetition rate will increase as RSSI improves; a higher value will cause a faster
rate. To assist with both coarse and fine tuning, the rate is NOT a simple function of RSSI value.
Rather, the rate will continue to increase as long as adjustments deliver an improved RSSI. As
soon as any degradation (alignment ‘overshoot’) is detected, the rate quickly falls, regardless of
the amount of reduction. Thus, the system is useful for both coarse and fine tuning of the
antenna position.
To ensure the system will deliver adequate link reliability, it is recommended that the operator
verify the numerical RSSI following antenna alignment.
The audible function is enabled for the first 30 minutes of operation following a power cycle.
Regardless of whether the audible function is enabled or disabled, the unit will emit a short
audible tone upon initial power-up.
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