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SureCall  |  48346 Milmont Drive, Fremont CA 94538  |  1-888-365-6283  |  [email protected]

4

Introduction & Overview

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION & OVERVIEW

1.1 Product Overview

GuardianA is a Class A, 2-watt, bi-directional amplifier with a maximum gain of 90 dB supporting both the 700 and 800 MHz 
Public Safety frequency bands.
In the majority of cases, newly constructed buildings with considerable size, or existing buildings that increase capacity by 
expanding the building footprint are required to have signal strength of -95 dBm or better in designated critical areas – 
Emergency Command Centers, Fire Pump Rooms, stairwells, standpipe, cabinets, etc – in order to receive a certificate of 
occupancy. GuardianA meets the code for NFPA 72/1221 and IFC 510 and features a NEMA-4 rated amplifier housing.
Additionally, the GuardianA comes equipped with dry contact 7-pin alarming compatibility, UPS and Ethernet port enabled 
remote monitoring. SureCall provides an industry leading 3-year warranty – extendable to 5 years.

1.2 Package Contents

Your BDA box contains the following items:
•  GuardianA bi-directional amplifier with NEMA-4 rated housing and mounting kit
•  Alarm cable and connector – (5 ft, USB)
•  AC power cable (4 ft)
•  DC power cable (4 ft 9 in with connector) 

1.3 Additional Items Needed

The GuardianA needs the following additional components for a complete install:
•  One External antenna 

a

 (directional Yagi)

•  Multiple Inside antennas 

b

 (omnidirectional domes and/or directional panels)

•  Cable splitter for inside antennas 

c

•  Sufficient lengths of ultra-low loss interior/exterior cable, 50-ohm

 d

•  Lightning surge arrestor
•  Grounded surge suppressor for DC power supply
•  Ethernet cable
Note: Some component options are listed in table below. Not all accessories are listed.

1.4 Key Features & Benefits

•  Improves coverage for Public Safety Band cellular network frequencies: (UL: 779-805, 806-816 & DL: 769-775, 851-861)
•  Class A 32 Channel, 90 dB gain, 2-watt system 
•  Meets the code for NFPA 72/1221 and IFC 510
•  NEMA-4 rated amplifier housing. No additional NEMA enclosure needed
•  Ethernet port with built-in SureCall Sentry™ remote monitoring hardware 
•  Integrated dry contact 7-pin alarming
•  UPS port for external battery backup
•  Automatic gain control (AGC) and Oscillation Detection
•  Energy-saving operation allows bands to remain dormant when not in use
•  A/C 110V or D/C 24- 30V power option
•  Independently adjustable frequency attenuation for uplink and downlink (Reduce gain in -1 dBm increments)
•  Industry leading 3-year warranty, 5-year extended warranty available

Summary of Contents for GuardianA

Page 1: ...r First Responders SureCall GuardianA User and Installation Guide For technical support Email support surecall com Call 1 888 365 6283 Available Monday Friday 7am 5pm PST Activate your warranty at surecall com activate 12 02 2020 ...

Page 2: ......

Page 3: ... Overview 13 3 2 Exterior Antenna Overview 13 3 3 Interior Antenna Overview 14 3 4 Antenna Separation 15 3 5 BDA Location 16 3 6 Accessories 16 3 7 Need Help 16 Chapter 4 Installation 17 4 1 Soft Installation 17 4 2 Exterior Antenna 17 4 3 Interior Antennas 18 4 4 Mounting the BDA 19 Chapter 5 Configuration Testing 19 5 1 Powering on the BDA 19 5 2 DIP Switch Configuration 20 Chapter 6 Testing And...

Page 4: ... connector 5 ft USB AC power cable 4 ft DC power cable 4 ft 9 in with connector 1 3 Additional Items Needed The GuardianA needs the following additional components for a complete install One External antenna a directional Yagi Multiple Inside antennas b omnidirectional domes and or directional panels Cable splitter for inside antennas c Sufficient lengths of ultra low loss interior exterior cable ...

Page 5: ...e Band 50 Ω Dome Antennas 698 2700 MHz N Female connectors 3 to 4 dBi Directional Wide Band 50 Ω Panel Antennas 698 2700 MHz N Female connectors 7 to 10 dBi Ultra Low Loss Coaxial Cable SC 400 Low Loss Coax SC 600 Ultra Low Loss Coax SC 400 Ultra Low Loss Coax Plenum Fire Rated Coax Splitters Couplers Accessories Wide Band Couplers 698 2700 MHz Wide Band Splitters 698 2700 MHz SC LP Lightning Prot...

Page 6: ...t malfunction and or radio interference You are responsible for ensuring a safe installation Your installation may require working in high locations such as roofs and or ladders Follow applicable safety regulations and best practices to avoid falling Take care not to drop objects from any high area Cordon off ground areas directly below the section of roof you are working on or below your ladder w...

Page 7: ...RM2 I O Reserved for Future Use A3 ALARM1 I O To Fire Department Control Box A4 ETHERNET Cat5e Standard Ethernet Cable Device A5 POWER 110 VAC Connect to 110VAC or 110V of UPS output A6 OUTSIDE N Female for OUTSIDE cable and antenna A7 USB Used to initialize the network connection devices A8 ALARM LEDs Indicate an alarm condition A9 POWER DC 24 30V Connect DC voltage between 24 30V A10 GROUNDING L...

Page 8: ... and antenna A1 N type Female for INSIDE cable and antenna 2 3 Power Interface for 110VAC or UPS Output A5 Female used to transfer to AC 110V 60Hz Male on BDA A5 1 2 3 L N E 1 2 3 L N E Female used to connect to 110VAC or 110V of UPS output Male pinout on BDA A5 Pin Number Definition Full Name Color Note 1 L Live Wire Black 2 N Neutral Wire White 3 E Earth Wire Green ...

Page 9: ...4 30V Interface A9 Female used to transfer to DC 24 30V Male on BDA A9 1 2 DC DC 1 2 D C D C Female used to connect to 110VAC or 110V of UPS output Male pinout on BDA A9 Pin Number Definition Full Name Color Note 1 DC DC Negative pole Black 2 DC DC Positive pole Red BDA Interface Connections ...

Page 10: ...Module SUM COM orange 6 RF Module SUM N C blue 7 NC yellow 2 5 Alarm1 I O Interface A3 Male Alarm Connector used to transfer to Fire Department Control Box Female Alarm Connector A3 on BDA 2 1 5 4 3 6 7 RF Module SUM N O Outside VSWR N O Outside VSWR COM RF Module SUM COM NC RF Module SUM N C Outside VSWR N C RF Module SUM N O Outside VSWR N O Outside VSWR COM RF Module SUM COM NC RF Module SUM N ...

Page 11: ... power OFF Repeater current is abnormal N C N O COM N C N O COM Relay Shown In Non Alarm Condition for N C Alarm Condition for N C N C N O COM N C N O COM Relay Shown In Non Alarm Condition for N O Alarm Condition for N O SureCall 48346 Milmont Drive Fremont CA 94538 1 888 365 6283 support surecall com 11 BDA Interface Connections ...

Page 12: ...nder the following VSWR Alarm caused by outdoor VSWR abnormal N C N O COM N C N O COM Relay Shown In Non Alarm Condition for N C Alarm Condition for N C N C N O COM N C N O COM Relay Shown In Non Alarm Condition for N O Alarm Condition for N O 2 8 Load Restrictions Alarm Dry Contact Output Restrictions Maximum switching voltage 125 VAC 60 VDC Maximum switching current 1A ...

Page 13: ...connection equipment after initialization unplug the USB cable As shown the NEMA housing must be open to gain access to this port The interface is used to initialize network connections using a computer Be sure to unplug the USB cable after the network initialization is completed TO A7 TO Computer USB 2 11 Alarm LEDs A8 Status Description Note POWER Green ON Normal OFF Missing Power ALARM1 Reserve...

Page 14: ...tallation connecting components without securing their placement until testing can be completed 6 Power on the BDA and perform configuration and testing explained in Chapter 5 7 Complete installation by securing the placement of the BDA antennas and other components Important Installation Safety Precautions The exterior antenna must not be co located or operating in conjunction with any other ante...

Page 15: ...y use any combination of omnidirectional dome and or directional flat panel interior antennas to obtain balanced signal strength throughout the structure Dome antennas provide 360 degree hemispherical coverage suitable for mostly square areas while flat panel antennas provide a focused zone of coverage suitable for long narrow areas The example above uses two dome antennas and one panel antenna to...

Page 16: ...40 dB 5 6 45 dB 15 20 50 dB 50 55 dB 60 65 dB 75 80 70 dB 100 75 dB 100 120 80 dB 120 180 Vertical separation is more important than horizontal separation If you are unable to obtain the required separation horizontally try raising the exterior antenna You may also try reducing the BDA gain as described in Chapter 5 of this manual Antenna Safety Precautions You can mix and match dome and direction...

Page 17: ...ble clips Use these to secure the cables to interior and exterior walls ceilings Appropriately rated sealant caulking to waterproof exterior cable entry points Hand and or power tools as needed to complete the installation Personal Equipment PPE Use all PPE required by local codes and or best practices to help ensure personal safety during installation Note You may need to obtain a permit from you...

Page 18: ...ocation you selected during planning Follow all of the instructions included with the antenna to ensure that your installation is done properly Here are a few reminders and essential steps A Yagi antenna is mounted horizontally with drip hole facing down and aimed at the desired radio tower line of sight Mount the antenna Connect a length of cable to the antenna and hand tighten Run the cable alon...

Page 19: ... the center of the wall or at one end of long narrow space Mount the antenna Connect a length of cable to the antenna and tighten until hand tight If you are installing multiple antennas run the cable to the splitter location and connect the cable to one of the outputs on the splitter Connect another length of cable to the input side of the splitter if used and run this cable to the BDA location I...

Page 20: ... tighten the connection CAUTION DO NOT POWER ON THE BDA UNTIL INSTRUCTED TO DO SO CAUTION NEVER POWER ON THE BDA WHEN ANY ANTENNAS ARE DISCONNECTED AS THIS COULD DAMAGE THE BDA Installation CHAPTER 5 CONFIGURATION TESTING 5 1 Powering on the BDA 1 Make sure the exterior and interior antenna cables are firmly connected to their corresponding ports on the NEMA 4 enclosure 2 Plug a surge suppressor i...

Page 21: ...requirements Note that red flashing lights indicate the system has detected oscillation for the corresponding channel s The band will turn off if adjustments are not made When adjusting booster attenuation full power is not always the best option The goal is to obtain a signal level throughout the building that meets safety requirements Configuration and Testing The following diagrams and notes ex...

Page 22: ...bank 1 4 16 dB attenuation 21 dB attenuation For example in an 80 dB booster the selected channel is reduced to 59 dB 80 dB 21 dB Turning ON all switches in a bank 1 2 4 8 16 dB attenuation 31 dB attenuation For example in an 80 dB booster the selected channel is reduced to 49 dB 80 dB 31 dB When the BDA is powered on the green Power Light 3 should illuminate If any of the bands are oscillating th...

Page 23: ... Red Flashes alternating colors Self oscillation has been prevented Increase the separation between the inside and outside antennas If your booster kit uses two directional antennas example outside Yagi antenna and inside panel antenna ensure that they are facing away from each other If the condition continues increase attenuation in small increments until the light turns off or flashes yellow Ref...

Page 24: ...dows software here https www surecall com support sentry Install the software using the steps outlined below Configure the server to a static IP or public IP address In order to function on the network correctly the server and the Force8 device must be a on the same Local Area Network or b the server must be the front end to the device Use appropriate security software for safe and reliable operat...

Page 25: ...rtant because it will allow the computer to see the GuardianA device on the network Start the Sentry client application by clicking on the shortcut that resulted from installing the software You will see the screen below 7 4 User Registration You ll need to register an account Connect your computer to the network A secure LAN connection is important because it will allow the computer to see the de...

Page 26: ...to register the device on the server Keep in mind that only the registered user is authorized to see operate the added device 7 6 Device Configuration Using the same screen as before configure the device according to the steps below Select a serial port and click Open Click Refresh to query device parameters Click on the drop down menu and select a server IP address and port number to make sure th...

Page 27: ... e mail address for status reports Roll over the Accounts heading and click on Modify Password E mail to access this feature SureCall 48346 Milmont Drive Fremont CA 94538 1 888 365 6283 support surecall com 27 Sentry Configuration Monitoring To modify your password type in the requested information shown below and click on Modify To change the e mail address where alerts go enter a new e mail as s...

Page 28: ...ive value in the range of 1 25 4 UPLINK PIN DOWNLINK PIN These columns show the input power of the uplink and downlink channels This parameter can only be queried 5 BANDWIDTH COLUMN The bandwidth column is used to display the bandwidth of a particular frequency channel from 12 5K 25K 75K Sentry Configuration Monitoring ATTENUATION THROUGH SENTRY SOFTWARE IS CUMULATIVE WITH THAT OF THE BOOSTER S DI...

Page 29: ... Configuration Monitoring To open or close a channel Select OFF or ON under the SWITCH column 6 Bandwidth Dropdown box This is used to set the bandwidth for a particular channel The frequency bandwidth can be set to 12 5K 25K 75K 7 Set button applies changes you ve made within the window 6 7 ...

Page 30: ... for both PS700 and PS800 PS700 downlink Attenuation is used to attenuate the downlink gain for 700MHz band Inputting any value between 1 and 25 will set the equivalent value for all downlink channels in this band PS800 downlink Attenuation is used to attenuate the downlink gain for the 800MHz band Inputting any value between 1 and 25 will set the equivalent value for all downlink channels in this...

Page 31: ...805 806 816 Frequency Range Downlink MHz 769 775 851 861 Channel Bandwidth MHz 12 5 25 75 12 5 25 75 Number of Channels 32 32 Total Output Power Uplink dBm 27 27 Total Output Power Downlink dBm 33 33 Maximum System Gain dB 90 90 Gain Adjustment Range 1dB step dB 0 50 0 50 Pass Band Ripple p p dB 5 5 Uplink Noise Figure dB 5 5 System Group Delay usec 35 35 Intermodulation dBm 13 13 Spurious 9 kHz t...

Page 32: ...ch continuing violation NOTE This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class A digital device pursuant to part 15 of the FCC Rules These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference when the equipment is operated in a commercial environment This equipment generates uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and if not installed a...

Page 33: ...nder In order to receive full credit for signal boosters all accessories originally included in the signal booster box must be returned with the signal booster The Buyer does not need to include accessories sold in addition to the signal booster such as antennas or cables This warranty does not apply to any product determined by SureCall to have been subjected to misuse abuse neglect or mishandlin...

Page 34: ...rnia in accordance with the rules then prevailing of the American Arbitration Association and judgment upon the award rendered may be entered in any court having jurisdiction thereof If one or more provisions provided herein are held to be invalid or unenforceable under applicable law then such provision shall be ineffec tive and excluded to the extent of such invalidity or unenforceability withou...

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Page 36: ...SureCall Inc 48346 Milmont Drive Fremont California 94538 USA 888 365 6283 www surecall com ...

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