HOBO RXW Repeater (RXW-RPTR-xxx) Manual
1-800-LOGGERS 3
www.onsetcomp.com
6.
Watch the LCD on the repeater. The signal strength icon
and the LEDs will quickly blink while the repeater searches
for the wireless network. Once it has found the network,
the icon will stop blinking and the signal strength bars will
slowly cycle from left to right. As the repeater completes its
registration process with the network, the “x” icon to the
right of the signal strength icon will flash and the yellow-
green LED will stop blinking. Once the registration is
complete, the signal strength bars will stop cycling and
remain solid and the channel count on the RX3000 LCD will
be updated by 1 to represent the battery channel in the
repeater. This process may take up to five minutes.
7.
Press the Search button (the magnifying glass) on the
RX3000 Station to stop searching for motes.
Use HOBOlink to monitor repeater status. See the HOBOlink
Help for details on how to check mote status, add the mote to a
map, and more.
Deployment and Mounting
When to Use a Repeater
•
Motes cannot transmit data to each other if there is an
obstruction between them, such as a hill or mountain in
the example diagram below on the left. If there is an
obstruction in the path of two sensor motes or between a
sensor mote and the RXW Manager, then use a repeater
mounted on the obstruction between the two as shown in
the diagram below on the right.
•
Data logged by a wireless sensor must travel or “hop”
across the wireless network from one mote to the next
until it ultimately reaches the RXW Manager at the RX3000
station. To make sure the data can successfully travel
across the network, the sensor mote should not be more
than five hops away from a repeater or manager. Use a
repeater if your network has more than five motes in any
direction.
•
If the distance between two motes is greater than the
recommended transmission range of 304.8–457.2 m
(1,000–1,500 feet), then you will need to add a repeater
between them.
•
If the signal between two motes is weak (consistently one
bar on the LCD) even though the motes are within the
recommended transmission range, add a repeater
between them.
Mounting and Positioning the Repeater
•
Use cable ties to mount the repeater via the holes on the
mounting tabs.
•
Avoid mounting the repeater near metal, which can cause
interference with the signal.
•
Position the repeater towards the sun, making sure the
solar panel is oriented so that it receives optimal sunlight
throughout each season. It may be necessary to
periodically adjust the repeater position as the path of the
sunlight changes throughout the year or if tree and leaf
growth alters the amount of sunlight reaching the solar
panel.
•
Make sure the repeater door is closed, with both latches
fully locked to ensure a watertight seal.
•
Consider using a 3/16 inch padlock to restrict access to the
repeater. With the repeater door closed, hook a padlock
through the eyelet on the right side of the door and lock it.
•
The RX Wireless Sensor Network can support a maximum
of 50 motes.
•
Use a #4-40 screw to attach a ground wire to the port on
the back of the repeater if you are deploying it in a
location where lightning is a concern.
•
Make sure the repeater remains in a vertical position once
it is placed in its deployment location for optimal network
communications.
Maintenance
The repeater is designed for outdoor use, but should be
inspected periodically. When inspecting the repeater, do the
following:
•
Verify the repeater is free of visible damage or cracks.
•
Make sure the repeater is clean. Wipe off any dust or
grime with a damp cloth.
•
Wipe off any water before opening the repeater.
•
Make sure the interior seal is intact and the latches are
fully locked when the repeater door is closed.
Updating Repeater Firmware
If a new firmware version is available for the repeater, use
HOBOlink to download the file to your computer. Connect the
repeater to the computer with a USB cable (open the repeater
door and use the USB port to the right of the LCD). The
repeater appears as a new storage device in the computer’s file
storage manager. Copy the downloaded firmware file to the
new storage device (the repeater). After the file is copied, eject
the storage device from the computer and disconnect the cable
from the repeater. The file will be installed automatically on the
repeater.
Note to Mac® users:
A message may appear
indicating the disk has not ejected properly. The repeater is
operational and you can ignore the message.
Press this button again to
stop searching for motes