This document describes the AIR-ANT2410Y-R 10-dBi Yagi antenna and provides instructions for
mounting it. The antenna operates in the 2.4- to 2.48-GHz frequency range and is designed for use as an
access point or bridge antenna. The antenna is an enclosed 6-element, vertically polarized directional
Yagi and is designed to be mounted indoors or outdoors on a mast or flat vertical surface.
The following information is provided in this document.
• Technical Specifications, page 2
• Safety Precautions, page 3
• Installation Notes, page 4
• Translated Safety Warnings, page 9
• Obtaining Documentation and Submitting a Service Request, page 10
Corporate Headquarters:
Cisco Systems, Inc., 170 West Tasman Drive, San Jose, CA 95134-1706 USA
This antenna is designed for use with Cisco Aironet access points and bridges but can be used with any
2.4-GHz Cisco Aironet radio device that uses an RP-TNC connector.
Safety Precautions
Warning
In order to comply with FCC radio frequency (RF) exposure limits, antennas should be located at a
minimum of 7.9 inches (20 cm) or more from the body of all persons.
Each year hundreds of people are killed or injured when attempting to install an antenna. In many of
these cases, the victim was aware of the danger of electrocution, but did not take adequate steps to avoid
the hazard.
For your safety, and to help you achieve a good installation, please read and follow these safety
precautions. They may save your life!
1. If you are installing an antenna for the first time, for your own safety as well as others, seek
professional assistance. Your Cisco sales representative can explain which mounting method to use
for the size and type antenna you are about to install.
2. Select your installation site with safety, as well as performance in mind. Remember: electric power
lines and phone lines look alike. For your safety, assume that any overhead line can kill you.
3. Call your electric power company. Tell them your plans and ask them to come look at your proposed
installation. This is a small inconvenience considering your life is at stake.
4. Plan your installation carefully and completely before you begin. Successful raising of a mast or
tower is largely a matter of coordination. Each person should be assigned to a specific task, and
should know what to do and when to do it. One person should be in charge of the operation to issue
instructions and watch for signs of trouble.
5. When installing your antenna, remember:
Statement 332
a. Do not use a metal ladder.
b. Do not work on a wet or windy day.
c. Do dress properly—shoes with rubber soles and heels, rubber gloves, long sleeved shirt or
jacket.
6. If the assembly starts to drop, get away from it and let it fall. Remember, the antenna, mast, cable,
and metal guy wires are all excellent conductors of electrical current. Even the slightest touch of any
of these parts to a power line complete an electrical path through the antenna and the installer: you!
7. If any part of the antenna system should come in contact with a power line, don’t touch it or try to
remove it yourself. Call your local power company. They will remove it safely.
8. If an accident should occur with the power lines call for qualified emergency help immediately.
General Installation Instructions for Mast-Mounted Antennas
The following instructions are common to most mast-mounted installations.
Step 1Assemble your new antenna on the ground at the installation site.
Step 2Attach the antenna to the mast and connect its coaxial cable while you are on the ground.
Step 3If you lose control of the mast while raising it, make sure that it does not fall in the wrong direction. Use
a durable non-conductive rope secured at each 2-foot level as the mast is raised. Have an assistant tend
the rope, ready to pull the mast clear of any hazards (such as power lines) if it begins to fall.
Step 4Use the mounting bracket and hardware provided with the antenna.
Step 5If the installation will use guy wires:
a. Install guy anchor bolts.
b. Estimate the length of guy wire and cut it before raising the mast.
c. Attach guy wires to a mast using guy rings.
Step 6Carefully connect the antenna and mast assembly to its mounting bracket and tighten the clamp bolts.
a. For a guyed installation, you must have at least one assistant to hold the mast upright while you
attach and tighten the guy wires to the anchor bolts.
Step 7Attach the provided self-adhering DANGER label at eye level on the mast.
Step 8Install ground rods to remove any static electricity buildup and connect a ground wire to the mast and
ground rod. Use ground rods designed for that purpose, not a spare piece of pipe.
Grounding the Antenna
Follow these steps to ground the antenna in accordance with national electrical code instructions.
Step 1Use No. 10 AWG copper or No. 8 or larger copper-clad steel or bronze wire as ground wires for both
mast and lead-in. Securely clamp the wire to the bottom of the mast.
Step 2Secure the lead-in wire to an antenna discharge unit and the mast ground wire to the building with
stand-off insulators spaced from 4 ft (1.2 m) to 8 ft (2.4 m) apart.
Step 3Mount the antenna discharge unit as closely as possible to where the lead-in wire enters the building.
Step 4Drill a hole in the building’s wall as closely as possible to the equipment to which you will connect the
lead-in cable.
CautionThere may be wires in the wall. Make sure your drilling location is clear of any obstructions or other
hazards.
Step 5Pull the cable through the hole and form a drip loop close to where it enters the building.
The antenna is designed to create a directional broadcast pattern. To achieve this pattern, the antenna
should be mounted clear of any obstructions to the sides of the radiating element. If the mounting
location is on the side of a building or tower, the antenna pattern is degraded on the building or tower
side.
Site Selection
Before attempting to install your antenna, determine where you can best place the antenna for safety and
performance.
Follow these steps to determine a safe distance from wires, power lines, and trees.
Step 1Measure the height of your antenna.
Step 2Add this length to the length of your tower or mast and then double this total for the minimum
recommended safe distance.
CautionIf you are unable to maintain this safe distance, stop and get professional help.
Generally, the higher an antenna is above the ground, the better it performs. Good practice is to install
your antenna about 5 to 10 ft (1.5 to 3 m) above the roof line and away from all power lines and
obstructions. If possible, find a mounting place directly above your wireless device so that the lead-in
cable can be as short as possible.
NoteThe antenna can also be mounted on a wall or other flat vertical surface. Mounting hardware is not
provided.
Tools and Equipment Required
A mast mounting installation kit is shipped with the antenna. To install the antenna on a mast, you need
the following tools and equipment.
• A 5/16-in. (8 mm) wrench or suitable adjustable wrench
• A 5/16-in. (8 mm) hex allen wrench (if you need to change the antenna polarity)
• A small standard screw driver (if you need to change the antenna polarity)
NoteThe antenna can also be mounted on a wall or other flat vertical surface. Mounting hardware is not
provided.
The following section contains a typical procedure for installing the antenna on a mast. Your installation
may vary. Before you begin, you may want to refer to Figure 1.
Mounting the Antenna
Figure 1 shows how the antenna should be mounted on a mast.
Figure 1Antenna Mounting Details
1Horizontal polarization arrow5Spring lock washers, flat washer, and hex nuts
Follow these instructions to mount the antenna on a mast.
Step 1Remove the bag of hardware from the shipping carton and verify that it contains the following hardware:
a. Two V blocks
b. Two U bolts
c. Four 5/16-18 hex nuts
d. Four flat washers
e. Four spring lock washers
f. One piece of sealant wrap
Step 2Place a U bolt around the mast and place a V block on the U bolt.
Step 3Place the holes in the top flange of the antenna on the U bolt.
a. Make sure the antenna is positioned so that the arrow labelled V-POL is pointing up. The uncovered
drain holes will on at the bottom of the antenna radome and the covered drain holes will be on the
side.
NoteThe antenna ships in the vertical polarization mode. but you can mount it in the horizontal
polarization mode. See the “Changing the Polarization” section on page 8 for instructions.
Step 4Place a spring lock washer and flat washer on each end of the U bolt
Step 5Start a 5/16-18 hex nut on each end of the U bolt and tighten finger tight.
Step 6Repeat Steps 2 through 5 for the bottom flange of the antenna.
Step 7Rotate the antenna until it points towards the other WLAN antenna your wireless device is to
communicate with.
NoteThe accuracy of the orientation should be within 15 degrees to achieve maximum gain. This is
especially important if the path length is over 1 mile (1.6 kilometers). If you use this antenna to
Connect to several terminals, aim it in the general direction of the group. If the paths are not
obstructed or are less than 1 mile (1.6 kilometers), this arrangement should work well.
Step 8Use a 5/16-in (8-mm) wrench or suitable adjustable wrench to tighten the assembly to the mast. Tighten
the hex nuts evenly. Do not overtighten.
Step 9Secure the antenna cable to the mast with cable ties or electrical tape.
Step 10Remove the paper backing from the sealant tape and wrap the connectors. Start wrapping 1/2-in (13 mm)
above the top connector. Stretch the tape tight and continue wrapping to 1/2-in (13 mm) below the
bottom connector.
Step 11Wrap the sealant tape with electrical tape.
NoteThe antenna is DC grounded. However, Cisco recommends that you install
lightning-protection devices in your system. See the Installation Instructions for Cisco
Aironet Lightning Arrestors. This document is available on the World Wide Web at the
following URL:
http://www.cisco.com/en/US/docs/wireless/lightning_arrestor/installation/guide/hslar.htm
l
Changing the Polarization
You can change the antenna polarization to horizontal or vertical. The antenna ships in the
verticalpolarization. You will need a 5/32-in (4 mm) hex allen wrench and a small standard screw driver
to perform this task. Follow these steps to change to the horizontal mode:
Step 1Use a 5/32-in (4 mm) hex allen wrench to remove the 4 cap screws from the base of the antenna.
Step 2Rotate the antenna so that the arrow labelled H-POL is pointing up. The two covered drain holes will be
on the bottom of the antenna radome and the two uncovered drain holes will be on the side.
Step 3Use a small standard screw driver to remove the plugs from the drain holes on the bottom of the radome
Step 4Re-install the plugs in the drain holes on the side of the radome.
Mounting on a Wall
A smooth, flat wall surface must be provided for the antenna mount. On rough wall surfaces such as brick
or stucco, use a smooth spacer (wood or metal plate) between the antenna mounting plate and the surface.
The intermediate spacer needs to be strong enough to prevent distortion of the antenna mounting plate
when you tighten the mounting hardware.
Follow these steps to mount the antenna on a flat surface:
Step 1Determine a location on the wall for mounting the antenna.
NoteThe accuracy of the orientation is not as critical as it is for an outdoor installation, but the
Step 2If the surface is rough, mount an intermediate spacer.
NoteBe sure to use appropriate mounting hardware (anchors, toggle bolts, etc.) to mount the spacer
antenna should still be oriented as closely as possible in the direction in which you intend to
communicate.
to the wall surface.
Step 3Position the mounting plate on the wall or intermediate spacer and use it as a template to locate and mark
the antenna mounting holes.
Step 4Drill four holes at the locations you marked.
Step 5Position the antenna and antenna mounting plate over the holes.
Step 6Start the fasteners into the holes.
Step 7Use a suitable wrench to secure the assembly to the surface and tighten the fasteners. Do not overtighten.
Step 8Apply the danger label to a plainly visible area adjacent to the antenna.
NoteThe antenna is DC grounded. It is recommended that you install lightning-protection
devices in your system. See the Installation Instructions for Cisco Aironet Lightning
Arrestors. This document is available on the World Wide Web at the following URL:
http://www.cisco.com/en/US/docs/wireless/lightning_arrestor/installation/guide/hslar.htm
l
Suggested Cable
Cisco recommends a high-quality, low-loss cable for use with the antenna.
NoteCoaxial cable loses efficiency as the frequency increases, resulting in signal loss. The cable
should be kept as short as possible because cable length also determines the amount of
signal loss (the longer the run, the greater the loss).
The antenna terminates with a RP-TNC plug after a short, 3-ft (0.91-m) cable. The mating connector to
the antenna is an appropriate RP-TNC jack. The connector on the opposite end will vary according to
the type of equipment used.
After the cable is attached to the antenna, make sure that the connections are sealed (if outdoors) to
prevent moisture and other weathering elements from affecting performance. Cisco recommends using
a coax seal (such as CoaxSeal) for outdoor connections. Silicon sealant or electrical tape are not
recommended for sealing outdoor connections.
Translated Safety Warnings
This section provides translations of the safety warnings that appear in this publication. These translated
safety warnings apply to other documents in which they appear in English. The following safety
warnings appear in this section:
In order to comply with FCC radio frequency (RF) exposure limits, antennas should be located at a
minimum of 7.9 inches (20 cm) or more from the body of all persons.
Om te voldoen aan de FCC radiofrequentie (RF) blootstellingslimieten dienen antennes zich minstens
20 cm of meer van de lichamen van alle personen bevinden.
FCC:n antamien radiotaajuuksille altistumista koskevien rajoitusten mukaan antennien on sijaittava
vähintään 20 cm:n päässä kaikista henkilöistä.
Pour se conformer aux limites d'exposition à la fréquence radio préconisées par la FCC (Federal
Communications Commission), les antennes doivent se situer à un minimum de 20 cm de toute
personne.
Um die in den FCC-Richtlinien festgelegten Expositionshöchstgrenzen für Radiofrequenzen (RF)
nicht zu überschreiten, sollten Antennen mindestens 20 cm entfernt von Personen aufgestellt
werden.
Per conformarsi ai limiti FCC di esposizione a radiofrequenza (RF), le antenne devono stare ad una
distanza minima di 20 cm dal corpo di ogni persona.
I henhold til eksponeringsgrensene for radiofrekvenser (RF), skal antenner befinne seg på en
avstand av minst 20 cm eller mer fra mennesker.
Para estar de acordo com as normas FCC de limites de exposição para freqüência de rádio (RF), as
antenas devem estar distantes no mínimo 20 cm (7,9 pol) do corpo de qualquer pessoa.
Statement 332
¡Advertencia!
Varning!
Para cumplir con los límites de exposición de radio frecuencia (RF) de la Comisión Federal de
Comunicaciones (FCC) es preciso ubicar las antenas a un mínimo de 20 cm (7,9 pulgadas) o más del
cuerpo de las personas.
För att följa FCC-exponeringsgränserna för radiofrekvens (RF), bör antenner placeras på minst 20 cm
avstånd från alla människor.
Obtaining Documentation and Submitting a Service Request
For information on obtaining documentation, submitting a service request, and gathering additional
information, see the monthly What’s New in Cisco Product Documentation, which also lists all new and
revised Cisco technical documentation, at:
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partner does not imply a partnership relationship between Cisco and any other company. (1005R)