HARRIS M803VTAC Users Guide

1-877-OPENSKY

WINST-0009 Rev – WIRELESS SYSTEM BUSINESS UNIT

SUBJECT:

VERVIEW

This document describes the procedure for installing the M/A-COM OpenSky Tactical Network (V-TAC) in a vehicle, such as an automobi le, tr uc k, or v an. This is a g eneral guide onl y, and assum es th at the install ation will be performed by a professional radio installer.

ISCLAIMER

THE INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS PROVIDED IN THIS MANUAL ARE FOR REFERENCE, AND DO NOT CREATE A WARRANTY OF ANY KIND AS TO THE FUNCTIONALITY OF THE INSTALLED PRODUCT. THE ONLY WARRANTIES THAT APPLY TO THIS PRODUCT ARE THOSE SET FORTH IN THE SALES AGREEMENT.

M/A-COM INC. RECOMMENDS THAT BUYER USE ONLY A M/A-COM AU THORI ZED REPRESENTATIVE TO INSTALL THIS PRODUCT.

THE WARRANTIES PROVIDED TO BUYER UNDER THE TERMS OF SALE SHALL BE NULL AND VOID IF THIS PRODUCT IS INSTALLED OR SERVICED IMPROPERLY, AND M/A-C OM SHALL HAVE NO FURTHER OBLIGATION TO THE BUYER FOR ANY DAMAGE CA USED T O THE PRODUCT OR TO ANY PERSON OR PERSONAL PROPERTY.

M-803 VTAC Installation Instructions

Model VR-803 Vehicular

DATE:

February 19, 2002

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ATERIALS

There are three main components to the VR-803 V-TAC: the Full-Duplex Mobile Radio Unit (MRU ); the V ehic ular Repeat er Base U nit (V RB); a nd the RF C ombiner. The V-TA C i s desi g ned to mo unt o n t he f loo r or on a tray i n the tr unk o r unoccupi ed section of a vehicle. The V-TAC is designed to be operated with an externallymounted a ntenna. The Installatio n Kit (M/A-COM Part #MA MROS0019) needed to install t he V-T A C i s descri be d be low. The V-TAC is i ntended to be us ed with a CH 103 Control Head with Installation Kit, sold separatel y.

Table I lists the accessories that are included in the kit. Table II lists additional options and accesso ries that m ay be purchas ed separate ly. (Note: T he Installation Kit does not include an antenna. An antenna must be purchased separately, and the V-TAC may not be installed unless an antenna is to be installed at the same time.)

M/A-COM

1011 Pawtucket Boulevard

Lowell, MA 01853

1-877-OPEN S KY

(1-877-673-6759)

1-877-OPENSKY

WINST-0009 Rev – WIRELESS SYSTEM BUSINESS UNIT

SUBJECT:

Item Qty Part Nu mber Description

1 1 MAMROS0044 Base Bracket Kit 2 2 MAMROS0046 Extension Bracket Kit 3 1 MAMROS0068-0003 Fuse Kit, 3A 4 2 MAMROS0068-0015 Fuse Kit, 15A 5 3 MAMROS0051 DC Power Cable, M-803 (20 ft) 6 1 MAMROS0052 Multi-Cable Assembly 7 1 MAMROS0054 V-TAC Control Interface Assembly 8 1 MAMROS0078-TMB12 RF Cable, TNC to Mini-UHF, Blue

9 1 MAMROS0078-TMG12 RF Cable, TNC to Mini-UHF, Green 10 1 MAMROS0078-TTR12 RF Cable, TNC to TNC, Red 11 1 MAMROS0078-TTX12 RF Cable, TNC to TNC, Yellow 12 1 MAMROS0066 CAN Terminator, 3-Pin 13 1 MAMROS0060 Antenna Connector, TNC

M-803 VTAC Installation Instructions

T able I – Install at ion Kit Items

Table II - Additional V-TAC Options and Accessories

DATE:

February 19, 2002

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Part Nu mber Description

(TBD) GPS Upgrade Option MAMROS0023 GPS Antenna Kit, Show/No-Show/Magnet Mount MAMROS0033 Antenna Kit, Unity Gain, Rooftop MAMROS0031 Antenna Kit, 3dB, Rooftop MAMROS0024 Antenna Kit, Elevated 3dB, Trunk Mount MAMROS0039 SMR/GPS Antenna Kit, 3dB, Rooftop MAMROS0026 SMR/GPS Antenna Kit, Elevated 3dB, Trunk Mount MAMROS0042 SMR/GPS Antenna Kit, Elevated 3dB, Mirror Mount MAMROS0055 RS-232 Serial Computer Cable (6 ft)

NSTRUCTIONS

Upon removing all items from the box and verifying that all have been included, proceed with t he fo llowing steps to i nstall the VR- 803 V-T AC. Ref er to Figure 1 f o r location of connectors on the V-TAC.

Mounting of the V-TAC and Antenna in ways other than those described below m ay advers ely aff ect perf ormance , violate FCC rules on RF Exposure, and even damage the V-TAC.

IMPORTANT

M/A-COM

1011 Pawtucket Boulevard

Lowell, MA 01853

1-877-OPEN S KY

(1-877-673-6759)

1-877-OPENSKY

WINST-0009 Rev – WIRELESS SYSTEM BUSINESS UNIT

SUBJECT:

M-803 VTAC Installation Instructions

Speaker

VRB

Connection

(Disabled)

Antenna

Port

(TNC)

GPS Data

Connection

(Optional)

DATE:

February 19, 2002

Multi-Cable

Assembly

3 of 19

Page

CAN Port

(Terminated)

MRU

V-T AC Control

Interface Assembly

D.C. Power

Connections

Figure 1 - Front and Rear Views of VR-803 V-TAC

Actions Notes

1. Plan the mounting locations of all components (V-TAC, Antenna, and Cables) and determine t he routes for all wiring and cables.

♦ Determine the customer’s pr ef er ences, if

any, for location of components. Comply with these preferences insofar as t hey are consistent with safety, manufacturer specificatio ns, and generally accept ed professional practices.

♦ Make cert ain that drilling holes or insert i ng

scr e ws will not da mage or interfere w it h any existing vehicle compo nents or w ir ing.

♦ Follow all manufacturer r equir eme nts a nd

guidelines for t he locatio n of components.

GPS Antenna

(SMA - Optio na l)

CAN Port

RS-232

Se ri al Port

M/A-COM

1011 Pawtucket Boulevard

Lowell, MA 01853

1-877-OPEN S KY

(1-877-673-6759)

1-877-OPENSKY

WINST-0009 Rev – WIRELESS SYSTEM BUSINESS UNIT

SUBJECT:

M-803 VTAC Installation Instructions

Actions Notes

2. Mount the bracket in the interior of t he vehicle.

The VR-803 V-TAC must be kept away from sources of heat. Adequate ventil ation

WARNING

MRU and VRB. The V-TAC reduces i ts RF output power when its ambient temperature exceeds +60ºC.

must be provi ded to the rear fins of the

DATE:

♦ As an assembled unit, the V-TAC weighs

over 20 lbs. It is unadvisable for t he V-TAC to be hung from a surface; rather, the V-TAC is best mounted onto a firm, f lat s urface.

♦ Mount the Base Bracket from the Base

Bracket Kit (Item 1) on top of the floor of the trunk according to t he available space i n the vehicle or on the surface of a tr unk tray.

♦ Screws f or mounting the bracket are not

included, as all installations are different, but at least 6 screw s are required. Steel #10 screws are recomme nded.

♦ Screws for mounting the MRU into the Base

Bracket ar e included.

♦ The Bracket must be firmly held to the

surface in order t o pr event unreasonable vibratio n from damaging t he V-TAC or connectio ns from loose ning.

February 19, 2002

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3. Create a support brac ket by installing the Extension Brackets onto the Base Bracket.

4. Mount the individual components into the support brack et .

♦ Install two Extension Brackets from the

Extension Bracket Kit (Item 2), one on either side, onto the Base Bracket using 2 screw s from the kit. Tighten with a screwdriver until the Extension Bracket is firm and flush to the Base Bracket.

♦ The Exte nsio n Bracket can only be installed

onto the Base Bracket one way. See the exploded view on the left for proper alignment.

♦ Install the other two Extension Brackets, one

on eit her side, onto the Extension Brackets just assembled.

♦ The Exte nsio n Bracket can only be installed

onto another Extension Bracket one way. See the exploded view on the left f or proper alignment.

♦ Tighten with a screwdriver until the Extension

Bracket is firm and flush.

♦ It is easy to mistake the VRB for the MRU,

because they are manufactured into the same chassis. There are t wo features,

M/A-COM

1011 Pawtucket Boulevard

Lowell, MA 01853

1-877-OPEN S KY

(1-877-673-6759)

1-877-OPENSKY

WINST-0009 Rev – WIRELESS SYSTEM BUSINESS UNIT

SUBJECT:

M-803 VTAC Installation Instructions

Actions Notes

NOTE

ance of the Radio is based upon proper m ounting techni ques. An impr operl y m ounted V-TAC may experienc e degr adation in the quali ty of communication with

the OpenSky® network.

Optimal perform-

DATE:

however, to distinguish the two units:

! Each unit has a different product label. ! The MRU has a red and green color-

coding for the antenna ports, while the VRB has a yellow and blue color-coding.

! See the picture on the left for locations of

the labels.

♦ Install the MRU into the lowermost bracket

spot using 6 screws (It em 10), 3 per side, and tighten with a screwdr iver until the bracket is firm and flush to the surface of the MRU.

♦ Install the VRB into the middle bracket spot

using 6 screws (I t em 10), 3 per side. Do not tighten these scr ews until the VTAC Cont rol Inte rfac e A s s emb ly is installed (Step

7).

♦ Install the RF Combiner into the uppermost

bracket s lot using 4 screw s (Item 10), 2 per side, and tighten with a screw dr iver until the bracket is firm and flush.

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5. The CAN Port needs to be t erminated properly.

NOTE

must be installed and connected to the MRU before power to the

V-TAC is appl i ed.

6. The control connectio n betw een the MRU and RF Combiner needs to be made.

The Control Head

♦ Install the CAN Terminator (Item 12) onto the

smaller 3-pin connect or at the rear of the VRB by aligning the connector appr opr iat ely, pushing, and tw ist ing the outer housing clockwise until it st ops.

♦ The CAN Port of the MRU is where t he CA N

Cable of the CH-103 Control Head is to be connected. See the Installatio n G uide for t he CH-103 for more det ails.

♦ Install the male15-pi n, 2-r ow c onnector of the

Multi-Cable Assembly (Item 6) onto the female mate at the rear of the MRU.

! Secure the connection by screwing the

jackscrews until they are firmly in place. Do not over- tighte n.

♦ Install the male15-pi n, 3-r ow c onnector of the

Multi-Cable Assembly onto the female mate at the rear of the RF Combiner.

M/A-COM

1011 Pawtucket Boulevard

Lowell, MA 01853

1-877-OPEN S KY

(1-877-673-6759)

1-877-OPENSKY

WINST-0009 Rev – WIRELESS SYSTEM BUSINESS UNIT

SUBJECT:

M-803 VTAC Installation Instructions

Actions Notes

NOTE

Assembly ( Item 6) suppor ts multi pl e confi gur ati ons of the M803 Radio Product Fami l y . For the V-TAC configurati on, the 2pin speaker connecti on m ust be left unconnected. Instead, the speaker connection m us t come from the CH-103 Control Head. The speaker output from the Multi-Cable Assembly is disabl ed i n the V-TAC.

7. The control connectio n betw een the MRU and VRB needs to be made.

WARNING

For this type of ass em bly, slight squeezing pr essur e m us t be appli ed between the connectors to reduce the strain when i nstalled and to ensure the screws do not cross-thread.

The Multi-Cable

Early ver sions of this assembl y have been constructed with a cable joining the two multi - pin connectors (shown in Fi gur e 1).

DATE:

! Secure the connection by screwing the

jackscrews until they are firmly in place. Do not over- tighte n.

♦ The Multi-Cable Asse mbly s upports an

interface for optional GPS in the V-TAC. The 9-pin female connectio n in the Multi-Cabl e Assembly can be connected through an RS232 Serial cable to a COM Port of a computer to access the GPS’s NMEA outp ut.

! To connect this interface, mate the male

9-pin connector of the optional serial cable to the female connector of the Multi-Cable Assembly and tighten the jackscrews until firm.

! Industry software to process GPS

information through this interface is not supported by M/A- CO M .

♦ Inst a ll the V-T AC Contr ol Inter face As s embly

(Item 7) onto the connectors on the front panels of the MRU and VRB.

! Screw the four screws of the Interface

Assembly with a screwdriver until they stop. Do not over-tighten.

! The mounting screws of the VRB were

left loose in order to accommodate proper alignment of t he Interface Assembly.

! Tighten the 6 mounting scr ew s of the

VRB with a screwdriver until the bracket is firm and flush to the surface of the VRB.

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8. The RF connections among all three units must be made.

Improper i nstal lation of the RF Cables may lead not only to poor radio perfor m anc e,

WARNING

Antenna Mounting Configurations

but also to harmf ul exposure. See

♦ The RF Cables are color-coded for pr oper

assembly. Assemble t hem as follows:

! Connect the Mini-UHF end of the blue-

coded RF Cable (It em 8) to the MiniUHF connector on the VRB, and connect the TNC end to the blue-coded connector on the RF Combiner.

! Connect the Mini-UHF e nd of the green-

coded RF Cable (It em 9) to the Mini-

1011 Pawtucket Boulevard

Lowell, MA 01853

1-877-OPEN S KY

(1-877-673-6759)

M/A-COM

1-877-OPENSKY

WINST-0009 Rev – WIRELESS SYSTEM BUSINESS UNIT

SUBJECT:

M-803 VTAC Installation Instructions

Actions Notes

To prevent RF leakage and ensur e peak perfor m ance, make sure that the

WARNING

but not too tight that damage occurs.

9. Mount the Antenna at a suitable location on the vehicle, and route t he Antenna Cable inside the vehicle for connectio n to the Radio.

IMPORTANT

Testing into a Dummy Load

further i nformation.

TNC and Mini- UHF connectors are tight,

Do not permanently connect the antenna to the V-TAC until satisfactory testing into a dummy load is completed. Refer to

for

DATE:

UHF connector on the MRU, and connect the TNC end to the greencoded connector on the RF Combiner.

! Connect one of the TNC ends of the red-

coded RF Cable (It em 10) to the TNC connector on the MRU, and connect t he other end to the red-coded c onnector on the RF Combiner.

! Connect one of the TNC ends of the

yellow-coded RF Cable (I tem 11) to the TNC connector on the VRB, and connect the other end to the yellowcoded connector on the RF Combiner.

! Use a pair of pliers to snug the

connections. Do not over-tighten.

♦ The Antenna is not included in the kit, as

several types of ante nnas can be used with the V-TAC.

♦ The Antenna must be i nstalled bef or e

completion of the V-TAC installation.

♦ The optimal type of antenna to use is the

rooftop mount. For best performance, the rooft op mount should be placed in the direct center of the roof of t he vehicle.

♦ Various mounting configurations are off er ed

for antennas available t hro ugh M/A-CO M . Check with OpenSky® Customer Service for more information.

♦ Refer to

for requirements necessary to follow when selecting the proper mounti ng area for t he antenna. Also, refer to the antenna manufacturer’s mounting and testing instructions included in the Antenna Assembly kit for installation guidance once the mounting area is deter mined.

♦ Route the cable from the Antenna to the rear

of the V-TAC out of the way of casual contact.

♦ A Mini-UHF connector is ge nerally incl uded

with the Antenna Kit, but connection to the V-

Antenna Mounting Configur ations

February 19, 2002

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M/A-COM

1011 Pawtucket Boulevard

Lowell, MA 01853

1-877-OPEN S KY

(1-877-673-6759)

1-877-OPENSKY

WINST-0009 Rev – WIRELESS SYSTEM BUSINESS UNIT

SUBJECT:

M-803 VTAC Installation Instructions

Actions Notes

To prevent RF leakage and ensur e peak perfor m ance, make sure that the

WARNING

tig h t th at damage occurs.

10. If an optional GPS unit is included in the V-TAC, the GPS Antenna needs to be connected.

WARNING

tig h t th at damage occurs.

TNC connector i s tight, but not too

To prevent RF leakage and ensur e peak perfor m ance, make sure that the SMA connector is tight, but not too

DATE:

TAC must be TNC. Therefore, included i n the Installation Kit is a TNC Connector (Item 13).

♦ Crimp the TNC Connector onto the Ante nna

cable by following the directions included in the Antenna Kit.

♦ Screw the TNC Connector of the Antenna

Cable to the TNC Antenna Port connectio n (coded wit h the color white) of t he RF Combiner, tightening until finger-tight.

♦ This will be a t e mpo rary c on nectio n u ntil the

V-TAC and Antenna can be tested after the V-TAC installation is complete. The antenna needs to be connected in case of accidental tranmission of the V-TAC occurs.

♦ Screw t he SMA plug of the GPS Antenna

cable to the SMA receptacle on the rear of the MRU, tightening unt il finger-tight.

♦ Route the remaining cable out of t he way of

casual contact.

♦ Various mounting configurations are off er ed

for GPS antennas available t hro ugh M/ACOM. Check with OpenSky® Customer Service for more information.

♦ The GPS Antenna must be kept at least 6

inches from any other antenna mo unted on the vehicle and have at least 6 inches of ground plane beneat h it.

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11. Prepar e f or connecting the power to t he V-TAC through t he vehicle ’ s firewall.

12. The Fuses for t he individ ual units i n the V-TAC must be installed in-line with raw batter y voltage.

♦ Plan the cable route carefully, using an

existing access hole through the engi ne fir e wall if p o s s ible . Alternati vely, d r ill a new hole approximately 3/8" in diameter and install a rubber grommet to pr otect the cable.

♦ Strip one end of the wire included in the 3A

Fuse Kit (Item 3) and crimp a terminal lug (not included) ont o it whic h w ill m ount direct ly to the positive battery post.

♦ Cut the wire to a length of about 6 inc hes

and strip the end to a length indicated by the gauge on the fuse holder.

M/A-COM

1011 Pawtucket Boulevard

Lowell, MA 01853

1-877-OPEN S KY

(1-877-673-6759)

1-877-OPENSKY

WINST-0009 Rev – WIRELESS SYSTEM BUSINESS UNIT

SUBJECT:

M-803 VTAC Installation Instructions

Actions Notes

The Fuse must not be install ed in the Fuse Holder until all wiring is complete .

IMPORTANT

powering up prem atur el y and causing an i n-rush of cur r ent that could l ead to shorti ng of the battery, sparki ng, or even fire.

This will prevent the V-TAC f r o m

DATE:

♦ Open the fuse holder and remove the fuse. ♦ Insert the stripped wire into the fuse holder

and push out the holder socket.

♦ Crimp the socket onto the wire at the crimp

end and pull the wire so that the socket seats back into the holder.

♦ Use heat-shrink tubing to protect the

connection from foreign materials.

♦ Connect the remaining wire in a similar

fashion to the other end of the fuse holder.

♦ Connect the terminal to the vehicle’s battery

in the engine compartment.

♦ Mark or label the wire to indicate that the in-

line fuse is 3 Amps.

♦ Route the wire at the other end through a

wire loom and pass it through the firewall, using a grommet to ensure that the wire is not damaged.

♦ Repeat the proced ure above for t he two 15A

fuse kits (Item 4). Mark or label these wires to indicate the in-line fuses are 15 Amps.

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Labeling of the fuse wires is im portant so that proper c onnectio n of the three units of the V-TAC is obtained. The RF Combiner uses less current than the MRU and VRB and is therefore rated at a lower current. Connecting either the VRB or MRU to the 3A fuse will result in

IMPORTANT

an over-current event and cause the V-TAC to fail.

M/A-COM

1011 Pawtucket Boulevard

Lowell, MA 01853

1-877-OPEN S KY

(1-877-673-6759)

1-877-OPENSKY

WINST-0009 Rev – WIRELESS SYSTEM BUSINESS UNIT

SUBJECT:

M-803 VTAC Installation Instructions

Actions Notes

13. Connect t he DC Power Cables and prepare t he ground connections prior to applying power to the V-TAC.

NOTE

the DC Power Cable is connected to fused igni ti on sense of the vehicl e only in the Dash-Mount M803 Radio. It is not necessary to connect the white wires of the three DC Power Cables of the V-TAC to igni tion sens e. The Control Head wakes up the V-TAC when power is applied. However, connection of the ignition s ense f or the V-TAC may be needed in the future in confi gur ations that do not use the Control Head (e.g. , data-only appli cations ) . It is recommended that the white wire be coiled and placed asi de r ather than cut fr om the cable assembl y .

The white wire of

DATE:

♦ Connect one of the DC Power Cables (Item

5) to the 3-pin power connector at the rear of the MRU.

♦ Connect a second DC Power Cable (Item 5)

to the 3-pin power connector at the rear of the VRB.

♦ Connect the third DC Power Cable (Item 5)

to the 3-pin power connector at the rear of the RF Combiner.

♦ Mark or label each DC Power Cable on both

ends with the name of the unit it is connect ed to.

♦ Locate a chassis gro und close to the V-TAC

and strip away any paint or dirt to expose raw metal. The location of this connection should be as close to the V-TAC that the installation will allow.

♦ Cut the negative (black) wire as short as

possible on each DC Power Cable, st r ip them, and crimp terminal lugs to them.

♦ Drill an appro priate ly s ized ho le for the

terminal into the cleared-out chassis location and de-burr the hole.

♦ Screw all three lugs into the chassis gro und.

Separate each lug with star w ashers and ensure a reliable metal-to-metal contact.

February 19, 2002

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M/A-COM

1011 Pawtucket Boulevard

Lowell, MA 01853

1-877-OPEN S KY

(1-877-673-6759)

1-877-OPENSKY

WINST-0009 Rev – WIRELESS SYSTEM BUSINESS UNIT

SUBJECT:

M-803 VTAC Installation Instructions

Actions Notes

14. Apply the DC power c onnectio n to the Radio.

NOTE

radios, the OpenSky® M-803 Radio Products power up imm ediately upon application of DC power to th e state of l as t

control.

Unlike many mobile

DATE:

♦ Route the positive (red) wires of all three DC

Power Cables thro ugh the vehicle, follow i ng standard routing pr act ices.

♦ Cut the wires to the proper lengths to be able

to connect to the Fuse Wires, which have been rout ed through t he fire wa ll. Make sure

tha t the la b e lin g of the wires is maintained before cutting.

♦ Using a pigtail, butt-s plice, or solder- s leeve,

connect the red wire fr om the DC Power Cable of the RF Combiner to t he 3A Fuse Wire (Item 3).

♦ Using a pigtail, butt-s plice, or solder- s leeve,

connect the red wire fr om the DC Power Cable of the MRU to one of the 15A Fuse Wires (Item 4).

♦ Using a pigtail, butt-s plice, or solder- s leeve,

connect the red wire fr om the DC Power Cable of the VRB to the other 15A Fuse Wires (Item 4).

♦ Route the excess wire out of the way of

casual contact.

♦ Re-install the 3A fuse into the holder of the

3A Fuse Wire and ensure a tight connectio n.

♦ Re-install the 15A fuses into the holders of

the 15A Fuse Wires and ensure tight connection.

♦ Verify that pow er is applied to the V-TAC by

checking the display on the Control Head. If the display is not lit, press the on/off button for 2 seconds until an asterisk appears on the display and the display tur ns on.

February 19, 2002

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15. Verify that the output of the V-TAC into a dummy load meets specifications.

16. Re-connect t he Antenna a nd test t he forw ar d and reflected pow er of the VTAC to verify transmission performance.

♦ Refer to

Testing below for the procedure.

♦ Refer to

Testing below for the procedure.

Testing into a Dummy Load

Testing with the Antenna

1011 Pawtucket Boulevard

under

Lowell, MA 01853

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under

M/A-COM

1-877-OPENSKY

WINST-0009 Rev – WIRELESS SYSTEM BUSINESS UNIT

SUBJECT:

M-803 VTAC Installation Instructions

DATE:

February 19, 2002

Actions Notes

17. Complete t he installat io n by organizing, sec uri ng, and checki ng all cables and compone nts.

ESTING

♦ Take whatever st eps ar e practical to make

the installatio n neat and functio nal for t he Radio’s user. Or ganize and secure all cables; make sure all connectio ns are tight but not over-str essed.

This secti on sets f orth procedures to verify t he perf ormance of the i nstalled V-TAC . Testin g uses a wattmeter (or, alternatively, a VSWR meter) to measure RF power.

There are three procedures in this section :

a Dummy Load

, and

Testing with the Antenna

Changing Ope r ating Modes, T esting into

. Note that, while the normal operating mo de o f the V-T AC f o r vo ice o r dat a co mmunic ations is OpenSky Protocol (OTP), the radio must be operating in OpenSky

Conventional FM (OCF)

mode for testi ng. The reaso n for t his is t hat OTP uses a T ime Domain-M ultip le A cc ess (TDMA) protocol in which transmit power is difficult to measure with standard equipment. Conventio nal FM mode allows f or 100% duty-cyc le transmissi ons. Follow the procedure under

Changing Operating Modes

to switch between the OCF and

OTP.

Page

Tr unki ng

12 of 19

Note also that the accuracy o f test res ults dep ends o n a radio power so urce in t he range of 13.8–16 vo lts DC at great er tha n 8 amps. Ma ke sure t he ve hic le’s bat tery i s fully charged by running t he e ngine for a few minutes b efore the tes t, and keep t he engine running during the test procedures.

Test Equipment Comments

Watt meter Bird Electronic Corporat io n Model 43 or

equivale nt, with N-Series female connectors on both the input and output sides.

As an alternative to using a wattmeter , a Voltage Sta nding Wave Ratio (VSWR) meter, Bird Electronic Corporat io n Model 4391A or equivale nt, can be used to carry out the required RF (radio f r equency) pow er testing.

Slug For use with the wattmeter; rated power of 25

watts and frequency range appropr iate to the 800 MHz output of t he OpenSky Electronics Eleme nt 25E (25 w at t s, 400–1000 MHz) or equivalent].

1011 Pawtucket Boulevard

V-TAC [Bird

M/A-COM

Lowell, MA 01853

1-877-OPEN S KY

(1-877-673-6759)

1-877-OPENSKY

WINST-0009 Rev – WIRELESS SYSTEM BUSINESS UNIT

SUBJECT:

M-803 VTAC Installation Instructions

Test Equipment Comments

Coaxial Cable Jumper Cable with Mini- UHF male connector on one

N-Series to Mini-UHF Adapter N-Series male to M ini-UHF female (Past er nack

Dummy Load

Antenna

Antenna Mounting Configurations

This radio has been tested and complies with the FCC RF exposure limits for Uncontrolled Exposure (General Population) and Occu pational Exposure. To assure optimal radio performan ce and that human expo sure to RF electro magnetic energy is wit hi n the guidelines, transmit only when people are at least the

IMPORTANT

minim um saf e dista nce away fro m a properly insta lled, e xternal ly mounted antenna.

DATE:

end and N-Series male connector on the other end, approximately three feet in lengt h (Paster nack Enterpr ises PE3282-36 or equivalent).

Enterprises PE9064 or equivale nt). ♦ RF terminator rated at 50 ohms resistance

and greater than 50 watts power, with NSeries male connector ( Past er nack Enterprises PE6106 or equivale nt).

♦ See the following section.

February 19, 2002

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The antennas listed i n Tab le II hav e all been ap proved f or use with the V-T AC. T able III lists the minimum safe distan ces for approved antenna types.

Table III - VR-803 V-TAC Minimum Safe Distances

OpenSky

VR-803

Rated

Power

45 dBm

(max)

45 dBm

(max)

Antenna

Gain

0 dB Maxrad #Z322 Unity G ain, 3 dB Ant. Specialists

M/A-COM Recommen ded

Antenna

¼-Wave, Rooftop

#ASPA1860M 3dB, Roof t op;

#ASPA915 3dB, Ele vated-

Feed, Vario us Mounts

Minimum

Distance from

Transmitting

Antenna for

Uncontrolled

Exposure

69 cm (27 in.) 31 cm (12 in.) 98 cm (39 in.) 43 cm (17 in.)

1011 Pawtucket Boulevard

Minimum

Distance from

Transmitting

Antenna for

Controlled

Exposure

M/A-COM

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1-877-OPEN S KY

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1-877-OPENSKY

WINST-0009 Rev – WIRELESS SYSTEM BUSINESS UNIT

SUBJECT:

M-803 VTAC Installation Instructions

DATE:

February 19, 2002

The M-803 may be mo unted i n a wide ra nge o f vehicles wit h va rying, no n-st andard physical dimensions, so selection of an antenna and its location is not trivial. Only install antennas where a minimum safe distance (MSD) can be maintained in a measured, visual line of sight from the antenna location to any location where a person may be located under normal operating conditions. Using Table II as a guide for determining the best possible mounting configuration in order to reduce human exposure, there are three po ssible locations o n a vehicle where the antenna ca n be mounted, described as follows:

Rooftop Center

The center of the roof of a vehicle is the optimal location for the rooftop antenna. The mounting area under the antenna must be a flat, metallized ground plane, and it must be located directly in the center of the roof. If other obst ructi o ns, s uch as a light bar o r anot her a nt enna, prev e nt t he ante nna from bei ng mounted i n the direct center o f the ro of , the ante nna s hould be pref erably mo unted a minimum of one foot away from the obstruction, but in the middle of the roof with respect to the left and right sides of the vehicle.

Trunk-Lid Center

Certain ve hic les do not allow f or the ante nna to be p laced i n the center of the roof. In this case, the next optimal location for the antenna is in the center of the t r unk lid. Agai n, the mo unting area unde r t he a ntenna m us t be a f lat, meta llized ground plane, and it must be located directly in the center of th e trunk lid. There are no other preferable solutio ns for mounting t his a ntenna if other obstr uctio ns prevent the antenna from being mounted in the direct center of the trunk lid.

Page

14 of 19

Trunk-Li p Cen ter

Some a ntennas have a f eature that a llows t hem to be mounted o n

the lip o f the trunk lid. I n this cas e, the a ntenna is mo unte d on the top lip and in t he direct center of the trunk lid. Again, there are no other preferable solutions for mounting this antenna if other obstructions prevent the an tenna from being mounted in the direct top center of the trunk lid.

Changing Operati ng Modes (Pre lim inar y)

Operati ng the V-TAC is accomplis hed through the CH-103 Co ntrol H ead. Follow the action s below to change modes in order to test the An tenna.

Actions Notes

1. Press the UP ARROW button on the navigation pad of the Control Head repeatedly until the message “MO DE” appear s on the unit’s

display, the n press the SELECT button.

♦ The buttons controlli ng the operating

parameters ar e on the left side of t he front of the Control Head.

M/A-COM

1011 Pawtucket Boulevard

Lowell, MA 01853

1-877-OPEN S KY

(1-877-673-6759)

1-877-OPENSKY

WINST-0009 Rev – WIRELESS SYSTEM BUSINESS UNIT

SUBJECT:

M-803 VTAC Installation Instructions

Actions Notes

2. Press the RIGHT ARROW button on the na vigat io n pad repeatedly until the message “OCF” appear s ,

then hit the SELECT button.

3. Press the RIGHT ARROW button once to confirm the selection, then press the SELECT button to select the mode.

Testin g into a Dummy Load

Actions Notes

1. Connect the watt met er to the Antenna Port of the RF Comb iner for testing according to Figure 2, using the dummy load in place of the antenna.

DATE:

♦ Select the desired operati ng mode,

where the mode is one of the following:

! “OCF”—To perform test ing ! “OTP”—To operat e the V-TAC for

normal voice or data communications

♦ The V-TAC is now in OCF mode.

♦ The dummy load connects to the output

side of the watt met er, in place of the antenna cable (see Figure 2).

February 19, 2002

15 of 19

Page

2. Apply power t o the V-TAC through the Control Head and switch to OCF mode, if necessary.

3. Position the slug to measure forw ar d RF power output.

4. Measure the RF power output fr om the V-TAC.

5. Compare the wat t meter reading with the target RF pow er output range specified in the column, opposite.

Notes

♦ The V-TAC must be operating in OCF

mode in order to continue with the testing procedure. If the Control Head does not display “O CF” during startup indicating that it is initializing in OCF mode, use the procedure under

Changing Oper ating M odes

♦ Rotate the slug, if necessary. The arrow

on the face of the slug must point from the V-TAC toward the dummy load to measure forw ard power.

♦ Key the microphone on the Co ntro Head

and note the wattmeter r eading. De-key the microphone.

15–21 watts

TARGET VALUE RANG E

1011 Pawtucket Boulevard

above.

M/A-COM

Lowell, MA 01853

1-877-OPEN S KY

(1-877-673-6759)

1-877-OPENSKY

WINST-0009 Rev – WIRELESS SYSTEM BUSINESS UNIT

SUBJECT:

Actions Notes

6. Record the watt meter reading for

M-803 VTAC Installation Instructions

RF power output into a dummy load, or tak e remedial action and measure the output agai n.

V-TAC

PWR

TNC to N-Serie s

Co ax ia l J u mper

OpenSky

DATE:

February 19, 2002

Page

♦ If the wattmet e r rea d in g is with in the

target range, record the value in the

appropriate spac e on the data collection sheet at the end of this g uide.

♦ If the watt meter r eading is outside t he

target range, recheck the power source

and all connections and meas ure the RF output power again. If this fails to produce a reading within the target r ange, replace the V-TAC and repeat this proced ure.

Antenna

N-S erie s to Mi ni -

UHF Adaptor

16 of 19

PWR

Dummy

Load

Ground

–+

Vehicle Battery

Slug

(25 W, 400–

1000 MHz)

Wattmeter

Figure 2 – Wattmeter Connection

Testing with the Antenna

Actions Notes

1. Connect the watt met er to the VTAC and antenna for t esting according to Figure 2.

2. Apply power t o the V-TAC and switch to O CF mode, if necessary .

♦ Remove the dummy load, if necessary,

and connect the antenna lead to t he output side of the wattmeter (see Figure 2).

♦ The V-TAC must be operating in OCF

mode in order to continue with the

M/A-COM

1011 Pawtucket Boulevard

Lowell, MA 01853

1-877-OPEN S KY

(1-877-673-6759)

1-877-OPENSKY

WINST-0009 Rev – WIRELESS SYSTEM BUSINESS UNIT

SUBJECT:

Actions Notes

3. Position the slug to measure

4. Measure the forward RF power

5. Compare the wat t meter reading

6. Record the watt meter reading for

M-803 VTAC Installation Instructions

forw ar d RF power output.

output of the V-TAC.

with the target RF pow er output range specified in the

column, opposite.

forw ar d power, or take remedial action and measure the outp ut again.

Notes

DATE:

testing procedure. If the Control Head does not display “O CF” during startup indicating that it is initializing in OCF mode, use the procedure under

Changing Oper ating M odes

♦ Rotate the slug, if necessary. The arrow

on the face of the slug must point from the V-TAC toward the antenna to measure forw ard power.

♦ Key the microphone and note the

wattmeter reading. De-key the microphone.

15–21 watts

TARGET VALUE RANG E

♦ If the wattmet e r rea d in g is with in the

target range, record the value in the

appropriate spac e on the data collection sheet below.

♦ If the watt meter r eading is outside the

target range, verify that the operating

voltage of t he V-TAC is within the specified range, r ec heck all connections, and measure the forw ar d pow er again. If this fails to produce a reading within the target range, check all cabling a nd connectio ns, and repeat t he testing procedure to this point. In the event the wattmeter reading still falls outside the target range, replace the ante nna, make sure all connectio ns are seated firmly, and repeat the testing procedure.

February 19, 2002

17 of 19

Page

above.

7. Position the slug to measure reverse, or r eflected, RF pow er.

8. Measure the reverse, or r eflected, RF power.

♦ Rotate the slug. The arrow on the face of

the slug must point from the antenna toward the V-TAC to measure reverse, or reflected, power.

♦ Key the microphone and note the

wattmeter reading. De-key the microphone.

M/A-COM

1011 Pawtucket Boulevard

Lowell, MA 01853

1-877-OPEN S KY

(1-877-673-6759)

1-877-OPENSKY

WINST-0009 Rev – WIRELESS SYSTEM BUSINESS UNIT

SUBJECT:

Actions Notes

9. Compare the wat t meter reading

10. Record t he wattmeter reading for

M-803 VTAC Installation Instructions

with the target RF pow er output range specified in the

Notes

column, opposite.

reverse power, or take remedial action and measure the outp ut again.

DATE:

February 19, 2002

18 of 19

Page

2 watts or less

TARGET VALUE RANG E

♦ If the wattmet e r rea d in g is with in the

target range, record the value in the

appropriate spac e on the data collection sheet at the end of this g uide.

♦ If the watt meter r eading is outside the

target range, make sure the antenna

inst a lle d is c onsis tent w ith the specifie d frequency range of t he V-TAC. Recheck all antenna connectio ns, a nd measure the reverse power again. If this fails to produce a reading withi n the target range, replace the ante nna and repeat the entire test ing procedure.

♦ Any value exceeding the maximum

allow a b le refle c ted power value will re sult in a diminished RF output signal*.

11. Return the V-TAC to OTP mode for normal communications.

♦ Use the procedure under

Operating M odes

above. The V-TAC is

Changing

now ready for normal communications.

The standard measure for comparing forward and reflected power is the Voltage Standing Wave Ratio (VSWR). Use the

values recorded for the installed unit’s forward and reflected power to compute the VSWR, if desired, using the following formula:

the ideal value of 1, for instance, 1.2:1.

+= 1 , where

PPVSWR

= reverse power and

= forward power. This value is expressed as a ratio to

M/A-COM

1011 Pawtucket Boulevard

Lowell, MA 01853

1-877-OPEN S KY

(1-877-673-6759)

1-877-OPENSKY

WINST-0009 Rev – WIRELESS SYSTEM BUSINESS UNIT

SUBJECT:

Copyright © 2002 M/A-COM. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, transmitted, transcribed, stored in a retrieval system, or translated into any language, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission from M/A-COM. The information furnished herein is believed to be accurate and reliable. However, no responsibility is assumed by M/A-COM for its use, or for any infringements of patents or other rights of third

parties resulting from its use. All trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

M-803 VTAC Installation Instructions

DATE:

February 19, 2002

19 of 19

Page

Clip

Here

Enter the inform ati on r equested on this data col l ecti on sheet. Clip this form and file it as a permanent record of the tested perfor m ance of the instal l ed V- TAC.

MRU Serial Number

ate of Test

(mm/dd/yyyy)

VRB Serial Number

Company Performing Installation Technician Performing Test

ower Into a Dummy

Load

RF Combiner Serial Number

watts

Antenna Make and Model

watts

orward Power With

Antenna

eflected Power

With Antenna

watts

HARRIS M803VTAC Users Guide

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual