Pico Macom 72H, 72M, 72S, 72L, FMS Installating And Operation Manual

PICO MACOM INC. 12500 Foothill Blvd. • Lakeview Terrace, CA 91342 • [phone] • [phone] • FAX [phone]

Installation

And

Operation

Manual

SINGLE

CHANNEL

AMPLIFIERS

LBS, FMS, MBS

HBS, UBS, 72L

72M, 72H, 72S

PICO MACOM INC. 12500 Foothill Blvd. • Lakeview Terrace, CA 91342 • [phone] • [phone] • FAX [phone]

S A F E G U A R D S

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

WARNING: TO REDUCE THE RISK OF FIRE OR ELECTRIC SHOCK, DO NOT

EXPOSE THIS APPLIANCE TO RAIN OR MOISTURE. DO NOT OPEN THE
CABINET, REFER SERVICING TO QUALIFIED PERSONNEL ONLY.

CAUTION: TO PREVENT ELECTRIC SHOCK DO NOT USE THIS (POLARIZED) PLUG

WITH AN EXTENSION CORD RECEPTACLE OR OTHER OUTLET UN
LESS THE BLADES CAN BE FULLY INSERTED TO PREVENT BLADE
EXPOSURE.

ATTENTION:POUR PREVENIR LES CHOCS ELECTRIQUES, NE PAS UTILISER CETTE

FICHE POLARISEE AVEC UN PROLONGATEUR, UNE PRISE DE COU
RANT OU UNE AUTE SORTIE DE COURANT, SAUF SI LES LAMES
PEUVENT ETRE INSEREES A FOND SANS EN LAISSER AUCUNE PARTIE
A DECOUVERT.

1. Read Instructions - All the safety and operating instruction
should be read before the appliance is operated.

2. Retain Instructions - The safety AND operating instructions
should be retained for future reference.

3. Head Warnings - All warnings on the appliance should be
adhered to.

4. Follow Instructions - All operating and use instructions
should be followed.

5. Cleaning - Unplug this appliance from the wall outlet before
cleaning. Do not use liquid cleaners or aerosol cleansers. Use a
damp cloth for cleaning.

6. Do Not Use Attachments - not recommended by the manu­facturer or they may cause hazards.

7. Water and Moisture - Do not use this product near water - for
example, near a bathtub, washbowl, kitchen sink, laundry tub, in
a wet basement, or near a swimming pool - and the like.

8. Accessories - Do not place this product on an unstable cart,
stand, tripod, bracket, or table. The product may fall, causing
serious injury to a child or adult, and serious damage to the
appliance.

9. Ventilation - This video product should never be placed near
or over a radiator or heat register. This video product should not
be placed in a built-in installation such as a bookcase or rack unless
proper ventilation is provided or the manufacturer’s instructions
have been adhered to. Any slots or opening in the cabinet are
provided for ventilation. To ensure reliable operation of the video
product and to protect it from overheating, these openings must
not be blocked or covered. The openings should never by blocked
by placing the product on a bed, sofa, rug, or other similar surface.

The lightning flash with arrowhead sym­bol, within an equilateral triangle, is in­tended to alert the user to the presence of
uninsulated "dangerous voltage" within
the product's enclosure that may be of
sufficient magnitude to constitute a risk of
electric shock to persons.

The exclamation point within an equilat­eral triangle is intended to alert the user to
the presence of important operating and
maintenance (servicing) instructions in the
literature accompanying the appliance.

1

Product Inspection

Inspect the equipment for shipping damage.
Should any damage be discovered, immediately file
a claim with the carrier.

Important Safety Instructions

To ensure proper installation and operation,
take a moment to read this guide before proceeding
with the installation. If you have any questions or
comments about the single channel amplifiers, please
contact your dealer or have him contact the PICO
MACOM Service Center at the phone numbers at
the bottom of the page.

PICO MACOM INC. 12500 Foothill Blvd. • Lakeview Terrace, CA 91342 • [phone] • [phone] • FAX [phone]

10. Grounding or Polarization - This video product is equipped
with a polarized alternating - current line plug (a plug having one
blade wider than the other). This plug will fit into the power
socket only one way. This is a safety feature. If you are unable
to insert the plug fully into the outlet, try reversing the plug. If the
plug should still fail to fit, contact your electrician to replace your
obsolete outlet. Do not defeat the safety purpose of the polarized
plug.

11. Power Sources - This product should be operated only from
the type of power source indicated on the marking label. If you
are not sure of the type of power supplied to your home, consult
your appliance dealer or local power company.

12. Power-cord Protection - Power-supply cords should be
routed so they are not likely to be walked on a pinched by items
placed upon or against them. Pay particular attention to cords at
plugs, convenience receptacles, and the point where they exit
from the appliance.

13. Lightning - For added protection for this product during a
lightning storm, or when it is left unattended and unused for long
periods of time, unplug it from the wall outlet.

14. Power Lines - An outside antenna system should not be
located in the vicinity of overhead power lines, other electric light
or power circuits, where it can fall into such power lines or
circuits. When installing an outside antenna system, extreme care
should be taken to keep from touching such power lines or circuits
as contact with them may be fatal.

15. Overloading - Do not overload wall outlets and extension
cords as this can result in risk of fire or electric shock.

16. Object and Liquid Entry - Never push objects of any kind
into this product through openings as they may touch dangerous
voltage points or short-out parts that could result in a fire or
electric shock. Never spill liquid of any kind on the product.

17. Servicing - So not attempt to service this product yourself as
opening or removing covers may expose you to dangerous
voltage or other hazards. Refer all servicing to qualified service
personnel.

18. Damage Requiring Service - Unplug this product from the
wall outlet and refer servicing to qualified service personnel
under the following conditions:
a. When the power-supply cord or plug is damaged.
b. If liquid has been spilled, or objects have fallen into the
product.
c. If the product has been exposed to rain or water.
d. If the product does not operate normally by following the
operating instruction. Adjust only those controls that are covered
by the operating instructions. An improper adjustment may result
in damage and will often require extensive work by a qualified
technician to restore the product to its normal operation.
e. If the product has been dropped or the cabinet has been
damaged.

STANDOFF
INSULATORS

b

MAST
ANTENNA

LEAD-IN WIRE

c

GROUND WIRE

TO EXTERNAL ANTENNA
TERMINALS OF PRODUCT

ANTENNA
DISCHARGE UNIT

GROUND CLAMPS
OPTIONAL ANTENNA GROUNDING ELECTRODE

DRIVEN 8 FEET (2.44M) INTO THE EARTH
IF REQUIRED BY LOCAL CODES. SEE NEC
SECTION 810 - 21(f).

BONDING JUMPER

d

G

RO

UND C

LAM

PS

POWER SERVICE GROUNDING
ELECTRODE SYSTEM
(e.g. interior metal water pipe)

SERVICE
ENTRANCE
EQUIPMENT

SERVICE ENTRANCE
CONDUCTORS

GROUND CLAMP

POWER LINES

EXAMPLE OF ANTENNA GROUNDING ACCORDING TO

NATIONAL ELECTRICAL CODE INSTRUCTIONS CONTAINED

IN ARTICLE 810 - "RADIO AND TELEVISION

EQUIPMENT"

f. When the product exhibits a distinct change in performance ­this indicates a need for service.

19. Replacement Parts - When replacement parts are required,
be sure the service technician has used replacement parts specified
by the manufacturer or have the same characteristics as the
original parts. Unauthorized substitutes may result in fire, electric
shock or other hazards.

20. Safety Check - Upon completion of any service or repairs to
this product, ask the service technician to perform safety checks to
determine that the product is in proper operating conditions.

21. Outdoor Antenna Grounding - Before attempting to install
this product, be sure the antenna or cable system is grounded so as
to provide some protection against voltage surges and built-up
static charges.
a. Use No.10 AWG (5.3mm ) copper, No.8 AWG (8.4mm
(aluminum, No.7 AWG (10mm ) copper-clad steel or bronze wire
or larger, as ground wire.
b. Secure antenna lead-in and ground wires to house with stand­off insulators spaced from 4 feet (1.22m) to 6 feet (1.83m) apart.
c. Mount antenna discharge unit as close as possible to where lead­in enters house.
d. A driven rod may be used as the grounding electrode where
other types of electrode systems do not exist. Refer to the National
Electrical Code, ANSI/NFPA 70-1984 for information.
e. Use jumper wire not smaller than No.6 AWG (13.3mm ) copper
or equivalent, when a separate antenna grounding electrode is
used.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION CONT'D

S A F E G U A R D S

NOTE TO THE CATV SYSTEM INSTALLER:

THIS REMINDER IS PROVIDED TO CALL THE CATV SYS­TEM INSTALLER’S ATTENTION TO ARTICLE 820 - 22 OF
THE NEC THAT PROVIDES GUIDELINES FOR PROPER
GROUNDING AND, IN PARTICULAR, SPECIFIES THAT THE
CABLE GROUND SHALL BE CONNECTED TO THE
GROUNDING SYSTEM OF THE BUILDING, AS CLOSE TO
THE POINT OF CABLE ENTRY AS PRACTICAL.

2

PICO MACOM INC. 12500 Foothill Blvd. • Lakeview Terrace, CA 91342 • [phone] • [phone] • FAX [phone]

3

Section 4

D E S C R I P T I O N S

A N T E N N A S E L E C T I O N

Pre-Amp

MPA-25

Broadband Single Channel

VHF

MX-7

0R

LOW

VHF

DSV-3

DSV-4

HIGH

HLSJ

20 dBmv to
Headend

10 dBmv

UV SJ

UHF

MX-4U

19 dBmv

DC-20

Test

-1 dBmv

18 dBmv

11 dBmv

12 dBmv

DC-20

Test

UHF

DSU-3

UVSJ

20 dBmv to
Headend

19 dBmv

-1 dBmv

18 dBmv

17 dBmv

12 dBmv

9 dBmv

10 dBmv

12 dBmv

The proper reception of Local
Off-Air Television Signals
(UHF-VHF) is essential to a quality
Private Cable system. The use of a
commercial quality off-air antenna
is a must for optimum television
reception. Since every location has
different needs and problems, a site
survey should be completed before
starting the system. There are three
methods of off-air reception; Broad­band, Single Channel Yagi or a com­bination of both. The method to use
will depend on the direction the
signals come from and the strength
of the signals. A good quality field
strength meter is a must for measur­ing signals.

Broadband Antennas

These are used in areas with moderate
to strong signal levels and when the
signals are coming from the same
general direction. A mast mounted
broadband, low noise pre-amplifier
is recommended to boost the input
levels to over 20 dBmv. The incom­ing headend signal is divided into
the VHF and UHF bands using a
UVSJ separator. A DC-20 (direc­tional coupler) is inserted for use as
a 20 dB down test point. The UHF
signals are then split with a DSU- *
series splitter and inserted into a
converter or channel processor. The
VHF signals are band separated once
again using a HLSJ hi/low separa­tor. The low and high band signals
are then split using DSV-* high
isolation splitters. Each splitter out
is routed to the proper headend com­ponent.
* The number of ports is determined
by the number of channels.

Another option on VHF signals is to
use a MX-7 or MX-4V. The MX-7
& MX-4V are frequency selective
splitters for up to 7 non-adjacent

10 foot dish. In some areas where
the signals are very weak (outside
60 miles from the transmitter) a
single channel pre-amplifier must
also be used to bring the signal to
usable levels. Because these are
made to a specific channel they can
be entered directly into the headend
strip amplifier converter or proces­sor input. High gain UHF antennas
are designed to cover blocks of chan­nels such as 14-26, 26-38, 38-50,
50,62, 62-74 etc.

Combination Broadband & Single

Channel Yagis

Using a combination of antennas is
common in areas that have many
variable signal levels coming from
different directions. A good ex­ample is sites located between Los
Angeles, and San Diego. Los An­geles has 2,4,5,7,8,11,13,28 com­ing from the North, San Diego has
6,8,10,39 from the South.

The signals received off of broad­band antenna will vary by as much
as 15 dB form channel to channel.
Signals received off an antenna are
never adjacent. A channel 2 would
not be located in the same geo­graphic location as a channel 3
(channels 4 and 5, and channels 6
and 7 are adjacent in number only).
Part 73.606 of the “Code of Federal
Regulations” can be used to locate
the transmitter locations in the vi­cinity of your headend. The Soci­ety of Cable Engineers (SCTE) also
sells a paperback book of mapped
locations of each FCC licensed VHF
transmitter. The cost of the manual
is less than $25 and is well worth
the price.

VHF channels. Built in attenua­tors help adjust signal levels
evenly.

Single Channel Yagi*

These are used when the signals
are coming from opposite direc­tions and at lower signal levels.
Single channel VHF Yagis are cut
to a specific channel enabling the
antenna to have much higher gain
than a broadband antenna.

*Note that the lower the VHF
frequency the larger the antenna.

It is analogous to satellite systems
using a 16 foot dish instead of an