7.2 - Site Repair Checklist; Tools and Supplies

7.2 - Site Repair Checklist; Tools and Supplies

When travelling to a remote site to do troubleshooting and repair, a technician should try to bring everything needed to correct an issue they may find in one visit.  The following is a list of the typical or minimal supplies to pack for a service call to a fixed antenna backhaul site.

Hand tools & Instruments:

·         Crescent Wrench that adjusts to at least 1.25” / 30mm- For adjusting elevation bolt on 1.8m antennas

·         Plyers-For general mechanical adjustments and assembly

·         Multi-Bit Screwdriver-For general assembly and replacement of BUC or LNB

·         3mm Allen Wrench- For replacement of BUC or LNB

·         Socket/Ratchet Wrench- For general mechanical adjustments and assembly

·         Socket set that includes 10mm, 13mm, 19mm 24mm deep & 30mm deep - For mechanical adjustments and assembly

·         Open end wrench:  7/16”- For cabling repairs; tightening F connectors 

·         Wire cutters- For cabling repairs

·         Coax cable stripper, adjusted for RG6-  For cabling repairs; connector replacement

·         Compression Tool for RG6 - F Type connectors-For cabling repairs; connector replacement

·         10mm nut driver-For feedhorn adjustments

·         Inclinometer / Pitch Finder- For re-pointing antenna; setting mechanical elevation

·         Compass- For re-pointing antenna; estimating azimuth

·         Heat gun- For cabling repairs in cold temperatures

·         50’ extension cord- For heat gun operation or remote modem operation, also may serve as a spare part for dish heater AC wiring.

·         Fish Tape- For re-wiring through conduit.

Other General construction accessories:

·         Ladder-For accessing roof-mounted antennas and elevated wiring paths.

·         Safety equipment-Hard Hat, gloves, eyewear and fall protection harness as applicable or appropriate for the site.

·         Rope, tool bag-For transferring tools & test equipment to a roof.

General Parts & Supplies:

·         Dual RG6 cable on spool- Enough cable to replace entire RF path if necessary, typically less than 150’

·         RG6 weatherproof connectors – For replacement of faulty or damaged RF connectors

·         Mastic/rubberized tape – For weatherproofing and sealing of outdoor RF connectors.

·         Dielectric waterproofing compound- For weatherproofing and sealing of outdoor RF connectors.

·         F-to-F RF barrel connectors- For Troubleshooting & temporary installation in place of suspected faulty Polyphaser or ground block.

·         Nylon wire ties- for securing wiring and wrapped connector seals

·         Silicon or rubber-based sealant- For general repairs such sealing cable egress or feed aperture cover.

Replacement inventory components:

·         ODN Gen2 modem- Satellite modem/router

·         Ku-Band BUC- RF transmitter, 13.75 to 14.5 Ghz output, (original specified output power at sites will vary depending on reflector size, but a 4-watt will work in most cases for troubleshooting or temporary purposes)

·         Ku-Band PLL LNB- RF receiver, 11.7 to 12.2 Ghz

·         Polyphaser model GT75-FFF surge protector- Due to a physical variance in models at existing installations, the replacement should be pre-fitted with an appropriate ground-messenger cable.

Information Technology:

·         Laptop Computer- For accessing modem settings and features.

·         USB to RJ45 ethernet adaptor- (Unless the laptop has an ethernet port already)

·         RJ45 Ethernet cable- For connecting to modem LAN, accessing modem user interface via internet browser, and changing modem settings.

·         USB Mini-B cable- For accessing modem settings via serial console in case access to the modem GUI via ethernet is lost

·         Smart Phone- for communications to ODN NOC, Finding Lat/Long location information, antenna pointing calculations & taking photographs for site commissioning.

·         Geolocation App-  App capable of displaying the user’s current Latitude & Longitude in the imperial Degrees – Minutes  format.  Several varieties are available for free.  This is information required for setting up a new modem.

·         Satellite Finder App- App that calculates antenna AZ/EL/POL pointing angles based on the desired satellite and user’s current location.  Several varieties are available for free.  This information is useful whether installing a new site or correcting an antenna that was moved off-point.

Electronic Test Equipment Options

·         Multimeter- VOM for general electrical troubleshooting such as for the presence of DC voltage at the modem power supply or at the outdoor RF connectors

·         Satellite Meter, Applied Instruments model VSAT 7850 or XR-3 with VSAT-ACM Module- Preferred option for pointing and re-peaking satellite signals at the antenna.  Benefits: Battery-powered & portable, weatherproof, no latency, accurate, works independently of the modem, & identifies satellites.

·         Alternately, the modem GUI can be used as a pointing device.  If this option is employed, then the tech must bring along ethernet cable to access the modem with a laptop computer at the antenna.   If the modem has a DHCP subnet enabled, a WIFI access point can also be temporarily connected to one of the modem LAN connections to access the modem GUI via smart phone.