Campbell Scientific RF401-series and RF430-series Spread Spectrum Data Radios/Modems - Manual (Page 18)

RF401-series and RF430-series Spread Spectrum Radio/Modems
3. Installation
3.1 Site Considerations
Location of a radio near commercial transmitters, such as at certain
mountaintop sites, is not recommended due to possible “de-sensing” problems
for the radio. A powerful signal of almost any frequency at close range can
simply overwhelm a receiver. Lower power and intermittent repeater sites may
not be a problem. Test such a site with a representative setup before
committing to it (see Section 6, Troubleshooting). Keep in mind that
commercial sites tend to evolve. Such a site may work now but could change
in the future with the addition of new equipment.
3.2 Quick Start (Point-to-Point or PakBus)
This section is intended to serve as a “primer” enabling you to quickly build a
simple system and see how it operates. This section describes in four steps
how to set up a pair of radios in a direct connect, point-to-point or PakBus
network. We recommend that you do this before undertaking field installation.
For additional help on point-to-point networks and for help on creating point-
to-multipoint networks, refer to Section 5, Software, and Appendix F, Non-
PakBus Example Configurations.
For this system you will need the following hardware or the equivalent:
1. Two radios (either two RF401s or an RF430 and an RF401)
2. Two antennas
3. AC adapter (Item # 15966)
4. RS-232 serial cable or USB cable
5. SC12 cable (included with RF401)
6. Datalogger (e.g., CR800, CR1000, CR3000)
7. Field Power Cable (Item # 14291) if datalogger or wiring panel doesn’t
have 12 V on pin 8 of CS I/O port
You will also need:
• An IBM TM compatible PC with one available COM port or USB port
• LoggerNet installed on PC
3.2.1 Step 1 – Set Up Base RF401 or RF430
a. Connect an antenna (or antenna cable with Yagi or omnidirectional
antenna attached) to the radio’s antenna jack. The main objective is to
provide an antenna. If you should transmit without an antenna attached,
there will be no equipment damage as the transmitter is protected against
load mismatch. The separation between the base radio antenna and the
remote radio antenna can be any convenient distance. (See Sections 3.3,
Antenna Considerations, and 4.4, Compatible Antennas, for antenna
considerations and options.)
b. If using an RF430, go to step c. If using an RF401, use the RS-232 serial
cable to connect the RF401’s RS-232 port to the PC’s RS-232 port. Then
go to step d.
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