Hughes HughesNet Ka-band Pointing Manual
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Hughes HughesNet Ka-band Pointing Manual

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Ka-Band Antenna Pointing Guide
1037663-0001
Revision A
March 26, 2008

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Summary of Contents for Hughes HughesNet Ka-band

  • Page 1 Ka-Band Antenna Pointing Guide 1037663-0001 Revision A March 26, 2008...
  • Page 2 Hughes Network Systems, LLC has made every effort to ensure the correctness and completeness of the material in this document. Hughes Network Systems, LLC shall not be liable for errors contained herein. The information in this document is subject to change without notice. Hughes Network Systems, LLC makes no warranty of any kind with regard to this material, including, but not limited to, the implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose.

  • Page 3: Table Of Contents

    Contents Chapter 1 Introduction ........1 Scope and audience .
  • Page 4 • Contents 1037663-0001 Revision A...
  • Page 5 Figures Chapter 1 1. DiSEqC Antenna Pointing Tool (DAPT) .......2 2.
  • Page 6 • Figures 1037663-0001 Revision A...
  • Page 7 Tables Chapter 2 1. Installation parameter B Codes........10 2.
  • Page 8 • Tables viii 1037663-0001 Revision A...

  • Page 9: Introduction

    Chapter 1 Introduction Scope and audience This document describes the HughesNet Ka-band antenna pointing procedure. This document is written for professional installers who have experience with installing and pointing satellite antennas. Related instructions This pointing guide discusses the antenna pointing procedure only.

  • Page 10: Pointing Tools And User Interfaces

    Pointing tools and The antenna pointing process makes use of several tools that are used both separately and together during the procedure. These user interfaces tools are described in the following sections: Global Positioning System Use a GPS (not supplied) to determine the exact latitude and (GPS) longitude coordinates of the antenna site.

  • Page 11: Squinter

    The three buttons on the DAPT can serve different purposes during different phases of the pointing process. In most cases, however, they function as follows: • Back (button 1) – Used to return to a previous state. • Toggle (button 2) – Used to toggle between signal filters. •...

  • Page 12: Pointing Procedure Summary

    Pointing procedure The antenna pointing process consists of four main steps: summary • Entering installation parameters • Coarse pointing • Fine pointing • Pointing validation This section provides a brief overview of each of these processes. For details, see Chapter 2 – Pointing the antenna. Entering After completing physical installation of the satellite modem installation parameters...

  • Page 13: Fine Pointing

    Antenna pointing is supported by two filters that help to smooth out the effects of short-term random amplitude fading and phase changes on the received signal, called scintillation. Scintillation usually occurs due to changes in atmospheric density caused by fluctuating weather conditions. The short filter is used to quickly find the peak signal level.
  • Page 14 Chapter 1 • Introduction 1037663-0001 Revision A...

  • Page 15: Pointing The Antenna

    IDU and the IFL connector on the antenna radio. For a list of approved cables for the IFL between the antenna and the satellite modem, see the Hughes FSB, IFL Cable, Approved List (with lengths) for SPACEWAY Domestic Installations (FSB 080111_01A).

  • Page 16: Entering Installation Parameters

    Entering This section explains how to obtain the proper azimuth and elevation coordinates to point the antenna at the satellite from the installation parameters antenna site, using the LUI to enter the necessary parameters. 1. Use your GPS to determine the latitude and longitude of the installation site, and record them in the spaces provided below.
  • Page 17 Figure 4: Icon to Installation screen The Advanced Configuration and Statistics Installation screen appears as shown in Figure 5. Figure 5: Advanced Configuration and Statistics Installation screen Chapter 2 • Pointing the antenna 1037663-0001 Revision A...
  • Page 18 6. For each of the following installation parameters, select the option from the drop-down menu that matches the value listed on the Installation Reference Sheet. – Terminal site name. Enter a name for the site up to 20 characters in length. –...
  • Page 19 Note: You may overwrite any pre-existing values, but be aware that pointing metrics will be deleted if you change any of the following installation parameters from a previous installation: – Site latitude – Site longitude – Satellite orbital location (A Code) –...

  • Page 20: Terminal Pointing Info Screen

    Figure 6: Terminal Pointing Info screen Note: The initial SQF value listed on this screen will most likely be either 0 or 1, indicating that the demodulator is either initializing or searching for a beacon signal, respectively. Once the demodulator acquires the beacon signal, the SQF value will be greater than 1.

  • Page 21: Coarse Pointing

    Coarse pointing This section describes each phase of the coarse pointing process and the messages that appear on the DAPT display screen during the procedure. 1. At the ODU, install the DAPT in line with the low-noise block (LNB) converter on the receive cable as shown in Figure 7.
  • Page 22 When connected properly, the DAPT powers up automatically. Once powered up, the DAPT displays its current status and IFL voltage on the LCD display, as shown below. (Voltage reading shown below is only an example. Actual voltage may vary.) Note: If the IFL voltage shown is in the neighborhood of 50 volts, the DAPT has mistakenly been connected to the transmit cable instead of the receive cable.
  • Page 23 Upon entering the Point state, the DAPT display reads: where S or L indicates either the “short” or “long” time constant filter respectively, and SQF is a value from 0 - 255. The left SQF value in row 2 is the highest recorded value during the current phase;...
  • Page 24 Figure 8: Adjusting the antenna position Note: You must use the adjustment mechanism for coarse azimuth adjustments. Do not attempt to point the antenna manually by pulling on the antenna reflector or the feed support structure. This can cause permanent damage to the antenna.

  • Page 25: Fine Pointing

    1. Place the appropriate squinter for the antenna on the feed horn. Refer to Table 3 below to determine which squinter you should use, then follow the appropriate procedure. Table 3: Determining which squinter to use Squinter Hughes Antenna Type Part Number Prodelin 1501447 .74m antenna...

  • Page 26: Attaching Squinter Type A

    The process for attaching the different squinters and taking readings will vary slightly, depending on the reflector size and shape. Attaching Squinter type A a. To attach squinter type A, place the squinter on the elliptical feed horn so that the four guide pins on the rear of the squinter lock securely around the feed horn rim, as shown in Figure 9.
  • Page 27 Figure 10: Positioning the squinter properly c. Wait for the SQF reading to settle on a value. (The time required is a function of whether you are using the short filter or the long filter.) When the reading has settled, note the SQF value on the display.
  • Page 28 g. When the pair of elevation readings matches, check the azimuth readings again to ensure that they were not altered during elevation adjustment. Make any adjustments as necessary. h. Lock down the azimuth using a socket wrench with an extension. i.

  • Page 29: Attaching Squinter Types B And C

    Attaching Squinter types B and C a. To attach squinter types B and C, place the squinter on the feed horn, making sure that the four keys around the perimeter of the feed horn fit inside the corresponding grooves on the inside edge of the squinter, as shown in Figure 11.
  • Page 30 d. Remove the squinter from the feed horn, rotate it 180 degrees to the opposite azimuth position, and replace it on the feed horn, again making sure that the four grooves fit over the feed horn keys. e. Wait for the SQF reading to settle on a value and check the reading at this position.
  • Page 31 o. Lock down the elevation. After lockdown, the two azimuth readings and the two elevation readings should be within 15 points of each other. p. When finished, press Advance. The DAPT display should read: When the FindSys done message appears, proceed to to step 2, below.
  • Page 32 If, however, final cell selection has not yet been performed, or if the registration megaframe initialization packet (MIP) has not been received, the DAPT may instead display the following message: where X is a number from 1 to 7. This message indicates that the IDU is checking the installation parameters for specific information.

  • Page 33: Pointing Validation

    Pointing validation During the pointing validation phase, you will record the final dither readings and compare them to pointing accuracy thresholds. The DAPT walks you through this process, displaying the appropriate squinter position to use for each step. Note: Because you will be close to the feed horn when adjusting the squinter during the pointing validation tests, it is likely that the beacon signal will be lost for short periods of time.
  • Page 34 When the reading is complete, the DAPT display reads: 3. Rotate the squinter 180 degrees to the opposite azimuth position and press Advance. The DAPT display reads Wait AZ2 while the IDU records the second azimuth reading. (This process could take up to 15 seconds.) When the difference between the pair of azimuth measurements is within 15 SQF points, the test will pass and...
  • Page 35 6. Rotate the squinter 180 degrees to the opposite elevation position and press Advance. The DAPT display reads Wait EL2 while the IDU records the second elevation reading. (This process could take up to 15 seconds.) When the difference between the pair of elevation measurements is within 15 SQF points, the test will pass and the DAPT display will read: Note: If the elevation test fails, press Back to return to the...
  • Page 36 If you press Advance, the DAPT prompts you for confirmation that you want to save the results, with the message: Note: Do not disconnect the DAPT until instructed to do so. Disconnecting the DAPT prematurely could cause a loss of all stored data, invalidating the entire pointing process.

  • Page 37: Weatherproofing The Cable Connectors

    You may also see: This message indicates that the satellite modem is downloading necessary software. If you see this message, you must wait until the download process completes and the Pointing done message appears, followed by the IFL voltage. Do not disconnect the DAPT until the IFL voltage appears.

  • Page 38: Troubleshooting

    Troubleshooting The procedures above outlines the basic pointing process. Should the DAPT display an error message or if you receive unexpected results, use the information in Table 4 below to help you diagnose and resolve the problem. If following the procedures outlined below does not resolve the problem, contact Installer Support.
  • Page 39 Table 4: DAPT display messages Symptom Indication Corrective Action Find Sys If the satellite modem enters this phase before In this phase, you must wait for the satellite Status X pointing was completed, use the Back button modem IDU to finish a task. (1) to return to Point mode.
  • Page 40 Chapter 2 • Pointing the antenna 1037663-0001 Revision A...

  • Page 41: Acronyms And Abbreviations

    Acronyms and abbreviations Az – Azimuth ODU – Outdoor unit DAPT – DiSEqC antenna pointing tool RF – Radio frequency dB – decibels RHCP – Right-hand circular polarization DiSEqC – Digital satellite equipment control Rx – Receive El – Elevation SNR –...
  • Page 42 • Acronyms and abbreviations 1037663-0001 Revision A...

  • Page 43: Index

    Index fine pointing description azimuth overview adjusting 17–24 procedure determining coordinates measuring description beacon lock using 25, 31 beacon signal losing 7, 13, 29, 31 IFL cables voltage cables initial satellite acquisition approved types and maximum lengths 4, 8 installation parameters, entering 7, 13, 14, 29, 31 See also LUI cell selection...
  • Page 44 satellite acquisition 14, 25, 29, 31 satellite modem 5, 14 scintillation squinters 18, 21 attaching description 3, 18 types 5, 17 using 1, 25–29 validation • Index 1037663-0001 Revision A...

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