ADTRAN TRACER 4106 Plan A System Manual

Also see for TRACER 4106: Quick reference guide Quick reference guide

Section 2 Microwave Path Engineering Basics TRACER 4106/4206 System Manual18 © 2004 ADTRAN, Inc. 612804206L2-1ACarrier Wavelength (λ)The carrier wavelength is the physical wavelength of the main RF carrier being used for communication,and is usually approximated at the center frequency of the band (which is 2441.75 MHz for theTRACER 4106 and 5787.5 MHz for the TRACER 4206). The carrier wavelength calculations follow:λ = c / f (meters)wherec = speed of light (in meters)f = frequency (in Hz)resulting in the following carrier wavelength (at 5787.5 MHz):λ = 3.00 x 10¯8 / 5787.5 x 10 5= 0.0518 m or 5.18 cmPath Distance (d)The path distance is simply the physical distance between the transmit and receive antennas. For theTRACER 4106/4206, these distances can range up to 30 miles.System Losses (L)System losses are defined by RF coaxial cable loss, connector losses, and losses added from any additionallightning protection devices for the power budget analysis. Coaxial cable is required to attach theTRACER 4106/4206 to the antenna. The length of the cable varies from a few feet to hundreds of feet,depending upon your application and the proximity of the TRACER 4106/4206 to the antenna. Variousgrades of coaxial cable will work sufficiently well for connecting the TRACER 4106/4206 unit to theantenna. A low-loss coaxial cable will minimize cable losses.One end of the coaxial cable requires an N-type male connector (plug) to mate with theTRACER 4106/4206 unit. The other end of the coaxial cable requires a connector compatible withthe antenna chosen for the installation (usually an N-type male connector). Additionally, ADTRANrecommends that the outdoor connector on the coaxial cable be weatherproofed to prevent corrosionand electrical shorting.In areas where lightning strikes are frequent, a lightning arrestor should be installeddirectly on the antenna coaxial cable. Installing lightning arrestors helps protect theRF electronics in the downstream path from damaging voltages and currents(including the TRACER 4106/4206 unit).