Basic Installation Guide

June 2008 www.thenext.africa

 Mounting to prevent RF Energy Exposure

Observe these precautions to avoid

exposure to RF radiation, a potential

- The antenna must be installed in a location

not readily accessible to children and
prevents exposure to potentially harmful
levels of radiation.

- Antennas must be installed such that the

height of the antenna is at least 5 feet from
bottom lip of reflector to the ground or
surface upon which a person might be
expected to stand

- To ensure installer safety, when transmitter

is active, pointing should be performed from
behind antenna

June 2008 www.thenext.africa

 Mounting to prevent RF Energy
Exposure (Cont.)
Observe these precautions to avoid
exposure to RF radiation, a potential

- If the distance requirements cannot be met,

the antenna must be mounted in a controlled
area inaccessible to the general public, such
as a roof.

- If the transmitter is operational, maintain a

safe distance; at least 3 feet 3inches from the
edge of the antenna or 6 feet 7 inches from
the arm.

- Do not mount near windows or walkways.

Failure to observe these cautions could result
in injury to eyes or other personal injury.

June 2008 www.thenext.africa

 Safety Guidelines - Falling

Only certified installers may install or service antennas and their components.

- If you work on a roof or use a ladder to access the work site, follow these precautions
to prevent personal injury or death:

• Walk only on sound roof structures.

• Make sure the antenna assembly and installation surface are structurally sound so
that they can support all loads (equipment weight, ice, and wind).
• Use safety equipment (for example, a lifeline) appropriate for the work location.
• Follow all manufacturer safety precautions for all safety and other equipment used.
• Perform as many procedures as possible on the ground.

June 2008 www.thenext.africa

 Safety Guidelines on Falling and Electric
Shock
Wind causing Loss of Balance
• Do not attempt to assemble, move, or mount the antenna on a windy day. Even a
slight wind can unexpectedly create sudden strong forces on the antenna surface.
• If the antenna begins to fall during the installation, do not attempt to catch it, let it
fall.
• Antennas that have been improperly installed or attached to an unstable structure
can be very serious or even life threatening.
• The installer assume full responsibility that the installation is structurally sound to
support all loads (weight, wind, and ice) and is properly sealed against leaks.
Electric Shock
• To avoid electric shock, stay at least 20 feet from power lines.
• If any part of the antenna or mount assembly comes in contact with a power line,
call the local power company to remove it. Do not try to remove it yourself.
• For pole mount installations, be sure to have the area marked for digging by utility
company before digging.
• Do not work in high wind or rain; or if a storm, lightning, or other adverse weather
conditions are either present or approaching.

June 2008 www.thenext.africa

 Standard Installation

• The antenna is required to be mounted at a height not less than 5 feet from bottom lip of
reflector to the ground or walking surface
• 5 mount types are approved: Trimast wall or roof mount, pole, deck post, and non
penetrating roof mount
• Includes up to 125ft of Solid copper RG-6 cable with messenger wire and an adequate
service loop is required on back of the antenna.
• Antennas cannot be mounted to these surfaces regardless of mount type:
o Stucco, metal, brick, slate, tile, cedar, or aluminum, sheet metal, metal roof,
asbestos, or vinyl siding, chimneys, trees, telephone posts, fences, or free standing
wooden post. Use the provided outdoor connections and ground block on new
installs, upgrades and repairs per Hughes guidelines.
• A pole or non penetrating roof mount should be used only if the location does not have
other approved options. Pole mounts include up to 25ft of soft ground trenching.
• The antenna must be grounded to an NEC-approved bonding point.
• The installer will connect the modem and assist in activating the customer’s account on
the customer’s computer.
• The installer will collect his tools and clean up any empty boxes or debris from the
installation site

June 2008 www.thenext.africa

 Standard Consumer Installation Includes

Antenna Location
• Antennas cannot be mounted to these surfaces regardless of mount type:
o Stucco, asbestos, aluminum or vinyl siding
o Metal siding
o Brick or brick fascia
o Slate, Cedar, Metal/Sheet metal or Tile roof
o chimneys, trees, telephone posts, fences, or free standing wooden post.
• A pole or non penetrating roof mount should be used only if the location does not have other
approved options.
o Pole mounts include up to 25ft of soft ground trenching.
• Use approved connectors and ground block on new installs, upgrades and repairs.
• Grounding the antenna to a ground point to an NEC-approved bonding point.
• The installer will connect the modem to the customer’s computer
• Assist the customer in activating the customer’s account.
• The installer will collect his tools and clean up any empty boxes or debris from the installation
site.

June 2008 www.thenext.africa

1. Installer obtains Installation Reference Sheet (IRS), runs Site Location Verification Tool
(SLVT), gathers necessary software and tools, and arrives onsite
2. Conduct on-site survey, discuss install options with customer
3. Assemble the antenna, install mount on approved surface, install cable and ground
the system
4. Commission satellite modem through web browser
5. Coarse point (peaking) and fine point antenna (squinting)
6. Verify modem software download and operational status
7. Use On-site Validation Tool (OVT)
8. Complete Installation Reference Sheet (IRS)
9. Installer departs site and reports back to service provider

June 2008 www.thenext.africa

A Site Survey consists of:
•Unobstructed line of site to satellite
•Antenna Placement
•Modem Placement
•Determining grounding placement
•Determining cable runs
•Customer considerations

June 2008 www.thenext.africa

 Site Survey -Satellite Modem Placement

• HT2000 & HT 2200 Modems use

convection cooling and require
ventilation space of approximately 6
inches on each side.
• Modems should be located in an area
that ensures the wireless features have
adequate coverage.
• Do not place modem inside an enclosure
or cabinet, upon its side, or near heat
source.
• Modems should only placed in
environments between 0°C to 50°C.
(above 5000 feet maximum temperature
is reduced by 1degree per 1000 feet).
• Operating humidity range is 5% to 90%
non-condencing

June 2008 www.thenext.africa

 Test the Outlet before Starting the
Installation

Power source
• Before connecting the modem power supply to the AC power
source, use an AC outlet tester to verify that the outlet is wired
correctly.

Wiring problems may include:

• Hot and neutral wires reversed
• Neutral and ground wires reversed
• Open ground (incomplete connection)

Open neutral (incomplete connection)

• If the outlet is wired improperly, notify the customer you are not
permitted to connect the system to a faulty outlet. Do not proceed
with installation until a properly wired outlet is provided.

June 2008 www.thenext.africa

 Test the Outlet before Starting Installation

Check neutral-ground (N-G) voltage

1.With a digital multi-meter, set to AC voltage,

measure the voltage between neutral and
ground at the AC power outlet.
2.If the N-G voltage measures 2 VAC or greater,
advise the customer to have an electrician
evaluate the electrical power outlet.
3.N-G voltages may have a negative impact on
the performance of electronic equipment.
4.Ground HughesNet system (modem,
antenna, radio, and IFL), adhering strictly to
HughesNet grounding requirements.

June 2008 www.thenext.africa

• Trusses or rafters must be spaced from 16 inches to 24 inches apart
on center.
• The roof surface must consist of relatively thin, resilient materials,
such as asphalt or composite shingles, sheet metal, or similar
materials, over wood sheathing with a thickness that must not
exceed ¾ inch.
• A satellite antenna cannot be installed on slate roofs or Spanish tile
roofing made of clay or other brittle materials.
• The roof pitch (also called slope) must be between 3:12 and 12:12.
• Center hole lag screws must be centered in the truss or rafter.
• The wood-frame roof interior must be unfinished so that placement
of lag screws can be verified and the roof reinforced if necessary.
• The minimum size for roof truss members is 2 inches ×4 inches. Roof
rafters must be nominal 2×material (such as 2 inches ×4 inches or 2
inch ×. 6 inch)
• Large timber roofs with frequent spacing of members are also
permitted. These are constructed of wood members larger than the
nominal 2×sizes, and include post and beam structures with
members from 4 inches ×4 inches and larger. The members cannot
be spaced more than 24 inches on center. Their physical properties
must match or exceed those of Spruce-Pine-Fir No. 2

June 2008 www.thenext.africa

 Approved Roof Mount for 0.74m Antenna

• Struts and mast foot lag screws

must be centered in the truss or
rafters.
• The roof surface must consist of
relatively thin, resilient materials,
such as asphalt or composite
shingles over wood sheathing with
a thickness that must not exceed ¾
inch.
• Proper triangulation of tri-mast
mount should result in a triangle
where all sides are of similar size.
• Antenna may be installed facing up
or down the slope of the roof as
long as it has proper triangulation.

June 2008 www.thenext.africa

Wall Mount
• Verify mast is plumb
• Use tri-mast
• Mount mast so bottom of
reflector is at least five feet
above ground
• Secure all mounting points of
the tri-mast in studs on wood
construction
• Foot must be at least 12
inches from discontinuous
surface to allow room for

June 2008 www.thenext.africa

 Approved Pole Mount Specifications

June 2008 www.thenext.africa

 Installing Pole in Concrete with Anti-Spin

Secure with anti-spin option, install the

pole, plumb, and pour concrete, as
follows:
• Place the pole in the 9 inch
diameter hole so that the length of
the pole is 30 inches below the
ground.
• If you dig deeper than 30 inches, fill
up the space between the bottom
of the hole and the bottom of the
pole with concrete and then place
the pole, as shown in figure on
right.

In extremely wet conditions, additional

posts may be needed to maintain pole
level for 24 hrs.

June 2008 www.thenext.africa

 Installing Pole in Concrete (Cont.)

• With a carpenter’s bubble level,

plumb the pole along its sides. Use
at least two different locations at
right angles to each other, as
shown on bottom right.
• Prepare the standard concrete,
quick-drying concrete according to
the manufacturer’s directions.
• Fill the hole with concrete allowing
it to dry according to the
manufacturer’s instructions before
installing the antenna.
• Before the concrete hardens,
confirm that the pole is still plumb
and adjust it if necessary.

June 2008 www.thenext.africa

• Non-penetrating mount installation
includes:
o Mount base
o Ballast
o Rubber pad
• Installer should refer to the antenna
installation manual or manufacturer
specifications to determine the
amount of ballast needed
• Non-Pen mount cannot be used for
mobile or temporary installations.
Must be in location with restricted
access
• For more information regarding non-
pen installations please refer to
“Antenna Site Preparation and Mount
Installation Guide”

June 2008 www.thenext.africa

• Solid copper dual RG6, RG11, and
any other approved cable type is
required on all installations
• A minimum of 25ft of cable must be
used between the antenna and
modem
• A 10ft service loop on back of
antenna and 10ft service loop at
modem is required on all
installations
• #17 Messenger wire may be used to
ground from antenna to ground
block

June 2008 www.thenext.africa

 RG 6 Type Quad Shield Non-Plenum
Satellite Coaxial Cable, (305 ft)

June 2008 www.thenext.africa

 RG-11 Type with solid copper center
conductor coaxial cable, (593 ft)

June 2008 www.thenext.africa

June 2008 www.thenext.africa
• All F-connectors must be
compression type
• Radio connectors must be protected
by wrapping them with
weatherproof tape such as GB
Electronics silicone tape
• Wrap the connector and cable with
weatherproofing tape and secure
the tape with a cable tie
• Tape and cable ties must be
resistant to UV rays

June 2008 www.thenext.africa

• Country codes require grounding
of all receive and transmitting
antennas
• Static electricity may cause
damage to satellite modem and
computer
• Improperly grounded systems or
improperly wired AC outlets may
damage the satellite modem

June 2008 www.thenext.africa

Use the double nut and bolt in the elevation slot
Attach the messenger wire or green insulated ground wire around the bolt or use a ring
lug connector for the wire size being used and crimp with the correct crimp tool (No
channel locks or pliers)
Do not attach the messenger wire to any part of the radio (as it is grounded by the cable)
#17 messenger wire as part of dual RG6 cable can be used as ground from antenna to
ground block

June 2008 www.thenext.africa

 123

• If a ground block is installed

outdoors, it must be inside a
weather resistant enclosure
or have each connector
covered with a full length
weather boot that has been
filled with dielectric grease
• Indoor ground blocks and
outdoor ground blocks
installed inside an
enclosure, do not require
silicone tape
• All cables must be secured
using suitable methods and
materials
• Concepts apply to both
single and dual-IFL
configurations
• All indoor and outdoor
installed ground blocks are
required to have drip
loops/service loops.

June 2008 www.thenext.africa

 Approved Grounding Location

June 2008 www.thenext.africa

All grounding must meet the following requirements:
1. All outdoor F-connectors threads must be coated with dielectric grease before
connecting them to the radio or ground block. Radio connectors must also be wrapped
with a weatherproof tape such as GB Electronics silicone tape or covered with a full
length weather boot that has been filled with dielectric grease.

NOTE: Connectors installed indoors or in an enclosure, do not need to be protected

with a weather boot or tape

2. Tighten Radio & ground block connectors to 20 in./lb. with a torque wrench such as
the Ripley TW 207-AH-B

CAUTION: Do not wrench tighten indoor unit connectors. Finger tighten only, snug with
no play

June 2008 www.thenext.africa

 Purchase approved grounding parts from
authorized distributor

June 2008 www.thenext.africa

• X SAT is Dubai based company since 2002 (JAFZA License No 3568) operating across Middle East,

Africa, CIS, Americas, Southern Asia and Far East

• Company’s operation profile includes providing a wide range of telecom and IT services for

individuals, SME, Government, Military, Corporations, Media, NGOs

Contact us:

+971 4 886 5224 or hello@thenext.africa

www.thenext.africa/ www.xsat.global

June 2008 www.thenext.africa