User's Manual

Altai A8n (ac) Series Super WiFi Base Station

Installation Guide

Weatherproofing A8n (ac) Series Radio

Antenna

Introduction

Sealing materials are applied to outdoor antenna connectors to

accomplish several goals. First and foremost is to prevent water from

entering the connector. The second reason is to protect the connector

from gradual degradation due to UV radiation and pollution. Sunlight

and weather will oxidize metal surfaces and cause DC resistance to

increase on exposed mating surfaces. It is true that the RF cable

connectors are supposed to be weatherproof, but if left exposed to

weather conditions, they will tarnish and start to look rather ugly in a

short time. A good taping job will also prevent the RF cable connectors

from loosening up, which is a common occurrence for RF cables

exposed to vibration and strong winds.

We recommend the following sealing materials for weatherproofing

the antenna connectors:

1. High-quality, all-weather, black plastic electrical tape, preferably

3/4” (19mm) wide to make it easier to manipulate the tape around

the A8n (ac) Series BTS radio antenna ports. An RF port is often first

wrapped with a layer of electrical tape to make it easier to remove

the butyl rubber layer. In addition, one or more layers of electrical

tape are used as a final outer wrap to provide UV protection. We

recommend the 3M Scotch Super 88 Vinyl Electrical Tape for this

purpose.

2. High-quality, all-weather, black butyl rubber tape, preferably 3/4”

(19mm) wide to make it easier to manipulate the tape around the

A8n (ac) series BTS radio antenna ports. Butyl rubber tape is self-

amalgamating - it chemically bonds to itself, forming a strong,

waterproof joint. A layer of butyl rubber tape is applied around a

connector joint to provide a weatherproof seal, often on top of a

layer of electrical tape. We recommend the Andrew Corporation

butyl rubber tape for this purpose.