User's Manual

RLX2 Series ♦ 802.11a, b, g, n Installing the Radios
Industrial Hotspots User Manual
4.1 Connecting antennas
Each radio must have an antenna connected to the Main antenna port on the
RLX2 radio; without an antenna for each radio, the network will not function if the
radios are more than a few meters apart.
All antennas for radios that communicate directly with each other should be
mounted so they have the same antenna polarity. Small antennas with a reverse-
polarity SMA connector can be mounted directly on the radio. Screw the antenna
onto the antenna port connector until it is snug.
Larger antennas and antennas that do not have a reverse-gender SMA
connector must be mounted separately and connected to the radio using a
coaxial antenna cable. Because the antenna cable attenuates the RF signal, use
an antenna cable length that is no longer than necessary to ensure optimum
performance.
Important: If the radio is to be used in a hazardous location, the radio must be mounted in an
enclosure approved for hazardous locations. The radio requires a separate cable connection to the
SMA connector that leads to an internal antenna.
4.2 Test the Network Installation Plan
Test proposed installations before finalizing the installation.
After the network and radios are configured:
 Install the Master radio in its proposed permanent location
 Cable the Configuration PC to the Master radio
 Place the Remote radios in their proposed locations
 Temporarily place each radio's antenna near its proposed mounting location.
The temporary placement of the antenna can be by hand. However, one
person must hold the antenna while the other person monitors the Remote
radio's signal strength displayed on the Configuration PC.
To improve the signal quality of each Remote radio:
 Increase the height of the antenna's placement
 Use higher-gain antennas
 Increase the radio's transmission power, cable the radio to the Configuration
PC, and reconfigure it
 Select a new location for the Remote radio and/or its antenna
 Decrease the length of antenna cable
 Determine and resolve sources of "electrical" noise which may be interfering
with the radio transmission
 Add a repeater between the radios that are not communicating, or
reconfigure an existing radio as a repeater if line of sight is available
ProSoft Technology, Inc. Page 39 of 161
November 29, 2012