Becker Smart Com 450 Leaky Feeder

Training Manual
V5.14

0.1 150 MHz or 450 MHz?

Smart Com 150 is well suited for hard-rock mines where

lateral coverage from the LF cable is not critical.
Smart Com 450 is better suited to room and pillar or
longwall mines as the signal propagates up to 4x better.
UHF cable costs approximately 300% more than VHF,
however the increased coverage may result in a more
attractive solution.

Table of Contents

1.0 Two-Way Radio Basics

2.0 Leaky Feeder Concept
3.0 RF Power Measurement
4.0 System Layout
5.0 Splitter Installation
6.0 Amplifier Spacing
7.0 Base Station Installation
8.0 LF Cable Installation
9.0 Passive Component Installation
10.0 Amplifier Installation
11.0 DC Supply Installation
12.0 Troubleshooting
13.0 Maintenance
Contact Information

1.0 Two-Way Radio Basics

1.1
1.2
1.3
1.4
1.5

Two-Way Radio
Simplex Radio System
Half-Duplex Radio
Leaky Feeder is.?
Real Time Communications

1.1 Two-Way Radio

VHF/UHF Radios are available as stationary (base),

hand-held (portable), vehicle-mounted (mobile),
integrated with cap lamp batteries or radio-modem (data
applications).
Radios support multiple channels and can be configured
to interface with telephone systems.
Trunked voice radio is cost-competitive when 200 or
more radios are used on-site. Trunked systems also
provide private voice conversations.

1.2 Simplex Radio System

VHF
150 MHz TX
150 MHz RX
UHF
455 MHz TX
455 MHz RX

VHF
150 MHz TX
150 MHz RX
UHF
455 MHz TX
455 MHz RX

Transmit (TX) and Receive (RX)

frequencies are the same.
UHF is a good choice for room &
pillar type mines.
Line of sight communication (LOS):

1.3 Half-Duplex Radio

Obstructions or extreme distances between the radios will

prevent simplex radio from working. To remedy this a
Repeater is added to create a half duplex communication
network.
Repeater
170 MHz RX
150 MHz TX

Radio #2

Radio #1

PTT

150 MHz RX

150 MHz RX

170 MHz TX

170 MHz TX

Mountain

1.4 Leaky Feeder is?

Leaky Feeder cable runs along tunnels and emits and

receives radio signals. The cable is leaky since it has
gaps or slots in its outer shielding to allow signal to leak
into or out of the cable along it's entire length.

Radio Receive
150 MHz VHF
475 MHz UHF

Radio Transmit
170 MHz VHF
455 MHz UHF

1.5 Real Time Communications

Leaky Feeder acts like a long antenna, connecting Radios

to Repeaters.

2.0 Leaky Feeder Concept

2.1 Leaky Feeder Highway

2.2 Leaky Feeder RF Spectrum
2.2.1 Smart Com 150 Band pass
2.2.2 Becker Smart Com 150 Band pass
2.2.3 Smart Com 450 Band pass
2.3 Data - Smart Com + Ethernet
2.4 Data - Low Speed, Mine-Wide Data

2.1 Leaky Feeder Highway

Leaky Feeder is analogous to a

divided, multi-lane highway.
A single highway (cable) carries
several lanes of traffic
(channels) in opposite directions
(band-pass) with a median
(guard band) between them to
prevent collisions.

2.2 Leaky Feeder RF Spectrum

Base Station & Repeaters

Downstream
Downstream channels
are connected directly to
Repeater transmitter,
thus all channels are at
same strong RF power.

Upstream
Guard Band

Downstream channels
drive Local Diagnostic
LEDs.

Frequency

Upstream signals are

at different RF power
depending (mainly)
on distance between
U/G radio and LF
cable

2.2.3 Smart Com 450 Band pass

8 Channels Voice/Data
All Downstream radio
signals are at same RF
power

8 Channels Voice/Data

RF Power

Upstream signals are at

different RF power
depending (mainly) on
distance from cable.

Upstream
Ethernet
20-42 MHz

Downstream
Ethernet
140-185 MHz

Upstream
Voice
450-455

Guard Band

Base Station & Repeaters

Downstream
Voice
475-480

Frequency

Note: Opposite to Smart Com 150, Smart Com 450 Upstream is the lower frequency.

Smart Com 450 Band pass

Downstream Signals
475-480 MHz

Upstream Signals
450-455 MHz

2.3 Data Smart Com + Ethernet

Connect industry standard cable modems to

Smart Com to provide 54 Mbps Ethernet
hotspots.
Connect standard Ethernet equipment including
wireless networking equipment.
VOIP Handset

SP2

CMI

Cable
Modem

WLAN
IP Camera

Non-Intrinsically Safe
equipment

PC

2.4 Data Low Speed, Mine-Wide Data

1.

Low-speed (9600 bps) wireless networks can run over Leaky Feeder.

2.

Master Radio Modem in Base Station is connected to main PC/PLC.

3.

Slave units are connected to PLCs or RTUs.

3.0 RF Power Measurement

3.1
3.2
3.3
3.4

Relative Measurements
Decibels: dB and dBm
Gain and Loss using dBs
dBs and Power

3.1 Relative Measurements

+25C
0C
-25C

Temperature units are C.

Reference level is 0 C.
All temperatures are relative,
the numbers just indicate
higher/lower than reference
level of 0 C.

3.2 Decibels: dB and dBm

dBs are ratios of RF power levels that simplify

calculations of RF loss and gain.
Calculating power level differences in dB works
just like calculating temperature differences in
C.
dBm is a measurement of the absolute power,
not a power ratio. Power can be expressed as
Watts, dBm and volts, but dBm and dBs work
together to make things easy. No kidding.

3.3 Gain and Loss using dBs

Gain or loss is the difference between output and input in
dBm and the result is expressed in decibels (dB).
What is RF loss through 100 m LF cable?

-4 dBm -0 dBm = -4 dB
100 meters of Smart Com
150/150IS Leaky Feeder
cable has 4 dB loss.

Output RF power -4 dBm

Input RF power 0 dBm

What is the gain of the LF amplifier?

+4 dBm (-20 dBm) = +24 dB
Input RF power -20 dBm
Output RF power +4 dBm

Leaky Feeder amplifier provides

24 dB gain.

3.4 dBs and Power

Decibels are logarithmic. Increasing a signal by 3 dB

doubles the power, decreasing a signal by 3 dB cuts the
power in half. An increase of 10 dB is 10x the power.
Gain/
Loss

+3 dB

+ 6 dB

+10 dB

-10 dBm -6 dBm -3 dBm 0 dBm

3 dBm

6 dBm

10 dBm

2x

4x

10x

-10 dB

1/10

-6 dB

1/4

-3 dB

1/2

Power

4.0 System Layout

4.1
4.2
4.3
4.4
4.5
4.6
4.7
4.8

Base Station Location

LF Cable Layout
System Layout Example
Smart Com 150 Gains/Losses
Smart Com 150IS Gains/Losses
Smart Com 450 Gains/Losses
Smart Com 150IS System Layout
Smart Com 150IS System Notes

4.1 Base Station Location

IS Systems:
Must be installed on surface (Safe Area).
Non-IS Systems:
Non-IS Systems can benefit from the Base Station
installed underground as all four Head End branches
may be used. This reduces the requirement for U/G
DC supplies and also provides a form of redundancy.
Another benefit of U/G Base Stations is that it
reduces the number of amplifiers in cascade and
thus the noise floor.

4.2 LF Cable Layout

LF cable must be installed wherever communications is

required.
Allow for 10% extra cable when laying system out to
accommodate for drip loops and cable slack.
Each cable run must be terminated by either a
Termination Unit or Stope Antenna.
Stope Antennas increase coverage by up to 200-300%
to provide coverage into stopes and other areas where
cable damage is likely.

4.3 System Layout Example

4.6 Smart Com 450 Gains/Losses

5.0 Splitter Installation

5.1
5.2
5.3
5.4

Smart Com 150/150IS SP2 Splitters

Smart Com 150/150IS SP3 Splitters
Smart Com 450 SP2 Splitters
Smart Com 450 SP3 Splitters

5.3 Smart Com 450 SP2 Splitters

Smart Com 450 SP2 splitters split the power

into two equal branches.
>OUT:

Input
100%

1 50%
IN>

SP2
2 50%

>OUT:

280m
3m

-70m
210m

-70m
+350m

-4 dB
-70m/-230ft

-70m
-70m

210m

-4 dB
-70m/-230ft

5.4 Smart Com 450 SP3 Splitters

Smart Com 450 SP3 splitters have all higher

loss branches.
>OUT:

Input
100%

1 33%

>OUT:

IN>

SP3
33% 3

>OUT:

2 33%
230m
3m

-120m
-120m

+350m

-120m

-7 dB
-120m/-395ft

230m

230m

-7 dB
-120m/-395ft

-7 dB
-120m/-395ft

6.0 Amplifier Spacing

6.1 Amplifier Spacing

6.2 500m vs 350m Spacing
6.3 150/150IS Amplifier Spacing, Example 1
6.4 150/150IS Amplifier Spacing, Example 2
6.5 150/150IS Amplifier Spacing, Example 3
6.6 150/150IS Amplifier Spacing, Example 4
6.7 150/150IS Amplifier Spacing, Example 5
6.8 450 Amplifier Spacing, Example 1
6.9 450 Amplifier Spacing, Example 2
6.10 450 Amplifier Spacing, Example 3
6.11 450 Amplifier Spacing, Example 4
6.12 450 Amplifier Spacing, Example 5
6.13 Smart Com 150/150IS Amplifier Spacing Quiz

6.1 Amplifier Spacing

Line Amplifiers are installed to compensate for cable and

splitting losses.
Maximum
Amplifier
Gain (dB)

Amplifier
Spacing

Cable Loss at
highest
frequency

Reserve
Gain (dB)

Smart Com
150/150IS
(RNG-AMP,
RIS-AMP, BSCAMP)

28

500 m
1650 feet

23 dB/500 m

Smart Com 450

(450-AMP)

25

350 m
1150 feet

21 dB/350 m

RNG-AMP and RIS-AMP line amplifiers require first amplifier on

each Head End branch be spaced 350 m from Head End! BSCAMP amplifiers can be spaced 500m from head end.

6.2 500m vs 350m Spacing

500 meter spacing

Smart Com 150/150IS.

All other LF systems have 350 meter

350 meter spacing

Smart Com 450.
amplifier
spacing.
All other LF
competitors.

6.8 450 Amplifier Spacing, Example 1

280 meters

+350 Meters
3m

210 meters

450-AMP

3m

210 meters
230 meters

+350 Meters
3m

230 meters
450-AMP

230 meters
450-AMP

6.9 450 Amplifier Spacing, Example 2

280 meters

+350 Meters
3m

450-AMP

160 meters
3m

160 meters
160 meters
450-AMP

6.10 450 Amplifier Spacing, Example 3

180 meters

+350 Meters
100m

60 meters
450-AMP

3m

60 meters
60 meters
450-AMP

6.11 450 Amplifier Spacing, Example 4

280 meters

+350 Meters
3m

450-AMP

60 meters
100m

60 meters
60 meters
450-AMP

6.12 450 Amplifier Spacing, Example 5

180 meters

+350 Meters
100m

450-AMP

-40 meters
100m

-40 meters
-40 meters
450-AMP

7.0 Base Station Installation

7.1
7.2
7.3
7.4
7.5
7.6

What is a Base Station?

Typical Smart Com 150 Base Station Schematic
Base Station Location
Smart Com 150 Base Station RF Flow
Leaky Feeder Head End
Smart Com 150 Head Ends
7.6.1 RNG-Hxx Head End
7.6.2 BSC-HE Head End
7.6.3 RNG-Hxx Head End Indications and Controls
7.6.4 BSC-HE Head End Indications and Controls
7.6.5 RNG-Hxx RF Distribution
7.6.6 BSC-HE RF Distribution
7.6.7 RNG-Hxx Remote Diagnostic Connections
7.6.8 BSC-HE Remote Diagnostic Connections
7.6.9 Smart Com 150 Downstream RNG-Hxx
7.6.10 Smart Com 150 Downstream BSC-HE
7.6.11 Smart Com 150 Channel Plan
7.7 Smart Com 450 Head End
7.7.1 Smart Com 450 Head End Indications
7.7.2 Smart Com 450 RF Distribution
7.7.3 Smart Com 450 Remote Diagnostics
7.7.4 Smart Com 450 Channel Plan
7.8 Base Station Power Supplies
7.9 Voice Repeaters
7.10 Telephone Interconnects

7.1 What is a Base Station?

Its the brains of the Leaky Feeder

network, housed in a 19 rack-mount
cabinet.
Inside the Base Station are the
interfaces to the Leaky Feeder network:

Leaky Feeder Head End

RF Distribution
Power Supplies
Radio Repeaters, surface coverage
antennas
CMTS
CMTSI (RNG-Hxx head end only if needed)
Server PC
Mine Pager Phone Interconnect
Telephone Interconnect

7.3 Base Station Location

Base Stations for Intrinsically Safe systems need

to be on surface (Safe Area).
Dry, heated area with reliable, clean AC power.
If located outdoors a climate controlled NEMA
4/4X enclosure is required.
Base Station should be placed so that access to
both front and rear doors is possible.
LF cables can enter Base Station cabinet
through top of cabinet or through access panel
on bottom of cabinet. Cable glands required to
maintain NEMA rating of cabinet.

7.5 Leaky Feeder Head End

The Head End is the interface between Base

Station equipment such as Repeaters and the
Leaky Feeder cables.
The Head End unit also injects DC power onto
the Leaky Feeder cable to power the LF Line
Amplifiers.

7.7 Smart Com 450 Head End

The Smart Com 450 system head end provides connection to

8 Tx/Rx channels. The head end does not pass DC voltage
onto the Leaky Feeder network or provide pre-amplification.

Front View, 3U high

Insertion Loss
CMTS Upstream (20-42 MHz)

14 dB

CMTS Downstream (140-185 MHz)

14 dB

Voice Upstream (450-455 MHz)

22 dB

Voice Downstream (475-480 MHz)

35 dB

7.7.1 Smart Com 450 Head End Indications

Front panel LEDs

show the remote
diagnostics state.

Downstream
LED should
always be ON.

Downstream LED
ON = Pilot ON,
Upstream LED ON
= Amplifier data
being received.
These LEDs can be
used to calibrate a
single Tx channel at a
time, all other Tx ports
must be properly
terminated during the
test.

Enclosure Front LEDs

Once the Tx channel

is connected, adjust
the signal level so
the green OK LED is
lit.
High LED: > 31 dBm
Enclosure Back LEDs

OK LED: <=31 dBm,

>= 28 dBm
LO LED: < 28 dBm

7.7.2 Smart Com 450 RF Distribution

Voice Repeater Transmitter

CMTS
Rack Mount Server
Down: -9 dBm
Up: -39 dBm

Voice: -5 dBm
CMTS Downstream: -21 dBm

Voice: 30 dBm

Pilot: -25 dBm

CMTS Upstream: -23 dBm

RS232

7.7.3 Smart Com 450 Remote Diagnostics

Remote Diagnostics
Connection

Ensure Downstream Pilot is

active (front panel LEDs).
Connect serial crossover cable
between the Head End and the
server PC running the Remote
Diagnostic software.
Server polls each amplifier in the
system.

7.7.4 Smart Com 450 Channel Plan

7.8 Base Station Power Supplies

PS-110, PS-220

13.8 VDC, 40 Amp redundant

system (2 x 20A supplies).
Battery terminals to create
UPS. In-line fuse required
between battery and P/S
(supplied with RNG-BAT).
Voltage & Current Meter.
CSA certified.
Not CE certified.

CSA Certified.
CE certified.
Requires UPS.

PS-UNIV-CE

7.9 Voice Repeaters

One voice repeater is required for each voice channel.

Typically supplied by Varis Distributor.

RNG-RPT1
(one channel)

RNG-RPT5
(two channel)

7.10 Telephone Interconnects

INT-TEL

Telephone Interconnects connect a PABX telephone

line to a LF radio channel.
Enables one non-private telephone connection per
connected channel.
Radios must be equipped with DTMF keypads to
access the Telephone Interconnect.
Typically
supplied by Varis
Distributor

INT-TEL-CE

8.0 LF Cable Installation

8.1
8.2
8.3
8.4
8.5
8.6
8.7
8.8
8.9

LF Cable Installation Drift

LF Cable Installation Shaft
IS Leaky Feeder Installation
VHF LF Cable & Tools
UHF LF Cable & Tools
RNG-500 LF Cable Preparation
RCF12-50 LF Cable Preparation
Smart Com 150 Component Connection
Smart Com 450 Component Connection

8.5 UHF LF Cable & Tools

Smart Com 450 uses RCF12-50

LF cable.
50 ohm impedance.
Copper coated aluminum
center conductor, corrugated
copper jacket.
Cable reel sizes tbd,
depending on reel length.
Installation requires:
Hacksaw
RFS12-L cable preparation
tool (pictured)

8.7 RCF12-50 LF Cable Preparation

Cut the cable with a

hacksaw.
Follow RFS TRIM-12-L cable
preparation tool instructions.
Optionally, slide on heat
shrink tubing.
Install screw-on N-Type
connector.
Optionally, apply heat to
shrink tubing to seal
connector.

8.9 Smart Com 450 Component Connection

Amplifier and Splitter

connectors marked
HEADEND must be
connected to LF
cable coming from
Head End.

Torque nut to 1 Nm (8 inchlbs). Specific SMA-Type

torque wrenches available
from Tessco for connections.
Optionally, waterproof
connector with Heat Shrink.

9.0 Passive Component Installation

9.1
9.2
9.3
9.4
9.5
9.6
9.7

System Impedance
Two-way Splitter Installation
Three-way Splitter Installation
Termination Unit Installation
Stope Antenna Installation
Splice Unit Installation
Smart Com 150IS Barrier Unit Installation

9.1 System Impedance

Smart Com 150/150IS systems

characteristic impedance is 75 ohms.
Smart Com 450 systems characteristic
impedance is 50 ohms.
This impedance difference means you
cannot mix Smart Com 150/150IS and
Smart Com 450 components or cable in a
single network!

9.2 Two-Way Splitter Installation

RNG-SP2

H/E

RIS-SP2

H/E

UHF-SP2
H/E

Equivalent
LF cable
lengths
(loss) of
splitter
branches

Smart
Com
150/
150IS

Smart
Com
450

Branch 1, 2

100 m
(325)

70 m
(230)

Smart Com 150/150IS Splitters have jumpers that

can:
Terminate an unused/damaged branch.
Inject RF Only for runs of LF with no
amplifiers so that short circuits in the LF cable
will not bring down the system.

9.3 Three Way Splitter Installation

RIS-SP3

RNG-SP3
H/E
3

1
2

UHF-SP3

H/E

H/E

Equivalent LF cable lengths

(loss) of splitter branches
Branch 1

Smart Com Smart Com

150/150IS
450
100 m (325) 120 m (395)

Branches 2 & 3

200 m (650) 120 m (395)

9.4 Termination Unit Installation

RNG-TER

RIS-TER

Termination Units are

required at the end of
each LF cable to absorb
RF signals, preventing
reflections and dead
zones.
UHF-TER

9.6 Splice Unit Installation

RNG-SPL

RIS-SPL

UHF-SPL

Splice Unit is used for cable

repairs.

Smart Com 150/

150IS
RNG-SPL
RIS-SPL
Smart Com 450
UHF-SPL

RF Loss
0.1 dB, 0 m

0.1 dB, 0 m

10.0 Amplifier Installation

10.1 Smart Com 150 Amplifier Installation

10.2 Smart Com 150IS Amplifier Installation
10.3 Smart Com 450 Amplifier Installation
10.4 The 3 Meter Rule
10.5 Amplifier Gain Control
10.6 Smart Com 150 Amplifier Local Diagnostics
10.7 Smart Com 450 Amplifier Local Diagnostics
10.8 Smart Com 150 Amplifier AGC
10.9 Smart Com 450 Amplifier AGC
10.10 Smart Com 150 Amplifier Manual Gain Control
10.11 Smart Com 450 Amplifier Manual Gain Control
10.12 Smart Com 150 Amplifier Remote Diagnostics
10.13 Smart Com 450 Amplifier Remote Diagnostics

10.3 Smart Com 450 Amplifier Installation

450-AMP

HEADEND
terminals connect
to the LF cable
coming from the
Base Station.
RF Level
Rotary switch
adjusts Gain if in
manual mode
Used to calibrate in
Manual gain mode.

Amplifier ID

Jumper is to select the

amplifiers mode, Automatic
or Manual. Automatic is
recommended.

10.5 Amplifier Gain Control

Amplifiers compensate for the RF (Radio Frequency) cable

and splitting losses in the cable run preceding it in the
Downstream direction.
RF High

RF Low

Amplifier Gain

RF OK

10.7 Smart Com 450 Amplifier Local Diagnostics

If there is no Pilot active then the Red (Low) LED

will be on.
Any LED lit means DC voltage
OK.
Amber LED indicates pilot level is
too high.
Green LED indicates pilot level is
OK. Green OK LED thresholds
are AGC or MGC-Calibrated: -4 to
-6 dBm, MGC with Calibrate PB
not pressed: -3 to -7 dBm.
Red LED indicates pilot level is
too low.

10.9 Smart Com 450 Amplifier AGC

Automatic gain control (AGC) is the recommended

setting. Set jumper JU16 to AUTO.
Set to Auto mode
Verify green LED is on.
Amplifier continues to
monitor Downstream
signals and adjust gain as
required to maintain OK.

10.11 Smart Com 450 Amplifier Manual Gain Control

Ensure Pilot is ON.

Depress CALIBRATE p/b.
Turn SW1 until green OK
LED is on.
The dial indicator on SW1
shows the dBs of extra
gain available.

10.13 Smart Com 450 Amplifier Remote Diagnostics

All RF Leds light when a

Remote Diagnostics
packet is sent

Amplifier is polled by
the RD webserver
Poll rate is
determined by the
number of amplifiers
in the system.
The remote
diagnostic web server
also provides
functionality to
reprogram the
amplifier firmware
remotely.

11.0 DC Supply Installation

11.1 Smart Com 150 DC Supply

11.1.1 Smart Com 150 DC Supply Installation
11.1.2 Smart Com 150 DC Supply Upgrade
11.1.3 Smart Com 150 DC Supply Spacing
11.2 Smart Com 150IS DC Supply
11.2.1 150IS DC Supply Installation
11.2.2 150IS DC Supply Spacing
11.2.3 150IS DC Supply Layout
11.2.4 150IS DC Voltage Calculation
11.3 Smart Com 450 DC Supply
11.3.1 450 DC Supply Spacing

11.3 Smart Com 450 DC Supply

UHF-DC16

UHF-DPC

Power supply has an output voltage of 16 VDC.

A Power Coupler UHF-DPC is supplied with
each DC Power Supply to tie it into the LF
network. Use LF cable between coupler and DC
Supply.
The RF loss for the coupler is < 0.5 dB and
therefore does not affect amplifier spacing.
Amplifiers must be no further than four amplifiers
away from the DC supply.
Local Diagnostic LEDs

11.3.1 450 DC Supply Spacing

Maximum of 8 amplifiers (4 in each direction) per

booster

12.0 Troubleshooting

12.1 Troubleshooting Strategy

12.2 Smart Com 150 Quick Reference Guide
12.3 Becker Smart Com 150 Quick Reference Guide
12.4 Smart Com 150/150IS Remote Diagnostics
12.5 Smart Com 150/150IS Amplifier Local Diagnostics
12.6 Smart Com 450 Remote Diagnostics
12.7 Smart Com 450 Amplifier Local Diagnostics
12.8 Mine-Wide Failure
12.9 Area Failure
12.10 Short Circuit Repair
12.11 Base Station Testing
12.12 Upstream Band
12.13 Noisy Upstream Band
12.14 Downstream Band
12.15 Noisy Downstream Band

12.1 Troubleshooting Strategy

Remote Diagnostics is key in detecting faults and seeing

what is going on in the system.
Comments from users are very useful in determining
what type of problem is occurring.
70% of all failures are due to cable and water damage.
Upstream noise and failed DC power supplies account for
the remaining 30% of problems.
Always start troubleshooting at the Head End. Start on
the branch with the reported fault, and work your way
towards the end of that branch.
Show DRX Help

12.6 Smart Com 450 Remote Diagnostics

Verify DRX
web server
communication

-3 to -7
OK

There
should be
no alarms.

Reserve
Gain

Depends on
the number of
amplifiers in
the system

12.7 Smart Com 450 Amplifier Local Diagnostics

RF LED
Indication

DC
Status/LED

RF Status

Action

No LEDs

Failed, below
minimum
voltage

Unknown

Determine why DC voltage is low:

No incoming voltage check for cable short/open or DC Power Supply failure.

Red LED

Too Low

(Previous
Amplifier OK)

OK (any LED
lit indicated
DC voltage
OK)

Downstream Pilot:
Ensure that downstream pilot is on at the head end.
Otherwise, increased cable loss (addition of splitter, cable damage) may require more gain from
amplifier.
Manual Gain Control (MGC)
Decrease Attenuation Setting switch SW1 until Green OK LED On. For more accuracy, press and
hold Calibrate button while adjusting SW1.
Otherwise, if adjusting MGC does not achieve Green LED, then cable damage or new splitter
prevents Green LED On even with 0 (zero) attenuation.
Find and repair cable damage.
If new splitter installed, amplifier will show Red LED, but otherwise system performance will be
unchanged.

Green LED

OK

OK

None

Amber LED

OK (any LED
lit indicated
DC voltage
OK)

Too High

Manual Gain Control (MGC)

Increase SW1 until Green OK LED on. For more accuracy, press and hold Calibrate button while
adjusting SW1.
If problem persists:
Ensure that amplifiers are not spaced too closely
Ensure that an amplifier is not oscillating due to cable being bundled too closely.

(Previous
Amplifier OK)

12.8 Mine-Wide Failure

Possible Cause

Remedy

Base Station un-powered.

Verify Base Station power.

Failure of main LF cable

feed.

Verify using Remote or Local Diagnostics.

If amplifiers cannot call in within 15
minutes it would indicate a problem.

Upstream noise floor too

high.

Verify using Remote Diagnostics. If

amplifiers cannot call in within 15 minutes
it would indicate a problem. Measure
Upstream Noise Floor.

Failure of DC Power Supply. Verify using Remote or Local Diagnostics.

If amplifiers cannot call in within 15
minutes it would indicate a problem.
Failure of Voice Repeater.

Confirm operation of other voice channels.

12.9 Area Failure

Possible Cause

Remedy

Failure of LF cable feed.

Verify using Remote or Local Diagnostics.

If amplifiers cannot call in within 15 minutes
it would indicate a problem.

Failure of DC Power
Supply.

Verify using Remote or Local Diagnostics.

If amplifiers cannot call in within 15 minutes
it would indicate a problem.

Amplifier or cable fault.

If amplifier cannot achieve Green LED then

either the amplifier is faulty or cable
between it and previous amplifier has too
high a loss. Verify amplifier spacing and
replace amplifier.

12.10 Short Circuit Repair

Short Circuits cause the DC voltage to drop while the DC current increases.
How to detect Short Circuits
Low voltage alarms on Remote Diagnostics.
Fault LEDs on DC Supplies.
Higher than normal current draw from DC Supplies. DC Supply output current hiccupping.
No LEDs on amplifiers (DC voltage below minimum voltage).
Too Low Red LEDs on amplifiers (RF level too low due to cable damage, cable open but not
shorted).
How to locate Short Circuits
Use information from Remote Diagnostics. Which sections of amplifiers are not calling in?
Start from DC Supply, and temporarily isolate cable sections using jumpers on splitters and
amplifiers. Using a voltmeter, watch for increase in voltage (to normal) when branch isolated.
Once the faulty cable section has been identified, perform a visual check of the cable looking for
obvious physical damage. If possible feel cable for damage.
How to repair Short Circuits
Repair broken cable with splice units.
Replace damaged cable sections with new cable.

12.11 Base Station Testing

Smart Com 150/150IS

Connect a Spectrum Analyzer to a spare Rx port on RNGRF16 or the BSC-HE. Monitor the Upstream band 170-185
MHz.

Spectrum Analyzer

Smart Com 450

Connect a Spectrum Analyzer to a spare Rx port on UHFH00. Monitor the Upstream band 450-455 MHz.

12.12 Upstream Band

The Upstream band should look as shown below.

Upstream Band

Its possible that you can hear

someone talking but not be able to
talk back. This indicates a problem
with the upstream communications.

12.13 Noisy Upstream Band

If noise is coming back to the Base Station from any or all

of the LF branches it might look similar to below.

12.14 Downstream Band

Its possible that someone can hear

you but you cannot talk back. This
indicates a problem with the
Downstream communications.

12.15 Noisy Downstream Band

Connect spectrum analyzer to the LF terminals at the Head

End.

13.0 Maintenance

13.1 Daily Maintenance

13.2 Monthly Maintenance
13.3 Annual Maintenance

13.1 Daily Maintenance

Use Remote Diagnostics (RD) each day.

Check for warnings and alarms.
The RD web server can be configured to send e-mail
when alarms are detected.
RD gives confidence in the system.
RD is easy to use, does not require a dedicated
computer and can support up to 50 simultaneous users.

13.2 Monthly Maintenance

1. Confirm Base Station operation:

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Repeater transmitter levels

Clarity of voice communications
Noise in Upstream direction below -90 dBm
Head End circuit board Local Diagnostic LEDs OK
Verify backup batteries in place and on float charge

2. Test line components:

1. Amplifier and DC Supply Local Diagnostics LEDs OK
2. Verify backup batteries in place and on float charge

3. Verify minimum 30 meters communication range from

cable throughout mine.

13.3 Annual Maintenance

It is advised to perform a system audit on an

annual basis. The audit verifies:
1. Remote Diagnostics configuration up to date with
installed system.
2. Repeater sensitivity.
3. Repeater transmit power and stability.
4. Head End splitter/combiner operation.
5. Downstream and Upstream noise floor.
6. Amplifier DC voltage and output levels.
7. Communication coverage and clarity, including
surface.

Contact Information

Varis Mine Technology Ltd.

22 Brady Street, Unit 4
Sudbury, Canada P3E 6E1
www.varismine.com
info@varismine.com
Toll Free USA/Canada:
Phone:
Fax:

877-658-2747
705-674-8111
705-674-7834