---------------------------------------------------------------------- Message-ID: <2f1a9086-46e7-32d7-1bbf-fd3ff2023724@ionary.com> Date: 24 Oct 2020 12:50:37 -0400 From: "Fred Goldstein" <invalid@see.sig.telecom-digest.org> Subject: Re: CO backup power On 10/22/2020 9:28 PM, Bill Horne wrote: > On Thu, Oct 22, 2020 at 09:43:21AM -0400, Fred Goldstein wrote: > >> This does lead to a push to use more private microwave solutions. >> We've replaced Verizon repeater backhauls with a mix of licensed and >> unlicensed microwave here. You'd be amazed what you can do unli- >> censed if you know what you're doing, though you really do have to >> know what you're doing or at least run it by someone who does, since >> some vendors will happily sell you a bill of goods. And unlicensed >> links need maintenance to check that they're not being clobbered by >> interference -- you may sometimes want to change frequency, >> especially on the popular 5 GHz band. > > Is interference a common problem? Can low-beamwidth antennas help? Yes, interference is a problem. Unlicensed frequencies have all sorts of users coming and going. Comcast's home "wireless gateway" puts an 80 MHz signal on the 5 GHz band, for instance, and there's a ton of Wi-Fi, but if the cellco uses LAA (license assisted access), it's the worst. That's a supplementary LTE downlink on unlicensed 5 GHz while the uplink is licensed, guaranteeing that the cellco gets through while unlicensed users suffer from the noise. Very nasty but legal since it's unlicensed. Of course if you're in a remote location, there won't be LAA or much Wi-Fi. The better radios have decent spectrum analyzer functions built in. >> The Wireless ISP industry has come a long way in 20 years. Its >> vendors have gone through multiple generations (not the same as >> mobile G's!) of technology. Fixed outdoor (WISP) gear is not the >> same as fixed indoor (WLAN, like Wi-Fi) or mobile. It's a category >> of its own. The biggest unlicensed-band equipment vendors in the US >> market are probably Cambium Networks (spun out of Motorola almost a >> decade ago), Ubiquiti, and Mimosa. MikroTik is a major radio-gear >> player in, uh, developing countries, but mainly a major router and >> switch player in the US. > > Which vendor do you recommend for short (1-3 miles) and for longer > routes? How are the prices? How much time and effort goes into aiming > the dishes? I'm not going to recommend one specific vendor since they all have advantages and disadvantages. I do like Mimosa B5 (built-in 25 dB antenna) and B5c (external antenna, so you can choose a big dish, like from KP Performance) radios for 1-15 mile high-capacity shots (two parallel 20-80 MHz carriers); their C5x (metal body) has a nice set of screw-on dish options for smaller applications (up to 25 dB antenna). The IgniteNet MetroLinq radios are cute 60 GHz radios that do gigabit+ for shorter shots (up to a mile or so) with perfect line of sight. Ubiquiti sells a Powerbeam ISO which has a dish with an isolation ring to improve side-lobe rejection, good for urban applications. The Ubiquiti radios and most similar one-channel non-sync'd radios are under $200. Radios with GPS sync, like Mimosa B5 (very useful for keeping them from interfering with each other if you have a bunch of them), are generally in the $500-1000 range. IgniteNet is under $200 for the 1G radio, more like $500 for 2.5Gbps, but - pro tip - remember to buy the more expensive optional mount and you need the scope for alignment. Aligning 5 GHz is easier and usually only takes a few minutes per end as these are usually 5-10 degree beams, vs. 1 degree or so on on 60 GHz. >> Point to point and point to multipoint are different too -- with >> PtP, both ends have a highly directional antenna, while PtMP >> typically pairs a highly directional client radio with a sector. On >> 5 GHz, power limits for PtP use are highest, so you can easily shoot >> 10 miles with a pair of 2-foot dishes, if you have line of sight. If >> there's clutter (trees or buildings) in the way, though, all bets >> are off -- 5 GHz gets through a little bit of wood but not a lot. I >> do blast it through clutter on some short links though. > > There used to be a couple of sites that would let me lookup the Tower > Height needed for a given route, without charge: do they still exist? I use the program RadioMobile to do most path calculations, but it can be hard to set up and has a steep learning curve so you wouldn't use it for a one-of. Mimosa, Ubiquiti, and I think Cambium all have free online path tools. (So do some licensed microwave vendors like Aviat.) I'm not sure how good they are with locating clutter, though. I generally use Google Earth "measure" to see the potential path and then I can see what's under it, to see if tall trees or buildings are in the way. Its path profile helps see if there are terrain obstructions. > Thanks for the info: there's always another way to get it done, but > knowing how and who makes all the difference. > > Bill - - Fred R. Goldstein k1io fred "at" ionary.com +1 617 795 2701 ***** Moderator's Note ***** A very wise man once said something to me that I've never forgotten: "If you want to find the really sharp people, you have to go to the cutting edge!" Thank you, Fred: you're the best. Bill Horne Moderator ------------------------------ Message-ID: <31d5dda9-8284-1c98-c036-9100e0cb7acd@panix.com> Date: 24 Oct 2020 00:04:06 -0400 From: "David" <wb8foz@panix.com> Subject: Line of Sight tools > There used to be a couple of sites that would let me lookup the Tower > Height needed for a given route, without charge: do they still exist? <https://www.heywhatsthat.com/ ... is one I use. I'm sure there are commercial ones that are better. ------------------------------ Message-ID: <868sbvtijt.fsf@telecom2018.csail.mit.edu> Date: 24 Oct 2020 21:34:14 +0000 From: Moderator <telecomdigestsubmissions@remove-this.telecom-digest.org> Subject: Media Roundtable Remarks from Under Secretary Keith Krach Good afternoon. I've recently returned from an 8-country trip to Europe. All beautiful places. But yesterday I had an opportunity to visit the pyramids at Giza and they took my breath away. I had to FaceTime my 8-year-old twins and show them one of the great Wonders of the World. They were amazed, and although I have been there many times, I was amazed as well. It never gets old. I told them next time I'll bring them back, so we can see them together. https://eg.usembassy.gov/media-roundtable-remarks-from-under-secretary-keith-krach/ -- Bill Horne Telecom Digest Moderator ------------------------------ ********************************************* End of telecom Digest Sun, 25 Oct 2020