Preparation

When planning the installation locations for downconverters, you should take note of the following points:

• In general, you should install downconverters in an area where they can be accessed easily by support technicians. This area should also be out of reach or inaccessible to anyone that does not need to gain access, such as fans at a sporting event or attendees at a conference.
• Ideally, place the downconverters so that there is a line of sight from the transmitter to the downconverter, and in a place where nothing will obstruct the path, such as dense metal objects that may cause reflections and multipathing of the signal.
• Where possible, place downconverters close to the receiver to minimize the loss of signal strength which can occur in coaxial cables as they increase in length.
• The connection between the downconverter output and the next stage (receiver or fiber remote) cannot exceed a reasonable distance without beginning to affect performance. The chosen system configuration will influence the placement of components and the cable lengths required. Do not exceed recommended cable lengths: 400 feet for LMR 240 or 200 feet for other high-quality cable. The downconverter provides gain to compensate for the cable loss.