Connect downconverters to the receiver
Up to eight downconverters can be directly connected to the receiver using
coaxial cables. Each downconverter connects to one of the UHF BNC connectors on the rear
panel of the receiver. The downconverters can be powered from the receiver via the UHF
connector. To use this option, you must enable BNC power to the appropriate UHF
connectors via the receiver’s Receive configuration menu.
CAUTION: Before connecting a downconverter to a receiver
that is powered, you must switch off power to all BNC connectors on the back
of the receiver to avoid damage to the downconverter’s the OOK chip. To switch off
BNC power, go to the receiver’s Receive
BNC Power option in the Receive menu and disable power to all
slots.
The BNC output power supply is dependent upon the receiver power supply and has the following characteristics:
Receiver supply | BNC output voltage | BNC current limit |
---|---|---|
AC | 24 V DC | 2 A (each port) / 8 A (total) |
DC (10 to 36 V DC) | Follows input supply | 2 A (each port) / 4 A (total) |
All downconverters should be of the same type and frequency band. For best RF
performance, downconverters should always be installed in pairs with a separation of at
least 30 cm between antennas.
CAUTION: Never connect anything other
than a BSI downconverter to the UHF BNC connectors. These ports include output
voltage that may damage other equipment.
The coaxial cable between the downconverter and the receiver should be a good quality cable such as RG59 or RG11 and have a characteristic loss of <20 dBm/100 m at 1 GHz. 75 Ohm cable should be used. The downconverter provides gain to compensate for the cable loss.