Emergency Telecoms Handbook

CHAPTER 5

VERY SMALL APERTURE

TERMINALS (VSAT)
1 INTRODUCTION TO VSAT TECHNOLOGIES

VSAT technologies are widely used by humanitarian organizations for regular and emergency
operations. In UNICEF, about 120 offices rely VSATs for their primary link, secondary link, Internet
off-load and voice services. In some locations where terrestrial connections are unreliable or
unavailable, two VSATs are used as primary and secondary links. In the early stages of an
emergency response (2 to 4 weeks after the disaster), VSATs remain the best tool when terrestrial
networks have been damaged (eg: due to natural disasters or conflicts). Data rates can assigned
based on the number of responders operating in the area and the operational capacity of the VSAT.
Other advantages for emergency response include high network availability (99.9%) and quick
installation (quick-deploy models can be installed within 30 minutes). Challenges when deploying
VSATs are linked to logistics (transport, location to setup) and government licensing/regulations.

1.1 ORBITS & COVERAGE

The first satellite, Sputnik 1, to be put into orbit around Earth

was in the geocentric orbit. By far this is the most common type
of orbit with approximately 2,456 artificial satellites orbiting the
Earth. Geocentric orbits may be further classified by their
altitude, inclination and eccentricity. The commonly used
altitude classifications of geocentric orbit are Low Earth orbit
(LEO), Medium Earth orbit (MEO) and Geostationary Earth orbit (GEO). Low Earth orbit is any orbit
below 2,000 km. Medium Earth orbit is any orbit between 2,000 km-35,786 km. High Earth orbit is
any orbit higher than 35,786 km.
LEO MEO GEO

Altitude (km) 700 – 1400 10,000 – 15,000 36,000

Satellites needed for global coverage 40+ 10 – 15 3 – 4(1)
Link Characteristics
One-way transmission delay 0.05s 0.10s 0.25s
Elevation angle Low Medium to high Low to medium
Operations Complex Medium Simple
Building penetration Poor Poor None
Satellite Characteristics
Space Segment Cost High Low Medium
Satellite Lifetime (years) 3–7 10 – 15 10 – 15
Telephony Network Characteristics
Terrestrial Gateway costs High Medium Low
Hand held terminal costs Low Low Low
Mobile terminal costs Medium Medium High
Fixed terminal costs Low Low Low to medium
Data and TV network characteristics
Point to point connections possible No No Yes
VSAT’s possible Yes Yes Yes
Broadcast TV possible No No Yes

Table 15 - Comparing Satellite Orbits

108 EMERGENCY TELECOMS HANDBOOK

1.2 BEAMS

Signals sent down to earth from the satellite are said to form a “beam” like the light beam of a torch.
The area covered by the satellite beam is called its “foot print” (see below). As can be clearly
illustrated with a torch in a dark room; the larger the floor area covered, the less bright is the
illumination on the floor. The same happens with satellite beams, with the brightness or intensity
analogous to the satellite’s power (technically referred to as the Effective Isotropic Radiated Power
or EIRP). Thus the larger the beam, the less power is generally available within the beam.

Figure 92 - Wide & Narrow Beams

Traditional satellite technology utilizes a “wide” single beam (usually in the order of 1000s of
kilometers) to cover wide regions or even entire continents. This is highly efficient for large-scale,
one-way communication such as television broadcasts but not for on-demand two-way
communications. Global beams are classified as wide beams.

When using “narrow beams”, the satellite signal is specially concentrated in power (i.e. sent by a
high-gain antenna) so that it will cover only a limited geographic area on Earth. Narrow beams allow
satellites to transmit different data signals using the same frequency. Because satellites have a
limited number of frequencies to use, the ability to re-use a frequency for different geographical
locations without interfering with each other allows more local channels to be utilized. Latest High
Throughput Satellite (HTS) systems (O3B, Epic or Global Xpress…) rely on such beam technology
to achieve high data rates, the drawback being a significantly higher cost of manufacturing due to
the number of antennas on the satellite, the increased power consumption and the overall complexity
of the system. Spot beams are also classified as narrow beams.

1.3 SATELLITE FOOTPRINTS

The footprint is the geographic area towards which a satellite downlink

antenna directs its signal; conversely it is the area from where the satellite is
visible from the surface of the earth. Satellites that do not support maritime
activities have most of their downlink power focused on population centers.

The measure of signal strength of this footprint is the Effective Isotropic

Figure 93 - Satellite
Radiated Power (EIRP). It is important to note that there is an inverse
Footprint

VERY SMALL APERTURE TERMINALS (VSAT) 109

relationship between EIRP and antenna diameter. The higher the EIRP the smaller the required dish.

A station which is located near the center of the footprint will have an advantage in the received
signal compared to another located at the edge of the same beam of the satellite. The satellite
antenna pattern has a defined beam edge to which the values of the satellite EIRP are referenced,
therefore a footprint as shown in the figure above has contours representing a 1 dB increments
toward the beam center. Footprints and EIRP details of every satellite and its transponders can
usually be found on the satellite operator’s website.

1.4 FREQUENCY BANDS

Essentially all commercial satellite communications transmit and receive in the microwave frequency
band, between 1 and 30 GHz. The figure below illustrates the relative bandwidths available for each
of the currently-used satellite bands:

Figure 94 - Frequency Bands used in Satellite Systems

L band is in the range of 1 to 2 GHz and is typically used in VSAT systems typically on the Interfacility
Links between the modem and antenna. It is also widely used by mobile satellite services (MSS),
refer to Chapter 4 for further information.

C band is the first band used for commercial Fixed

Satellite Services (or VSAT). A disadvantage is that its
available bandwidth of 500 MHz is used simultaneously
by satellite and terrestrial microwave users which may
result in serious interference problems. Nearly all C-
band communication satellites use the band of
frequencies from 3.4 to 4.2 GHz for their downlinks, and
the band of frequencies from 5.925 to 7 GHz for their
uplinks. C band technology is well proven and
propagation effects such as rain and depolarization do
not significantly affect signal transmission.

X band has been reserved by the ITU for military

Figure 95 - C-band Satellite Assignment
communications satellites. However it is gradually being
used for commercial purposes with specific service
providers and satellite operators. The uplink frequency
band (for sending modulated signals) ranges from 7.9 to
8.4 GHz while the downlink frequency band (for
receiving signals) is from 7.25 to 7.75 GHz.

Ku band is not shared by terrestrial microwave systems,

this significantly reduces the need for frequency co-
ordination and terrestrial interference analysis. However
Ku band transmissions incur signal strength reduction,
depolarization and distortion due to rain. Ku-band
frequency allocation depends on the regions, in the
Figure 96 - Ku-band satellite assignment

110 EMERGENCY TELECOMS HANDBOOK

Americas (ITU region 2) for example, downlink range from 10.7 to 11.2 GHz while uplinks start at 14
to 14.5 GHz.

Ka band (20-30 GHz) is used in the latest communications satellites (Global Xpress, Iridium Next…).
Uplink frequencies start from 27.5 GHz to 30 GHz. Unlike the Ku and the C bands, it is far more
susceptible to signal attenuation under rainy conditions, therefore targeted towards dry regions of
the world.

Based on the above bands, one may notice uplink and downlink frequencies are different. This is to
avoid interference between the two signals on the satellite and at the earth station. To further isolate
the signals, one polarization is usually used for the uplink and the other for the downlink. The principal
reason for polarization, is for frequency reuse, so that two channels can use the same frequency
band. The uplink frequency is higher because it reduces the complexity of the satellite by; permitting
a smaller receive antenna on the satellite, reducing the size of amplifiers and reducing the amount
of power required.

The gain of the antenna is proportional to the square of the frequency, so by using the higher
frequency the receive antenna can be smaller. Thus the practice has been to use the higher
frequency for the uplink and the lower frequency for the downlink and "put the burden on the ground."
It is easier to increase the size and power of the earth station antenna than the one of the satellite.

1.5 TRANSMISSIONS

1.5.1 Access Methods

The main access methods for satellite networks are Time Division Multiplexing (TDM), Time Division
Multiple Access (TDMA), Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA), Single Channel Per Carrier
(SCPC) and Multiple Channels Per Carrier (MCPC).)

When using multiple access networks like TDM/TDMA, the remote VSATs “listen” to same high
speed data stream using TDM from the hub. They then extract information/data that is addressed
uniquely to each of them. For the return to the hub, the VSATs transmit taking turns using a common
channel (TDMA) Service providers usually prefer this solution because it maximizes their channel
capacity, hence also a lower cost for the subscriber. iDirect platforms, for example, widely uses
TDM/TDMA.

Figure 97 - Time Division Multiplexing (TDM) and Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA)

VERY SMALL APERTURE TERMINALS (VSAT) 111

Single Channel per Carrier (SCPC), also called “fixed FDMA” or point-to-point, uses a separate
dedicated carrier to each remote VSAT to receive information from the central site, and another
dedicated carrier for each VSAT to transmit information back to the central site:

Figure 98 - SCPC Network

The limitation with SCPC relies in the fact each channel requires a separate modem at each end of
the link. From the satellite provider SCPC circuits are an inefficient use of satellite bandwidth as
when the station does not transmit, the bandwidth cannot be reallocated to other stations (“bursting”,
see point 3.2). SCPC circuits are therefore more expensive than TDM/TDMA systems.

With Hybrid MCPC/SCPC Networks the hub combines several subcarriers into a single bit stream
before transmitting it as one carrier to all the remote sites (MCPC or Multiple Channel per Carrier).
The remote sites typically use SCPC for the return channel:

MCPC-S2/SCPC Network

Multicast - A Multicast - B
Satellite
Outbound MCPC Outbound MCPC
(hub–remote) (hub–remote)

Inbound (remote to hub) SCPC carriers

Hub
Antenna

Remote Remote
MPLS Terminals
Terminals
Headquarters Cloud Internet

Figure 99 - Hybrid Networks

112 EMERGENCY TELECOMS HANDBOOK

1.5.2 Polarization

A Polarization is determined by the orientation of the electric and magnetic fields radiating from the
transmitting antenna. If polarization is used, two different signals can be transmitted in the same
frequency range without interference, even if they overlap in frequency. In this way, twice the number
of channels can be transmitted in a given bandwidth (frequency reuse). Satellite systems typically
use either linear polarization (horizontal/vertical) or Circular Polarization (LHCP/RHCP).

Figure 100 - Electromagnetic Polarization

1.5.3 Modulation

The frequency spectrum is a limited resource that must be shared to meet the demand for
communication services. At the same time, developers of communication systems are constrained
with restrictions on the permissible transmission power and challenges with the inherent noise of the
system.

Modulation is a facility used to address these challenges. In telecommunications, modulation is the

process of varying one or more properties of the transmitting signal, called the carrier signal, with a
modulating signal that typically contains information to be transmitted. In the past, modulation
techniques were mainly analogue (AM, FM, PM...); simple and cheap hardware was used in
transmitters and receivers. However analogue modulation is inefficient in terms of spectrum usage.

With the progress of science and the advent of micro-processors, highly complex but spectrally
efficient modulation techniques were created. A major transition occurred from simple analogue type
modulation to new digital modulation techniques. Examples of digital modulations applied in satellite
communications include Quadrature Phase Shift Keying (QPSK), Frequency Shift Keying (FSK) and
Binary Phase Shift Keying (BPSK). By using better modulation techniques, satellite operators are
able to provide higher data rates and host more users on their transponders.

VERY SMALL APERTURE TERMINALS (VSAT) 113

 Figure 101 - Digital Modulation Techniques (FSK, BPSK, QPSK)

1.5.4 Link Quality

When procuring VSAT services, all providers should be able to meet a certain level of performance.
Performance indicators are usually determined as “link availability” (percentage of time the link is up)
and the minimum Bit Error Ratio (total number of erroneous bit divided by the total number of bits
received). For example, a service provider may guarantee a 99.5% availability and BER=1e -6,
meaning that for the entire year, except for 44 hours, the link will perform much better than the BER
threshold. During these 44 hours, VSAT subscribers may expect slowness or disruption of the signal.
Usually the higher the availability the higher the monthly cost.

Elements that affect the link quality include:

- Weather conditions, such as rain, snow, ice or fog can disrupt Ku and Ka Band systems (but
only marginally on C Band). High frequencies are more susceptible to attenuation caused by the
absorption and scattering effect of water in the atmosphere. Interestingly the signal could be
down not only because of bad weather conditions on the VSAT site, but also at the operator’s
teleport. Other rare events such as solar eruptions and eclipses can also affect the signal.
- Interferences are the major concern of satellite operators. These can be located at the
transponder or at the earth station. For example a damaged cable can pick up TV signals that
are in turn radiated to the satellite or an antenna on the ground pointing to the wrong satellite.
Inference can also be caused by a cable running too close to electrical equipment such as
motors, elevators, air conditioners or interferences caused by nearby microwave or TV towers.
- Noise from the environment, either external (atmosphere, sun, earth…) or internal electronics
(resistors in the circuit, semi-conductors…). As the signal bandwidth increases, the receiver will
pick up additional noise.
- Power failures account for 80% of all station outages. All indoor equipment should therefore be
backed up with a UPS and ideally a generator or batteries powered by solar panels.
- Latency, which ranges typically from 500ms to 1s in satellite networks because radio waves
have to travel from the earth station to the satellite and back. This factor is a problem for some
Internet transmission protocols. Notably, the Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) requires each
data packet to be acknowledged as received intact before sending further packets. While
designed to operate efficiently in terrestrial networks with delays of typically less than 100
milliseconds, therefore TCP does not perform as well over satellites. This limitation of TCP can
be overcome in a number of ways by using techniques such as acknowledgments, compression
and protocol emulation to reduce the amount of acknowledgment traffic. Other techniques simply

114 EMERGENCY TELECOMS HANDBOOK

 replace TCP with a more efficient protocol for use with the unique characteristics of satellite
networks. In reality, many users will not even notice the satellite delay and the impact of TCP/IP.

1.6 NETWORK

A typical VSAT network has many VSAT stations communicating with the provider hub which is then
connected to a public network (Internet, the telephone network) and UNICEF’s WAN:

SATELLITE
PSTN
VSAT 1

Internet VSAT 2

HUB VSAT 3
(NOC)
WAN VSAT 4

Suungard

NYHQ

Figure 102 – UNICEF VSAT Architecture

As of writing, the vast majority of UNICEF VSAT stations are using 3 satellites: Arabsat 5A (30.5oE),
Yahsat 1A (52.5oE) and Telstar 18 (138oE). The network management is outsourced to EMC which
has teleports in Germany, UK and Hawai. Marine Fiber optic cables link the teleports to UNICEF’s
data centers in New Jersey (SunGard) and New York HQ.

VERY SMALL APERTURE TERMINALS (VSAT) 115

2 VSAT HARDWARE STANDARDS

A VSAT is composed of a dish, technically referred to as an antenna and a receive/transmit device,

called a feed assembly. The combination of both is referred as the outdoor unit (ODU). The feed
assembly is connected via two cables referred to as an Inter Facility Link (IFL) to indoor electronic
equipment (Indoor Unit / IDU) that processes the information (voice, video or data) received or for
transmission:
Dish

Satellite
Router / Modem
Feed

Indoor Unit (IDU)

LAN

Outdoor Unit (ODU)

Figure 103 - VSAT Composition

2.1 ANTENNAS

The primary goal of an antenna is to reflect and concentrate the signal from and to satellites that are
36,000 km above earth. Most of the VSAT antennas have a parabolic dish shape, which focuses the
signal towards the satellite. In other terms, parabolic antennas are highly directional, a necessary
feature when considering the distance to the satellite. Note that a dish is generally incorrectly termed
“antenna”, the true receiving antenna being the LNB. Depending on the purpose and wavelength,
antennas are made in various forms and sizes. The higher the frequency for example, the smaller
the antenna, hence C Band stations being larger than Ku or Ka band stations. Similarly, antennas
located in the satellite operator’s teleport must accommodate large data rates (usually 155 Mbps),
hence their very large size (7 to 15m) while subscriber’s models range
from 98cm to 3.8 meter. There are four main types of parabolic antennas:
- Prime focus antenna: The prime focus antenna is round and has its
feed / LNB assembly at the focal point directly in front of the antenna.
A prime focus antenna is easy to manufacture and inexpensive. They
are also the easiest to point.
- Offset feed antennas have smaller diameters (30 cm-4 m) and the
feed is located below the lower edge of the offset block of the antenna
aperture. Offset antennas achieve a better radiation pattern because
of less aperture blockage. The offset must be taken into consideration
when pointing the dish.
- Cassegrain antennas can be either composed of a main center or
offset feed and uses a secondary hyperbole as sub-reflector. These
models usually achieve better efficiency and are used by most earth
station dishes or in mobile compact systems. Such antennas are
usually more expensive than Prime or Offset antennas.
- Gregorian antennas are physically similar to Cassegrain antennas
as they employ dual reflection to achieve compact structures. Figure 104 - Types of
Parabolic Dishes

116 EMERGENCY TELECOMS HANDBOOK

 Figure 105 - Prime Focus, Offset, Cassegrain and Gregorian Antennas

There is no official standard antenna model, however, for emergency response, antenna
manufacturer GD Satcom (who acquired Prodelin and Vertex RSI) is recommended. Inmarsat’s
release of the Global Xpress platform leaded to the addition of multiple Quick-deploy antennas,
Cobham’s model is listed below.

Fixed Models include:

- GD Satcoms series 1135, a 1.2m Ku-band antenna
- GD Satcoms series 1184, a 1.8m C/Ku-band antenna
- GD Satcoms series 1244, a 2.4m C/Ku-band antenna (Offset antenna
pictured above)
- GD Satcoms series 1385, a 3.8m C/X/Ku band antenna

Quick-deploy or “flyaway” models include:

- Cobham Explorer 5075GX, a 0.75cm auto pointing Ka-band antenna
- GD Satcoms series 1138QD, a 1.2m C/X/Ku/Ka-band antenna
- GD Satcoms series 1189QD, a 1.8m C/X/Ku/Ka-band antenna Figure 106- Cobham
Explorer 5075GX
- GD Satcoms series 1259QD, a 2.4m C/X/Ku/Ka-band antenna

Quick deploy antennas are recommended for operations needing flexibility; antennas can be
assembled and disassembled within 30 minutes and do not usually require any tools. Fixed antennas
are aimed at permanent installations, require up to 3 days for installation as civil engineering (such
as installing the mast) might delay the setup. Quick Deploy antennas ($10k to $40k) are significantly
more expensive than fixed antennas ($500 to $3k). UNICEF pre-stocks GD Satcoms Quick Deploy
VSAT series in Copenhagen so they can be shipped immediately upon request. Fixed VSAT can be
obtained through the LTA suppliers.

VERY SMALL APERTURE TERMINALS (VSAT) 117

Another parameter when comparing antennas using different frequency bands is their beam width. As illustrated in the image above, a 60cm C-band antenna
could potentially receive three satellites within its main beam (-3dB point) if the satellites are separated by 3 degrees in longitude. Satellites are usually separated
by 2 degrees so this is clearly not desirable! Hence most C band VSAT start at 1.8m as a minimum. When comparing with same size Ku and Ka band antennas,
beams are significantly smaller (hence smaller antennas) and the gain is higher (hence lower transmission power required)! In practice this enables better
systems efficiency when using Ku/Ka bands.
2.2 FEED ASSEMBLY

In a VSAT system, the electronics refer to the equipment attached to the antenna feed. Their function
is to shape the signal beam to match the parabolic dish and achieve the best transmission. In
addition, electronics also separate transmit and
receive signals with minimum loss and interference.
A typical antenna is composed of the following
electronics:

1. The Feed-horn is used to convey radio waves

between the transmitter and/or receiver and the
reflector. It converts the radio frequency alternating
current from the transmitter to radio waves while
incoming radio waves are converted to a tiny radio
frequency voltage which is then amplified by the
LNB.

2. The Ortho Mode Transducer (OMT) isolates the

signal polarizations and transfers transmit and
receive signals to different ports.

3. The Transmit reject filter which prevents any

Figure 107 - VSAT Feed
outgoing transmit signal to mix with the incoming
signal travelling to the LNB.

4. The Low Noise Block (LNB) is a combination of low-noise amplifier,

frequency mixer, local oscillator and IF amplifier. It receives the high frequency
microwave signal (C/Ku/Ka) from the satellite collected by the dish, amplifies it,
and down-converts the block of frequencies to a lower block of intermediate
frequencies (IF). This down-conversion allows the signal to be carried to the
indoor unit using coaxial cable; Figure 108 - LNB

5. The Block Up-Converter (BUC) is used for the uplink transmission. It

converts the signal coming from the modem via the coaxial cable at a low
frequency (L band) to a higher frequency (C/Ku/Ka), then amplifies it before
it is reflected off the satellite antenna towards the satellite. To perform both
functions, BUCs are composed of a local oscillator and a power amplifier.
A typical VSAT system use 2W to 8W BUC in the Ku band and 5W to 30W
BUC in the C band.
Figure 109 - BUC
6. Waveguides are usually required when
the BUC is too heavy (10W+) to be attached to the OMT directly. Since
the signal exiting the BUC travels at high frequencies (3 to 30 GHz
depending on the band used), using coaxial cables would trigger at
the very least 5 times higher losses than waveguides. There are two
types of waveguides depending on the system polarization, circular
waveguides discriminate left and right hand polarization while Figure 110 – Flexible
rectangular waves discriminate vertical and horizontal waves. Waveguide

119 EMERGENCY TELECOMS HANDBOOK

There is no official standard equipment in UNICEF for the VSAT electronics. Usually pre-assembled
“feeds” composed of the feed-horn, OMT and transmit reject filters are specifically selected and
shipped with the antenna model. BUC and LNB come in different capacities depending on the
frequency and output power required. Usually their choices are dictated by the satellite service
provider, based on their capacity over a region. Recommended BUC and LNB models are New
Japan Radio and Norsat.

2.3 INTER FACILITY LINKS (IFL) CABLES

VSAT systems require a total of two Inter Facility Links (IFL) cables to be installed between the ODU
location and the IDU. The path and length of the IFL cable should be determined during a site survey
while approval from the building landlord should obtained as routing the cable may impose some
drilling in walls or ceilings. Transmit and receive intermediate frequencies (500 to 700 MHz) are
carried by shielded coaxial cables. Failure to use high quality low loss coaxial cable for extended
lengths will result in significant reduction in the ODU output and excessive signal distortion.

Coaxial cable conducts electrical signal using an inner conductor (usually a solid copper, stranded
copper or copper plated steel wire) surrounded by an insulating layer. All are enclosed in a shield,
typically one to four layers of woven metallic braid and metallic tape. The cable is protected by an
outer insulating jacket. Larger diameter cables and cables with multiple shields have less leakage
but are also more expensive:

Figure 111 - Coaxial cables and shielding

There is no official standard coaxial model in UNICEF, however for emergency operations, high
quality cable standards such as RG11 (75Ω), LMR400 (50Ω) and LMR600-75 (75Ω) from
Manufacturers such as Belden, Pasternack or Times Microwaves come highly recommended. For
example, UNICEF ships 200 ft. Pasternack RG11A/U cables with all Quick-Deploy VSAT pre-stocked
in Copenhagen while EMC (LTA holder as of writing) uses LMR400/LMR600 for the long runs
(>100m). RG6 cables, commonly used for TV, might also be considered but only for short runs (less
than 30 meters) since they suffer greater signal loss.
12
10
8
dB

6
4
2
0 Hz
0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 1000
Belden 8215 (RG6) Belden 8213 (RG11) TMS LMR400

Figure 112 - VSAT Coxial cable loss at 100 ft (30m)

120 EMERGENCY TELECOMS HANDBOOK

The ends of coaxial cables usually terminate with connectors. Coaxial connectors are designed to
maintain a coaxial form across the connection and must have the same impedance as the attached
cable. Coaxial cables used in VSAT systems either have a characteristic impedance of 50Ω or 75Ω.
The cable impedance must also match the modem impedance and LNB/BUC impedance. iDirect
modems for example use 75Ω while BUC/LNBs can be ordered in 50 or 70Ω versions.

There are many coaxial connectors in the market, the most common used in VSAT systems are F
connectors (75Ω) and N connectors (50Ω). No all connectors and coaxial cables are compatible. The
following are a set of recommended connectors for the cables mentioned above:
- RG6: Pasternack PE44312 (75Ω male connector, F type)
- RG11: Pasternack PE44315 (75Ω male connector, F type)
- LMR400: TMS EZ-400-NMC-2-D (50Ω male connector, N type)
- LMR600: TMS EZ-600-FMH-75 (75Ω male connector, N type)
Figure 113 - F & N connectors
Other important IFL elements to consider:

- Surge arresters, installed in line with a coaxial cable to protect modem from damage induced
by lightning striking the antenna and travelling through the cable. Recommended models are
Pasternack PE7301-1 (N male to N female) and PixelSatRadio Surge Protector 4645F (F male
to F female).
- Impedance matching pads can solve mismatching impedances between the cable/connector
and modem/BUC/LNB. Pasternack PE7070 for example is a N male 50 Ω to F female 75 Ω
impedance adapter.
- 2-way splitters with DC block are used to connect a spectrum analyzer during
the pointing procedure. Note that most Standard 'consumer-grade' splitters are
designed for TV frequencies and will not pass the higher frequencies of the
satellite signal, it is recommended to look for F female 75Ω or 50Ω, 0-2Ghz
splitters.
Figure 114 -
2.4 SATELLITE MODEMS Splitter

A "modem" stands for "modulator-demodulator". Its main function is to transform an input bit stream
to a radio signal and vice versa, the process is called “modulation”. Data to be transmitted is typically
received from a router. Probably the best way of understanding modem's work is to look at its internal
structure:

Figure 115 - Satellite Modem Internal Structure

VERY SMALL APERTURE TERMINAL (VSAT) 121

- The Analog tract converts the signal's frequency (usually L band) and adjust its power.
- A digital modulator transforms a digital stream into a radio signal on Intermediate frequency
(IF). Popular modulation types being used for satellite communications are BPSK, FPK and
QPSK (refer to Point 1.3.3). A modulator is generally a much simpler device than a demodulator,
because it doesn't have to recover symbol and carrier frequencies. Digital demodulation implies
that a symbol clock (and, in most cases, an intermediate frequency generator) at the receiving
side have to be synchronous with those at the transmitting side.
- FEC coding is an error correction technique that is essential to satellite transmissions since
signals received usually have a poor signal to noise ratio. Error correction works by adding
artificial redundancy to a data stream at the transmitting side (FEC encoder), and using this
redundancy to correct errors at the receiving end (FEC decoder).
- Differential coding is used to provide unambiguous signal reception when using some types of
modulation (QPSK, BPSK). It enables data to be transmitted to depend not only on the current
bit (or symbol), but also on the previous one.
- Scrambling is a technique used to randomize a data stream to eliminate long continuous '0'- or
'1' bit sequences and to assure energy dispersal. Long '0' and '1' sequences create difficulties
for timing recovery circuits. The scrambler randomizes the data stream to be transmitted.
- The multiplexer transforms several incoming digital streams into one single stream. The
demultiplexer is a device which transforms one multiplexed data stream to several streams.

UNICEF uses various types of modems: the iDirect Satellite routers for TDM/TDMA systems (shared
bandwidth) and the Radyne, Datum and Comtech series for SCPC and MCPC links (dedicated
bandwidth with bursting).

Model iDirect X5 Radyne DMD20 Comtech CDM 750

Data Rate Outbound up to 7.5 Mbps up to 20 Mbps up to 169 Mbps

Data Rate Inbound up to 15 Mbps up to 20 Mbps up to 169 Mbps
L Band tuning range 950 to 1700 MHz 950 to 2050 MHz 950 to 2150 MHz

2x F-type female, 75 BNC female, 75 Ohm BNC Female, 75 ohm

Connector
Ohm F-Type female, 75 Ohm N-Type female, 50 Ohm

LAN Ports 1x ethernet 1x Gigabit Ethernet 2x Gigabit Ethernet

Access Mode TDMA TDMA/SCPC/MCPC TDMA/SCPC/MCPC
QPSK, 8PSK, 16 BPSK, QPSK/OQPSK,
Modulation QPSK, 8PSK,16APSK, 32APSK
APSK 8PSK/8QAM, 16QAM
Cost 1,200 2500 4500

Table 16 - Comparing Satellite Modem

UNICEF pre-stocks Quick Deploy VSATs (refer to point 2.1) in Copenhagen

that are shipped with either an SCPC/MCPC or iDirect IDU rack.
SCPC/MCPC racks usually come with an IDU composed of the SCPC or
MCPC enabled modem (Comtech, Radyne or Datum), a Cisco 2900 series
router (for data and voice traffic), a Cisco 2960 switch, UPS and an isolation
transformer. The iDirect rack comes with just the Modem and a UPS.
Figure 116 - IDU
Racks shipping with
Quick Deploy
Antennas

122 EMERGENCY TELECOMS HANDBOOK

2.5 VSAT KITS

VSATs are considered as the last resort long term solution for Internet and voice access in
emergencies. For this reason, a certain quantity of VSAT kits are pre-stocked in the Copenhagen
warehouse, so they can be quickly shipped to the field should an emergency happen.

The challenge with pre-stocking VSAT dishes is that there is no single standard solution that
guarantees worldwide operation, independently of the location of the emergency response. For
example an antenna UNICEF would deploy in Middle-East would be different than the antenna
deployed in South-East Asia. Parameters to consider include: the frequency band (Ku, standard C,
extended C, Ka…), the antenna size (0.9m, 1.2m, 1.8m, 2.4m), the transmission power (4W, 5W,
10W, 40W…), the modem type (iDirect, SCPC…). All of these depend on which ISP UNICEF goes
for (local, regional or global).

UNICEF have designed VSAT kits in a flexible manner, each kit being composed of 4 types of
“blocks”. The kit is assembled by selecting the blocks based on ISP capacity. Therefore a minimum
of communication is required prior shipping the VSAT kit. Following are the block’s composition:

1.2m Ku Band
Quick Feed Horn iDirect
250FT RG11
Deploy + 4W BUC & Modem Rack
Coaxial cable
Antenna LNB

OR
OR +
1.8m Coaxial connectors,
C Band

+ + + =
Quick adapters and DC
Deploy Circular Feed Horn
blockers
Antenna + 10W BUC & LNB SCPC
Modem Rack
OR +
Grounding
2.4m OR VSAT KIT
Quick +
Deploy C Band
Antenna Linear Feed Horn
+ 10W BUC & LNB Assembly and
Pointing Tool Set

ANTENNA ELECTRONICS CABLES MODEM

Figure 117 - UNICEF Universal VSAT Kits

- The antenna block is composed GD Satcom Quick Deploy antennas ranging from 1.2m, 1.8m
and 2.4m. It includes the pedestal, reflector (usually composed of 2 or 4 petals),
positioner/pointing mechanism, sand bags for ballast and the transport cases. Quick deploy
antennas are adequate for emergency response as they are fast to assemble: no tools are
required while just two persons can assemble the structure. Those models also favour
redeployment once the emergency is over or if an evacuation is required.
- The electronics block handles the transmission and reception of the signal. It is therefore
composed of the feedhorn, the BUC and the LNB. ICTD stores 3 types of electronics blocks: a
4W Ku band kit, a 10W standard C band kit and a 5W extended C band kit.
- The cable block is a single standard kit composed of 200 feet (30m) of RG11 bulk cable, F male
connectors, all sort of coaxial adapters (F to N, impedance matching pads, surge arrestors,…),
crimping tools and grounding accessories (rod, wire, wire terminal kit…).
- Eventually there are two modem blocks. One is composed of a network rack, an iDirect modem
and a UPS. The second is similar but replaces the modem with an SCPC model (either Datum
or Radyne) and adds a voice router and a switch.

VERY SMALL APERTURE TERMINAL (VSAT) 123

3 VSAT SERVICE PLANS

Service providers usually offer shared or dedicated bandwidth. Shared bandwidth refers to bandwidth
that is shared with other customers. Dedicated bandwidth is “committed” solely to the office. Shared
bandwidth is obviously cheaper than dedicated bandwidth because costs are being shared among
other users. Unfortunately, some service providers pass off shared bandwidth as dedicated
bandwidth and charge rates equivalent to those for dedicated bandwidth. Such detail should
therefore be clear when a contract is being signed.

3.1 DEDICATED BANDWIDTH

In emergencies, when a VSAT is to be used as main link, it is recommended to subscribe to a

dedicated bandwidth plan. Such a decision could be justified by a large volume of devices accessing
the system throughout the day and requirements for real time applications such as telephony or
videoconferencing.

Service providers apply a formula that is used to determine monthly recurring cost (MRC) of a
dedicated bandwidth plan. Such formula depends on the sum of the download and upload bandwidth
multiplied by a coefficient:

VSAT (dedicated) = OTC + (MRC x C)

Where OTC = equipment value (Antenna + feed + IDU) and installation service
Where MRC = (Download bandwidth in kbps + Upload bandwidth in kbps)
Where C = coefficient applied by the service provider

Coefficients are usually kept secret and varies depending on the service provider. An average
indicative value of the coefficient is 1.1. The following table provides examples of the resulting costs:

Download (kbps) Upload (kbps) MRC (US$)

512 256 1036.8
768 512 1728
1024 512 2073.6
1536 768 3110.4
2048 1024 4147.2
3072 1536 6220.8

Table 17 –Indicative Pricing for a SCPC/MCPC link

To obtain the exact OTC and MRC pricing with UNICEF’s global service provider, contact ICTD.

124 EMERGENCY TELECOMS HANDBOOK

3.2 SHARED BANDWIDTH

Shared bandwidth on the other hand might be desirable for a VSAT running as backup or secondary
link (for email and Internet traffic) as the bandwidth won’t be used all the time. There are three key
metrics that need to be considered when purchasing shared bandwidth:
- The contention ratio is the number of users sharing the bandwidth. For instance if 1 Mbps
bandwidth is shared among 20 customers (contention ratio of 20:1), then the maximum
connection speed when all the customers are using the bandwidth is 50 kbps, which is equivalent
to a dial up modem connection. Contention is also called “over booking” or “over selling” capacity.
- The Committed Information Rate (CIR) is the minimum bandwidth capacity at all times. In the
example above using a contention ratio of 20:1, the CIR would be 50 kbps, even though the
service provider quotes a bandwidth capacity of 1 Mbps.
- The Bursting Capacity refers to the ability of a VSAT system to utilize capacity above and
beyond its normal allocation. If the service provider has implemented bursting, a portion or all of
the shared bandwidth capacity is pooled. When other subscribers are not using their capacity,
the office may be able to “burst” or use more than its allocated capacity. When other subscribers
need their bandwidth, it is removed from the pool and assigned to the subscriber. Bursting is
also applied on UNICEF SCPC/MCPC links with global service providers.

Shared bandwidth plans are the most common plans available in countries or regions, many of which
rely on the iDirect platform. However because these plans can be deceiving, it is essential to always
inquire about the contention ratio, CIR and entitled bursting capacity.

Similarly to dedicated bandwidth plans, a following formula determines monthly recurring cost of a
shared bandwidth plan:

VSAT (shared) = OTC + MRC

Where OTC = installation service
𝐷𝑜𝑤𝑛𝑙𝑜𝑎𝑑+𝑈𝑝𝑙𝑜𝑎𝑑 (𝑘𝑏𝑝𝑠)
Where MRC = = ×𝐶+𝐷
𝐶𝑜𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛
Where C = coefficient 1
Where D = coefficient 2

Considering an average indicative value of the coefficient C = 1.35 and D = 350, resulting MRC is:

Download Upload MRC with 1:5 MRC with 1:10 MRC with 1:20
(kbps) (kbps) contention contention contention
256 256 488.24 419.12 384.56
512 256 557.36 453.68 401.84
768 512 695.6 522.8 436.4
1024 512 764.72 557.36 453.68
1536 768 972.08 661.04 505.52
2048 1024 1179.44 764.72 557.36
3072 1536 1594.16 972.08 661.04
Table 18 –Indicative Pricing for an iDirect link

To obtain the exact OTC and MRC pricing with UNICEF’s global service provider, contact ICTD.

VERY SMALL APERTURE TERMINAL (VSAT) 125

4 VSAT INSTALLATION

This chapter details the necessary steps to install a VSAT based on the usual requirements from
most service providers. The VSAT installation sequence is as follow:

3. ODU 4. IFL 5. IDU 7. Commisioning

1. Preparations 2. Site Survey 6. Grounding
Installation Installation Installation & Testing

4.1 PRELIMINARY REQUIREMENTS

Before even considering installing a VSAT for a new office, one should first consider whether there
is no alternative (cable/DSL technologies are more cost effective) and if authorities will approve the
installation. In most emergencies, requirement will also depend on the UNICEF station in the affected
area:
- If the organization rents its own building for a significant amount of time (at least 1 year), then a
VSAT could be justifiable. Note that an emergency office with more than 20 users should have
a backup link, therefore a VSAT is more likely to be required.
- If UNICEF is located in an inter-agency building where another agency or the ETC cluster is
already providing services, then it doesn’t make sense to add up an additional antenna.

If the VSAT is required, make sure to:

- Liaise with your Regional Office or ICTD Operations to confirm requirements
- Determine the required bandwidth plan (dedicated or shared) and ISP
- Choose the VSAT antenna model
- Inquire which satellite will be used

4.2 SITE SURVEYS

This chapter describes the procedure for conducting a site survey to determine the optimal location
for the VSAT, including:

a. Calculating
c. ODU site d. IDU site
azimuth and b. Checking LOS e. Reporting
selection selection
elevation

Before travelling on-site, the following items should be taken:

- Compass and inclinometer (such as the Suunto Tandem)
- The satellite azimuth and elevation information (refer to point a. below)
- A photo camera, measuring tape and GPS
- Site survey forms (see USB flash drive or visit the ICTD emergency portal)
Figure 118 - Suunto
Note that smartphones can Inclinometer
perform many of the tasks
above and also provide useful additional applications:
- VSAT PRO Satellite Dish Finder, SatFinder Tool
and Satellite AR (Android)
- SatelliteLocator and SatFinder (IOS)
- Satellite Finder (Windows mobile)
Figure 119 - Smartphone VSAT apps

126 EMERGENCY TELECOMS HANDBOOK

a. Calculating azimuth and elevation

This task should be done even before travelling to the site and results printed out. Go to
www.dishpointer.com, enter the location antenna is to be placed (city) and press go. Select the
satellite to be used and move the cursor to the office location on the Google Map screen. For
example:

The green path defines the orientation

of antenna feed, meaning there should
be no obstacle in that direction. In
addition the software provides the
required feed angle (example above
states 69.9, not including any possible
antenna offset) which will be useful
when determining the Line Of Sight
(LOS).
Figure 120 - Output of dispointer.com

b. Checking the Line of Sight

Communication satellites used in the satcom industry are typically in a geostationary orbit, appearing
to be in a fixed position in the sky directly above the equator, relative to an observation point on
earth. The entire field of geostationary satellites can therefore be found in an arc across the sky.

To communicate with the satellite, the antenna must be able to 'see' the location in the sky above
the equator in which the satellite is located. The situation of an unobstructed view between the
satellite and the antenna is known as 'having a line-of-sight' to the satellite.

To calculate the line-of-sight, consider a triangle, where X is the height of

the obstruction in front of the antenna and Y is the distance between them.
For example, if the obstruction is 8 meters high and 32 meters away from
the antenna, then the minimum elevation equals arc tan (8/32) = α

The following table can be used as a reference for the above calculation:

Table 19 - Maximum Obstacle Heights

VERY SMALL APERTURE TERMINAL (VSAT) 127

c. Selecting the antenna (ODU) site

The antenna location is obviously dependent on the line-of-sight to the satellite. Sometimes this
leaves few possibilities for the installation: garden, terrace, roof top. In addition, it is important to
perform the following checks when determining the terrestrial site for the antenna location:
- Site should be relatively flat and conveniently accessible.
- The antenna must be placed in a controlled area with restricted human access to the physical
air space between the antenna reflector and the output of the radio frequency amplifier.
- Site should have no underground obstructions, such as buried cables or pipes.
- Site should have no interference from nearby telecoms towers or airports (WiMAX, microwave
transmissions, cellular telephone towers, and airport radar).
- Site should be free from constructions or planned constructions.
- Confirm that installation at the site will follow all local building regulations and standards
regarding drilling, grounding, foundation requirements.

If the antenna is to be installed on the rooftop, the following arrangement should be considered:
- A lightning arrestor that is properly grounded.
- A point-of-entry for two coaxial cables and a clear path or empty conduit to run a coaxial cable.
- An antenna surface is capable of supporting the weight of the VSAT plus its wind load.
- 230V AC or 110V AC outlet near the installation site for use during both the installation process
and subsequent maintenance work.

At this stage, the type of mount and ballast should be determined, there are various options:
- Wall mounts can only be used with small antennas (1.2m max). They are only approved for use
on solid concrete walls. If the wall is too tin, a back plate would be necessary to balance the
weight. Very small antennas (0.90m) could also be attached to a vertical steel beam.
- A penetrating mount is recommended for 1.8m antenna size and above. These are the most
challenging mount to handle since they usually require a significant amount of civil engineering
work: digging a 1.5m to 2m deep square hole depending on antenna size, fill up with cement
around the mount. Alternatively such mount could be
welded or bolted to a suitable pole.
- A non-penetrating mount (NPM) is the preferred solution
in emergencies as it fits all antenna sizes, is easy to
assemble, and offers a low uniform distribution. Since
NPMs are not fixed to any structure, the installer must find
ballast, such as concrete blocks to hold the mast vertical
and avoid moving.
Figure 121 - Non Penetrating
d. Selecting the Indoor Equipment (IDU) site Mount

The equipment room should meet the following minimum requirements:

- Be within less than 70m from the ODU, otherwise there might be too much cable loss. If the ODU
is between 30m and 70m, RG11 type cable will be required.
- Space for a mobile 24U rack OR availability of an appropriate number of units of vertical rack
space in standard 19" equipment racks.
- Power should be provided using an uninterrupted power supply with either rectified 230V AC or
110V AC outlets in each rack.
- Ambient temperature range between 20 and 25 degrees Celsius.
- Relative humidity between 20% and 50%.
- Continuous air cycling with filtration for proper ventilation to ensure that equipment is kept free
of contaminants and particle matter.
- Fibrous material and gaseous elements should not be present in the equipment room and
measures be implemented to prevent the build-up of electrostatic discharge (including
appropriate straps and mats, and no carpeting).

128 EMERGENCY TELECOMS HANDBOOK

e. Writing the site survey report. This task can be performed using site survey templates. Also
taking a lot pictures during the survey is always beneficiary.

The following diagram can be used for a quick site survey checklist:

Table 20 - Site Survey Checklist

4.3 OUTDOOR UNIT INSTALLATION

This chapter describes the procedure for performing a VSAT installation, following sequence is
recommended:

a. Getting all b. Antenna c. Spectrum d. Elevation & e. Peaking &

the pre-requisits Assembly Analyzer Azimuth Locking

a. Obtaining all pre-requisites

- Verify all equipment versus the shipping list and manual contents, including Antenna and feed,
modem or IDU rack, coaxial cables and connectors, mast and ballast, Grounding rod and cables
- The site configuration sheet, to be provided by the service provider. It usually included NOC
contacts, satellite pointing information, expected plot to be observed on the spectrum analyser
and the modem configuration.
- Check licenses have been obtained
- Prepare the VSAT installer tool kit:
o Compass and Inclinometer
o Set of wrenches (at least a 1-1/2”), Allen wrenches and screwdrivers
o A Spectrum Analyzer, such as the Rhode & Schwartz FSH series
o A coaxial splitter, Assorted coaxial connectors and adapters
o Black cable ties (never use white color)
o Crimp or compression tool depending the connector type and coax stripping tool
o Self-fusing, electrical tapes, silicon grease and lithium grease
o GSM or satellite phone
o Console cable and serial to USB converter

VERY SMALL APERTURE TERMINAL (VSAT) 129

b. Antenna Assembly

Manufacturer’s installation instructions should have been included with the antenna. Make sure to
carefully read all steps and assemble properly the antenna following this sequence:
- Assemble the mount (or base for Quick Deploy antennas)
- Install the ballast
- Install the antenna

Usually the feed horn, OMT and transmit/reject filter come

already pre-assembled while BUC and LNB are stored
separately. The installer must first attach the LNB and the
BUC to the OMT, using the Allen wrench and by placing the
“O”- Ring on its corresponding groove along with silicon Figure 122 - VSAT Waveguide
grease. Flanges

Importantly, if the system uses a circular polarization, the circular polarizer should be aligned
following the arrow and writing (LHCP or RHCP) on the OMT.

The fully assembled feed is then attached to the antenna feed support (follow instructions manual).

c. Connecting the Spectrum Analyzer

Use the two-way splitter, connect the spectrum analyzer to the LNB, with the input connected to the
F connector incoming from the LNB. One of the outputs connected to the spectrum analyzer, and
the other output connected to the L band satellite modem input. As the L band modem includes an
internal power supply, it will feed the LNB with the necessary power to make it work properly. The
spectrum analyzer should include a DC Block to avoid DC current to go into it. Alternatively, you can
use a splitter with DC block included on the output, or a spectrum analyzer with DC voltage tolerance,
such as the R&S FSH3. Once all connections have been done, boot up spectrum analyser first then
the modem.

VSAT Feed

L
N
B
Internal DC
Power

DC Power Modem
RX IF Signal

L-Band 2-Way
Splitter

RX Out
DC Power DC Block
RX in RX IF Signal
RX Out

RX In
Spectrum Analyser settings:
- Resolution Bandwidth: 100 kHz
Spectrum
-Video Bandwidth: 100 Hz
Analyzer
- Span:1 Mhz
- Sweep time: auto
- Amplitude scale: 1 dB / div
- Center Frequency: either Rx frequency or satellite beacon frequency
in the L band

Figure 123 – Connecting the Spectrum Analyzer

130 EMERGENCY TELECOMS HANDBOOK

The spectrum analyzer should be configured with the indicated parameters in the previous figure.
The so called “beacon frequency” is a known receive frequency of satellite and can be used to identify
the correct satellite. Obtain the beacon frequency from your NOC. Examples are:
- Rascom-QAF1: 4799.0 MHz (LHCP - C Planned band)
- Arabsat 5A: 3705.1 MHz (LHCP - C Normal band)
- Arabsat 5A: 4191.0 MHz (RHCP - C Normal band)

To set the spectrum analyzer, the beacon or Rx frequency should be converted to L band values,
since the received signal is obtained after the LNB down-conversion. The following formula applies:

FL = LO - FC

Where LO is the LNB local oscillator frequency (refer to specs)

FL is the frequency in L band
FC the frequency in C band

d. Setting the Elevation and Azimuth.

Going back to the antenna, make sure the position is oriented correctly to the center of the satellite
orbital arc (all visible satellites from that particular site) and the canister is locked tightly against the
mast by tightening the lock screws.
Set the antenna to the elevation values
provided by service provider.

Note that, for offset type antennas, the

real line of sight to the satellite on the
elevation axis is different from the
physical antenna dish elevation. The
elevation to be physically set at the
antenna can be calculated using the
following formula:

Em = Et - 

Where Et is the true elevation

Em is the measured elevation
 is the offset angle
Figure 124 - Azimuth and Elevation Pointing
To adjust the elevation, first place the inclinometer (which may have a magnetic strip) on the back of
the antenna, behind the reflector support. The inclinometer should be parallel to the dish. It shows
the current physical elevation of the antenna, by pointing an arrow to the ground, and showing the
elevation in degrees with a scale. Ensure that the inclinometer is showing 0° when the antenna
elevation is 0° (i.e. pointing to the horizon), and increases when the elevation is increased (i.e.
moving up to the sky).

Once the inclinometer measurement is ready, raise or lower the antenna to find the desired elevation
by turning the 1" nuts located at the elevation block using the appropriate tool (1-1/2” wrench).
Position the top nut so that it will not interfere with adjustment. Turn the bottom nut clockwise to
increase elevation and counterclockwise to decrease elevation until desired satellite elevation is
reached.

Use the compass to set the azimuth values. The compass needle always shows north, which
represents 0°. Place the compass horizontally and move the base until the arrow matches North on
the printed scale. The complete azimuth values are represented on the compass, for example, E is

VERY SMALL APERTURE TERMINAL (VSAT) 131

+90° and SW is 225°. Note that some error may be introduced by the antenna metal parts or metal
structures near it, magnetically affecting the compass behavior, make sure measurements are taken
away (at least 15 feet) from the antenna or structure. For proper measurements, a correction still has
to be applied, since the true north does not exactly match the magnetic north pole that the compass
uses for its measurements. The correct value to be set at the azimuth when using a magnetic
compass can be calculated using the following formula:

Am = AT - 

Where Am is the measured value at the compass

AT is the actual true value you want to obtain.
The correction factor  is called the “magnetic declination angle” and changes across time. Actual
value can be obtained from the National Geophysical Data Center (visit the website).

The azimuth supplied by the service provider should both indicate the true value and the measured
value on the compass. Once the compass measurement is ready, open the azimuth movement by
unlocking the two 1” adjustment nuts on the azimuth adjustment rod using appropriate tool (1-1/2”
wrench), to allow free movement of the dish for the whole length of the azimuth rod. Standing behind
the satellite dish, grasp the outer edges of the satellite dish and move right or left, until the antenna
is adjusted to the desired azimuth direction.

At this stage the installer should see the beacon on the spectrum Analyzer. The beacon shows as a
thin peak rising around the noise floor, and getting higher as long as the antenna beam is closer to
the satellite. If no signal is present keep moving the satellite dish slowly in a 20 degrees sweep in
one azimuth direction, and then the other until you get a signal. If still no signal is picked, verify all
parameters and start a large azimuth sweep (-20 to +20 degrees) starting from -20 degree elevation
to +20 degree elevation.

Some satellites share the same beacon, which may cause the installer to point at another satellite
than the desired one. To ensure that the correct satellite has been found, change the center
frequency of the spectrum analyzer to the site Rx carrier and compare with the plot the NOC
provided. Take a picture of the spectrum analyzer plot and send it to the NOC for confirmation:

Figure 125 - Shared SP plot vs. observed plot on a spectrum analyzer

e. Signal Peaking

If you reach this stage, the most difficult – finding the satellite - has been achieved, congratulations!
At this stage, the installer should make small adjustments on the Azimuth then Elevation repeatedly
one at a time until the strongest signal is obtained, which is defined as the greatest beacon height
on the spectrum analyzer. Adjustments should be no more than 1 degree in azimuth or elevation
while giving enough time to spectrum analyzer (5 seconds) to display the new signal. Once the fine-
tuning process is done, lock the dish by tightening all of the hardware used for adjustments and
making sure the amplitude of the signal does not drop, proceed to apply to the azimuth and elevation
rods the lithium grease provided with the installation kit and move to the IFL installation.

132 EMERGENCY TELECOMS HANDBOOK

4.4 INTER FACILITY LINK INSTALLATION

Most of the time, the coaxial will come already assembled. Unless requested by the NOC, for
example if there is too much signal loss, it is recommended not to cut the coaxial to the exact length
ODU -> IDU. In other situations where the cable is shipped in bulk, a connector might be need or
replaced. Section 4.4.1 covers the assembly process for F connectors and RG11 cables. In any
VSAT installation, connectors must be weatherproofed to ensure a long lasting installation which is
described in section 4.4.2. Section 4.4.3 describes IFL installation standards to ensure the maximum
longevity of the overall coaxial cable.

4.4.1 F Connectors Assembly on an RG11 Cable (Compression method)

Figure 126 - Assembling an RG11 F connector

4.4.2 Weatherproofing Connectors

Figure 127 - Weatherproofing a coaxial connector

VERY SMALL APERTURE TERMINAL (VSAT) 133

Optionally, for an even better protection, a flame retardant sleeve is used as last layer. In that case
only one layer of self-fusing tape and one layer on top of electrical tape is required:

Figure 128 - Weatherproofing using a heat-gun

4.4.3 IFL protection

Coaxial cables can be damaged through every day wear and tear. To ensure cable longevity, it is
recommended to:

- Weatherproof any coaxial cables kept outside (see previous chapter). This will prevent any
rusting of the cable while protecting the cable itself from various outdoor forces of nature
(sunlight, rain, animals etc.).
- Avoid bending the cable. The cable is easily capable of being curved, but should never be
crimped or turned at an angle. Many wires are inside the coaxial cable and bending these wires
could disrupt the cable's ability to transmit information. Each cable type has a different bending
radius, refer to the cable technical specifications.
- Surround outdoor cables with PVC pipes. Make sure the cable is not bent inside.
- Leave extra coax cable on the rear of the antenna in case it has to be pointed toward another
satellite.
- Create “drip loops” before the indoor entry point and connectors. This will prevent fluids
and moisture from entering either the building or the connectors.
- Install surge arresters by the modem connectors.

Figure 129 - Protecting coaxial cables

134 EMERGENCY TELECOMS HANDBOOK

4.5 INDOOR UNIT INSTALLATION

4.5.1 iDirect Modems

WARNING: NEVER CONNECT THE TX PORT TO THE BUC UNLESS PROVIDER APPROVED

The procedure below details the configuration steps for iDirect VSAT modems. It applies to all
models: Infiniti 3000/5000/7000 and X series (X1, X3, X5).

Pre-requisites:
- A computer with serial or USB port
- A serial to USB converter and a serial cable
- iSite software
- Package (.pkg) and Configuration files (.opt) as shared by the service provider

a. Connect the computer to the modem using the console cable:

Serial LAN

RJ45

USB to Serial

Laptop running iSite

Feed
horn

L
N
B

Figure 130 - iDirect Connection diagram

b. Obtain the modem IP address, ID and serial number

Using Putty or another serial, connect to the console port of the modem. The default login user is
root and password is P@55w0rd! (or sometimes “iDirect”).

iDirect Linux 2.4.24-uc0-iDirect0

Kernel 2.4.24-uc0-iDirect0 on an armv5b
iDirect login: root
Password:
Linux iDirect 2.4.24-uc0-iDirect0 #1 Tue Jun 7 17:38:22 EDT 2011 armv5b unknown
#

VERY SMALL APERTURE TERMINAL (VSAT) 135

Enter the command telnet 0 to enter the falcon mode. The default login user is admin and password
is P@55w0rd! Continue with the command laninfo to display the IP address of the modem. The IP
address is required for the configuration file upload using iSite.
# telnet 0
Entering character mode
Escape character is '^]'.
Username: admin
Password: *********
[RMT:79058] admin@telnet:::ffff:127.0.0.1;1036
> laninfo
Address: 10.3.1.1
Netmask: 255.255.255.0

c. Using the iSite software to manage the modem

iSite is a software tool to manage the remote device by direct connection through the
Ethernet port in the rear modem. Depending on the iSite version, not all iDirect modem
are supported, thus make sure the service provider shares the adequate software
version along with the configuration files. For iDirect X series modem, the version has
to be 12.0.0.0 or higher (go to Help menu -> About iSite).

Before being able to configure the modem, make sure your computer has an IP address in the same
range as the one obtained through the “laninfo” command. In the example above, the computer could
be configured with any IP in the range 10.3.1.2-253 with a network mask of 255.255.255.0.

As the iSite software is launched, the modem will be automatically surveyed. If not found, verify the
IP and firewall parameters then go to File -> new, right click over the “unknown” device and click on
“login”. The default password should be “iDirect”.

Figure 131 - Discovering the iDirect modem through iSite

136 EMERGENCY TELECOMS HANDBOOK

e. Uploading package files

Once discovered, the installer must upload the package and options files provided by the service
provider to the modem. Select the remote and right click on the “Download Package”. Browse for the
service provider *.pkg file. Then make sure the “Don’t check version”, “download images only” and
“don’t reset” options are ticked. Then click start to commence the upload process.

Figure 132 - Uploading the pkg file

f. Uploading options files

Perform likewise the package file, go back in the three view and select “download option from disk”.
Browse and install the appropriate option file. The option file is built by the service provider and
matches the specific site, as such it contains:
- - the Geographic location, which is important to determinate the timing delay.
- - the antenna information, such as its power voltage, BUC/LNB oscillator references.
- - the DID number. The HUB identifies each remote using a “HDLC number”, which it is related
to the DID of the modem.

This means a modem replacement cannot be done without generating a new OPT file.

At this stage, the pointing can be verified by going back to the tree
view, right clicking on the remote, selecting “Align Antenna” and
then click “Antenna pointing”. A graph showing a green bar
indicating the signal strength should be displayed.

Call the service provider to finalize the installation. This might

include further fine tuning the antenna, performing the cross-
polarization test and establishing the 1dB point.

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4.5.2 SCPC modems

Once the antenna has been pointed and fine-tuned, reach the service provider for a step by step
modem configuration. The installer should have received a modem configuration file similar to the
following:

Figure 133 - Sample Configuration file for SCPC modem

138 EMERGENCY TELECOMS HANDBOOK

4.6 GROUNDING & LIGHTNING PROTECTION

To avoid any potential grounding problem BUC & LNB must be connected with a 16 mm2 grounding
cable to the indoor rack using the termination lugs provided with the installation kit.

Notes:
• Telecom equipment grounding is separate from building electrical grounding
• Always use the shortest and most direct path to ground point
• Avoid sharp bends in ground cable
• Do not connect the equipment ground to the lightning arrestor
• Lightning protection is not the VSAT installers’ responsibility
• Lightning protection reduces the risk of fire and does not protect the equipment

► Refer to the VSAT Installation Grounding.pdf file in the USB Flashdrive.

------------------------------------ END OF CHAPTER 5 ------------------------------------

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140 EMERGENCY TELECOMS HANDBOOK