[ANSS-netops] verizon cell modems

[David S. Croker]

Hey Greg!

Yes.  The Raven-X modem (the only model we've used and are familiar 
with) actually has two antenna ports, a primary and a 
secondary.  With the software that supports the modem, you can see a 
readout of the RSSL (as a number I think, not a graph).  It actually 
seems to work pretty well, and you can use it to fine (more like 
moderate to rough) tune the direction to point a high-gain yagi 
antenna (assuming you don't have usable cell sites all around 
you).  The way we have installed them so far (just 4, but all at 
pretty remote sites), is to use a yagi antenna for the best possible 
signal on antenna port 1, then also hook up a low-cost omni antenna 
on port 2 so that if the cell site we're pointed at bites the dust, 
the modem will have a chance of picking up a signal from a secondary 
cell site in any direction (especially good too as the cellular 
companies keep adding more towers).  The cost of the extra whip, 
coax, and time to install is totally worth adding the second antenna.

Good to hear from you, Greg.

Dave


At 11:49 AM 11/24/2009, you wrote:
>Dave,
>I'm curious, do the cell modems have provision for using an external 
>antenna to improve received and transmitted levels?
>Greg
>--
>Greg Steiner
>
>VLF Designs
>1621 Bella Vista Dr.
>Jackson, Mo. 63755
>
>Ph: 573-204-1286
>Fax:573-204-1286
>Ph: 573-388-2117
>
>Email: <mailto:vlf at cablerocket.com>vlf at cablerocket.com
>
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