Azimuth and Elevation Radiation Patterns
Contents of the Antenna and Bracket Kit
Dimensions of the Antenna and Brackets
Deciding on a Mounting Location
Mounting on a Wall or Ceiling Using Articulating Bracket
Mounting Directly on a Wall Through Mounting Holes on the Antenna
Mounting on a Wall, Ceiling or Mast with AP Mounted Directly on Antenna
Connecting the Antenna to the Access Point
Communications, Services, and Additional Information
First Published: March 13, 2020
Last Updated: April 17, 2020
This document describes the Cisco Catalyst 2.4 GHz and 5/6 GHz Dual-Band Polarization-Diverse Directional Patch Antenna (C-ANT9103=), and provides electrical specifications and mounting instructions.
The antenna is an octal DART port polarization-diverse patch antenna that operates over the 2.4 GHz band and extended 5 GHz band (up to 7.125 GHz), and IoT. It has 8 RF paths and 16 digital lines. It also has an LED. The antenna ships with an articulating mount for use on flat surfaces and masts, and is adjustable in both horizontal and vertical planes.
The antenna is designed for use in indoor and outdoor environments with an approved Cisco Catalyst series access point that requires four dual-band and four 5/6 GHz antennas. The antenna also includes circuitry to enable self-identification of the antenna by the Cisco Catalyst Series access points.
The following information is provided in this document:
■Azimuth and Elevation Radiation Patterns
■Contents of the Antenna and Bracket Kit
■Dimensions of the Antenna and Brackets
■Communications, Services, and Additional Information
Each year, hundreds of people are killed or injured when attempting to install an antenna. In many of these cases, the victim was aware of the danger of electrocution, but did not take adequate steps to avoid the hazard.
For your safety, and to help you achieve a good installation, read and follow these safety precautions. They may save your life!
■If you are installing an antenna for the first time, for your own safety as well as that of others, seek professional assistance. Your Cisco sales representative can explain which mounting method to use for the size and type of antenna you are about to install.
■Select your installation site with safety as well as performance in mind. Remember that electric power lines and phone lines look alike. For your safety, assume that any overhead line can kill you.
■Call your electric power company. Tell them your plans and ask them to come and look at your proposed installation. This is a small inconvenience considering your life is at stake.
■Plan your installation carefully and completely before you begin. Successful raising of a mast or tower is largely a matter of coordination. Each person should be assigned a specific task, and should know what to do and when to do it. One person should be in charge of the operation to issue instructions and watch for signs of trouble.
■When installing your antenna, remember:
– Do not work on a wet or windy day.
– Do dress properly—shoes with rubber soles and heels, rubber gloves, long sleeved shirt or jacket.
■If the assembly starts to drop, get away from it and let it fall. Remember, the antenna, mast, cable, and metal guy wires are all excellent conductors of electrical current. Even the slightest touch of any of these parts to a power line completes an electrical path through the antenna and the installer: You!
■If any part of the antenna system should come in contact with a power line, don’t touch it or try to remove it yourself. Call your local power company. They will remove it safely.
■If an accident occurs with the power lines, call for qualified emergency help immediately.
For a listing of all the warning statements and their translations, see Translated Safety Warnings for Cisco Aironet Access Points at:
http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/wireless/access_point/warnings/reference/guide/ap_warn1.html
Antennas transmit and receive radio signals that are susceptible to RF obstructions and common sources of interference that can reduce throughput and the range of the device to which they are connected. Follow these guidelines to ensure the best possible performance:
■Install the antenna vertically and mount it with the cables pointing towards the ground.
■Keep the antenna away from metal obstructions such as heating and air-conditioning ducts, large ceiling trusses, building superstructures, and major power cabling runs. If necessary, use a rigid conduit to lower the antenna away from these obstructions.
■In an outdoor environment, connect the antenna to a lightning arrestor and ensure proper grounding.
■The density of the materials used in a building’s construction determines the number of walls the signal can pass through and still maintain adequate signal strength. Consider the following before choosing the location for your antenna:
–Signals penetrate paper and vinyl walls with little change to signal strength.
–Signals penetrate only one or two solid and precast concrete walls without degrading signal strength.
–Signals penetrate three or four concrete and wood block walls without degrading signal strength.
–Signals penetrate five or six walls constructed of drywall or wood without degrading signal strength.
–Signals are likely to reflect off a thick metal wall and may not penetrate it at all.
–Signals are likely to reflect off a chain link fence or wire mesh spaced between 1 and 1 1/2 inch. (2.5 and 3.8 cm). The fence acts as a harmonic reflector that blocks the signal.
■Install the antenna away from microwave ovens and 2 GHz cordless phones. These products can cause signal interference because they operate in the same frequency range as the device to which your antenna is connected.
Figure 1 Contents of the Antenna Bracket Kit
The dimensions noted in the following illustrations are all in mm, unless noted otherwise.
Figure 2 Dimensions of the Antenna with Brackets and Cables
Figure 3 Locations of Screw Holes and Pressure Vent at the Back of the Antenna
Figure 4 Locations of the Screw Holes on the Articulating Mount Flange
You can install the antenna on a wall or ceiling (must be a flat surface), or on a pole with a minimum diameter of 2 inches (5.08 cm) and a maximum diameter of 5 inches (12.7 cm).
The antenna should be mounted clear of any obstructions to the side or front of the enclosure, which contains the radiating elements. Keep in mind that this antenna should be aimed at the intended coverage area. Therefore, you should mount the antenna such that the desired mechanical tilt is achieved. If possible, mount the antenna near the access point so that you can use the shortest possible connecting cables.
Before you start with mounting the antenna, go through the mounting procedure for each kind of installation and ensure that you have all tools and fasteners mentioned therein ready. The following is a general list of fasteners and tools which are not included in the antenna and brackets kit.
■To mount the antenna on a wall or ceiling, you need four mounting 4 mm or #8 screws or bolts and wall anchors.
■To mount the antenna on a pole or mast, you will need either or both of these supplies:
–Slotted screwdriver to tighten the screws on the hose clamps
–A 5/16 inch (8mm) socket or box wrench
■You may also need the following tools and equipment, which are not provided as part of the kit:
Note The fasteners and mounting surface should be capable of maintaining a minimum pullout force of 150 pounds (68 kg) to support the weight of the antenna along with the potential wind loading on the antenna.
Figure 5 Exploded View of Antenna and Bracket Hardware Assembly
Figure 6 Cable Restraint on the Back of the Antenna
1 |
Cable restraint.1 |
2 |
Figure 7 Close-Up View of the Azimuth and Elevation-Adjustment Pivots
Note The fasteners and mounting surface should be capable of maintaining a minimum pullout force of 150 pounds (68 kg) to support the weight of the antenna along with the potential wind loading on the antenna.
For the recommended cable type, see the Recommended Cable.
Figure 10 Exploded View of Antenna and Hardware Assembly for Direct Wall Mounting
Note The pole or mast must be rigid enough to hold the weight of an antenna along with the associated forces produced by wind loads. In addition, the mast must be structurally strong enough to withstand the clamping force of the hose clamps.
One of the two required articulating mount flange brackets come attached to the back of the antenna (see Contents of the Antenna Bracket Kit). The other flange bracket, included in the kit, is the one used in this step.
Azimuth angle can be adjusted ±60 degrees (Azimuth Adjustment) and elevation can be adjusted ±60 degrees (Elevation Adjustment).
You can use the azimuth and elevation markings on the articulating mounting arm and the flange brackets as a guide. See Close-Up View of the Azimuth and Elevation-Adjustment Pivots.
For the recommended cable type, see the Recommended Cable.
Figure 11 Antenna Bracket Hose Clamp Assembly for Pole Mounting
You can directly mount the Cisco Catalyst series C9130AX-E access point to the back of the C-ANT9103= antenna using the AIR-AP-BRACKET-9= bracket. See Exploded View of Bracket Hardware Assembly for Directly Mounting Access Point to Back of Antenna.
Figure 12 Exploded View of Bracket Hardware Assembly for Directly Mounting Access Point to Back of Antenna
The antenna has an 8-port DART plug which is connected to the octal DART port on the access point.
The C-ANT9103= includes circuitry to enable self-identification of the antenna by the Cisco Catalyst series C9130AX-E access points. The C-ANT9103= antenna has a built-in EEPROM that can be read by the AP to automatically configure the antenna type, gain, and beamwidth in the wireless controller.
Painting the antenna and the bracket does not affect its performance if you use standard exterior-grade, oil-based, or latex paint. Do not use metallic or metallic-flake paints, which will degrade antenna performance.
Note Before painting the antenna, cover the pressure-release vent on the rear, lower-left of the antenna with masking tape to prevent clogging. Ensure that you remove the tape afterwards.
We recommend that you use Krylon Fusion for Plastic or Rust-Oleum for Plastic (which might require a primer coat). For best results, follow the surface preparation suggestions from the paint manufacturer.
■To receive timely, relevant information from Cisco, sign up at Cisco Profile Manager.
■To get the business impact you’re looking for with the technologies that matter, visit Cisco Services.
■To submit a service request, visit Cisco Support.
■To discover and browse secure, validated enterprise-class apps, products, solutions and services, visit Cisco Marketplace.
■To obtain general networking, training, and certification titles, visit Cisco Press.
■To find warranty information for a specific product or product family, access Cisco Warranty Finder.
Cisco Bug Search Tool (BST) is a web-based tool that acts as a gateway to the Cisco bug tracking system that maintains a comprehensive list of defects and vulnerabilities in Cisco products and software. BST provides you with detailed defect information about your products and software.
Cisco and the Cisco logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Cisco and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and other countries. To view a list of Cisco trademarks, go to this URL: www.cisco.com/go/trademarks. Third-party trademarks mentioned are the property of their respective owners. The use of the word partner does not imply a partnership relationship between Cisco and any other company. (1721R)