Hughesnet Question

[bshiers]

I work for a contractor out in Wyoming. We're looking to start selling and installing Hughesnet satellite for business and residential. The gal we are talking to at Hughesnet said that there must be a minimum of 25' of cable between the IDU and the antenna. We're baffled by this and don't understand it. We've done licensed and unlicensed installs on wireless gear (quite different I know), but we're used to using the least amount of cable possible to minimize loss.

Any thoughts on this would be appreciated.

TYIA,

B

[Stargazer]

Maybe it has something to do with resistance or voltage?

[grohgreg]

The "gal" was either not telling you the whole story, or didn't have a clue what she was talking about in the first place. Or maybe she used to work for WildBlue. They had a silly rule like that several years ago. But it was temporary, six months maybe. Once they upgraded the gateway software, that 25' thing went away.

The HN-series of modems have adaptive inroutes and outroutes. The cable length thing is more related to the inroute. The modem varies its output amplitude after considering the real-time quality of the outroute. The algorithm that calculateshow much amplitude to send to the transmitter includes a constant that represents average loss over 25 feet of average approved cable.

But even among the Hughes-approved cables, resistivity varies. So the 25' rule is not hard and fast. It's just a common sense thing. The true test is the actual resistivity test. As long as there is acceptable cable loss relative to the transmitter output rating, the length of the cable run is moot. If you don't have ENOUGH loss, to represent the average 25' run, use use either cheaper cable - or use an appropriate attenuator on the modem TX output.

That's the technical answer. But in the real world, you need to worry more about the MAX run than you do about the MIN run.

//greg//

[HCI]

There is really not a set minimum but 25' of cable even on the shortest cable runs are not far fetch. Lets say you put a pole up 3' from a house beside the POE and you have a ground right beside there. You are going to use about 4' of cable from the ODU to the back of the dish then Hughes requires at least a 10' service loop, then you have to go down the pole atleast 5' then 3' to the house then around 3' up to the POE with a 1' additional add for ground block drip loops then you are going to need atleast 3' inside. So just right there on about the shortest run of cable you will see thats an average of 25' to 30' if you are doing a Hughes approve installation.

As for the max I have uploaded a PDF on Hughes approved cable lengths.

[bshiers]

Thanks greg and tate! The information is MUCH appreciated!