GTW Systems Boosts Cellular Signal for Aerospace Facility
Posted by surecall on 21st Dec 2016
In-Building Cellular Solution (180,000 sq. ft.)
GTW Systems was contacted by a large aerospace manufacturer that purchased two SureCall Force5 80dB five-band amplifiers to cover 80,000 square feet and 100,000 square feet, respectively, in one of their impenetrable facilities. In addition, the customer wanted certain carrier signals to be stronger than others.
The Dilemma
Increasing cellular coverage and balancing cellular signals to ensure peak performance and carrier compliance with the LTE network.
The Solution - SureCall Force5 Industrial
• Business receives balanced signal among various carriers
As an expert in balancing signal and RF engineering, Veldstra was unfamiliar with the Force5, and therefore a little leery of the amplifier’s capabilities and whether it would perform according to the client’s needs. The Force5’s small enclosure contains five bands in one small casing. Although Veldstra admired the compact size of the SureCall 5 band design, he was initially concerned that the frequencies would “step on each other” which can be common in wideband equipment.
After tuning and conditioning the input signals at the antenna array, Veldstra started adjusting the Force5’s frequency uplinks and downlinks. He found that the Force5 was a quality cellular amplifier that could deliver the results he was looking for. “The separate uplinks and downlinks per band with the dipswitches are necessary,” Veldstra commented. “LTE is very sensitive. If you can’t control LTE on the uplink, the amplifier isn’t useful.”
Veldstra was also impressed that the Force5 actually did what it was supposed to do and indicated that amplifier companies occasionally overstate their products’ actual benefits. According to Veldstra, an amplifier’s output power is often an overlooked component to provide maximum performance. He was impressed at the Force5’s accurate output, adding to its positive features.
Although SureCall advertises the Force5’s range up to 80,000 square feet, Veldstra said that after installing the amplifiers, a spectrum analyzer was showing enhanced cellular signal covering more than 100,000 square feet which far surpassed the performance the client could achieve prior to proper signal tuning and conditioning.
The Result
With the installation of two Force5 cellular amplifiers, hundreds of aerospace workers are now able to receive strong voice and LTE data signals on the job. Although this particular job required the expertise of Scott Veldstra and the rest of the GTW Systems team, professional installers all over the U.S. can outfit companies with large area demands with wide-band cellular for all carriers, thanks to the Force5.