FF-05: Antenna placement & alignment

Reduced signal after installation, movement, weather or a site change.

All faultfinding roadmaps · FF-05 · Deployed / workshop / training

Reduced signal after installation, movement, weather or a site change.

Have to hand

Approved site / path plan, antenna specifications, commissioning photographs and live measurements at both ends.

Before you start

Assess access and mounting conditions from a safe position. Height work, structural changes and RF exposure controls follow the site procedure. Coordinate alignment so one end remains a stable reference.

Follow the equipment manual and local procedure. If a tool, permission, safe test setup or required measurement is unavailable, record the result as unknown and escalate with the available evidence. Change one item at a time.

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Checks on this page

1. Check the antenna and its surroundings

  • Confirm the intended model / band, radio ports, mounting orientation, height, separation and mechanical stability. Compare with commissioning photos.
  • For a designed line-of-sight link, check the path and Fresnel clearance, not only visibility of the distant endpoint. Look for new structures, wet vegetation, nearby metal and mount movement.

Does the current installation match the approved design?

Yes

Check polarisation and directional alignment.

Next: FF-05 · Check 2: Check polarisation, ports and the main beam.

No

Restore the approved arrangement if permitted; otherwise request a revised survey / design. Record the change and remeasure if corrected.

Next: V · Verify recovery.

2. Check polarisation, ports and the main beam

  • Confirm polarisation and the specified MIMO / diversity port arrangement at both ends. Do not assume every antenna system uses the same orientation.
  • For a directional link, follow the vendor’s alignment method. Make small azimuth / elevation changes at one end while the far end is held steady. Record signal and quality, confirm the main-lobe peak rather than a side lobe, then secure the mount to specification.

Do both ends now meet the commissioned / required signal and quality limits?

Yes

Confirm the final readings with the mount secured.

Next: FF-05 · Check 3: Check stability after securing the installation.

No

If alignment and path are correct, inspect the feed and quantify its loss.

Next: FF-06 · Check 1: Inspect connections and identify the cable type.

3. Check stability after securing the installation

  • Compare final signal, per-chain readings and quality at both ends after tightening. Check strain relief, approved sealing and that cables do not pull the antenna off alignment.
  • Observe under representative traffic for the agreed period. Record wind / weather and any recurring movement or obstruction; a short successful test does not prove long-term availability.

Are the readings stable and the original symptom resolved?

Yes

Record final position, readings and photographs, then close out the service test.

Next: V · Verify recovery.

No

Escalate with the position, environmental conditions and time-correlated readings. Identify any structural / path issue requiring further work.

Next: E · Escalate with evidence.

V. Prove the service is restored

  • Restore the approved configuration, connections, covers and weather seals. Remove test equipment and temporary changes using the equipment procedure.
  • Repeat the original failing user operation and the relevant measurements. Check both ends where applicable; ping success or a good RF reading alone is insufficient.
  • Compare before / after readings with the equipment limits, required service level and baseline under representative traffic.
  • Observe for the agreed period, record remaining limits and return the equipment to the responsible operator. A brief pass does not establish long-term availability.

Meets the agreed requirements: record the evidence and corrective action in the fault record. Close the fault through the normal reporting process.

Fails / no correction / still uncertain: keep the fault open. Record the last confirmed working boundary and remaining symptoms; avoid repeating unchanged checks. Escalate with evidence.

E. Escalate with evidence

Send the record through the approved support channel. Exclude credentials, tokens and unnecessary sensitive details.

  • System / location, UTC time, impact, exact failing operation, last working state and recent changes.
  • Roadmap code and check reached, expected result, actual readings, instrument / command used, units and measurement reference point.
  • Relevant interface counters, addressing / route, neighbour state, bounded path tests, resolver results and service logs.
  • For RF: measurements at both ends, band / bandwidth / mode, baseline, cable type / length, calibration settings, traces and installation observations.
  • Changes and substitutions tried, their results, current configuration, working boundary, missing tools / access and the next support action needed.

Fault record

Use your incident log, or print this space for field notes. This page does not store incident details.

UTC date / time and operator

System / location and incident reference

Symptom and last working state

Check reached and expected result

Before / after readings, units and test setup

Change / substitution and result

Verification operation and observation period

Open / resolved, handover owner and next action

Technical references

The decision sequence combines the references below. Product examples explain the method; use the manual for your deployed equipment to set acceptance limits.

Reference content: revision 1, 15 September 2026. Generic source-reviewed guidance; use site and equipment-specific procedures for actual work.