Supplies needed: Tripod, 2x standard SDI cable, Fin Antenna, 2x short (“whip”) antennas.
-
Retrieve one of the small, lightweight tripods from the AV Case and place it in a convenient location.
-
Retrieve the fin antenna from the Storage Case and attach it to the tripod. Aim the shorter end of the fin antenna at the field.
The fin antenna has a horizontal coverage of 120 degrees, centered on the blade of the antenna. The primary operational area of the wireless equipment is on or in front of (i.e., the side that is away from the scoring table) the field. Thus, it should be placed that as much of the field is within this 120 degree arc, ideally the whole field should be within this area. Because of the directional nature of the antenna, placing it as close as possible to the source is not always the best option. See the illustration and question below for a visual explanation.
Check Your Understanding
Observe the diagram of three possible antenna placements below. The triangle indicates the direction the antenna is pointing, with dotted lines indicating the virtual rays corresponding to the 120 degree horizontal coverage arc. Rank the placements in order from best to worst.
Tap to Reveal Answer
- Antenna B covers the entire field and a large area in front of it. It is the best antenna placement, but is set quite far back from the field. Some venues may not have enough room for this setup.
- Antenna C covers most of the field and the area in front of it, with only a small coverage gap in a corner of the field. This placement is much closer to the field, and may be the best setup option when space is tight.
- Antenna A misses a large portion of the field and is an unacceptable placement for this purpose.
- Retrieve two shorter (whip) antennas from the drawers in the Storage Case. Connect these antennas to the exposed ports on each side of the fin antenna. Point the antennas straight out from the sides (i.e., do not bend the antennas at a right angle).
- Retrieve two bare SDI cables from the SDI A/V tote. These cables should not be sleeved and should only have one connector.
- Connect one end of each SDI cable to the ports labeled “Mic Antenna 1” and “Mic Antenna 2” on the back of the Streaming Unit.
- Connect the other end of the cable to the connectors on the fin antenna labeled “LPDA” and “WHIP”. It does not matter which port is connected to which cable in this setup. Be careful not to connect to the outputs for the whip antennas.
Stage 2a is complete. Proceed to stage 2b.