How to Extend Wireless Transceiver Antenna and RF Cable
Some wireless 4-20mA signal transmitters applications require the antenna and/or cables to be extended. Below you will find what is required to extend your Twin Link P2P device's RF cable length, as well as a guide for when you need to add an external waterproof antenna for it.
If you need technical advice or assistance in setting up your Twin Link P2P combined wireless transmitter and receiver device, you can also contact our team on 1300 236 467. We have offices in VIC, QLD, NSW, and WA for local support if required.
Installation Within Enclosures
Twin Link comes standard with a 3dbi indoor antenna, so if the device is installed in an outdoor-rated plastic enclosure, you do not need to replace the standard issue antenna.
However, when installed indoors inside metal enclosures, interference is likely to occur due to contributing factors that include the type of metal used, metal thickness and earthing cables. Transmission loss may be insignificant if the distance between Twin Link input and output is within 30m, but for longer distances, you may opt to mount your antenna on top of the metal enclosure using a Wi-Fi antenna extension cable, to minimise interference.
The extension cable provides a 300mm bulkhead extension for the standard antenna, and can be slotted through a hole to connect either ends of the cable accordingly.
Outdoor Installation
For an outdoor installation within a metal enclosure, you will need an outdoor antenna.
Most outdoor antenna uses N type connectors, whereas the Twin Link device itself has an RP-SMA connector. Hence, we recommend that you use an N Type to RP-SMA adaptor to enable connection between your device and the outdoor antenna.
For waterproof installations, you can use a bulkhead N Type female 2.4 Ghz antenna (refer to the picture below). This type of adaptor has a gain of 3 dB, which is similar to the supplied antenna.
Long Distance Mounting
For long distance installations, we recommend you use an N Type cable, and an N Type bulkhead female at one end and an RP-SMA connector to the other end – to reduce RF signal fluctuations. This type of adaptor cable can be connected straight away into the Twin Link device.
To extend the antenna, you can use the N Type cable male adaptor, as shown below, to connect the bulkhead of the enclosure to the antenna, as previously mentioned.
How to Select the Right Cable?
Now it is time to do the math. Not all N Type extender cable is created equal because cable thickness varies. The thicker the cable you use, the lower the attenuation of the RF signal will be.
Some common cables that can connect to N type connectors are the following:
RG 58 attenuation at 2.4 Ghz - 32.2 dB per 30m
RG 142 attenuation at 2.4 Ghz - 21 dB per 30m
LM240 attenuation at 2.4 Ghz - 12.9 dB per 30m
LMR400 attenuation at 2.4 Ghz - 6.8 dB per 30m
To help you in selecting your cable, remember that for every 6 dB that you lose, you also lose half of your transmission distance. Therefore, a 12 dB loss would quarter your original transmission distance.
For example, if you wanted to extend the antenna by 5m, you can calculate how much attenuation you will get from different cable options below. A simple formula you can use is 0.17x loss per 30m.
RG58 - loss 5.47 dB
RG 142 - loss 3.57 dB
LM 240 - loss 2.19 dB
LM 400 - loss 1.16 dB
Do you have any questions? If you need technical advice or assistance to sort your Twin Link P2P antenna extension, contact our team, you can find our details here.
