A Microwave system is made up of Microwave links or paths. They are like pipes. They carry DS-3 traffic(28 T-1's multiplexed) and the newer systems carry IP traffic. They are not monitorable. They are up in the GHz range somewhere from 2 GHz and above. If they were monitorable, you would need to be in the direct path which wouldn't be likely considering the dish may be located on a high rise roof, tower, or tower on a mountain top. The T-1's are multiplexed from 24 channels and each channel could be a voice or data channel.Hello,
I have a few answers that google wasn't as clear about, hoping you guys would know more on these topics.
What is a microwave system (as in a microwave public safety license)? Are they monitorable?
And what is a remote link?
Thanks
Where I retired from, we had a path go down at the same time each day. We found a crane had moved in the path. We've also had a path go down when a building under construction added a new floor. Another time, a over grown tree was blocking the path of a OC-3 radio.These would be in the GHz frequencies and are generally high speed data transmissions so basically, no, they can not be monitored.
Besides, the beamwidth is fairly narrow so you would have to be right on the path to receive the signal and if you blocked the beam, you would be in a heap of trouble. When I was doing path studies, we had a shot going over a coal mining company where the coal pile would increase in height over time. A company not to be named did the first study and shot the path when the coal pile was at a minimum height. The microwave system was installed per their design. The system went down like clockwork for 2 days every 4 weeks. We re-shot the path on paper and in the field and found the offending coal pile. Needless to say, the dishes at each end had to be raised so the narrow beam would clear the maximum height of the coal pile!
Hate it when that happens...Where I retired from, we had a path go down at the same time each day. We found a crane had moved in the path. We've also had a path go down when a building under construction added a new floor. Another time, a over grown tree was blocking the path of a OC-3 radio.
Another time, a over grown tree was blocking the path of a OC-3 radio.
Not microwave, but the US Forest Service uses UHF links on some Nat Forests. Around 409 - 411 MHz. I'm not quite sure exactly how they work, but it's not unusual to receive them better then their repeaters. Also, for many years the State of California - Office of Emergency Services (OES) has had a statewide microwave system. Last year Nokia was selected by OES to "upgrade the statewide microwave network to support first responder communications."
Press Release
When the winds from Harvey hit Austin...I got a call from one of the rural county EMC's stating three of his sites were going in and out of site trunking every minute or two. The wind was moving the dishes making the short path back to CoA's core unstable. I ended up unplugging the PTP800's network cable to force the long path because I didn't want to take the hours needed to figure out how to add cost on the GGM8000's. The real take away from that day...when you have your microwave radios in the same layer 2 network (in this case a /24 broadcast domain) it can take up to 40 seconds for OSPF to recalculate a route.Been there, done that, been out in the storm with a tree crew to take the top off it.
Remote links are connections to other radio sites. As stated, many radio systems might have multiple receivers all connected back to a voter. The voter will pick the receiver that has the highest signal to noise ratio and use that to feed the repeater(s). Multiple transmit sites may exist also.
And while I'm old, I'm not that old and am still running leased telco lines to some of my sites. Some is on our own cable, some is from the local exchange carrier. All will eventually be transitioned to IP over the next few years. Microwave, conditioned telephone lines, optical, and IP links may be used to connect the remote sites together.
Are they in the 415-416 range by chance? USFS had their's in that range before they switched down a bit.NOAA uses some 400MHz links to some of their transmitters around me. I can usually pick them up.
Are they in the 415-416 range by chance? USFS had their's in that range before they switched down a bit.
Thanks for the replies! What about remote links?
Must have missed that when scrolling through. So there basically extra towers for mutual aid or something like that?Remote links are connections to other radio sites. As stated, many radio systems might have multiple receivers all connected back to a voter. The voter will pick the receiver that has the highest signal to noise ratio and use that to feed the repeater(s). Multiple transmit sites may exist also.
And while I'm old, I'm not that old and am still running leased telco lines to some of my sites. Some is on our own cable, some is from the local exchange carrier. All will eventually be transitioned to IP over the next few years. Microwave, conditioned telephone lines, optical, and IP links may be used to connect the remote sites together.
Must have missed that when scrolling through. So there basically extra towers for mutual aid or something like that?