[AFMUG] Heads up on IT Elite EPMP Antennas

[Nate Burke]

We have used a couple of the IT Elite cPRO-SECTOR50018Dual sectors for 
EPMP build-outs.  They are like this 
http://www.itelite.net/en/Katalog/Radio//PRO-SECTOR50018dual-HVBOX.html 
but with an EPMP Bracket on the inside, and Ethernet/GPS connections on 
the bottom of the antenna, and a magnet on top to stick the GPS Puck.  
We though they were pretty cool, since the radio is enclosed inside the 
antenna, you don't have to worry about Weatherproofing the coax 
connections.  Today I was out at a site troubleshooting Ethernet issues 
on one of the sectors and found that the Ethernet bulkhead connector at 
the bottom of the antenna was all burned up. I checked the other sector 
that I had at the site and it was all burned as well, but still 
functioning.

I'm not sure how the water got in there, my working theory is that 
somehow it filled up the inside of the bulkhead grommet, but I don't 
know if it came from inside the antenna, or somehow got around the 
grommet on the outside.  When I pulled the bulkhead out, there was no 
sign of water on the outside of the bulkhead.  The Bulkhead is at the 
highest point on the cable, so there is no way that water could have run 
inside the cable into the bulkhead.

For the other ITElite sectors I have deployed, I'm probably going to 
preemptively go pull out the bulkhead, and run the cable directly into 
the radio.

Nate