This throwback port design from the "Trango Summer Engineer Interns" Atlas days is crap. Nothing like the professional look of a galvanized water pipe cap on a carrier class radio. The split rubber gland that is under this metal plate/water pipe cap is poor as well. I'm glad you've been lucky with your results, but inspecting these old style "weather proof" ports after a period of time always reveals some water and dust penetration.
It's a hack design...for all the good Trango does for our industry don't try and defend their short comings. It diminishes your objective credibility. Instead point them out and hopefully Trango will take note on the next generation design. The Apex copper Ethernet ports are far from "the best type in the industry." Clearly your exposure to quality weatherized Ethernet ports has been limited. While the Apex copper Ethernet ports are far better than the fiber port they are too small to pass a heavy jacketed, outdoor armored jacket. So, the result is striping back the armored outer jacket and using Coax-Seal from the compression ring to the outer jacket. It seems Trango opted to cater to those that prefer to run small diameter Home Depot CAT5 rather than a higher quality far more durable armored CAT5. Additionally, Trango placed one of the copper Ethernet ports on the side of the radio rather than on the bottom. This can make for a difficult if not impossible connection to service as the cable has to make a sharp 90* turn before hitting the mounting pipe. Hopefully the next generation Apex radios will have better weatherized ports and have all of them placed in accessible locations. Best, Brad -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Tom DeReggi Sent: Tuesday, January 12, 2010 11:27 AM To: WISPA General List Subject: Re: [WISPA] Trango Apex Fiber port > I agree the execution of this port is > poor at best. Not at all the case. Compared to other brand radios, the Apex is one of the few that actually has an easilly accessible Fiber port. Both for replacing bad Transcievers and for connecting the fiber ends. This is a PLUS, not a disadvantage. The Fiber connector ends are designed to clip and adequately hold the Fiber ends in place. Fiber cable does not get damaged by water like a coax jack, and it just does not need the same precautions. If the fiber is NOT in flex conduit, then teh fiber should be tied of within a reasonable distance, which is easy enough. > I really don't care for the copper Ethernet ports either as > they do not have a large enough opening for the shielded outdoor cable we > run. Sounds like you are using the wrong type of cable, then The CAT5 pass-thru jacks are of the best type in the industry. I'm glad they decided to use the best. If the Rubber are to thin, you can drill it by freeezing it, and then drilling. But we use direct buriel Superior Essex cable that fits perfectly. (Thicker mohawk wont fit). Tom DeReggi RapidDSL & Wireless, Inc IntAirNet- Fixed Wireless Broadband ----- Original Message ----- From: "Brad Belton" <[email protected]> To: "'WISPA General List'" <[email protected]> Sent: Tuesday, January 12, 2010 11:41 AM Subject: Re: [WISPA] Trango Apex Fiber port > Fortunately all our Apex installations have had relatively short cable > runs, > so haven't used the fiber port yet. I agree the execution of this port is > poor at best. I really don't care for the copper Ethernet ports either as > they do not have a large enough opening for the shielded outdoor cable we > run. > > I would run a short piece of weather tight flex conduit from the radio to > a > NEMA enclosure and then continue the cable run from that point. We've > done > this with our BridgeWave installations. > > I'd still like to see pictures or hear what you ended up doing. > > Best, > > > Brad > > -----Original Message----- > From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On > Behalf Of Randy Cosby > Sent: Tuesday, January 12, 2010 10:05 AM > To: WISPA General List > Subject: [WISPA] Trango Apex Fiber port > > Just put up our first Apex 11Ghz link. Wondering what everyone does to > seal up that port. The manual says you have to hook up the fiber / > power port to metal conduit. Do you run conduit all the way back to the > base? Do you just use a short piece? Do you put a compression fitting > on the end? Use flex? Just curious. > > I used a threaded metal 3/4" sweep 90, then capped it off with a Trango > AP compression fitting. It's a little heavy though, and I worry about > the little screws that hold the 3/4" threaded base plate getting > stripped out. > > -- > Randy Cosby > Vice President > InfoWest, Inc > > 435-674-0165 x 2010 > > http://www.infowest.com/ > > "Letting off steam always produces more heat than light." - Neal A. > Maxwell > > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- > ---- > WISPA Wants You! 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