Uniden C-Series Cellular Boosters Instruction Manual
- August 2, 2024
- Uniden
Table of Contents
Uniden C-Series Cellular Boosters
Specifications
- Product: Cellular Booster Kit
- Manufacturer: Uniden Cellular
- Model: Various Models Available
Product Information
The cellular booster kit by Uniden Cellular is designed to improve signal strength in homes, buildings, offices, and other areas where cellular reception is weak or unreliable. It amplifies the signal from the nearest cellular tower and retransmits it at a higher power level within a local area.
Installation Instructions
Safety and Warnings
Touching internal parts could cause damage from static electrical
discharge. Opening the base unit voids the warranty.
Tools Required
- Phillips Screwdriver
- Drill
- Cellular Phone (to check signal strength)
Booster Kit Components
- Boosters: Outdoor Antennas (Signal) – Yagi, Panel; Indoor Antennas (Distribution) – Post, Whip, Panel
- Cables: Various lengths available – U5D, U400
- Optional Accessories (sold separately): Dome, Lightning Surge Protector, Antenna Mounting Pole
How It Works
The system provides reliable two-way cellular coverage by amplifying the
signal from the nearest cellular tower and retransmitting it at a higher power
level within a local area.
Usage Instructions
Overview
This guide will help you properly install your cellular booster kit. Before
mounting any equipment, plan the layout of your system by checking signal
strength, antenna, booster, and cable placement.
Installation Steps
- Signal Antenna (outdoor)
- Surge Protector
- Booster
- Distribution Antenna (indoor)
- Splitter (if using multiple antennas)
- Distribution Antennas (optional for additional coverage)
FAQ
Q: What should I do if I do not understand the installation instructions?
A: If you do not understand the instructions in full, please contact
technical support at 1-800-239-0394.
INSTRUCTION MANUAL
uniclen ® U60C
uniclen ® U65C
Uniclen® U65XC
Contact Tech Support at 1.800.239.0394 or email at support@unidencellular.com
NOTE: This manual contains important safety and operating information. Please read and follow the instructions in this manual, failure to do so could be hazardous and result in damage to your cellular booster.
Important Note Related to Industry Canada
Radio equipment that is installed, activated, modified, repaired, maintained
or allowed to be operated is duly authorized and operated in accordance with
the aforementioned authorization, by checking the operator’s license, or,
failing that, consulting the following website at:
http://spectrumdirect.ic.gc.ca
INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE FOLLOWING CELLULAR BOOSTERS:
- Uniden L60C
- Uniden L65C
- Uniden L65XC
ABOUT THE BOOSTER KITS
Our goal is to give you a proven solution that ends your frustration with weak
and dropped cellular signals so you can enjoy excellent call quality, more
convenience and greater productivity.
SAFETY AND WARNINGS
- Turn AC power OFF at the mains before working on any electrical connections.
- All AC power wiring and coaxial cable wiring must conform to local or national codes.
- The AC line voltage must be within 10% of the voltage specified for the booster.
- A solid copper conductor no less than No. 8 AWG should be connected to ground.
- DO NOT connect a ground wire to a gas supply line.
- DO NOT open the booster.There are no serviceable parts inside.
Touching internal parts could cause damage from static electrical discharge.
Opening the base unit DOES VOID THE WARRANTY.
TOOLS REQUIRED
BOOSTER KIT COMPONENTS
BOOSTERS
OUTDOOR ANTENNAS (signal)
INDOOR ANTENNAS (distribution)
CABLES (various lengths available)
OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES (sold separately)
HOW IT WORKS
The cellular booster provides reliable two-way cellular coverage by improving
signal strength in homes, buildings, offices, and other areas where cellular
reception is weak or unreliable.
The system amplifies the signal from the nearest cellular tower and
retransmits at a higher power level within a local area.
This manual provides simple installation instructions that will have your
cellular booster kit running in record time.
OVERVIEW
This guide will help you properly install your cellular booster kit. It is
important to read through all of the installation steps before installing your
equipment. Thoroughly read through the instructions, visualize where all the
equipment will need to be installed and do a soft installation before mounting
any equipment.
If you do not understand the instructions in full, please contact technical
support at 1-800-239-0394.
Plan the layout of your system
Before you get started you will need to plan the layout of your system. This
involves checking signal strength for signals coming from the cellular tower,
as well as antenna, booster and cable placement.
-
Signal Antenna (outdoor)
-
Surge Protector
-
Booster
-
Distribution Antenna (indoor)
-
Splitter (if using mutliple antenna)
-
6/7 Distribution Antennas (optional antennas for additional coverage)
-
SIGNAL ANTENNA (outdoor) – select location
Mount the signal (outdoor) antenna in an elevated outdoor
location so that it points towards the cellular tower and away from where the inside antenna will be located. -
OUTDOOR COAXIAL CABLE – select location
The outdoor coaxial cable is used to connect the signal (outdoor) antenna to the booster. -
LIGHTNING SURGE PROTECTOR – (SOLD SEPARATELY)
The lightning surge protector connects in between the signal antenna and the booster.
IMPORTANT : Lightning surge protector must be grounded. -
DISTRIBUTION ANTENNA (indoor)
The ideal location for the distribution antenna will be the area of your property where you need to improve the signal most.
NOTE : The signal strength will be strongest closest to the antenna. -
INDOOR COAXIAL CABLE – (if used)
The indoor coaxial cable is used to connect the distribution (indoor) antenna to the booster. -
BOOSTER – select location
Install the booster in an area that is protected from the weather, properly ventilated and is away from excessive heat and moisture. -
COMMISSIONING THE SYSTEM
IDENTIFY THE BEST LOCATION TO INSTALL THE SIGNAL (OUTDOOR) ANTENNA.
Check for signal strength
Select a location on the roof of the building to install the signal antenna,
by monitoring your cellular phone’s signal strength (signal bars) to find the
strongest signal from your carrier’s cellular tower.
Mark the area
Mark that area as the installation location for the signal (outdoor).
Find the Area of the roof with the Best Cell Signal
RUN COAXIAL CABLE
Loosely run the coaxial cable from your outdoor antenna to your booster.
(after you have tested the system you can permanently secure the coaxial
cable).
As you route and pull cabling, follow these general guidelines:
- Bend cables and route them smoothly, and protect the outer skin against any damage.
- Keep horizontal cables straight and fasten them with a tie every three to five feet.
- Bind and fasten vertical cables every six to eight feet.
- Waterproof all outdoor connections with silicone caulking
- Be careful when plugging the connector in so as not to damage the center pins on the connectors.
INSTALL THE SIGNAL (OUTDOOR) ANTENNA.
Mount the signal (outdoor) antenna
The signal antenna should be located as high as possible in order to capture
the best quality signal from the cellular tower.
Use the mounting hardware in the kit to attach the signal (outdoor) antenna to
the building.
Connect the signal (outdoor) antenna:
Connect the supplied coaxial cable to the antenna. We recommend applying
silicone caulking to fully waterproof the connection.
Attach the cable in such a way that a drip loop is formed. (see image on page
14). Once mounted, connect one end of the coaxial cable to the signal
(outdoor) antenna and the other end to the cellular booster where it is marked
“outdoor”.
HOW TO INSTALL THE COAXIAL CABLE FROM YOUR OUTDOOR ANTENNA TO YOUR BOOSTER.
- Step 1 : Loosely run the coaxial cable from your outdoor antenna to your booster (this way you can test the system before you permanently secure the coaxial cable).
- Step 2 : Mount the signal (the outdoor antenna).
- Step 3: After the outdoor antenna is mounted connect the supplied coaxial cable to antenna.
- Step 4: Attach the cable so that a drip loop is formed.
- Step 5: Connect the cable to the cellular booster where it is marked “outdoor”.
CAUTION: please ensure neither you nor the antenna come in contact with electrical power lines.
UNDERSTAND THE DIFFERENT SIGNAL (OUTDOOR) ANTENNA
Signal (outdoor) antennas, are needed to capture the signal emanating from
your carrier’s cellular tower. There are different types of signal (outdoor)
antennas each designed to meet your specific needs. The yagi lpda antenna, the
post antenna & the panel antenna.
The Yagi Lpda Antenna
The yagi is a very precise directional antenna with a powerful reach. This
antenna should be installed in an elevated position and must be pointed
towards your carrier’s cellular tower.
Note: This antenna is not meant to capture signal from multiple carriers.
The Post Antenna
The post is an omni-directional antenna with a 360 degree reach. This antenna
should be installed in an elevated position. It is designed to capture the
signal from multiple carrier towers.
The Panel Antenna
The panel is a directional antenna with a 120 degree reach and is designed to
capture the signal from multiple carrier towers. This antenna should be
installed in an elevated position and must be pointed towards your carrier’s
cellular towers.
LIGHTNING SURGE PROTECTOR
(sold separately)
The lightning surge protector can be installed indoors or outdoors. When
connecting outdoors, install the lightning surge protector inline between the
signal antenna (outdoor) and the coaxial cable. When connecting indoors,
install the lightning surge protector inline between the outdoor coaxial cable
and the booster.
IMPORTANT: Lightning surge protector must be grounded. Connect a ground wire to the appropriate place on the lightning surge protector and connect the other end to a verified ground source.
INSTALL THE DISTRIBUTION (INDOOR) ANTENNA
Select the installation location of your supplied distribution (indoor)
antenna based on the following:
Dome omni directional antenna
Place in the center of the area where the signal needs to be amplified.
Panel directional antennae
Place in the outer perimeter of the area the signal needs to be amplified.
Whip omni directional antenna
Mount directly to the connector marked “indoor” on the cellular booster.
CONNECTING THE DISTRIBUTION (INDOOR) ANTENNA
Dome omni directional antenna
Connect one end of the coaxial cable to the dome antenna and the other end to
the cellular booster where it is marked “indoor”.
Panel directional antenna
Connect one end of the coaxial cable to the panel antenna and the other end to
the connector on the cellular booster where it is marked “indoor”.
Whip omni directional antenna
Connect the antenna’s end directly to the connector on the cellular booster
where it is marked “indoor”.
UNDERSTAND THE DIFFERENT DISTRIBUTION ANTENNAS
There are several types of distribution (indoor) antennas: the whip antenna,
the dome antenna & the panel antenna.
INDOOR ANTENNAS
THE WHIP ANTENNA
The whip antenna is an omni-directional antenna with a 360 degree reach. It is
designed to distribute the signal from the center of the affected area.
Typically it is connected directly to the booster.
-
THE DOME ANTENNA
The dome antenna is an omni-directional antenna with a 360 degree reach. It is designed to distribute the signal from the center of the affected area. Typically it is installed in a false or dropped ceiling. -
THE PANEL ANTENNA
The panel is a directional antenna with a 120 degree reach and is designed to distribute the signal from a perimeter wall or ceiling.
The following diagrams show the reach of each antenna based on the layout of the space they are mounted in:
NOTE: installing additional distribution (indoor) antennas may be necessary when the area that needs coverage is very large or has barriers that block cellular signals such as multi level homes and buildings.
Image 1&2: Omni directional antennas will provide better coverage for
squar re ooms.
Image 3: Directional antennas will provide better coverage in
rectangular rooms.
ANTENNA SEPARATION
Oscillation is caused when the indoor (distrubution) antenna sends a signal back into the outdoor (signal) antenna. Similar to a PA system, when the microphone gets too close to the speaker it causes feedback. This will occur if your antennas are too close together, or the indoor antenna is pointed at the outdoor antenna. Make sure you have adequate seperation and some types of shielding between the antennas (usually your roof or a cement wall is good enough).
EXAMPLES OF OSCILLATION
The indoor antenna is pointed at the outdoor antenna. The antennas are too close together
INSTALL YOUR CELLULAR BOOSTER
Install the cellular booster in a location that is properly ventilated and not
exposed to excessive heat, moisture and/or direct sunlight. The optimal area
would be on a wall located near a power outlet.
It should be mounted in an easily accessible area so it’s easy to perform
general maintenance with the coaxial cable connections and power adaptor.
Make sure all cables and antennas are securely connected before commissioning
the system.
POWER UP YOUR CELLULAR BOOSTER
Once you have placed your outdoor and indoor antennas and connected all the
cables between the antennas and the booster, you are now ready to plug your
booster into its power source.
IMPORTANT
You can now make some final adjustments to the antennas and cable placements
to fine tune your system in order to give you maximum coverage.
N.B. Be sure to check the LED alarm lights on the booster to be sure your
system is working properly. Please refer to the table below for an explanation
of the LED readings.
IMPORTANT: Do not connect your cellular device to the cellular booster, as it may damage your cellular device.
IMPORTANT
- Never point the front of the yagi signal (outdoor) antenna towards the inside of the distribution (indoor) antenna.
- Verify that the supplied coaxial cables from both the signal (outdoor) antenna and the distribution (indoor) antenna are properly connected to the cellular booster before powering it up.
- Carefully plug in the supplied 110-volt power adaptor into the back of the cellular booster where it is marked ‘power’ and connect the other end to a power outlet.
WARNING! Using a power supply that is not included in your kit could damage your equipment and void your warranty.
CHECK THE BOOSTER LED ALARM LIGHTS
Your cellular booster comes equipped with electronic sensors designed to
identify cellular signal overload or oscillation which can hinder signal-
boosting performance. Your cellular booster is specially designed to
automatically decrease gain to compensate for these circumstances. The device
also has a feature to automatically shut down in case of excessive
oscillation.
Improper equipment installation and unusable signal quality can cause
oscillation, this is why it is important to fully understand the LED alarm
lights on your booster, as they will help you identify and solve any potential
issues.
Your booster is equipped with LED alarm lights to let you know the status of
each frequency band.
| LED | Status | Description | Solution methods |
|---|
Alarm LED
| Green| Functioning Properly| *If you still have small coverage, this is
probably due to a weak input signal
Flashing Green| Slight Oscillation| Your booster will automatically reduce the
gain up to 10dBm
Flashing Orange| Medium Oscillation| Your booster will automatically reduce
the gain up to 20dBm
Flashing Red| Strong Oscillation| Your booster will automatically reduce the
gain up to 30dBm and will shut off after 5 seconds
TROUBLESHOOTING
The LED alarm lights represent the status of the booster on each frequency.
When the lights are green the device is operating normally meaning that it is
not experiencing any oscillation (feedback) and it is boosting the signal at
maximum power. When the LED lights begin to change color from green to orange
to red, it means that particular frequency is experiencing some oscillation
(feedback).
If the oscillation is excessive the booster will shut down for that particular
frequency. The booster will still work for the other frequency on a multi-band
booster.
Oscillation is caused when the indoor (distribution) antenna sends a signal
back into the outdoor (signal) antenna. Similar to a PA system, when the
microphone gets too close to the speaker it causes feedback. This will occur
if your antennas are too close together, or the indoor antenna is pointed at
the outdoor antenna. Make sure you have adequate separation and some type of
shielding between the antennas (usually your roof or a cement wall is good
enough).
IMPORTANT NOTES
The 2 most important things to look for when setting up your system is:
- A good input signal (the best you can find)
- Isolating the outdoor (signal) antenna from the indoor (distribution) antennas so they do not feedback into each other.
By capturing the best input signal you will be able to enjoy the maximum
coverage and best quality signal inside where your distribution antennas are
located. The better the input signal, the better the output signal. In order
to find the best input signal, you want to place your outdoor (signal) antenna
as high as possible with the least amount of obstruction between the antenna
and the cellular base tower. A clear line of site is ideal.
Isolating the signal from the antennas is done by ensuring that the antennas
are not pointing to each other and by having enough distance or barrier
shielding in between them. The signals travel like rays of sunlight, a
directional antenna will send the signal in the direction that it is pointing.
An omni directional antenna will send the signal in every direction around it.
So depending on your equipment its important to be sure that your distribution
antenna (indoor) is not sending the signal back into the outdoor (signal)
antenna.
THINGS TO CHECK WHEN EXPERIENCING WEAK CELLULAR SIGNAL
- Ensure the signal antenna (outdoor) is pointing in the correct direction and is capturing adequate signal for the booster.
- Check all connections on the cable, antennas, and booster.
- Check cable for bends and or cuts.
- All LED lights on the booster should be green.
- Signal antenna (outdoor) and the distribution antennas (indoor) have adequate separation and are not causing feedback.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
WHY ARE THE LED LIGHTS TURNING ORANGE, RED OR SHUTTING OFF?
There are certain cases where your system could be experiencing oscillation.
This can be attributed to either the quality of your input signal or having
your signal (outdoor) antenna and distribution (indoor) antenna too close
together. Please review the following guidelines to help resolve this issue:
- Adjust the direction of the signal (outdoor) antenna. If the system is receiving a very high input signal, you can point your signal (outdoor) antenna away from the cellular tower to reduce the strength of the input signal and therefore, reduce the oscillation. Alternatively if your system is receiving a very poor quality signal (weak and unusable signal), you can point your signal (outdoor) antenna more directly towards the cellular tower to increase the strength of the input signal. Sometimes this may require completely repositioning the antenna to a location where you can achieve a line of site to the tower.
- Increase the separation between the signal (outdoor) antenna and the distribution (indoor) antenna. This can be achieved by increasing the distance between the two antennas or by placing barriers between them, such as moving the distribution (indoor) antenna to an adjacent room where there would be an additional wall separating them from the signal (outdoor) antenna.
I INSTALLED THE BOOSTER AND MY SIGNAL STRENGTH IS STILL WEAK
In order to correct a weak signal; essentially you have the options of:
- Adjust the aim of the signal (outdoor) antenna or replace it with a higher gain antenna.
- Move the distribution (indoor) antenna.
- Increase the number of distribution (indoor) antennas.
I CANNOT MAINTAIN CALLS, MY SIGNAL STRENGTH FLUCTUATES
If you find the booster is working but drops calls or delivers fluctuating
signal levels, the most likely cause is oscillation between the signal and
distribution antenna(s).
Determine the status of the cellular booster led alarms. If so there is
insufficient isolation between antennas. You can either increase the distance
between antennas or place barriers between them to attenuate the signals or
adjust the manual gain control settings.
A second cause for this symptom is poor cable connections. Confirm that all
cable connections are tight and secure.
A third cause may be interference from other cellular service providers
operating in the same frequency bands. If their signals are stronger than the
cellular signals you want to receive from the cell tower. In this case the
unwanted signal needs to be attenuated either by repositioning or re-aligning
the signal (outdoor) antenna, or by using barriers (buildings, trees, etc) to
block the signal.
MY LED’S ARE ALL GREEN BUT MY SIGNAL IS STILL WEAK – MY COVERAGE IS POOR
If you receive a signal where you did not previously… or, if the radius of the
service area covered is small…and your LED’s are all green… the booster is
working properly but for some reason the signal is not very strong. This can
be due to weak input signal.
- Adjust your signal (outdoor) antenna to point more accurately at the cellular tower in order to increase the input signal.
- Check the coaxial cable to ensure there are not any creases or cuts in it. Perhaps the cable was damaged during installation.
WHY ISN’T MY CELL PHONE INDICATING MORE SIGNAL WITH MORE BARS?
You may not always observe more bars on your signal meter because of the
signal spreading out from the antenna. If your phone has a db meter, 3db is a
significant increase of 2 times, 6db is 4 times, and 10db is 10 times. on a
four bar phone, one “bar” equals about 10db.
The increase in signal you will see depends upon:
- The level of signal at the signal (outdoor) antenna
- The care of the antenna placement (2 feet away from metal, adequate antenna separation [30 feet recommended] ).
- The distance of your phone/device from the distribution (indoor) antenna (signal spreads or diminishes rapidly with distance.)
INSTRUCTION MANUAL
Phone: 1-800-239-0394
Email: support@unidencellular.com
unidencellular.com
The Uniden trademark is owned by Uniden America Corporation and its affiliates is used under license by Signifi Mobile.
References
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