PUC3 Antenna Installation - Is the antenna installed correctly?
Best Practices:
- Position the PUC3 antenna at least 2 feet away from all other antennas.
- Other antennas include:
- CB Radio Antennas
- AM/FM Antennas
- Cellular Antennas
- GPS Guidance/Autosteer Antennas
- Patch Antennas
- Position the PUC3 antenna so it has a clear view of the sky in all directions.
- Do not loop extra PUC3 antenna cable in a circular pattern inside the cabin.
- Do not stretch the PUC3 antenna cable or tightly bend the cable over sharp edges.
- Tie down the PUC3 antenna cable with the provided cable ties and cable tie mounts.
- Other antennas include:
Troubleshooting:
- If the PUC3 antenna does NOT have a clear view of the sky please relocate the PUC3 antenna so it does have a clear view of the sky.
- If the PUC3 antenna is already installed within 2 feet of other antennas please relocate the PUC3 antenna so there is more than 2 feet distance between it an the other antennas.
- If extra PUC3 antenna cable is looped, twist the center of the loop/coil so it makes a figure 8.
- If the PUC3 antenna cable is not tied down, tie it down every couple of feet.
Known Trouble Spots
- Existing CB radios are known to cause the PUC3’s GPS data to be recorded in an erratic way.
- If the PUC3 position data appears in an erratic way there is likely CB radio interference. Please relocate the PUC3 antenna so there is more distance between it and the CB radio.
PUC3 Antenna Physical Health - Is the PUC3 antenna in good condition or physically damaged?
Check the Farmobile PUC3 antenna enclosure:
- Is the heat-shrunk strain relief tightly attached to the back of the antenna?
- Are the top and bottom of the enclosure tightly sealed together?
- In either case if moisture is able to get inside the antenna enclosure it can cause an electrical short resulting unexpected behavior.
- If the PUC3 antenna enclosure is damaged the PUC3 antenna needs replaced. Contact Farmobile Support:
- (844) 337-2255, ext. 0
- support@farmobile.com
Check the PUC3 antenna cable:
- Check the entire length of the 15 ft of antenna cable.
- Look for tears in the plastic cable shroud. If any small metal wires are visible this is an indication of cable damage.
- Normal machine operation can cause the cable to rub and wear. Check the following points for normal wear and tear:
- The cable's point of entry into the cabin such as under a window, through a drilled hole, up from the bottom of a cabin corner post.
- The cable tie, tie-down points
- Any point where the cable is bent
- Any point where a sharp metal edge comes into contact with the cable.
- If the antenna cable is damaged the PUC3 antenna needs replaced. Contact Farmobile Support:
- (844) 337-2255, ext. 0
- support@farmobile.com
Check the PUC3 antenna connectors:
- Are the antenna connectors/leads firmly seated on the color-coded and keyed antenna connectors located on the Farmobile PUC3 device?
- Try disconnecting and reconnecting each antenna lead. Disconnect each lead by firmly pressing down on the top of each connector while simultaneously pulling back on the connector.
- Are an frayed metal wires exposed at the base of the connectors?
- If the PUC3 antenna connectors are damaged or frayed wires are visible the PUC3 antenna needs replaced. Contact Farmobile Support:
- (844) 337-2255, ext. 0
- support@farmobile.com
PUC3 Knocking Out Existing GPS Guidance - Is the PUC the cause of GPS interference?
Existing 900MHz RTK antennas can experience interference from the PUC3 antenna's 3G cellular connection. This occurs because 3G cellular infrastructure oscillates in an unpredictable way between 900MHz and 1800MHz. The overlap in frequency ranges between existing 900MHz RTK radios and 3G cellular can result in RTK interference.
*If the 900MHz RTK antenna looses GPS signal intermittently contact Farmobile support for a second cellular antenna that can be located inside the machine cabin.
PUC3 Antenna Interference Testing
If you believe the PUC3 is causing interference with the existing guidance system installed in your machinery it is important to conduct some basic tests to narrow the cause.
- First, power on the machine and drive it to a location where the issue is known to occur and where there is room to drive the machine in a normal mode of operation.
- The machine must not be parked inside a shed or garage such as a steel pole building or barn. It must be parked outside with a clear view of the sky.
- The machine must remain on for the duration of the test.
- Second, make sure the PUC3 is not connected to the machines diagnostic port. The PUC3 should not be powered on.
- Third, check the PUC3 antenna is installed correctly and is undamaged:
- Review the PUC3 Antenna Installation notes.
- Review the PUC3 Antenna Physical Health notes.
- Fourth, navigate to the GPS signal screen on the monitor controlling the guidance/auto-steer system. Ensure you can see the GPS signal strength, and that the GPS receiver has a good signal and satellite lock.
After these checks are complete take the following action:
- First, plug the PUC3 harness into the machine’s diagnostic port. Ensure the PUC3 powers up, indicated by one or more of the LEDs lighting up.
- Second, watch the screen that shows the GPS signal strength on the monitor controlling the guidance/auto-steer system.
- Third, pay careful attention to the GPS signal strength.
- Does the GPS signal drop or weaken ONLY after the PUC3’s harnessing is plugged into the machine’s diagnostic port?
- If yes, unplug the PUC3’s harnessing from the diagnostic port, which should power down the PUC3.
- Continue to watch the GPS signal strength to see if it recovers.
- Does the GPS signal drop or weaken ONLY after the PUC3’s harnessing is plugged into the machine’s diagnostic port?
- If the GPS signal strength recovers after the PUC3 is powered down this is likely caused by a faulty PUC3 antenna. The PUC3 antenna needs replaced. Contact Farmobile Support:
- (844) 337-2255, ext. 0
- support@farmobile.com