How to Run a RF Site Survey (Tips and Best Practices)

From all the tasks that a telecommunication professional has, one of the most important is the RF Design. Mainly because this task results in physical changes in the network, by modifying or adding new sites and/or equipment. Based on the settings and needs! of the current network, se"eral areas # from $lanning to Marketing and %ptimi&ation # may require changes to the these settings, that will define the future of the network. %nce defined the area of the new sites, another e'tremely important task is the collection of candidate points, ie points close to the places defined as ideal, and can ha"e a (ew )ite Deployed. *nd that part of the pro+ect is what we call the ,)ite )ur"ey, # also with other common "ariations such as ,RF )ur"ey,, ,RF )ite )ur"ey, or ,-ireless )ur"ey,.

(ote. For simplicity, from now on in this tutorial we,ll refer to as +ust ,)ite )ur"ey,. /f we don,t run it properly # like choosing ,bad, points # the worst consequences range from an o"erall bad system performance compared to what it could be!, to cases where we need more sites/equipment to meet the requirements of the same region. /n other words, implies in loss of 0*$12, %$12 and $oor (etwork 3uality4 /t,s more than enough to try to run it in a best possible way, no5 6nfortunately, this is a kind of task that can,t be learned from theory, and its success depends hea"ily on the e'perience of his e'ecutioners. /n addition, there too little specific reference material on this sub+ect a"ailable. 7herefore, we,ll now try to share some of the best practices of it, as a step by step guide. *s always we,ll be following the 8unter Methodology to organi&e all of our work procedures. )o let,s go5 Note: All telecomHall articles are originally written in Portuguese. Following we translate to English and Spanish. As our time is short, maybe you find some typos sometimes we !ust use the automatic translator, with only a final and "#uic$" re%iew&. 'e apologi(e and we ha%e an understanding of our effort. )f you want to contribute translating * correcting of these languages, or e%en creating and publishing your tutorials, please contact us: contact. Before the Survey *s in any task to be performed, the ,)ite )ur"ey, should be first of all well#planned, so that its e'ecution, as best as possible. 7herefore, it is ad"isable to follow some basic procedures, or some tasks that are common and necessary. a pre#analysis before any ,)ite )ur"ey,. Before heading to the ,)ite )ur"ey, region, it is e'tremely important to make a complete analysis of that region. For this, all a"ailable resources should be used. *erial $hotos, 9oogle 1arth, Maps, etc... /mportant. *lways take the printed data with you. the areas of interest highlighted, with a longer &oom and a smaller one, especially in the focus area.

Equipments 7he first important input comes from $lanning, where we define the equipment to be installed. /t,s important to emphasi&e that it is necessary to know the characteristics of the equipment, and how they can be installed. :nowing for e'ample their dimensions, if they can be installed on the top of towers, how many antennas are needed, will it be a B7) or Booster/Repeater, etc.. Predictions From the definition of equipment, we then spent some time on theoretical calculations, where we,ll set the location for our site. For this, we must use )ignal $ropagation $rediction tools. 7hese tools, when properly ad+usted, gi"e us a "ery close notion to what we can achie"e. %f course not accurately predictions do not reflects e'actly what will be achie"ed in practice, but ser"e as an e'cellent ,reference,. * well#ad+usted prediction tool is one that brings results close to what we find when collect data, as in ,Dri"e 7ests,. 7his ad+ustment can be done through the use of different ,$ropagation Models, for different areas urban, suburban, etc. ...!.

7he better the resolution of your bases, the greater the accuracy. 8owe"er, the processor uses more resources, and takes longer to run. For a fairly good appro'imation, we recommend that you use at least a resolution of ;< meters, a"ailable for free download at (*)* website. %ther features such as ,Building 8eights, # ie, the heights of e'isting buildings also greatly impro"e the accuracy of the result, but are more difficult # and e'pensi"e # to obtain. But remember that regardless of their ,reliability, of the predictions, the most important is the ,comparison, between the candidate points. 7hat is, e"en if the prediction tool does not pro"ide perfect results +ust as real, is always "alid to use it at least for ,comparisons, among the predictions of candidate points. Drive Tests *nother e'cellent way to check for new items is the analysis of ,Dri"e 7est,. /n an ideal world, if it were possible to ha"e a detailed ,Dri"e 7est, in the entire interest area, we,d ha"e no need for prediction tools, as we would ha"e a true and complete co"erage knowledge, thus knowing where it needs to be impro"ed. 6nfortunately, it is not possible for many reasons, but we can use the already a"ailable ,Dri"e 7ests, as a supplement to the analysis # e"en to "alidate the results obtained with the prediction. 7herefore it is important to ha"e quick and easy access to Dri"e 7ests processed data, for e'ample using files already processed in Mapinfo and/or 9oogle 1arth.

%pen Dri"e 7ests a"ailable in the region of interest and take a time to sa"e a few more images, which can be "ery useful in the field # so print it. %nce the analysis is done $rediction, ,Dri"e 7est,, and others that are possible! we can start the process of ,)ite )ur"ey,. What is the Purpose? -hen someone asks you to run a ,)ite )ur"ey,, the purpose of it is already known, or in other words, the need for impro"ements that led to the deployment process of this new site. Quality Coverage Capacity -hile the ,)ite )ur"ey, should always try to meet all purposes, one always stands out, or it ha"e more priority and this should be taken into account when running it. /n other words. for e'ample, if the goal is to increase co"erage, you should look for a place with the best sight in all directions of interest. But if the goal is capacity, focus on that, and look for points that will sol"e this problem.

Concepts 7he basic concepts of the ,)ite )ur"ey, are "ery simple, and it is worth only noting is intended for you to indicate one or more points as possible candidates. 7hese points candidates must be within a region known as ,)earch Ring,. *lthough the name suggests, this polygon can be any shape, e"en a square.

)uch points are recorded in a proper report, following the processes and documents of each company, and should also rank some priority for each point the best for the worst indicated!. 7his is because, maybe the first indicated point has a problem, as an owner that don,t want to rent, transmission problems, una"ailability of infrastructure, etc.. Moreo"er, the more points allow a better margin for trading in the area responsible for this engagement. 7o a"oid these problems, it is interesting that the ,)ite )ur"ey, be conducted togheter with the areas of RF, 7ransmission, and /nfrastructure, 0ontract and other that apply. -e know howe"er that it is always almost impossible, so it is up to the professional who carries out, alert to all these aspects. For e'ample, if you work in the RF area, and running it alone, why do not note the name and telephone number of the owners of each point5 =our colleagues from 0ontract area say 7hank =ou, not to mention that the process will be streamlined. What equipment to ring !ith? 9enerally we notice the importance of something only when we need it # but don,t ha"e it a"ailable4 7his applies also to the ,)ite )ur"ey,. /magine arri"ing at a remote location o"er ><< km from any urban center, and reali&e you forgot to buy new batteries for the camera4 7his can be "ery frustrating # not to mention one that is ,suffering, and unnecessary work4 )o we can at least make sure to bring as much equipment as they apply to the kind of ,)ite )ur"ey, to be done4 7here is not a mandatory rule about what equipment to take, but here,s a little ,0heck ?ist, with the main equipment desired and/or necessary. *s always, e"erything depends on your need # like the ,)ur"ey, type, Region, etc.. 9$). for location coordinates. /n 9$) you can also enter the points of your network sites and use them as a reference, especially in rural locations. 0amera. for photos. Batteries. for the 0amera. :eys and ?ocks )ecrets. for both your company and competitors, when their sites can be shared let,s talk about this later!. Binoculars. to "iew other distant points, such as possible transmission sites. 0ompass. orientation of a&imuths. $hones with 7est Mode enabled. to check the signal. $roper 0limbing 1quipment. if you need to climb a tower. )mall (otepad. for quick notes, that fits in your pocket. 7emplate printed with key data to be collected. 6se one sheet for each candidate, to record all rele"ant and necessary information. *s mentioned, this list is not complete, as you may ha"e other more specific equipment according to your

needs, you can e'tend it as according to your needs. Photos (ow running the ,)ite )ur"ey,, a "ery important part is referring to taking $hotos. Remember that when you are at field, you ha"e a clear "ision and complete understanding of the region. 8owe"er, when you come back to the office, the situation changed dramatically. /t gets worse if you are gathering photos from se"eral ,)ite )ur"eys,. =ou run a serious risk of forgetting the reference for some photos, wasting your work, and worse, degrading the quality of the final analysis and reports. -hen you take panoramic shots, it is important to know the orientation of each photo. 7o achie"e this in the field, first, with the compass, identify where the (orth is < degrees!. *nd make markings on the floor as possible # in the dust of the ground, with a stone, etc..

)o when you take the photos, +ust follow the guidelines. Mark down the positions from < degrees to ;@< degrees di"ided by AB to AB degrees, and take photos.

*nother good tip is to always take pictures of reference, when you began and ended a sequence # for e'ample as shown abo"e.

-hen shooting, also remember to lea"e only a ,small, part of )ky appearing. Remember that what matters is the area of interest # you will not want to get to the office and reali&e that more than half of the photos useful area is the )ky4 )ee for e'ample the two photos below. -ere taken in the same direction, only the second did not bother to lower the )ky.

/t is easy to see which one gi"es us more information, don,t you agree5 *lthough it seems ob"ious, it,s a mistake many people do when taking their first ,)ite )ur"eys, photos. "vervie! /t is also common to some beginner designers the problem of ,?imited Cision,. *t the region of interest, they are directed to a point where the pro+ect,s goal is ,reached,. *nd stop there4 (o matter how good the analysis in the office, nothing replaces field "erification. 8owe"er, this check should be done as long as possible. )uppose for e'ample you are looking for points on the tops of buildings for a gi"en pro+ect. From below street le"el!, you find some possible candidates, and climbs one of them. From the top of this building, you see a good "ision to co"er the region, and decides that this is the point indicated # without going the other buildings4 )o don,t do it # do not be ,la&y,. go to ,all, buildings4 %ften, points that seem to pro"ide the ,same, co"erage happens to be better than others when you ha"e a broader "iew of what they all can pro"ide. *"oiding the ,?imited Cision, you ha"e another way of "iewing the site. the ,Big $icture,. /n ,)earch Ring, as shown below, with only two buildings as candidates, which one would you put as most suitable5

)imply looking at the picture, choose the point closest to the center # and not that far away from the area of interest. %f course, the figure is illustrati"e, and "arious other factors must be taken into account in this decision, but in general, not ha"ing a limited "ision, and get a macro "iew always helps to get the best result. Site Sharing *n increasingly common issue today is the sharing of infrastructure between operators. 7his sharing

includes antennas. 7here are companies that speciali&e in ,)ite )haring,, ie companies that ha"e their own infrastructure such as 7owers! and pro"ide for those ha"e interest, "ia rental payment for e'ample. /t is interesting to know beforehand all the possible points of share, eg by plotting these points in 9oogle 1arth, getting a clearer picture of which site can be useful for a pro+ect # you &oom to the new site region, and see a"ailable options.

Moreo"er, it is necessary to know the premises for sharing that your company ha"e. 7hat is, the priority you need to know. 0hoose to share in the first place, whene"er possible, in order to speed up the processD 7ry to set the most e'clusi"e points, indicating only share a last resource. 7his represents more spending, but may be the company,s strategy and therefore must be followed. #$oof Tops# /f the ,)ite )ur"ey, is conducted in an urban area with buildings as possible candidates, it is essential that you go up into se"eral, as much as possible. /n this case, mainly applies the criterion of ?imited Cision and Macro )cenario, as seen abo"e.

%f $epeaters&&& /n the case of ,)ite )ur"ey, for the installation of Repeaters, remember to bring e'tra equipment to measure directed signal, ie, an antenna ,=agi, with known model and gain!, a cable to connect to the phone, and of course, a phone that matches that cable. 7ake a printed table like the one below!, to record the rele"ant data for each scenario.

What data to Collect? :eep on hand a notebook and a pen. Remember that information is always important, e"en though at first glance do not appear to be. *lways conduct the ,)ite )ur"ey, as if it were not you the person who will do the final documentation, that is, collect as much data as possible. )o the reports will be made with the greatest amount of detail, which as we saw, can make the difference between a good and a bad Final Deployed $ro+ect. 'rriving ac( in the office Finally, when arri"ing at the office, detach all data $hotos, ,Dri"e 7ests,...! in proper place, especially as indicated in the tutorial on Folder )tructure for 7elecom. Remember also to make the obser"ations, and especially, rename photos to the most rele"ant names. (e"er procrastinate. you,ll end up forgetting some details, you can be sure. Conclusion )o, that,s it. 8opefully you ha"e clarified your questions and doubts about conducting a ,)ite )ur"ey,, and ha"e learned some of the best practices adopted by professionals. *s we ha"e seen, this is a "ery important task, affecting directly and indirectly "arious aspects of the network, including financial. /n all other acti"ities in both areas of 7elecom and /7, the challenge is to get the best results, achie"ing the goals and ob+ecti"es. For it is "ery important ha"e organi&ation and planning before any task, knowing clearly where to obtain or e'tract the necessary information for analysis "iability. (ote that this is +ust what we always talk in the 8unter Methodology. )o, continue trying to follow this methodology in all other acti"ities of your daily work, taking ad"antage of the tips presented here and in other )ections and 7utorials. 7hus, in no time you will gain knowledge as the best professionals ha"e4 *nd if you liked this tutorial or any other!, we always count on your support in helping the disclosure, for e'ample by sharing using links below. By )haring, you moti"ate us to continue to write more tutorials like this4