I am preparing to mount a 6 - 60* array (PMP450) on a 300’ guyed tower. The tower is crowded with omnis for radio communication and a few microwave dishes. The first of two available spaces is at 250’. There is an omni 10’ below and a mic dish 30’ above. The second space is at 290’-300’. It is all clear but there is the brackets for the guy wires at 280’-290’. They extend out from the tower aprox 10’ in three directions. If I mount the APs at 295’, could the brackets cause any interference? I like the "higher is better"concept, but I am concerned about interference and lightning.
Any input or advice is greatly appreciated. PS this is my first attempt at WISP.
You shouldn't have to worry too much about "interference" from obstructions as much as the Fresnel Zone being impeded. As long as you maintain Line of Sight you should be fine. Which with the way you described it (brackets 5'-10' below the sectors) should be fine.
As far as mounting heights, I would recommend using LinkPlanner to model links to potential customers. The idea being that you want to mount as low as possible and still be able to reach your farthest customer without obstructions.
https://support.cambiumnetworks.com/files/linkplanner/
The higher you go is better for distance, but it also makes the AP's more susceptible to interference from other towers.
Also because the vertical beamwidth of these high gain sector antennas is very small (...usually 6-8 Degrees) you have to be very careful when selecting your downtilt. This is something else that LinkPlanner can help you with as it shows the AP antenna gain with respect to each SM connected to that AP. ...and it lets you adjust the downtilt to simulate the effect it would have on the sector.
I hope this helps.
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