Steps to get a Motorola 5830BH15 up and running for personal use?

Products PTP
1

I’ve recently come into possession of a pair of Motorola 5830BH15 antennas. Was looking to get a handle on what exactly I have, and assess if I as an amateur could get these things running to provide a PTP solution between two of my properties. I’m not even sure if I’m in the right place, so If anyone would be willing to humor me while I ask silly questions I would be very grateful.

  1. What is Cambium, and how does it relate to the Motorola products I have? Do I need some sort of proprietary software provided by Cambium or Motorola to run these devices? Perhaps these devices require an unlock code to use?

  2. I’ve read over the manual, and see that I need a PIDU+ on each end. Would I be able to get away with buying the appropriate matching hardware off ebay? Do I need any special tools or software to configure the PIDU to work with my antennas?

  3. If I stay within the rules outlined in the manual, do I need any additional licenses to operate these devices as an individual? (I’m in rural Canada) Are these devices free to operate in perpetuity? (one-time unlock codes or software purchases aside)

  4. Will these devices even solve my problem? I’m fairly uneducated about networking in general. I’m basically looking to extend my local network to another property 20 kilometers away, to relay several live video feeds, transmit small amounts of other data, and provide a strong stable connection for any future remote projects over there over the next decade. I want to set up this bridge and then be able to forget about it.

  5. Am I in over my head on this one?

2

Well done on getting hold of some vintage radios! I’ll try to answer your questions.

  1. Your radios were designed and manufactured by Orthogon Systems as PTP 600, and sold by Motorola as 5830BH under their Canopy brand. Orthogon Systems were subsequently acquired by Motorola. Motorola continued to manufacture and support PTP 600. Cambium Networks is an independent company formed from the Orthogon and Canopy business units of Motorola. Cambium continues to support PTP 600.

  2. You will need a PIDU+ for each end.

  3. Nothing lasts for ever, but PTP 600 is very reliable. You don’t need to purchase any licenses to operate the radios. Do you have the MAC addresses or Electronic Serial Numbers? You should take care to operate the radios within the regulatory limits for the 5.8 GHz band in Canada.

  4. 20 km is a fairly long link. It would be a good idea to predict performance using the free LINKPlanner software. You’ll need a clear line of sight path between your two properties, and this often means using a mast, tower or tall building.

  5. Only time will tell.

Mark

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3

Thanks for the information Mark!

I will take a look at the LINKPlanner software before proceeding further. Installation shouldn’t be a problem. I’ve got line of sight between a tall tower in one yard, and a fairly tall barn in another. I have the MAC’s and will be sure to do my diligence on the regulatory side before firing these things up.

I have a few more questions, but I think most of them can be answered with a careful re-reading of the manual. Just had one more general query if you’d be so kind:

Let’s lay out an optimistic future: assume I get the proper PIDU+'s off ebay, install these units in a test location first, and all the hardware is functioning (fingers crossed). I plug it into my computer or switch, and head to the configuration page much like I would for a piece of consumer hardware. Set it all up how I like it in my network, make sure I follow all the instructions in the manual, and away we go? It just works?

I guess the hard question I’m asking is, in the process to get these running are there any hurdles I as an amateur haven’t envisioned because I’m only familiar with consumer grade hardware? Are there any major unknown unknowns?

4

In case you haven’t seen it yet, the latest firmware and user guides for PTP-600 are at https://support.cambiumnetworks.com/files/ptp600/

The link planner can produce an installation report which ought to describe most of the radio parameters you’ll need to enter when setting the link up. Networking parameters should be much the same as any other piece of network gear.

I imagine you’ll need to be quite precise with your antenna alignment for a 20km link. Good luck, and please let us know how you get on :+1: .

5

Please use the LINKPlanner V4.9.1 release for planning PTP 600.

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