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PCTEL Public Safety Testers User Group

Updated

 

Cleaned Webinar Notes / Study Guide

1. Session Introduction

This session of the PCTEL Public Safety Testers User Group was recorded. The replay and PDF presentation were to be made available after the session through the link and QR code provided during the webinar.

The session was led by:

  • David Adams, Senior Director of Critical Communications
  • Sebi Ampitara, Product Manager
  • Bradley Ponder, Public Safety Specialist

The webinar included product updates, demonstrations, BDA commissioning tips, and a Q&A session.

2. Agenda Overview

The session covered several key topics:

  • Review of the PCTEL training program
  • PCTEL online store updates
  • Seahawk Central updates
  • Cellular results analysis in Central
  • Manual test result entry
  • Seahawk Touch updates
  • Editing test plans in Touch
  • Cellular blind scan workflow
  • Waterfall spectrum analysis
  • Seahawk Monitor updates
  • Interference location estimation
  • BDA commissioning tips
  • User-submitted questions

3. Training Program Update

PCTEL’s training platform went live in December.

The platform includes:

  • Video-based certification training
  • A real project with trainer interaction
  • A recertification option
  • BDA commissioning training

The BDA commissioning course is about half a day of material and focuses on what needs to be measured during BDA commissioning and how to create reports using PCTEL’s test tools.

This course is not intended to replace:

  • BDA vendor training
  • DAS-T training
  • NICET training

Instead, it is meant to help users understand the specific measurements, workflow, and reporting process for BDA commissioning.

Once users sign up and pay the fee, they receive access to the training material for a couple of years.

Training site:

training.pctel.com

4. PCTEL Store Update

PCTEL now has an online store where users can purchase common items directly.

The store can be used for:

  • Accessories
  • Calibration reorders
  • Other frequently needed items

This allows users to purchase items directly by credit card without needing as much back-and-forth with a salesperson.

Store site:

pctelstore.com

5. Seahawk Central for Government Agencies

Seahawk Central is free for government agencies.

Government agencies can contact PCTEL for access and demonstrations.

Service companies can also introduce Central to jurisdictions they work with. PCTEL can host a special demonstration session with the service company and the jurisdiction.

This can help streamline interactions between:

  • Service companies
  • AHJs
  • Radio shops
  • Jurisdictions

6. Seahawk Central Product Updates

Before the previous user group, PCTEL had completed all BDA commissioning tests in Central.

Users can now:

  • Plan BDA commissioning tests in Central
  • Download tests to Seahawk Touch
  • Run the tests in the field
  • Import results back into Central
  • Create reports
  • Submit results manually or online

Recent and upcoming updates include:

  • BDA commissioning test support
  • 5G NR support in grid testing
  • MDC 1200 support for analog systems
  • RSSI grading control
  • Private workspaces for radio systems
  • Cellular multi-level analysis
  • Manual reports
  • Additional reporting and analysis improvements

7. Cellular Multi-Level Analysis in Central

A major update in Central is multi-level analysis for cellular testing.

This feature is designed for LTE and 5G grid testing.

Traditional grid testing usually shows simple red/green pass/fail results.

Multi-level analysis allows users to display additional color-coded floor plan views based on measured cellular values.

Supported cellular metrics include:

  • RSSI
  • RSRP
  • RSRQ
  • SINR

Users can configure up to five value ranges with different colors.

This allows a floor plan to show how strong or weak coverage is in different areas, rather than only showing pass/fail.

This is useful for:

  • Cellular design
  • Explaining coverage to property owners
  • Showing weak areas in a building
  • Comparing operators such as AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile
  • Demonstrating possible 911 cellular coverage

PCTEL plans to add similar multi-level analysis features for LMR technologies in future releases.

8. Multi-Level Threshold Setup

In Seahawk Central, multi-level thresholds are configured under Company Admin.

Default values are provided based on common industry assumptions, but users can modify them.

Users can set:

  • KPI ranges
  • Color ranges
  • Threshold values
  • Company-wide defaults

These thresholds apply automatically when reports are uploaded from Seahawk Touch into Central.

Thresholds can also be modified for individual tests if needed.

9. Viewing Multi-Level Analysis Results

After a cellular test is uploaded into Central, users can open the building grid results.

A multi-level threshold toggle appears in the upper-right corner.

When enabled, Central generates additional floor plan views based on the selected KPI and color ranges.

Users can view different cellular metrics and channels.

If channels are grouped by operator, users can view coverage by provider, such as:

  • Verizon
  • AT&T
  • T-Mobile

Users may also combine all operators to show whether at least one carrier provides acceptable coverage in each grid square. This can support an E911-style coverage analysis.

10. Manual Test Reports

Central now supports manual reports.

Manual reports allow users to enter test results from tools other than PCTEL equipment.

This is useful when:

  • A jurisdiction wants all test results managed in Central
  • A service company used another test tool
  • BDA commissioning data needs to be submitted in Central
  • Existing reports or spectrum screenshots need to be attached

Manual reports can be created for:

  • Grid coverage tests
  • BDA commissioning tests

Users enter high-level test information manually and upload supporting documentation.

11. Manual BDA Commissioning Report Workflow

To enter a manual BDA commissioning report:

  1. Open the building in Central.
  2. Select Add Test Reports.
  3. Choose BDA Commissioning.
  4. Enter the report name.
  5. Enter the test date.
  6. Enter the result.
  7. Enter the equipment used.
  8. Enter calibration expiration information.
  9. Select the specific BDA test type.
  10. Enter test point count.
  11. Enter pass/fail status.
  12. Enter grading criteria.
  13. Enter tested channels.
  14. Enter measurements such as RSSI, SINR, and FBER.
  15. Save the test.
  16. Upload supporting documents.

Supporting documents may include:

  • Spectrum analyzer screenshots
  • Reports from another test tool
  • Other commissioning records

Manual reports are marked with an M to show that the results were manually entered.

12. Central Usage Growth

Central usage continues to grow significantly.

At the time of the webinar, Central had:

  • More than 13,000 tests
  • Nearly 15,000 buildings

Central helps jurisdictions understand:

  • BDA congestion
  • Best BDA locations
  • Best donor antenna directions
  • Which tower sites are most appropriate
  • Where systems may create interference

13. Seahawk Touch Updates

Seahawk Touch updates include support for:

  • BDA commissioning tests
  • MDC 1200 for analog systems
  • 5G NR
  • Operator name detection for cellular
  • Editing downloaded test plans
  • Blind scan inside an indoor grid workflow
  • Waterfall spectrum display
  • Additional reporting improvements

One of the biggest updates is the ability to edit a downloaded test plan directly in Seahawk Touch.

Previously, if a user needed to add, remove, or change channels, they had to go back to Central. Now they can edit the test plan directly in Touch.

14. Editing Test Plans in Seahawk Touch

Users can now download a test plan from Central and edit it in Seahawk Touch.

This allows users to:

  • Add missed public safety channels
  • Remove incorrect channels
  • Add LTE blind scan bands
  • Add 5G blind scan bands
  • Add cellular channels found during a blind scan
  • Save the updated configuration as part of the test plan

This reduces the need to go back and forth between Central and Touch.

15. Cellular Blind Scan Workflow

For cellular testing, users may not know which LTE or 5G channels are active at a building.

The new workflow allows users to:

  1. Download the test plan to Seahawk Touch.
  2. Select Edit.
  3. Add LTE bands for blind scan.
  4. Add 5G NR bands for blind scan.
  5. Select subcarrier spacing for 5G.
  6. Save the configuration.
  7. Start the test plan.
  8. Run the blind scan.
  9. Add detected channels to the test plan.
  10. Run the grid test using both public safety and cellular channels.

For 5G, users may need to select the correct subcarrier spacing. If unsure, both 15 kHz and 30 kHz can be added, and the scanner will detect the active channel.

16. Blind Scan Best Practice

When running a cellular blind scan, it is recommended to scan for at least 2 to 4 minutes while moving around the building.

This helps capture signals from multiple towers and multiple sides of the building.

One tower may serve one side of the building but be blocked on another side.

After the blind scan, Seahawk Touch can add detected channels to the measurement list.

17. Cellular Operator Detection

If the scanner supports Layer 3 decoding, Seahawk Touch can detect the cellular network operator.

The operator is decoded from information such as:

  • MCC
  • MNC
  • SIB 1 message

This allows users to group detected cellular channels by operator.

For example:

  • Verizon channels
  • AT&T channels
  • T-Mobile channels

This helps show which operator provides the best coverage in each part of the building.

18. Waterfall Spectrum Display

Seahawk Touch now includes a waterfall display in the signal analyzer.

The waterfall display shows a history of spectrum activity over time.

This is useful for identifying:

  • Intermittent interference
  • Frequency-specific interference
  • Changes over time
  • Signals that may be missed in a simple line chart

Waterfall colors and thresholds can be configured directly in the app.

19. Seahawk Monitor Updates

Seahawk Monitor updates include:

  • More radio technologies for radio metrics
  • More channel candidates for monitoring
  • Support for larger numbers of radio IDs
  • Improved signal detection options
  • Narrow and wide detection modes
  • Interference location estimation

Monitor can now track many possible control channel candidates and use whichever one is active.

This is helpful for networks where control channels can change.

20. Interference Location Estimation

Seahawk Monitor can estimate interference location when multiple radio sites detect similar interference events.

If three sites detect events that are close in:

  • Time
  • Frequency
  • Bandwidth

The system can treat them as likely coming from the same source.

It then attempts to estimate the interference location.

Accuracy improves when the signal is:

  • Stronger
  • Wider bandwidth
  • More consistent

In examples shown, estimated locations were within a few hundred feet of the actual source.

This can make it much easier to locate interference.

21. Future Seahawk Monitor Planning

Possible future Seahawk Monitor improvements include:

  • Improved interference location estimation algorithms
  • DMR uplink support
  • Analog MDC 1200 uplink testing
  • Diagnostic speed testing between manager and remote RTUs
  • Quick test for calibration confidence

The quick test would allow users to check whether a unit appears close enough to calibrated performance before deciding whether to send it in for full calibration.

22. Spectrum Analysis While Drive Testing

PCTEL tools can now capture spectrum analyzer data while drive testing.

This can be done with:

  • Seahawk Touch
  • Seahawk Collect
  • PCTEL scanner

The system captures spectrum data at each measurement location and assigns it to GPS coordinates.

This allows users to map:

  • Where spectrum was clean
  • Where noise appeared
  • Where interference was strongest
  • Where interference faded again

This is useful for locating interference sources.

23. Example: Traffic Signal Interference

One example involved public safety communications dropping near an intersection.

During drive testing, the noise floor rose when approaching the intersection and dropped after passing it.

Further investigation showed that the interference was coming from traffic light control electronics.

This demonstrates how spectrum analysis with mapped location data can help locate interference sources.

24. BDA Filter Configuration Tip

A key BDA commissioning concern is whether the BDA is configured to pass the correct frequencies.

For Class A BDAs, filters are typically set to 75 kHz or less around the channels to be amplified.

A jurisdiction may publish a standard filter plan requiring all Class A BDAs in that jurisdiction to use the same configuration.

This helps simplify review and reduces the chance of configuration errors.

25. Avoiding Shared Passbands

For systems using P25 Phase 2 TDMA, it is important to avoid placing multiple channels in the same passband when possible.

If two channels are in the same filter, and each has two TDMA time slots, there may be up to four simultaneous talk paths in the same passband.

This can worsen near-far problems because the BDA may need to share gain and power across multiple transmissions.

A careful filter plan can place each channel in its own passband where possible.

26. Testing the BDA, Not Just the GUI

BDA filter testing can reveal problems that the BDA user interface may not show.

A BDA may appear correctly programmed in the GUI, but actual testing may show that certain channels are not being amplified properly.

This is why it is important to test the BDA filter response directly.

Testing verifies:

  • Each programmed filter
  • Each frequency
  • Actual amplification
  • Actual passband behavior
  • Whether the BDA is functioning correctly

27. Time Delay Interference and Filter Width

Time delay interference can occur when a signal is enhanced through a BDA and also leaks in naturally without the same delay.

BDA filtering causes delay.

The narrower the filter, the greater the delay.

A narrow filter can increase the delay difference between:

  • Natural signal
  • BDA-enhanced signal

This can reduce SINR and degrade communications.

One example compared:

  • 12.5 kHz BDA filter
  • 75 kHz BDA filter

The 75 kHz filter produced a significantly better SINR result.

The takeaway is that very narrow filters can increase delay and worsen time delay interference, especially for systems such as:

  • P25 Phase 2 TDMA
  • DMR

28. Using Channel Groups

Channel groups are useful when a system has multiple possible control channels.

If the control channel changes during a test and only one channel is being measured, the test may falsely fail.

By grouping all possible control channel candidates, Seahawk can grade based on whichever grouped control channel is active and passing.

Channel groups are also useful for conventional systems that only have traffic channels.

In that case, multiple traffic channels can be grouped so the tool can capture whichever channel becomes active during testing.

29. Transferring TAB Files

A TAB file is created when a floor plan image is scaled or registered.

TAB files can be copied between tablets manually.

Methods include:

  • Connecting the tablet to a PC
  • Copying the file to another tablet
  • Emailing the file
  • Using other file transfer methods

Once the TAB file is on another tablet, it can be selected without re-registering the floor plan.

Grids, critical points, reference points, and comments can also be transferred using related files or Central workflows.

30. Testing Multiple Systems

If a test includes multiple systems and only one fails, users have options.

They can:

  • Reuse the same test plan and retest both systems
  • Download the test plan to Touch and remove the system that already passed
  • Create a copy of the test plan in Central with only the failed system
  • Retest only the affected system

If the report can be separate, retesting only the failed system may save time.

31. Verifying Scanner Accuracy

Before a full test, it is useful to confirm that the scanner is reading accurately.

Possible methods include:

  1. Use outdoor reference points and expected signal levels.
  2. Use a known test transmitter and direct cable connection.

A test transmitter can output a known CW signal, such as:

  • -20 dBm
  • -30 dBm
  • -40 dBm

The scanner can then verify that it reads the expected signal level within a reasonable tolerance.

Do not inject excessive power into the scanner, or it may be damaged.

32. Custom Channel Power

Custom channel power is useful when testing a technology that Seahawk does not decode or when the scanner does not have the license for that technology.

Examples may include:

  • DMR without the DMR license
  • NXDN
  • Other non-decoded systems

Custom channel power measures power only.

It does not provide decoded SINR or BER, but it can still provide useful coverage information.

33. Construction Timing and Retesting

Testing early in construction can provide guidance, but final results may change significantly after the building is occupied.

Coverage can change due to:

  • Windows and doors
  • Low-E glass
  • Interior walls
  • Equipment
  • Metal racks
  • Vehicles
  • Water features
  • People
  • Tenant materials

Best practice is to retest once the building is being used in its normal operating condition.

34. Selecting Modulation Type

The jurisdiction or radio system owner should provide:

  • Frequencies to test
  • Modulation type
  • System technology

Examples include:

  • P25
  • DMR
  • NXDN
  • Analog

RadioReference may provide clues, but the best source is the jurisdiction or radio shop.

For public safety testing, the responsible agency should provide the required system information.

35. What to Do If a Grid Test Fails

If a building fails without a DAS, that indicates insufficient natural coverage.

If the building fails after a DAS/BDA is installed, the design or commissioning should be reviewed.

Possible corrective actions include:

  • Adjust BDA gain
  • Adjust power levels
  • Review antenna density
  • Add antennas
  • Review system design
  • Check interference
  • Review BDA commissioning results
  • Retest affected areas

A properly designed and commissioned system should meet required coverage thresholds in the required percentage of areas.

36. Exterior Perimeter Testing

For an initial test, outside reference points and roof measurements are useful.

They help determine:

  • Outdoor signal conditions
  • Incoming signal levels
  • Donor signal availability
  • How much signal is lost entering the building

Once a BDA is installed, an exterior leakage test should be performed.

Reference points can provide useful information, but a dedicated BDA commissioning leakage test gives a graded leakage result.

37. AHJ Cooperation and Requirements

AHJ requirements can vary and may not always be consistently published.

Central includes a growing list of AHJ and radio shop contacts.

Users can add contacts if they are missing.

This helps improve communication between:

  • Test companies
  • AHJs
  • Radio shops
  • Jurisdictions

38. Q&A Highlights

Question: What if a BDA manufacturer does not have enough filters for all required channels?

If a jurisdiction has more channels than the BDA supports with individual filters, possible solutions include:

  • Use a different BDA vendor
  • Ask the vendor for improved support
  • Use two BDAs and combine them with a diplexer

Using two BDAs may work technically, but it can increase cost.

Question: What if downlink power is very high after installation?

If downlink power is too high, adjust the BDA gain and power settings.

A DAS/BDA design should result in expected power levels throughout the building.

Typical discussion points included:

  • Midpoint between antennas may be around the -80 dBm range
  • Areas between antennas should not fall below the required threshold, such as -95 dBm
  • Under an antenna, stronger levels may be acceptable
  • Excessive power may increase leakage concerns

The goal is to provide enough signal without overdriving the system or creating unnecessary leakage.

Question: Are there plans to integrate AI into PCTEL products?

PCTEL is actively discussing AI and has already used AI-assisted development internally for some interface work.

The team is considering how AI may be integrated into products and development workflows.

Question: Are there exposure concerns at high signal levels?

For RF exposure limits, users should refer to FCC OET Bulletin 65.

Exposure rules depend on frequency range and power levels.

Although very strong in-building signals may not necessarily create exposure concerns, they can create other issues such as exterior leakage.

A lower power design is generally preferable as long as coverage remains compliant between antennas.

Final Summary

This user group covered major updates across PCTEL’s public safety testing ecosystem.

Key takeaways include:

  • Seahawk Central continues to expand as a reporting and jurisdiction management platform.
  • Cellular multi-level analysis helps visualize coverage beyond red/green pass/fail.
  • Manual reports allow non-PCTEL test data to be entered into Central.
  • Seahawk Touch now allows test plan editing and blind scan directly in the field.
  • Waterfall and spectrum capture tools help identify interference.
  • Seahawk Monitor can assist with interference detection and location estimation.
  • BDA commissioning must verify actual filter behavior, not just GUI settings.
  • Narrow BDA filters can increase delay and contribute to time delay interference.
  • Channel grouping helps avoid false failures when control channels change.
  • Proper final testing should occur when the building is in normal operating condition.