Electronic Communications Association, Inc.

ommunications Site Standards

1. PURPOSE

In order to assure that communications equipment installed at the ECA site at Mt. Ascutney North Peak is installed and maintained in a professional manner we have established these standards and building regulations, which conform to the applicable sections of leases between WNNE and ECA, and between ECA and it members.

2. PRE-INSTALLATION REQUIREMENTS

Before a station can be considered for installation frequency compatibility (intermod) a consultant designated by ECA must do study of the applicant’s frequencies, which study will be at the expense of the applicant. The study will show antenna type, location, orientation and cable type. Where possible the new station will use a combiner. The study will identify likely sources of interference from and to applicant’s equipment. ECA’s Technical Committee will, at it’s sole discretion, determine the acceptability of the applicant’s frequency or frequencies and determine any additional filtering or combining techniques required over and above the standards contained herein.

Each applicant shall have a FCC license for the site, as well as all other applicable permits (i.e. Act 250). Applicant shall submit to the ECA Technical Committee for approval, details of equipment to be installed (including makes and models), ac load, antenna (including makes and models), and cable type, antenna mounting locations, and layout of building equipment. In the interest of saving floor-space, new equipment shall be of the most compact design while maintaining good engineering practice. Cabinets are to be stacked whenever space allows.

Each applicant will provide a block diagram and written details of operation for the radio system. Such diagrams will be on one or more 8 1/2" x 11" sheets, and kept in a loose-leaf binder at the ECA site along with current copies of all FCC licenses.

Each applicant must notify the Site Manager one week before commencement of installation.

3. INSTALLATION REQUIREMENTS

Transmitters

Before a station can be approved for service, it must have the following devices properly installed and meet the minimum requirements:

a) Transmitter shield kit

b) 30-50MHz, no isolator required. Bandpass cavity

With a minimum of 20db rejection at +/-0.5MHz.

c) 72-76MHz, isolator required minimum 60dB.

Bandpass cavity with minimum of 20dB rejection at +/- 0.5MHz.

d) 138-174MHz, isolator required minimum 60dB.

Bandpass cavity on the isolator output with minimum of 20dB rejection at +/- 1.5 MHz.

e) 220-221MHz, isolator required minimum 60dB.

Bandpass cavity on the isolator output with minimum of 20dB rejection at +/- 5.0MHz.

f) 440-512MHz, isolator required minimum 60dB. Bandpass cavity on the isolator output with minimum of 20dB at +/- 3.5MHz.

g) 513-960MHz, isolator required minimum 60dB.

Bandpass cavity on the isolator output with minimum of 20dB rejection
at +/- 6.0MHz.

h) Hum and spurious emissions must be -85dBc minimum for all frequency bands.

Additional interfaces and/or isolation specifications may be required as determined by ECA’s Technical Committee. Frequency bands listed are not intended to limit the scope or application of this section.

4. TRANSMITTER COMBINERS AND RECEIVER MULTICOUPLERS

The Technical Committee may require a Member to install a transmitter combiner and/or receiver mulitcoupler. Also, as a condition for permission to use the site, an applicant may be required to use an ECA owned transmitter combiner or receiver multicoupler. Members and Applicants will be solely responsible for the cost of such equipment and its installation and such equipment will become the property of ECA.

Combiners must provide a minimum of 70dB transmitter-to-transmitter isolation and be properly engineered.

ECA COMBINERS AND RECEIVER MULTICOUPLERS. Because the transmitter combiners and receiver multicouplers are used in common with many other members, under no circumstances are members or their technical representatives permitted to make adjustments to the ECA owned transmitter combiners or receiver multicouplers or antenna systems without the express approval of the Site Manager. Should a member or his representative determine there is a problem with an ECA owned combiner, receiver multicoupler or antenna system, they are to contact a member of the Technical Committee and ask for direction.

5. RECEIVERS

All receivers must meet or exceed manufacturers' original specifications, and be of good engineering design with consideration given to a high RF environment. Receivers not meeting these requirements may be installed at Member’s sole peril. Solely the Technical Committee will determine receiver suitability. The Technical Committee shall be the sole arbiter in cases of receiver interference and reserves the right to require changes to Member’s installation. The cost of such changes shall be negotiated in good faith by all parities with the Technical Committee’s assistance. Members not willing to negotiate in good faith may be asked to leave the site.

All shields must remain in place. All speakers will be turned off except during maintenance.

6. CABINETS

All equipment, including but not limited to duplexers, isolators, cavities and switches shall be located inside grounded cabinets. Properly shielded devices may be mounted in grounded relay racks with permission of the Site Manager.

Cabinet doors must be in place, closed and locked. Keys and lock combinations will be provided to ECA Technical Committee on request for the purpose of inspection.

Cabinets and relay racks must be bonded to the ground system with at least #6 stranded copper. Cabinets, which are stacked, must be fastened to each other with hardware and to an overhead structural member (cable tray, beam) to prevent overturning.

7. CABLING

All antenna coaxial cables shall be jacketed, solid outer conductor type such as Heliax. No aluminum or single-braided cables will be permitted as antenna feeders. Short jumpers from the feeder cable to the antenna may be flexible double shielded coaxial cable. Antenna cables must be tagged at building entry with a permanent tag identifying owner and cable's destination on the tower. We strongly suggest color coding and tagging of feeder cables at the antenna, the base of the tower, at the cable entry to the building and at Member’s equipment. Cables run down the tower and dead-ended to be used later as a spare are not allowed. Any unused coax cables will be tagged, with center and outer conductors connected to building ground system. All antenna feeder cables will be terminated inside the ECA space in the building.

All feeder cables will be attached to the tower with reusable stainless steel ties, or reusable plastic coated ties such as "Band-it" ties, at intervals a maximum of 3 feet apart. Where provided, feeder cable will be attached to a cable ladder using stainless steel butterfly cable hangers bolted to the ladder. Snap in hangers will not be permitted at this site due to high wind and severe icing conditions.

Antenna feeder cables shall terminate inside the building at an ECA provided grounding plate. Member’s cabinet is to be 100% shielded. Rack mounted equipment must be supplied with 100% shielded cables.

All cables exiting from Member’s cabinet are to be 100% shielded. Rack mounted equipment must be supplied with 100% shielded cables.

All indoor cabling must be run in the cable tray provided.

AC lines must be 3 conductor and terminate in a Twistlock 2310 plug or exact replacement. Receptacles and associated circuit breakers must have the same numbers. Under no conditions is one station to be plugged into a convenience outlet of another station. Rubber AC cords must be kept in safe working condition with no cracks in the outer jacket.

Prior to any feeder cable installation or removal in the outdoor cable tray, notification to the ECA Site Manager shall be made one week in advance of such work. Precautions shall be taken not to damage or interfere with any existing cables in the cable tray or the mounting stanchions. The Member shall be responsible for any damage done, and shall be financially liable for the cost of repairs.

8. ANTENNAS AND MOUNTS

Mounts may not be welded to the tower. Drilling or cutting into any tower member is not permitted. All metal mounts and supporting structures will be stainless steel, or hot-dipped galvanized. Any hot-dipped galvanized pipes or brackets, which have been field cut, must be sprayed with two or more coats of cold galvanizing paint or stainless steel paint.

Antenna mounting systems will be engineered and constructed in such a way that they are firmly fastened to the tower and will not be subject to damage from falling ice or move excessively due to ice and wind.

Antennas longer than 60 inches must be attached to a tower member or support pipe at top and bottom.

The Technical Committee reserves the right to accept or deny any Member’s proposed antenna mounting scheme, or to require modifications to the proposed mounting scheme, or require a tower loading study to ensure the integrity of the supporting tower. All costs for any of the above shall be born by Member solely at its expense.

As antenna mounts age, Member may be required to repair or replace any antenna mount or hardware that exhibits rust. The Technical Committee shall advise Member of the need for repair or replacement. Member will take immediate action to correct the situation.

9. BUILDING REGULATIONS

Access to the building will be permitted only through a key or pass issued to each service person or shop doing maintenance for ECA companies.

It is the responsibility of each and every ECA member to keep a copy of their FCC license in the binder along with an up to date block diagram.

All areas in and around tenants' equipment shall be kept clean and neat at all times. Each tenant's trash and other unused materials shall be removed from the site immediately and not stored on the premises.

Small items such as hand tools, test equipment and work materials, if left at the site, must be stored inside radio cabinets.

Food and drink are permitted on the premises, but all related trash must be removed the same day it is brought in.

No smoking, open flame, welding, volatile solvents or alcoholic beverages will be permitted on the premises.

Tenants shall not use the premises for lodging or sleeping.

Tenants shall not allow or authorize entry onto the premises to any person not performing maintenance work for the tenant.

10. FAIL TO COMPLY

In the event any Member fails to comply with these Site Standards, and at the Site Manager’s discretion, a written notice will be sent requesting conformance within a stated period. In the event of written notice and continued lack of compliance with the Site Standards, Member will be considered to; repudiate membership in ECA or otherwise withdraw from certain lease agreements it has with the corporation with respect to a communications building and tower located at Mt. Ascutney, Vermont and forfeit rent paid for the period of the lease. And Member must remove all equipment from the building, the cable-tray and the tower.

11. ACCEPTANCE AND AGREEMENT

Members agree to comply with and accept all the provisions of the Site Standards. The Members shall have the option of accepting the Site Standards, the decisions of the Technical Committee and/or the Site Manager or leaving ECA.

12. TECHNICAL COMMITTEE AUTHORITY

The ECA Technical Committee has final authority with respect to technical parameters of ECA equipment at the Mt. Ascutney site, including placement of equipment within the building. Antenna location shall be determined by agreement between ECA Technical

Committee and WNNE.

ECA Technical Committee:

R. C. Trott, PE 214-580-1911

Joe Truss 802-439-6178

Jeff Barden 603-352-1825

Paul Alberghini 207-829-4512

Bill Sullivan 603-369-0103

Revised: 10-09