The Gen 3 Border Gateway can be mounted to a healthy tree or a stable metal/wooden pole. However, it does not require attaching external antennas to the device.
If a 60 mm (2.3 inch) wooden or metal pole is available, you can use the provided U-Clamps to attach the Border Gateway to the pole.
Loosely connect the U-Clamps to the Mounting Bracket.
Hand-tighten the nuts, then use the 17 mm wrench to tighten the nuts. Do not use excessive force to prevent damage to the mounting bracket.
Repeat these steps for the two solar panel mounting brackets.
Clip the Border Gateway and solar panels to the brackets. You can use locks to secure the devices to the brackets.
Connect the solar panels to the Border Gateway using the supplies cables.
(Optionally) If a mains power supply is available, connect the PoE Injector to the mains.
If the Border Gateway is to be attached to a tree, ensure the tree is stable and unlikely to be cut.
Once a tree has been selected, use a safety strap to hold the ladder to the tree. Then, with an assistant stabilizing the ladder at the bottom locate a position on the tree that is approximately 3 m above forest floor.
Remove any branches and other obstructions at the deployment height. This allows the solar panel to have good irradiation from the sun to charge the device. Carefully remove a small portion of the bark with an axe or chisel where the holes in the tree will be drilled. This allows the gateway to hang vertically on the tree.
With a distance between the holes at 70 mm, drill approximately 6-7 cm (2 1/5 inches) into the tree for the top loops of the mounting brackets. Ensure you do not split the tree or drill on an angle. Use the 10mm drill bit. When drilling into a tree, first drill a pilot hole using a small drill bit (1/4 inch / 6mm) then drill the final hole with the 10mm drill bit. Also, ensure you are using a drill bit for wood. This ensures the wood in the tree does not split.
Carefully hammer the treenails through the top loops.
With the mounting brackets attached at the top, carefully drill the bottom two holes using the lower holes as templates. Be careful not to damage the bracket while doing so. Also, use a drill bit with a sufficient length to ensure the holes are at the correct depth.
Carefully hammer the treenails through the bottom loops into the tree. Check to ensure the mounting bracket is securely attached to the tree and cannot move.
Clip the Border Gateway and solar panels to the brackets. You can use locks to secure the devices to the brackets.
Connect the solar panels to the Border Gateway using the supplies cables.
(Optionally) If a mains power supply is available, connect the PoE Injector to the mains.
After mounting the Border Gateway and providing it with a power supply, allow the superconductors to fully charge.
With the Border Gateway mounted and powered, run the Connectivity Test to ensure the Border Gateway connects with the Silvanet Cloud.
See Also
For details, see Border Gateway Connectivity Test.