What is Level-1 maintenance ?

The infrastructure provided for a BTS site plays an important role in successful & continuous functioning of the BTS and in achieving & maintaining a good quality of the GSM network. Malfunction of Infrastructure equipment increases BTS fault rate, which may affect the network quality in following ways:

Call congestion Call drops Handover failures Poor Coverage / weak signals etc.

Therefore, it is significant that the Level-1 BTS maintenance team in BSNL shall be familiar with the importance of proper operation and maintenance of infrastructure equipment at the BTS sites.
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Vivek Banzal GM (N/W-Op-I)CM

Activities for Level-1 Maintenance

Cleanliness & Maintenance of Prefab shelter Coordination for BTS maintenance Maintenance of Infrastructure alarms Maintenance of Power plant Maintenance of Battery bank Maintenance of DG set Maintenance of Air conditioners Maintenance of Tower & waveguide Maintenance of Earthing Miscellaneous activities
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Vivek Banzal GM (N/W-Op-I)CM

Cleanliness & maintenance of Prefab shelter

Introduction

A prefab shelter houses the BTS rack and associated equipments like power plant, battery sets, transmission equipment, Air conditioners, DCDB etc. The prefab shelter can be installed on ground or on a roof top. In both the cases it is constructed on a supporting foundation. The antenna waveguides are connected to the BTS rack via a hatch plate on the prefab shelter wall.

Inspection / Checks

Check that the shelter and its foundation are physically ok. Check for any surrounding activities or changes close to the site that may affect the performance of the system or safety of the equipment. No visual damage to the equipment or site room is evident. Check for any water and air leakages. Check for proper sealing of cable entry holes. Check that the power cables and PCM cables, RF waveguide / jumper cables are neatly laid, terminated and labeled as per the site document.
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Vivek Banzal GM (N/W-Op-I)CM

Cleanliness & maintenance of Prefab shelter (continued..)

The power cables shall be provided through fuses/circuit breakers. The DDF should be properly installed and neatly labeled. Indoor light is working & indoor emergency light is working. Expiry date on Fire extinguisher and sufficiency of fire safety equipments. Check functioning of door lock and door alarm. Check for the proper condition of antistatic flooring. Check for any hazardous/unused materials lying around the equipment room, if found they should disposed off. In case of RTT sites, cleaning of common service areas like Terrace, DG area etc.

Functional requirement

Maintaining overall cleanliness of the complete BTS site is necessary for proper functioning of all the sub systems. Due to accumulation of dust the TREs (channels which handles mobile calls) of the BTS goes into malfunctioning or disabled state, causing call drops, speech quality degradation, call congestion etc. The high dust deposition due to non cleanliness also makes TREs faulty, which are then required to be sent to the supplier for repairs.
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Vivek Banzal GM (N/W-Op-I)CM

Coordination for BTS maintenance

Introduction The BTS (Base Transceiver Station) is the Radio or Air-interface with mobile phone on move (Subscribers Mobile Set) to log on to the network enabling the Calling Subscribers to be switched to the Called party through BSC & MSC. Inspection / Checks Check that the waveguides are properly terminated onto the BTS rack. Check for any fault indication or alarms in the BTS unit. The air inlet / filters to the BTS rack / cabinet are clean. Check that the fans inside the BTS rack are working properly. Check that no dust deposition takes place inside the BTS rack and on its units. Any kind of malfunction, fault and alarm of BTS equipment should be immediately brought to the notice of Level-2 maintenance team. Functional requirement The BTS rack houses TREs, SUMA card, Diplexers & combiners etc. is the main unit which enables mobile communication through its coverage / signals. Its cleanliness and fault free operation is of utmost importance for a good quality network.
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Vivek Banzal GM (N/W-Op-I)CM

Maintenance of Infrastructure alarms

Introduction The BTS can collect, interpret and display sixteen numbers of External Alarms. The alarm extension system collects working status various units and extends them to a operation & maintenance monitoring centre (OMCR). Functioning of all alarms is tested for service worthiness. Inspection / Checks

Usually following infrastructure alarms are extended to the OMCR: Mains Power Failure Rectifier failure DG fail to start Low fuel level DG on load Door open Fire alarm High temperature

Functional requirement The proper functioning of infrastructure alarms is very important for monitoring overall health a BTS site. The status of all the important equipments at a BTS site is monitored in real time at the OMCR via these alarms. This helps in taking prompt action for attending the fault of particular equipment, thus avoiding a BTS failure and disturbance in coverage / signals.
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Vivek Banzal GM (N/W-Op-I)CM

Maintenance of Power plant

Introduction

First requirement for proper functioning of any BTS site is availability of power supply. At a BTS site the power supply is made available in three ways: Electricity Board / commercial mains supply Diesel Generator Set Battery Sets A power plant is used at a BTS site to obtain -48V DC from a 230V AC supply. This DC supply is distributed to the BTS rack & transmission equipment & also used for charging the batteries. There are four numbers of rectifier modules in a power plant. These rectifier modules are designed to work in parallel in load sharing mode and also provide redundancy for overall DC load.

Inspection / Checks

Check for any alarm / fault in the units or display panel of a power plant. The system alarms monitored and displayed are as following: AC out of range i.e. mains fail Module fail DC voltage high / low Battery low AC OK Battery discharge System overload Battery 1 absent & Battery 2 absent Temp comp fail i.e. battery temperature sensing
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Vivek Banzal GM (N/W-Op-I)CM

Maintenance of Power plant (continued..)

Ensure all modules of the power plant are working properly and load is being shared by all. Faulty module if any should be handed over to the designated officer in the SSA without delay, for an early replacement. Prevent dust from accumulating on rectifier modules. (Clean the rectifier modules with an insulated brush and a vacuum cleaner if its necessary). All the MCBs like AC mains input and DC load output should be in ON position. Check that the associated batteries are correctly connected. Life of SMPS power plant is 15 years.

Functional requirement

In the event of a power plant failure (and when the batteries also get completely drained) the BTS system goes down completely due to non availability of DC supply, hence the GSM coverage / signal availability in the area gets disturbed.

Vivek Banzal GM (N/W-Op-I)CM

Maintenance of Battery bank

Introduction The batteries connected to the power plant stores energy in order to be able to deliver DC current to the BTS equipment in case mains supply becomes unavailable. The battery is rated at 10 hour rate of discharge to an end voltage of 1.75 volts/cell, which is referred as the nominal capacity of the battery and is expressed in Ampere hours (Ah). Inspection / Checks Inspection Battery voltage with the power plant in float mode Battery voltage with the power plant in charge mode Current limit for Battery path in power plant Individual cell voltage with the power plant in float mode Torque of the terminals Dust and moisture on the battery Output cable size (+ve / ve) Requirement 54.0+/-0.1 volts for a 24 cell battery 55.2+/-0.1 volts for a 24 cell battery 0.2 C 10 Ampere (C 10 = Rated 10 hr capacity of the battery) 2.25+/-0.05 volts/cell Corrective action Adjust the Float voltage on power plant to the required value. Adjust the charge voltage on power plant to the required value. Adjust the Battery path current limit to the required value. Inform for technical assistance from battery supplier Tighten terminals to the required torque to avoid loose contact Wipe the battery to keep it clean & dry Replace the cable, if size is found to be inadequate

10 Nm +/- 1 Nm Battery should be clean & dry Shall be rated at 2 Amp/sq. mm for a current of 0.2 C10 Amps & length should not be more than 3 mtrs.

Vivek Banzal GM (N/W-Op-I)CM

Maintenance of Battery bank (continued..)

A discharge test once in a year is recommended to assess the state of health of the battery. Life of batteries for capacity upto 200AH is 4 years and for capacity more than 2000AH it is 6 years.

Functional requirement

Properly maintained batteries ensure a reliable and effective source of secondary power for the BTS equipment in the event of mains failure. When the BTS works on battery supply it is to be ensured that the DC voltage remains above -46 volts, since at low DC voltages the TREs starts getting disabled one by one, which may give call drops & call congestion problems in the coverage area of the BTS. After a cutoff voltage of -42 volts the complete BTS goes down, which disturbs GSM coverage / signal availability in the surrounding area.

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Vivek Banzal GM (N/W-Op-I)CM

Maintenance of DG set
Introduction A DG set is used as a standby source of the power supply in the event of prolonged commercial supply failure at a BTS site. Inspection / Checks Daily: Check engine oil level and leakage if any. Check radiator for water level and leakage if any. Check fuel level. Check the trickle charger is in trickle charging position. Check whether insulation of the exhaust pipe is proper. Check oil pressure. Check physically before start for loose connection/nut bolt. Weekly: Check air line connection and filter. Check fan belt and its tension. Fortnightly: Check battery voltage, terminal, electrolyte level (top up if necessary). Check for any abnormal noise, Shut down the DG immediately. Check frequency and output voltage. Check for the colour of exhaust gas. Check working of the indication lamps. Check working of the dynamo and auto cut off of the battery charger. Check for any exhaust gas restriction. Check manual / auto changeover from commercial supply on connected load.
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Vivek Banzal GM (N/W-Op-I)CM

Maintenance of DG set (continued..)

Monthly: Check for tightness of connections in engine and control panel. Check functioning of safety devices. Check belt tensions. Check battery charger. Check for leakage of fuel line. Check for leakage in exhaust pipes. Inspect the manufacturers chart for due date of regular maintenance. Half yearly: Cleaning of bus bars & chambers and tightening of nut bolts. Check of MCCB tripping mechanism. Relays and other protection devices are working properly. Yearly: Tighten all mounting, nut and bolt. Check crankshaft and float. Clean injector inlet screen. Clean and calibrate all injectors. Check fuel pump calibration. Replace fuel pump filter screen and magnet. Functional requirement During long duration failure of the commercial mains supply, the functioning of a BTS site and thus the availability of GSM coverage depends solely on the running of DG set, hence its regular maintenance for keeping it in operational state is significantly important.
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Vivek Banzal GM (N/W-Op-I)CM

Maintenance of Air Conditioners

Introduction Continuous Air conditioning is an important requirement for the optimum performance of BTS equipment. Generally two numbers of AC units of 1.5T/2.0T capacity either window or split type is installed at a BTS site. The operation of these ACs is controlled via an AC controller unit. The air conditioning system performs following functions: Maintaining the air at the desired temperature. Control moisture content in the air. Hold contamination to an acceptable level. Circulate the air properly. Inspection / Checks Problem Air conditioner does not start Possible causes The air conditioner is unplugged The fuse is blown/circuit breaker is tripped Airflow is restricted Air filter is dirty Air conditioner does not cool as it should The room may have been hot What to do ? Make sure the air conditioner plug is pushed completely in the outlet Check the fuse/circuit breaker box and replace the fuse or reset the breaker Make sure there are no blockings in front of the air conditioners Clean the filter at least every 2 weeks When air conditioner is turned on, allow some time for the room to cool down

Cold air is escaping

Ice formation on cooling coils

Check for closing the openings / leakages in the room / shelter

Clean cooling & condenser coil periodically 13
Vivek Banzal GM (N/W-Op-I)CM

Maintenance of Air Conditioners (continued..)

It is to be ensured that atleast once in a year complete servicing and testing of the AC units is performed.

Functional requirement

It is very important that the Air conditioners are functioning correctly & there is no leakage of airconditioned air through door, window or waveguide openings. In the event of high temperature inside the room / shelter the TREs of the BTS goes into malfunctioning or disabled state, causing call drops, speech quality degradation, call congestion etc. The over heating also makes TREs faulty, which are then required to be sent to the supplier for repairs. High temperature inside a BTS room also affects the life of the battery sets adversely.

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Vivek Banzal GM (N/W-Op-I)CM

Maintenance of Tower & Waveguide

Introduction

A ground based or roof top tower is used for mounting the Antenna at a planned height for providing suitable signal coverage to communicate. Normally 3 nos. of directional antenna are used per BTS. At Few sites a Drum type antenna may also be used for providing media connectivity through microwave link.

Inspection / Checks

Physical condition of the members of the tower, bolts & nuts, antenna fixtures, stays and wave guide clamps need to be checked for their mechanical strength and firmness. The verticality of the tower shall be periodically checked with a theodolite. Availability of spring washer and check nut on tower leg-plate bolts need to be ensured. Base plates are not to be concreted so that the base of tower is free to behave as per structural design of the tower. Insulation of the electrical cables used for tower lights should be checked and wherever necessary, suitable remedial actions need to be taken immediately. Earthing of legs of tower, including their interconnection and also earthing of waveguide and feeders has to be ensured. The value of earths resistance should be less than 2 ohms. Lightning spikes should be provided and properly earthed. The aviation light should be in working status. Cable ladder and climbing ladder should be properly maintained. The horizontal run of wave-guide should have proper covering. The tower should be painted at regular intervals to protect against rusting. Register for maintenance of Tower should be maintained and following Schedule for different maintenance activities needs to be adhered to:
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Vivek Banzal GM (N/W-Op-I)CM

Maintenance of Tower & Waveguide (continued..)

S. No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Schedule Tightening of mast nuts & bolts Verticality check with Theodolite Settlement of foundation Distortion of members Earth resistance check Inspection of guy tension & greasing of turn knuckles Painting Yearly Yearly Yearly 5 yearly Half-yearly Half-yearly 5 yearly & 3 yearly in coastal areas Periodicity

In the case of rooftop towers, the condition of building is required to be inspected at regular intervals, i.e. at least once a year, from the point of view of its suitability to continue to bear the tower load. Vertical separation between 2G / 3G / CDMA /Wi-Max antenna is to be ensured to avoid interference, main lobe obstruction and orientation flexibility.

Functional requirement

The maintenance of tower as mentioned above is very important in providing proper radiation & planned coverage / signals through the GSM antenna installed on it.

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Vivek Banzal GM (N/W-Op-I)CM

Maintenance of Earthing
Introduction An Earthing System is an essential part of any BTS site. The objective of an Earthing System may be summarized as follows: To provide safety to personnel during normal and fault conditions by limiting step and touch potential. To assure correct operation of electrical / electronic devices. To prevent damage to electrical / electronic equipments. Protection from lightning strikes. To stabilize voltage during transient conditions and therefore to minimize the probability of flashover during the transients. To divert stray RF energy from sensitive audio, video, control and computer equipment. Inspection / Checks It is to be ensured that all the equipments at a BTS site are connected to the earthing system via the earth plate, like BTS, tower, power plant, battery sets, DG set, transmission equipment etc. It is to be ensured that the continuity of each cable /GI strips be maintained without any breaks. Check that the earth value is to be measured once in every six months and the same is to be displayed at site. The value of earth resistance in respect of DC and AC earth should be <0.5 ohm, for Tower earth <2 ohm. Whenever, it is beyond limits, it should be immediately brought within limits. Earth pits to be maintained for their resistance value by watering the pits and reconditioning them with salt & charcoal. Functional requirement Maintenance of earthing system is of utmost importance for the protection of costly equipments / cards and persons at a BTS site, against all type of foreign voltages and leakage currents.
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Vivek Banzal GM (N/W-Op-I)CM

Miscellaneous activities

Timely submission of electricity bills. Timely payment of rent to the owner of the premises. Timely payment of tower / building tax to the local authorities.

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Vivek Banzal GM (N/W-Op-I)CM