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Product News

Tamworth Regional Council Adds More SAF Links to Their Network

May 29, 2019 / by

Earlier this month we installed two new licensed links for Tamworth Regional Council, bringing the total of SAF links in the Council`s network to 26. The first ones were installed back in 2008 and are still in use.

If you are looking to build or upgrade your private wireless microwave radio WAN, we would love to have the opportunity to lend our experience and expertise in building reliable networks and design a custom solution to suit your needs, requirements and circumstances.

 

Company News, Product News

Integra-E 70-80 GHz 10 Gbps Radio

April 1, 2019 / by

SAF Integra-E 70-80 GHz 10 Gbps full-duplex point to point microwave radio is the latest addition to the SAF microwave radio range designed for very fast data speeds over short link distances.

Key Benefits

Here are the key benefits of the new Integra-E 70-80 GHz 10 Gbps  radios:

  • very fast speed of 10 Gbps full-duplex
  • low annual ACMA licence fees- $230 anywhere in Australia
  • ACMB functionality – increases overall link availability by not only switching down to lower modulations, but also reducing the channel size when required to preserve link connectivity
  • dual power for redundancy
  • trademark ultra corrosion resistant enclosure of the Integra range
  • highly reliable carrier-grade equipment
  • standard warranty – 5 years

Key Specs

Some technical details of Integra-E 70-80 GHz 10 Gbps  radios:

  • Frequency- 71-76 GHz paired with 81-86 GHz
  • Channel sizes- up to 2000 MHz
  • Ports- 1x RJ-45, 2x SFP
  • Management- choice of in-band or out-of-band.  SNMP v1/2c/3, SSH, Telnet, HTTPS, Serial, RADIUS, Network Time Protocol.

Bench Testing and Configuration Tutorials

Please contact us for pricing, path calculations and any other information, we look forward to assisting you.

Product News

Christmas Holiday Hours

December 19, 2018 / by

Please note that our offices will be closed from COB Friday 21st December, reopening Monday 14th January 2019.

For technical assistance or any other urgent enquiries during this time, please call Nic on 0414 555 508.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our customers for another great year, thank you very much and we look forward to working with you in 2019.

Merry Christmas and a happy and healthy New Year!

Product News

New Integra GS 8 GHz Microwave Radio

November 12, 2018 / by

New SAF Integra GS 8 GHz microwave radio is now available. Maximum data speed is 472 Mbps full-duplex in 1+0 configuration or 944 Mbps in 2+0 with link bonding.

8 GHz Key Benefits

The main advantages of the 8 GHz frequency band are:

  • 8 GHz is a low frequency which means it can cover long distances and is less affected by rain making it a great wireless backhaul solution.
  • Minimum link distance specified by ACMA is only 10km- this makes it a great option for high rain rate areas. Previously 11 GHz was the lowest frequency that could be used for links under 20km, this frequency is significantly more affected by rain.
  • 29.65 MHz and 59.30 MHz channel sizes are available from ACMA in this frequency allowing us to achieve fast data speeds of up to 472 Mbps full-duplex.
  • Minimum antenna size is 900mm which is rather small for a low frequency band.

Local Stock

We continue to expand our local microwave radio stock held in Albury, NSW in order to deliver more orders faster.

Integra GS 8 GHz  radios will become a standard stock item once the first radios arrive in the second half of November.

We will also be stocking 900mm and 1200mm antennas in the 8 GHz frequency.

Link Design

Please contact us for further details on this product and for assistance with network design. Our highly experienced staff will be able to help you with the selection of the most appropriate equipment and frequency band to best suit your needs and requirements.

If you are building a microwave radio network in a high rain rate area we can also base our calculations on higher rain rates than the standard ITU recommendation in order to allow for higher margins. From our experience the standard ITU figures are often too low for Queensland and Northern Territory as well as the Northern part of Western Australia.

Company News, Events, Product News

Local Government IT Conference Coffs Harbour 2018

September 12, 2018 / by

The 21st Local Government IT Conference  is being held at Opal Cove Resort, Coffs Harbour from 28th to 30th November 2018.

You can view the program  here. It features a variety of council case studies and superb keynote speakers – Anh Do, Kate Carruthers and Stephen Scheeler.

Delegates will have the opportunity to network with others, obtain information on the latest developments in information technology, and to find best practice solutions.

SAF Australia has been a proud sponsor of this event since 2011

We are passionate about building and maintaining fast, highly reliable and cost-effective microwave radio networks for local government, particularly in regional Australia.

The SAF Australia team is looking forward to learning more about some of the challenges councils are facing and using our experience to help with solutions.

We will also be announcing a new product-  a 10 Gbps full-duplex radio in 70/80 GHz millimetre wave frequency band.

Click on the below logo to learn more about the event or contact us for further information.

Local Government IT Conference Coffs Harbour 2018

Product News

SAF PhoeniX G2 IDU + ODU Microwave Radio

August 8, 2018 / by

SAF PhoeniX G2 IDU + ODU (Indoor plus Outdoor) split mount point to point microwave radio equipment is now available in 6, 7, 8, 11, 13, 18, 22 (23) and 38 GHz frequency bands.

SAF PhoeniX G2 Indoor Unit

SAF PhoeniX G2 IDU

Key Features & Capabilities

The main features of PhoeniX G2 IDU + ODUs include:

  • Modulations – up to 1024QAM
  • Configurations- 1+0, 1+1 HSB/ SD/ FD, 1+0 Dual Repeater, 2+0 (with Layer 1 aggregation) and 2+0 XPIC
  • Channel sizes – 7  MHz to 56 MHz
  • Maximum speed- 435 Mbps in 1+0, 870 Mbps in 2+0
  • High Power and Very High Power radio options in 6, 7, 8, 11, 13 and 18 GHz bands for better availability/ smaller antenna sizes over longer distances
  • Optional external ASI module available for broadcasting applications
  • Other features- electrical and fibre SFP GigE ports, ACM, ATPC, QoS, jumbo frame and VLAN support

FODU vs IDU + ODU

Although most of our customers prefer the All Outdoor (FODU) radio build (and we believe it is the better solution in most cases), there are situations where the split mount IDU + ODU option is more suitable. Below is an overview of the main advantages of both solutions.

FODU (Full Outdoor, All Outdoor Build):

SAF Integra All Outdoor Radio

SAF Integra Full Outdoor Radio

  • Only one piece of equipment instead of two
  • No IDU means no indoor rack space is required (which is particularly advantageous if your rack space is limited or if you have a site without a shelter)
  • Lower cost
  • Fewer spares
  • Lower power consumption (essential for solar powered sites)
  • Quicker & easier installation and maintenance
  • Easier troubleshooting
  • Extensive local stock & shorter lead times

IDU + ODU (Indoor Plus Outdoor Build):

  • Supports 1+1 SD (Space Diversity) configuration. This, we feel, is the main advantage and can be crucial for long distance links, and particularly, – long links over water
  • Has High Power and Very High Power radio options which can help achieve better link availability over longer distances without increasing antenna sizes
  • Has an optional ASI module available for broadcasting applications
1+1 SD (Space Diversity) Configuration With Two IDUs Per End SAF PhoeniX G2

1+1 SD (Space Diversity) Configuration With Two IDUs Per End

1+1 Space Diversity Configuration With Four IDUs Per End For Full Redundancy SAF PhoeniX G2

1+1 SD (Space Diversity) Configuration With Four IDUs Per End For Full Redundancy

Please contact us for further information. We will be happy to assist with path calculations, quotes and any other requests.

 

Product News

New High Power 15 GHz and 18 GHz Radios

July 5, 2018 / by

               SAF Integra FODU 

High power radios are now available in 15 GHz and 18 GHz in the SAF Integra G Point to Point microwave radio product line.
Maximum Tx power of these full outdoor radios is 23 dBm (in both frequencies).

Key Advantages of High Power

Higher transmit power helps to:

  • reduce antenna sizes,
  • increase link distances, or
  • increase link availability (uptime) and fade margins.

If you are hiring space on a third party tower, reducing antenna sizes can mean significantly lower site rental fees. Or you may have to keep antenna sizes as small as possible for a site with very limited space. Smaller antenna sizes also translate into lower equipment and freight costs and easier installation.

For customers requiring fast data speeds it may be crucial to use 18 GHz for longer links as there is a large 55 MHz channel size available in this frequency band. High Tx power can be very helpful here.

Customers can also save on annual ACMA annual licence fees by using 15 GHz or 18 GHz instead of a lower frequency. Savings are particularly significant in high and medium density areas. These are-  Melbourne / Geelong, Sydney / Wollongong and Brisbane / Gold Coast (high density), and Adelaide, Perth and Newcastle (medium density).

Last, but not least-  achieving higher link availability and fade margins without increasing antenna sizes can be a big bonus, particularly for links in high rain rate areas and with mission critical networks.

Data Speeds

Australian users can achieve up to 226 Mbps full-duplex per radio with 15GHz 28MHz, and up to 472 Mbps full-duplex with 18 GHz 55 MHz.

In New Zealand, the same speeds as the above apply for Integra G radios. In addition to this, New Zealand based customers can also take advantage of the 110 MHz channel size with Integra W radios for maximum speed of 883 Mbps full-duplex per radio. Integra W radios also have a high maximum transmit power of  22 dBm.

Integrated vs Non-integrated Antennas

All Integra G high frequency microwave radios (15 GHz and above) have two model options- Integra G and Integra GS. Integra G radios have integrated 300mm or 600mm antennas while Integra GS units are used with non-integrated (but slip-fit) antennas. Available sizes are 300mm, 600mm, 900mm and 1200mm.

  • Integra G Radio With Integrated 300mm Antenna

Advantages of integrated antennas include:

  • faster and easier installation (antennas are already attached to the radios),
  • lower equipment costs.

Advantages of non-integrated antennas are:

  • easier sparing(for networks that include different antenna sizes with the same frequency),
  • slightly higher antenna gain (with the same antenna size),
  • larger antenna sizes available.

    Integra GS Radio With Non-integrated 300mm Antenna

Stock Changes

Our Australian stock includes some standard power 15 GHz and 18 GHz Integra G FODUs at this stage. Once the current stock is sold, however, we will be replacing it with the high power units.  It will still be possible to order standard power 18 GHz radios, but we expect most (or all) customers will prefer the high power version due to the above benefits. We will only be manufacturing 15 GHz with high power in the future.

Please contact us for further information. We will be happy to assist with selection of the most appropriate equipment to best suit your needs.

Product News

New 13 GHz Integra G Radios

June 4, 2018 / by

13 GHz SAF Integra FODU13 GHz licensed frequency band is now available in the SAF Integra G all outdoor (also called full outdoor or FODU) point-to-point microwave radio product line.

Key advantages

The main benefits of the 13 GHz band for Australian users are:

  • small minimum antenna size – only 300mm, and
  • no minimum link distance requirement from ACMA. This is particularly important for microwave links in high rain rate areas where it is crucial to select the lowest frequency available, yet 15 GHz and 11 GHz bands can only used for links over 5km in distance.

Data Speeds

Australian users can achieve 226Mbps full-duplex speeds in the 13 GHz frequency band. This is based on 28 MHz channel size available for licensing from ACMA.

In New Zealand, customers can obtain a larger – 56 MHz – channel size. Maximum data speed is therefore higher- 472Mbps full-duplex per radio.

SAF Integra G microwave radios also support packet header compression for additional speed (the speeds stated above are before packet header compression).

Other Benefits

13 GHz SAF Integra G radios come with the trademark Integra extra corrosion resistant enclosures. This ensures longevity of the equipment and is particularly beneficial for links near the ocean.

PoE ports make for easy single cable installations, and two SFP ports are also available for customers using fibre.

The first 13 GHz Integra G radios are arriving in Australia this week. We will be delivering some of them for a government project in Queensland while the rest will be held in our Albury warehouse as part of our continuous efforts to extend and optimise our local stock in order to be able to deliver more customer orders faster.

Please contact us for further information. We will be happy to answer any questions you may have or assist with path calculations and quotes for any links you may be planning.

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