SkyPilot SkyExtender Dual Band
In August 2009, we received some SkyPilot SkyExtender DualBand devices from the City of Portland to evaluate for possible re-use. One of them was dismantled and an investigation ensued. Over the next few months, 11 more SkyExtenders were received from the City of Portland, for a total of 12. More recently, we've been working on getting access to a SkyPilot SkyGateway. A gateway device is required in order to try to use the stock SkyPilot firmware.
Last Spring, SkyPilot was acquired by another company, Trilliant. Since August, the websites were integrated and the SkyPilot forum was taken offline.
Hardware:
We received the SkyExtenders with PowerOverEthernet injectors and Street Light Power Tap cords intact.
SkyExtender DualBand Main Body
Mounting mast (two length variants)
- tiltable base, 4-3/4" wide, 5-1/4" long
- 1-1/4" outside diameter mast, with an overall height of either:
- 20"
- 6"
- circular top flange, ~4-1/8" diameter, with 9/32" holes in a 2-3/8" square pattern
Other Mounting Hardware
- Mounting brackets
- Bolts
- 4 x (S30400 ABP) 1" length (9/16") hex-head 3/8-16, attaching mounting bracket to mast base (with one lock washer each)
4 x (S30400 THE) 3/4" length (7/16") hex-head 1/4-20, attaching mast top flange to SkyPilot (with one lock washer each)
- Nuts:
- 12 x 3/8-16 nuts (3 per rod, sometimes fewer)
- Threaded rods
- 4 x 12" length 3/8-16
- Washers (odd numbers, the count here is over approximately 11 skypilots)
- flat
- 42 x 7/8" OD
- 20 x 3/4" OD
- 3 x 5/8" OD
- lock 80 x 43/64" OD (probably two per threaded rod)
- flat
2.4 GHz omni-directional antennas (two length variants)
Two variants of the antennas were found, both N-male-terminated Comet 7.5 dBi omnis:
- with vertical symmetry, about 17" overall length, there were found on the 20" tall masts
- with 12-degree uptilt, SF245G+12X-S, about 24" overall length, found on the 6" tall masts
PowerOverEthernet enclosure with cat5
The PoE injectors enclosures, Bud ~6-5/8" x 4.75" x 2-1/8", mount onto a base flange of the mast with two bolts drilled through the middle of the large face and sealed with large washers and sealant. Cat5 and power cables enter though glands on the small edge face. The interior of the enclosure holds a "Mean Well" S-25-24 AC-DC converter, supplying +24V on the blue pair of the cat5 and Ground on the brown pair, made in Taiwan.
If one wishes to convert the injector from Street Light Power Tap to conventional wall AC input, the practical thing to do is to unscrew the terminals inside the enclosure and remove the Street Light tap intact. These are expensive to buy new and may have some resale value. Standard AC power cords can be cut off and wired into the now-empty screw terminals.
ANSI C136.10 Street Light Power Tap and cord
This is a connector for attaching to the standard street light coupling provided for daylight sensors. The power tap has three poles: line, neutral and load. When the sun goes down, the light sensor closes a switch and connects the line to the load. Other devices can connect directly to line and still pass the light sensor load pole on through. In this way, a light sensor can be removed, the tap placed on the street light, and the light sensor replaced on the tap and normal light sensor function maintained while simultaneously extracting power from the 110V AC. The coupling locks in place by twisting. A foam seal prevents water infiltration.