Site survey · the make-or-break first step
The site survey is what decides whether the link holds.
Before we quote a metre of cable, we work out whether the path will carry a link and what it takes to make it. Line of sight, the clearance around it, antenna heights, the band, and what else is on the air. Get the survey right and the install is the easy part.
What we check
A wireless link lives or dies on the path. These are the things that decide it.
Line of sight
Whether each end can actually see the other. It is the single biggest factor in whether a link works at all.
The Fresnel zone
The space around the beam that also needs to be clear. Clip it with a tree or a roofline and the throughput falls away, even with a clear sight line.
Distance and earth curvature
Over the long hops the curve of the planet itself starts to get in the way. We factor it into the antenna heights instead of being caught by it.
Obstructions, now and later
Trees and how they will grow, sheds, ridgelines and buildings. We plan for the path in five years, not just on survey day.
Antenna heights
How high each end has to go to clear the path. Often a couple of metres of mast is the difference between a flaky link and a solid one.
Band and interference
2.4, 5, 6 or 60 GHz against the distance and the obstacles, and a scan of the noise already on site so we pick a clean channel.
How we survey
Maths and measurement, not a guess and a hope.
Desktop path profile
We model the terrain and distance from mapping data first, which rules a lot of paths in or out before anyone leaves the office.
On-site line-of-sight test
Masts, a temporary test link, or a drone to prove the path at the real antenna height, where the trees and local clutter actually are.
Spectrum scan
We measure the interference floor on site rather than assume it, so the band and channel are chosen for the air you actually have.
Link budget
The maths that says the link will hold, with margin left over for rain and growth. It turns an opinion into a figure.
What you get
The findings
A clear read on the path: line of sight, clearance, heights and interference, and any catch that needs solving.
The design
The recommended link, the band, the antennas and the heights, with masts or a relay where the path needs them.
The quote
A plan and a price built on what the survey found, not a guess we have to walk back when the gear goes up.
When you want a survey first
Any long or marginal link
The further or tighter the path, the more the survey earns its keep before you spend on gear.
Trees or terrain in the way
Where the path is not obviously clear, the survey finds the height or the relay that makes it work.
Before committing to equipment
Know the band, the antennas and the heights before anything is bought, so the kit fits the path.
A second opinion
A link that will not hold, or a quote you want sanity-checked. We will assess the path on its merits.
The survey feeds everything else
Every link we build starts here. The survey decides the point-to-point design, plans the sectors for point-to-multipoint, and sets the link budget for microwave. Where it finds a blocked path, masts and relays are how we clear it.
Questions people ask
What is a wireless site survey?
It is the assessment we do before quoting a link: whether the two ends can see each other, what clearance the path has, how high the antennas need to be, which band suits the distance, and what interference is already on site. It is what tells us the link will hold.
Do you charge for the survey?
For a straightforward link we usually fold the assessment into the quote. For long, marginal or multi-site jobs that need a full on-site survey and a report, we will agree a survey fee up front and tell you before any cost is involved.
What if there is no clear line of sight?
That is exactly what the survey is for. Where trees or terrain block the path we look at raising a mast, moving an end, or relaying via a third point. Most sites that look impossible are a height or a relay problem, not a dead end.
What is the Fresnel zone?
It is the cigar-shaped space around the straight line between the two antennas that also needs to be reasonably clear. You can have line of sight and still lose throughput if trees or a roof clip into that zone, so we plan clearance for it, not just the sight line.
Can you survey a path remotely?
We start every job with a desktop path profile from terrain and mapping data, which rules a lot in or out before anyone drives out. For anything long or marginal we confirm it on site, because trees and local clutter do not show up in the maps.
Find out if the path will carry a link.
Tell us the two points and roughly how far apart they are. We will start with a path profile and tell you straight whether it will work.
Book a survey