Kona Mega gateway installation
Field procedure for mounting, grounding, cabling, powering and commissioning a TEKTELIC Kona Mega LoRaWAN gateway serving electric, gas and water meters.
Showing the full printable guideThis viewer has interactive features turned off, so every step is listed below for the default setup (PoE, copper Ethernet, crossarm, Option 4). For the interactive version with model options, the bulkhead trainer and the RF budget, save the attachment and open it in Chrome: in the Files app, choose Open with, then Chrome.
Step 1 of 16
Plan the site
Put the antennas above local clutter with clear sight lines toward the meters, on a structure the public cannot reach, with power and network available at its base.
Survey the meter mix. Electric meters sit on house walls near 1.5 m, gas near 1 m, and water meters are often in pits under lids. Pit meters usually define the coverage edge, so plan for them.
Choose a pole, water tower, substation structure or rooftop able to carry a dead load of at least 136 kg (300 lb).
Plan a crossarm at the top: two LoRa antennas at least 6 ft and no more than 20 ft apart, the GPS antenna on the arm, and the gateway just below it.
Keep antennas away from overhead power lines and other electric light or power circuits, and plan the work so nothing can touch them. Contact can cause serious injury or death.
Confirm the location is restricted access. The enclosure can reach 90 °C in high ambient and must not be touchable by non-service persons.
Plan for at least 80 cm (31.5 in) between radiating antennas and any person. That FCC exposure condition assumes no co-located transmitters; shared structures need their own RF exposure evaluation.
Plan the Sentry 250 at the base: a 240 V feed to its breaker, the site network to its DPR protector, and one PoE Ethernet cable up to an outdoor PoE surge protector beneath the gateway.
Locate the site ground system, or plan a ground rod and bonding per NEC and local code.
Qualified personnel onlyInstallation, operation and maintenance must be done by a trained service technician aware of all hazards, following local and national electrical codes.
LightningNever work on the system during lightning activity.
Antenna spacing
6–20 ft
Structure dead load
≥ 136 kg (300 lb)
Operating range
−40 to 60 °C incl. solar, up to 4,000 m
Step 2 of 16
Unpack and inspect
Check every kit and capture the gateway’s identity on the ground, where it is easy.
Gateway kit: Kona Mega gateway, mounting bracket, field-installed power cable adaptor, field-installed Ethernet cable adaptor, 4 × M6×1.0 × 14 mm bolts with washers and lock washers, and a 1 m ground cable.
Antenna kit: two LoRa antennas (one longer, one shorter) and two 6 ft coax cables.
Sentry 250 kit: Meanwell DRC-100A power supply, Procet PoE injector, DPR shielded PoE protector, circuit breaker, outdoor PoE surge protector, and an optional SigmasTek SP12-55 battery.
Site supplied: 4 × M8 bolts (wall) or 2 pipe clamps (pole) for the gateway, 5 × M5 bolts and 1 × M6 bolt for the Sentry 250, and Ethernet cables.
Inspect the cartons, report significant damage to TEKTELIC, and keep the gateway box and foam for any return.
Photograph the label and record the serial number, MAC address (begins 64:7F:DA) and gateway ID (EUI-64).
Lay out the tools: metric 6-point sockets and torque wrench, anti-oxidant compound, small wire brush, clean cloth, and a weatherproofing kit (Scotch WK-101 recommended).
No field-serviceable partsNever open the gateway enclosure. Only an approved TEKTELIC service center may open it.
Gateway weight
5.1 kg (11.3 lb)
Step 3 of 16
Test connectivity on the ground
Prove the gateway reaches the internet and shows up in Vision Metering diagnostics before it goes up the structure.
Set the gateway on a clean, dry surface. LoRa and GPS antennas are not needed for this test. Connect the supplied ground cable to the 2-hole lug and a ground point first.
Run an Ethernet cable from the gateway’s Ethernet port to the PoE injector’s “Equip + PoE” port, and a second cable from the injector’s network port to the internet source, such as the site router or a cellular hotspot.
Power the PoE injector last; it powers the gateway over the same Ethernet cable that carries its data.
Allow up to 2 minutes to boot, or up to 15 minutes if a software upgrade runs.
Schedule the test within Vision Metering hours (8 AM–5 PM Eastern, Monday–Friday). Call Vision Metering at (803) 628-0035 with the gateway ID (EUI-64) and serial number, and confirm the gateway shows up in Vision Metering diagnostics. Do not mount the gateway until it does.
Power down, then disconnect in reverse order: power, backhaul, ground last.
Verify before you climbA gateway that fails this test is far easier to troubleshoot or swap on the ground than on the structure.
Attach the mounting bracket to the back of the gateway before lifting.
Seat the bracket’s 4 protrusions in the back of the gateway; they let it fit in only one orientation.
Bolt it on with the four supplied M6×1.0 × 14 mm bolts, each with a flat washer and a lock washer.
Check that the connector bulkhead will face down, toward earth.
Bracket bolts
4 × M6×1.0 − 14 mm with washers
Step 5 of 16
Mount the gateway
Secure the gateway just below the antennas with the bulkhead pointing at the ground.
Pole: support the unit temporarily and fit two site-supplied pipe clamps, one through the upper and one through the lower slotted clamp points.
Wall: set two M8 bolts at 139.7 mm (5.5 in) centers with heads standing 2 mm off the wall. Hang the bracket keyholes on them and tighten, then add two M8 bolts through the bottom holes.
Keep the area below the bulkhead free of obstructions so the cables can drop straight down.
Red: wall anchor points (top keyholes, bottom holes, M8 bolts). Blue: pole clamp slots (2 pipe clamps). The 4 protrusions on the bracket fit the gateway one way only.
Mount before cablingThe gateway must be securely mounted before any cable is connected or the unit is operated.
Wall bolts
4 × M8, keyholes at 139.7 mm (5.5 in)
Pole
2 pipe clamps
Step 6 of 16
Ground it first
The protective earth ground is mandatory and is always the first connection to the gateway.
Lightly abrade the casting ground area with a fine wire brush to remove oxide.
Wipe away debris with a clean cloth.
Immediately coat the contact surface with a thin layer of anti-oxidant compound.
Fit the supplied 1 m ground cable’s 2-hole lug with the two supplied 1/4-20 × 1/2 in bolts, flat and star lock washers, torqued to 10.4 N·m (92 in·lb).
Run at least #10 AWG to the site ground system per local and national code. Keep it short and direct; in lightning-prone sites minimize connection inductance and ground-bed resistance.
Ground before anything elseThe primary surge protectors on the DC, Ethernet, GPS and LoRa ports can bridge the isolation boundary during over-voltage. The ground must be in place before any other interface is connected.
Conductor
#10 AWG minimum
Lug
2-hole, 1/4 in × 0.75 in
Torque
10.4 N·m (92 in·lb)
Step 7 of 16
Mount the antennas
Two LoRa antennas at the top of the structure, 6 to 20 ft apart, with the GPS antenna in open sky.
Mount both LoRa antennas vertically at the ends of the crossarm, at least 6 ft and no more than 20 ft apart. The longer antenna connects to Ant 0 (port 0), the shorter to Ant 1 (port 1).
Mount the active GPS antenna on the crossarm with an unobstructed view of the sky (the port supplies 5 V DC, 50 mA max). GPS provides network timing and geolocation.
Stay clear of overhead power lines and other electric circuits while lifting and fixing the antennas.
Ground the antenna mounts as national and local codes require.
Power linesNever let an antenna, crossarm or cable come near energized lines.
Antenna spacing
6 ft min, 20 ft max
Port 0
longer antenna
Port 1
shorter antenna
Step 8 of 16
Run the coax
Short cables in gentle bends, secured, and dripping before they reach the gateway.
Connect each antenna to the gateway with its supplied 6 ft coax cable.
Route every cable in gentle bends. Sharp bends can break the cable, letting in water and corrosion and degrading reception.
Replace any cable showing crimping along the insulation. If the connector nut can be pulled off the cable, it was bent too far and must be replaced.
Secure the cables to the antenna mounts and structure with UV-rated ties, leaving a drip loop below the bulkhead (general practice).
Label every cable at both ends: Ant 0, Ant 1, GPS.
Where code calls for coax lightning protection, the Vision Metering references list the L-com AL-NMNFB N-type protector.
Coax
2 × 6 ft, supplied
Step 9 of 16
Connect RF
Mate each antenna cable to its N-type port and torque it.
Connect GPS, Ant 0, Ant 1 to the N-type female ports on the bulkhead: the longer antenna to Ant 0, the shorter to Ant 1.
Thread by hand, then torque to 1.7–2.3 N·m (15–20 in·lb).
Give every LoRa port an antenna or a 50 Ω termination before power is applied, since both ports can transmit (general practice).
N-type torque
1.7–2.3 N·m (15–20 in·lb)
Impedance
50 Ω
Step 10 of 16
Weatherproof
Mated N-type connections are not waterproof on their own. Tape each one in three layers, cap everything unused, and leave the vent alone.
Layer 1: after connecting the cable, wrap one layer of 3/4 in (19 mm) vinyl tape starting 1 in (25 mm) beyond the connector, past the clamping nut but short of the base.
Layer 2: cut butyl mastic tape long enough to run lengthwise from 2 in (51 mm) beyond layer 1 to the base. Use more pieces as needed for complete coverage.
Layer 3: wrap one half-lapped layer of 2 in vinyl tape from 1 in below the mastic to the base, then apply a second layer.
Close every unused Ethernet, DC or hybrid connector with its supplied protective cap. Unmated RF ports are waterproof by design.
Do not cover the enclosure vent (general practice).
Bars show how far each layer extends from the base. Layer 1 starts 1 in (25 mm) past the connector and stops short of the base. The mastic runs 2 in (51 mm) beyond layer 1 to the base. Layer 3 starts 1 in below the mastic.
Tape kit
Scotch WK-101 recommended
Step 11 of 16
Mount the Sentry 250
Hang the Sentry 250 power and network box at the base of the structure.
Choose an anchor point at the base with access to the site power feed and the site network.
Install a site-supplied M5 (or 10-32) bolt at the anchor point, leaving the head 2 mm from the surface.
Hang the Sentry 250 by the keyhole slot at its top and tighten the bolt.
Insert and tighten four more M5 (or 10-32) bolts through the holes on the top and bottom of the box, and an M6 (or 1/4-28) bolt through the lower keyhole slot.
Connect the Sentry 250 ground to the site ground system before any other connection.
Ground every piece firstThe ground connection of each piece of equipment is made before any other interface.
Bolts
5 × M5 (10-32) + 1 × M6 (1/4-28)
Step 12 of 16
Wire the Sentry 250
Bring power and network in through the Sentry 250’s three bottom ports, with the breaker open.
Decide how to use the three bottom ports for the site: input power, input network and output PoE.
With the feed de-energized, connect the 240 V site supply (L1, L2) to the 6 A circuit breaker inside the Sentry 250. Leave the breaker open.
The breaker outputs feed the Meanwell DRC-100A AC input (L, N); its ground terminal goes to earth. The DRC-100A V+ and V− outputs feed the Procet PoE injector + and −.
If fitting battery backup, place the SigmasTek SP12-55 in the housing and connect it to the DRC-100A BATT + and − terminals.
Connect the site network Ethernet cable to the DPR shielded PoE protector jack labeled “Line”, and the DPR’s equipment side to the Procet injector’s network input.
Insert the tower Ethernet cable into the Procet jack labeled “Equip + PoE”.
Schematic only, after the Vision Metering installation guide. Breaker outputs feed the DRC-100A AC input; its DC output powers the Procet injector; the optional battery connects to the DRC-100A BATT terminals.
240 VOnly qualified personnel connect the site feed. Confirm it is de-energized before wiring (general practice).
Breaker
2-pole, 6 A
Supply
Meanwell DRC-100A
Network protector
DPR shielded PoE protector (Transtector)
Step 13 of 16
Run the tower cable
Connect the gateway to the Sentry 250 through an outdoor PoE surge protector mounted beneath the gateway.
Run the “Equip + PoE” cable from the Sentry 250 up the structure to the outdoor PoE surge protector beneath the gateway, then into the gateway Ethernet port with the field-installed Ethernet cable adaptor (watertight CPC RJ-45).
The outdoor PoE surge protector carries PoE to the gateway, so it must be rated for 802.3bt on all four pairs (Procet lists PT-PR01G-OT at 60 W and PT-PR01GB-OT at 100 W).
Bond the outdoor surge protector to the ground system with a short, direct conductor; a surge protector with no ground path protects nothing (general practice).
Secure the cable down the structure with UV-rated ties and leave a drip loop at each end (general practice).
If Ethernet is used only for commissioning, refit the protective cap afterward.
Ethernet cable
≥ 24 AWG, outdoor rated
Step 14 of 16
Apply power last
Power goes on only after the ground, every antenna, every seal and the tower cable are done.
Close the circuit breaker in the Sentry 250 last. The DRC-100A powers the Procet injector, which feeds the gateway over the tower cable. The PoE source must deliver IEEE 802.3bt Class 6 with Mode A and Mode B together; Microchip/Microsemi “GR” injectors will not work.
One power source onlyDirect DC and PoE must never be applied to the gateway at the same time.
External disconnectThe gateway has no disconnect device. The Sentry 250 breaker or another readily accessible device provides it.
Gateway power
20 W typical, 40 W max
Step 15 of 16
Boot and verify
Watch it come up before leaving the site.
Allow up to 2 minutes to boot, or up to 15 minutes if a software upgrade runs.
Flashing green means initializing, no downlink sent in the last 10 minutes, or GPS unlocked for more than 24 hours. It turns solid green once the gateway transmits a downlink such as a Join Accept; power a meter or test device nearby to trigger one.
Solid red is a fault: power-cycle, then contact Vision Metering at (803) 628-0035 if it persists.
Call Vision Metering at (803) 628-0035 as soon as the gateway powers up (8 AM–5 PM Eastern, Monday–Friday; plan power-up inside those hours) and confirm it shows up in Vision Metering diagnostics. Do not leave the site until it does.
Confirm GPS has a clear view of the sky.
Hot surfacesThe enclosure can reach 90 °C in high ambient.
Bring it into the network and leave a record the next crew can trust.
Vision Metering completes commissioning and network registration.
With Vision Metering, confirm meter uplinks are arriving and record an RSSI/SNR baseline for each meter type.
Record the site details for Vision Metering: location, structure, antenna height, serial number and gateway ID. Photograph the antenna mounts and antennas, the gateway, the ground lug, each taped connector, the label, and the inside of the Sentry 250.
Fit an ID tag on the structure with the gateway ID, date and crew (general practice).
Path loss: Okumura-Hata (valid 150–1500 MHz, base 30–200 m, mobile 1–10 m, 1–20 km), small/medium-city mobile correction, evaluated at 908.6 MHz uplink and 925.4 MHz downlink to match the NA Kona Mega’s 902–915 MHz receive and 923–928 MHz transmit bands. Hata gives the median loss; the fade margin covers location variability (about 10 dB for 90 % with 8 dB shadowing). Gateway sensitivity defaults scale TEKTELIC’s −142 dBm SF12 figure by the LoRa demodulation SNR limits (SF7 −7.5 dB to SF12 −20 dB). Meter sensitivity defaults are thermal noise over 500 kHz plus a 6 dB noise figure plus the same SNR limits. Receive diversity on Ant 1 is not credited, so two-antenna sites will do somewhat better on the uplink. Treat results as planning estimates and confirm with a drive test or propagation study.
Torque and hardware card
Ground lug, two 1/4-20 × 1/2 in bolts with flat + star washers10.4 N·m / 92 in·lb
Outdoor PoE surge protector beneath the gateway, bonded to ground
Tower Ethernet cable down to the Sentry 250
Procet PoE injector, jack “Equip + PoE”
DPR shielded PoE protector, jack “Line”
Site network (internet source)
Power: 240 V (L1, L2) to a 6 A breaker, then the Meanwell DRC-100A, whose DC output powers the Procet injector. An optional SigmasTek SP12-55 battery connects to the DRC-100A BATT terminals. The outdoor surge protector carries PoE, so it must be rated for 802.3bt on all four pairs: Procet PT-PR01G-OT is listed at 60 W, PT-PR01GB-OT at 100 W.
Site supplied: 4 × M8 bolts (wall) or 2 pipe clamps (pole), 5 × M5 and 1 × M6 bolts (Sentry 250), Ethernet cables.
Specifications
Dimensions
222.2 W × 101 D × 287.3 H mm UG; 222 × 268 × 101 mm datasheet 2026
Weight
5.1 kg (11.3 lb) UG; 5 kg datasheet
Enclosure
Aluminium, UL Type 6 / IP67, no internal antennas
Operating temperature
−40 to 60 °C at sea level, including solar loading
Humidity, altitude
10–100 % condensing; −60 to 4,000 m
Direct DC
48 VDC nominal, 37–57 VDC operating after a 42 V maximum startup threshold; positive or negative ground referenced; SELV and LPS; overcurrent protection ≤ 10 A UG; source ≥ 1 A QSG
PoE
IEEE 802.3bt Class 6, Mode A and Mode B together, polarity insensitive; passive PoE 37–57 VDC also works PoE guide v12. Microchip/Microsemi “GR” injectors are not Class 5+ compliant and will not power a Mega. The 2023 user guide still lists 802.3at over four pairs.
Power
20 W typical datasheet; < 30 W typical, 40 W max PoE guide; 35 W max UG
LoRa radio (current NA)
Rx 902–915 MHz, Tx 923–928 MHz, frequency duplex, 64+8 Rx / 4 Tx, 2 × 27 dBm Tx, −142 dBm at SF12, NF 3.5 dB, Tx-Rx isolation 75 dB datasheet
GPS port
Active antenna; port supplies 5 V DC nominal, 50 mA max QSG
Surge protection
Primary on DC, Ethernet, GPS and LoRa ports. The 3G/4G antenna port is unprotected.
Surface temperature
Up to 90 °C in high ambient
RF exposure
≥ 80 cm (31.5 in) from persons; the FCC condition assumes no co-located transmitters
LoRa antenna (ISED, Canada)
≤ 8 dBi with cable loss ≥ 0.5 dB (1 carrier, 28.5 dBm) or ≥ 2 dB (2 carriers, 30 dBm total)
LED states
Off
No power
Flashing green
Initializing; or no downlink sent in the last 10 minutes; or GPS unlocked for more than 24 hours
Solid green
Packet forwarder running, normal operation
Solid red
Fault; power-cycle, then contact support if it persists
Connectors
Interface
On unit
Mate
LoRa, GPS, cellular antennas
N-type female
N-type male
Ethernet (CPC)
Circular plastic threaded, RJ-45
Chogori 33000111-02 or equiv.
Ethernet (M12)
M12 male, 8-contact, X-coded
TE 2327989-1 or equiv.
DC (CPC)
Circular plastic, 2-contact
Chogori 23002211-02 or equiv.
DC (M12)
M12 male, 2-contact, A-coded
TE T4111002021-000 or equiv.
Hybrid optical / DC
Harting hybrid
Harting-approved mate
Earth ground
1/4-20 UNC double hole
2-hole lug, 1/4 in × 0.75 in
US915 models
Code
Option
LoRa
DC
LTE
Optical
T0004142
Option 1, CPC
1
PoE only
No
No
T0004470
Option 2, CPC
1
CPC
Yes
No
T0004537
Option 3, CPC
2
CPC
No
No
T0004250
Option 4, CPC
2
CPC
Yes
No
T0004251
Option 5, hybrid optical
1
Hybrid
No
Yes
T0004252
Option 6, hybrid optical
2
Hybrid
No
Yes
T0007208
Option 2, M12
1
M12
Yes
No
T0007283
Option 4, M12
2
M12
Yes
No
NA custom-channel-plan codes (T0005519, T0007752, T0007754) are omitted. The KONA Mega Gen3 (T0009468) received FCC certification in September 2026 and is not covered here.
Sources
TEKTELIC Kona Mega Gateway User Guide T0004279_UG v2.18, Dec 2023 (UG)
TEKTELIC KONA Mega NA datasheet, Apr 2026
TEKTELIC KONA Mega Quick Start Guide (QSG)
TEKTELIC Gateway PoE Powering Guide v12
TEKTELIC Kona Macro/Mega Antenna Selection Guide T0007323_ADG2
Vision Metering, LoRa Gateway and Sentry 250 Installation Guide v3.0, Nov 2022