Casia G FAQs

Casia G should be installed in a location where it has a full and clear view of the sky. Good locations are typically on top of buildings or in the wide open away from buildings and trees. Please watch the following video for more details: Suitable Locations for Installing Casia G.

Suitable Locations for Installing Casia G (Video Transcript)

In this video, we will discuss some of the considerations that should be accounted for, when deciding on a location for your Casia G.

The Casia G has a 360° field of view of the sky. It searches multiple times per second for any intruder aircraft; however, the Casia G cannot see through solid objects like buildings, trees or poles. Therefore, the Casia G should be installed away from things that may block its view.

If you were to locate Casia G next to a building, 180° of its field of view will be obstructed. Instead, move the Casia G unit away from the building, so that it can detect traffic coming from behind it or mount the Casia G on top of the building. If neither of these are possible, you may choose to install a second Casia G on the other side of the building.

Moreover, trees will also block the field of view of the Casia G. If installing near trees because avoidance is not possible, try and install on a mast or at the top of a building. If the Casia G is next to a pole, it could completely occlude the field of view from one or more cameras. Again, it is better to install the system far away from the pole or to have it installed on top of it.

Depending on your operations, you may want to install the system permanently, or you may move from location to location. For example, if you plan to go out and spray a field, you may take the Casia out for a few days and then move it to another area. Or, if you are responding to a disaster, the system may be in one place for a couple of weeks—in which case, a tripod mount may be best (see our video about installing the Casia G on a tripod.)

If the Casia G is to support ongoing operations, for example parcel deliveries or a drone for a first responder DFR program, you will want to install it permanently. In these cases, a pole or mass mount will be best for permanent installs (see our video about the Casia G Top Mount Installation).

Regardless of the location of mounting, the point of your system must be as solid as possible to minimize the amount of movement that could impact the performance. The pole should be as close as possible but must be within 3° of vertical use. Use the appropriate app on your phone to check If the PO is level (iOS=Measure; Android=Bubble Level).

The Casia G uses a 24V DC supply which is typically connected to a 110V AC supply. This can come from shore power, or from another source such as a generator or solar panels. The system needs 70 W peak power. Ensure that you can supply at least that amount for the duration of the time you need it to be active.

Moreover, Casia G needs to be connected to the internet. When connected, it will send heartbeat information to ensure the end user that the system is active. It will send information about the system such as the software version currently running, and lastly, but most importantly, it will send details on the location and class of intruder aircraft that may impact your UAV operations.

Additionally, connectivity can be provided by connecting the supplied RJ45 ethernet cable to your internet or by using an LTE hotspot. Casia works best with a reliable internet connection of at least 10MB per second. However, if you would like to upload a great deal of video from your system, it is recommended to have a highspeed high bandwidth connection.

The following videos will take you through mounting Casia G and aligning it correctly: (1) Casia G Top Mount Installation. (2) Casia G Side Mount Installation. (3) Casia G Tripod Installation. (4) Aligning Casia.

(1) Casia G Top Mount Installation

In order to perform the Casia G Top Mount Installation, you will need the following tools for assembly and installation:

• 4mm driver
• 10mm wrench
• 9/16 inch wrench, and,
• Medium strength threadlocker (i.e., Loctite 242)

Additionally, you will the following equipment:

• Casia G top mount bracket
• One pole adapter
• 8 M6 button head screws
• 4 M6 nuts
• 4 M6 flat head bolts, and,
• 3 sets of U-bolts of varying sizes.

For installation, you will only require one set, so choose the one that best fits the diameter of the pole you will be attaching the system to.

Let's assemble the parts together into their pole mount configuration.

1. Grab the top mount and turn it upside down so we can attach the pole adapter.
2. Align the adapter so the vertical side is facing away from the cable openings, and we want the horizontal side to line up with the 4 M6 holes on the top mount.
3. Now we will add 4 M6 flat heads through the adapter.
4. Then we will grab the 4 M6 nuts and add a small amount of threadlocker to each of them.
5. You can now hold down the flat head bolts on top and secure the M6 nuts through the bottom until finger tight.
6. Once the nuts are in place, we will secure them more tightly with the 4mm driver and 10mm wrench.
7. Take the box end of the wrench and place it over the nut and then take the driver to tighten down until snug.
8. Next, we will grab the U-bolts and place them in position. Begin by first applying threadlocker to each bolt. Once done, you can place the U-bolts through the adapter openings and then loosely tighten the bolts on the back.
9. Ensure that you leave some slack for the U-bolts.

Now that assembly is complete, we can move on to installation on the pole.

1. Take the pre-assembled top mount and slide it over the top of the pole through the U-bolts.
2. Slide the mount down until the mount is close to the top of the pole, leaving a little room for fine adjustment to ensure the Casia G is level.
3. Once stable, we want to rotate the mount to the correct alignment position. Please see the Aligning Casia G video for directions on how to properly align the system.
4. It is important that you ensure the mount is level before adding the system. You can use a leveling tool or an application on your smartphone.
5. You can then use the 9-16 wrench and tighten the bolts fully. Try to ensure the U-bolts are centered in the slots and that the studs on the back of the U-bolts are roughly tightened to the same length. We want to position the device by aligning the cable connectors to the cable cutouts on the top mount.
6. Now go ahead and place the Casia G device on top.
7. Next we will grab the 8 M6 button head screws and add a small amount of thread locker to each of them.
8. Now grab the 4mm driver and secure the screw through the bottom of the bracket. You will want to only loosely tighten the first screw as you will want to rotate the device slightly so you can align the other screws.
9. Once aligned you can then tighten until snug. Now you can use the wrench to tightly secure the back of the bracket as shown.
10. Once complete we can plug in the power cable with M12 connector. Follow this by connecting the supplied Ethernet cable. You will want to bring up the cable collet and rotate it until you hear a click.
11. Ensure the cables fall through the allowance cutouts on the bracket so they can be easily secured with zip ties to the pole.

You have now completed the installation.