Install the Slingshot® Field Hub

Best Installation Practices

  • The Field Hub is not weatherproof. Mount the Field Hub inside of the vehicle cab or operator compartment.
  • Mount the Field Hub in a location where it will not be jarred or kicked during normal equipment operation and ensure the status LEDs are visible.

    Note:  The following brackets are available for mounting the Field Hub to Raven field computers:

    • Field Hub to CR7™ (P/N 107-0172-716)
    • Field Hub to Viper® 4/Viper® 4+/ CR12™ (P/N 107-0172-717)
  • Do not route cables through potential crimp points such as vehicle doors or windows and ensure there is no pressure applied to cables.
  • Verify cable length before mounting or placing any hardware.
  • The GNSSClosed Global Navigation Satellite System patch antenna and cellular antennas should be mounted as high as possible using the magnetic bases provided.
  • The cellular antennas should be spaced with 1 - 2.4 m [3 - 8 ft] between the antennas. It is not necessary to orient the cellular antennas with the direction of travel or on the vehicle.
    • Do not mount the cellular antennas within 1 m [3.3 ft] of GNSS or radio antennas or equipment to avoid interference.
  • Aerial antenna mounting plates are supplied and may be used if a suitable magnetic mounting location is not available. Be sure to thoroughly clean and dry the mounting location before applying the adhesive backing.
  • Do not connect the Field Hub power leads directly to the vehicle battery.

Install the Field Hub:

  notice

The Field Hub IMEIClosed International Mobile Station Equipment Identity (Field Hub ID), serial number, and default password will be required to activate the device.

Before mounting the Field Hub, it is strongly recommended to collect the IMEI information on the bottom of the Field Hub for future reference. It is also recommended to collect the SIMClosed Subscriber Identification Module card and modem information affixed to the bottom of the modem and store this information in a safe place.

Note:  Mount the GNSS receiver as instructed by the receiver manufacturer. Review the Best Installation Practices above for device and antenna location considerations.

  1. Mount the Field Hub inside of the vehicle cab using screws or similar hardware.
  2. WiFi Enabled Field Hub - Connect the Wi-Fi antenna to the ‘Wi-Fi port on the front of the Field Hub.

  3. Carefully thread the cellular antennas onto the magnetic bases.
  4. Place the cellular antenna bases on a suitable magnetic surface for mounting.
  5. Connect the cable from the cellular antenna bases to the ‘Cellular’ and ‘Diversity/AUX’ ports on the back of the Field Hub.
  6. Place the GNSS patch antenna on the highest suitable magnetic surface on the vehicle or implement.
  7. Route the patch antenna cable to the port labeled ‘GPS’ on the back of the Field Hub.

Note:  The following system diagram is provided as an example of a Field Hub installation. Additional system diagrams can be found at https://portal.ravenprecision.com

Example Field Hub 2.0 System Diagram.

Power the Field Hub

caution

To prevent damage to the Field Hub, do not connect the power connector to the Field Hub until the power and ground leads are installed per the following instructions.
1. Connect the lead wires on the supplied Field Hub power cable:

Note:  If the power cable is installed as described, the vehicle ignition switch will control the Field Hub power-up and shutdown. When the ignition switch is turned off, the Field Hub will perform a shutdown sequence before powering off completely.

  1. Connect the black lead to a clean ground (e.g., vehicle junction box).
  2. Connect the red lead to a clean, constant +12 V DC power source (e.g., unswitched at a junction box) with a 2 A fast-acting in-line fuse.
  3. Connect the white lead to the vehicle ignition switch with a 2 A fast-acting in-line fuse.

    Note:  Failure to connect the white lead to the ignition could result in excessive data usage, vehicle battery drain, and the inability to receive Slingshot® updates.

  4. Cut or cover the green lead wire. This lead is not used.
  5. Route the 4-pin connector on the supplied power cable into the vehicle cab and connect to the ‘Power’ port on the back of the Field Hub.

    Note:  Do not route through possible crimp points such as vehicle windows, doors, or sharp edges.

  6. To share RTKClosed Real-time Kinematic corrections with other devices, connect the appropriate Raven serial cable to the serial port on the back of the Field Hub and route the cable to the input port on the GNSS receiver. Contact the GNSS receiver manufacturer or a local dealer for any necessary adapter cables or more information.

    Note:  Use only Raven-approved serial cables designed specifically for the GNSS receiver or excess data usage may occur. Contact a local Slingshot® dealer for appropriate cable part number and ordering information.

  7. Connect the supplied Ethernet cable to the ‘Ethernet’ port on the back of the Field Hub and route to a web compatible device such as a Raven field computer.

    Note:  When connecting to a Raven Viper® 4 or Viper® 4+, use one of the following Ethernet cables

    • 2 m Viper® 4 Ethernet cable (P/N 115-0172-090)
    • 4 m Viper® 4 Ethernet cable (P/N 115-0172-210)

    These cables may be available separately. Contact a local Slingshot® dealer for additional assistance.

Verify the Field Hub Installation

Complete the following steps to verify that the Field Hub is properly connected to the Slingshot® server.

Note:  The Field Hub may take up to 3 minutes to start up. Allow the Field Hub sufficient time to power up.

  1. Confirm that the:
    • Signal LED is solid green or solid yellow.
    • Network LED is solid green or flashing green/yellow.
    • The Activity, or ACT/232, LED should be flashing yellow or red (approximately once per second), with intermittent green flashing if a valid Slingshot® RTK subscription has been activated.
    • Power LED is green with yellow flashing every four seconds if GNSS signal is acquired.
  2. Check that the Field Hub powers on and off with the ignition.

    Note:  The Field Hub goes through a power down sequence when the ignition key is switched off. It is normal for the Power LED to remain on for approximately 60 seconds after the ignition switch is turned off.

Last Revised: Sep 2024