Installers or technicians engaged in fitting mobile communications equipment to motor vehicles apply the skills and knowledge in this unit.

This unit applies to the fitting of telecommunications equipment in police, fire, ambulance, emergency vehicles and taxis that form a complex mobile network of communications and data equipment.

ELEMENT

PERFORMANCE CRITERIA

1. Plan for installation of mobile telecommunications in motor vehicles

1.1. Obtain relevant legislation, codes, regulations and standards and follow occupational health and safety (OHS) and environmental requirements for the given work

1.2. Obtain mobile telecommunications equipment and manufacturer's installation documentation

1.3. Determine critical automotive electrical systems which need to be considered during the installation process to prevent any damage to the vehicle system

1.4. Verify installation requirements from customer and advise customer of issues affecting performance

1.5. Obtain tools and test equipment required for safe work practices

2. Install mobile equipment

2.1. Attach primary mobile telecommunications equipment to vehicle using fixing and fastening hardware clear of air bag deployment and according to customer, vehicle and equipment manufacturer and OHS requirements

2.2. Wire primary mobile telecommunications equipment to vehicle electrical system using industry wiring practices without impacting on other electrical systems

2.3. Attach and wire peripheral mobile telecommunications components of the installation to customer and manufacturer's requirements

2.4. Replace any existing fittings or vehicle components removed during installation and restore to original condition

2.5. Test the completed installation to verify that the operation of critical automotive electrical systems have not been affected and rectify if required

3. Complete installation

3.1. Restore vehicle and worksite to customer's satisfaction by disposing of waste materials according to environmental requirements

3.2. Note and document any damage which may have occurred during installation and report according to enterprise procedures

3.3. Instruct customer on operation of installed equipment

3.4. Complete all administrative tasks and file according to enterprise requirements

Required skills

communication skills to liaise and negotiate with customer and colleagues

literacy skills to interpret technical documentation, specifications and service orders

numeracy skills to take measurements and interpret results

planning and organisational skills to organise and prepare installation resources

problem solving skills to respond to typical installation challenges

task management skills to adhere to all safety requirements and work systematically with required attention to detail

technical skills to:

perform diagnostic procedures

use hand and power tools

Required knowledge

customer service principles, particularly dealing with customers face to face

electrical fundamentals

electromagnetic radiation awareness

enterprise or service-specific knowledge of products and services supplied

objectives and methods of training for product use for customer education

OHS principles and enterprise-specific job safety analysis (JSA) requirements

overview knowledge of mobile radio and cellular radio product range and connection methods

pre-installation enterprise-specific requirements

quality assurance of enterprise requirements

radio frequency (RF):

principles

safety

theory

return path technology

telephony principles to support return path awareness

test set-ups for final testing

vehicle electrical, electronics and computer-managed systems

The evidence guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the performance criteria, required skills and knowledge, range statement and the Assessment Guidelines for the Training Package.

Overview of assessment

Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit

Evidence of the ability to:

install cable loom, wiring mobile and peripheral equipment

test the equipment to verify correct installation and operation.

Context of and specific resources for assessment

Assessment must ensure:

sites on which installation may be conducted

use of testing equipment currently used in industry

relevant regulatory and equipment documentation.

Method of assessment

A range of assessment methods should be used to assess practical skills and knowledge. The following examples are appropriate for this unit:

direct observation of the candidate undertaking installation

review of installation documentation completed by the candidate

oral or written questioning to assess knowledge of tests and types of systems.

Guidance information for assessment

Holistic assessment with other units relevant to the industry sector, workplaces and job role is recommended, for example:

ICTRFN3055A Install a radio communications antenna and feedline.

Aboriginal people and other people from a non-English speaking background may have second language issues.

Access must be provided to appropriate learning and assessment support when required.

Assessment processes and techniques must be culturally appropriate, and appropriate to the oral communication skill level, and language and literacy capacity of the candidate and the work being performed.

In all cases where practical assessment is used it will be combined with targeted questioning to assess required knowledge. Questioning techniques should not require language, literacy and numeracy skills beyond those required in this unit of competency.

Where applicable, physical resources should include equipment modified for people with special needs.

The range statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole. It allows for different work environments and situations that may affect performance. Bold italicised wording, if used in the performance criteria, is detailed below. Essential operating conditions that may be present with training and assessment (depending on the work situation, needs of the candidate, accessibility of the item, and local industry and regional contexts) may also be included.

Relevant legislation, codes, regulations and standards may include:

Australian Communication Industry Forum (ACIF) standards and codes

AS 3901:

AS 3902:

AS 4346:

AS 2809.1:

AS 2772.1:

International Standards ISO 9000, ISO 9001

OHS

Environmental Protection Act

Trade Practices legislation

safety regulations for specialised vehicles, such as petrol tankers, public service vehicles, fire engines and gas driven vehicles.

OHS and environmental requirements may include:

personal protective clothing:

earmuffs

gloves

safety glasses

safe working, practices such as the safe use and handling of:

materials

tools and equipment

environmental considerations:

clean-up protection

noise, dust and clean-up management.

Mobile telecommunications equipment may include:

digital radio communications Association Public Safety Communications Officials standard (APCO-25)

GPS

mobile data terminal

powered cellular mobile equipment cradle incorporating:

Bluetooth device

charger

power and external antenna connections

speaker, microphone and external antenna

terrestrial trunked radio

two-way transceiver:

high frequency (HF)

ultra-high frequency (UHF)

very high frequency (VHF).

Critical automotive electrical systems may include:

air bags

antilock braking system circuitry

engine management modules

mobile data systems for taxis

patient monitoring equipment

police communications computer network

vehicle alarm systems

vehicle computers.

Installation requirements may include:

position of external speaker, microphone and external antenna

replacement or repositioning of existing equipment

type of equipment.

Issues affecting performance may include:

excessive length of coaxial cable

external antenna mounted too close to metal surfaces

external antenna mounted too close to other antennas

external antenna mounted too low on vehicle

inappropriate or low efficiency antenna.

Tools may include:

cable identification kit

hand tools:

crimping tools

hole punch

nibbling tool

pliers

reamer

screwdrivers

terminating tools

power tools:

drill

hole saw

soldering iron.

Test equipment may include:

cellular phone tester

directional power meter

multimeter

site master cable and antenna analyser

standing wave ratio indicator

test lamp.

Primary mobile telecommunications equipment may include:

powered equipment cradle for cellular handset

two-way radio transceiver.

Fixing and fastening hardware may include:

adhesives:

double sided tape

injected polystyrene foam

cable ties

equipment brackets

expanding anchors suitable for sheet metal

heat shrink

plastic sheathing

screws and nuts

spiral wrap.

Industry wiring practices may include:

avoiding running power leads and antenna cable in parallel with vehicle wiring over long distances

maintaining as great a distance as possible between radio power leads and vehicle's electronic modules and wiring

powering mobile unit directly from the battery using waterproof fuse holder

routing and securing under hood wiring from mechanical hazards, such as exhaust and moving parts

using caution when routing cables to avoid chafing and pinching of wires.

Peripheral mobile telecommunications components may include:

external antenna

external speaker

microphone.

Test may include:

functionality:

intended operation of all functions of the mobile equipment

operation of entertainment units.

Administrative tasks may include:

completing job orders and submitting to appropriate enterprise organisational unit

completing test sheets as per specification and logging test instrument usage

completing warranty forms

following quality control procedures

handing over installation briefs, documents and equipment manuals to operational staff

recording test results.

Enterprise requirements may relate to:

commercial vehicle

domestic vehicle

police and emergency vehicle

reporting

work procedures for implementing maintenance and installation work.

Unit sector

Telecommunications

Radio frequency networks

This unit contains employability skills.