ITRON IMR User manual

Itron Mobile Radio User Guide IMR 2.1
USERGUIDE knowledge to shape your future

Itron Mobile Radio User Guide - IMR 2.1
01 September 2020
815-0410-00
Copyright © 2020 Itron, Inc. All rights reserved.
Confidentiality Notice
Confidential Information of Itron®, Inc., provided under nondisclosure obligations. The information
contained herein is proprietary and confidential and is being provided subject to the condition that (i) it be
held in confidence except to the extent required otherwise by law and (ii) it will be used only for the
purposes described herein. Any third party that is given access to this information shall be similarly bound
in writing.
Trademark Notice
Itron is a registered trademark of Itron, Inc.
All other product names and logos in this documentation are used for identification purposes only and may
be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies.
For more information about Itron or Itron products, go to www.itron.com.
If you have questions or comments about a software or hardware product, contact Itron Technical Support
Services.
Contact
Email: [e-mail]
Itron Access: https://access.itron.com
Telephone Itron Technical Support North America: 1-877-487-6602
For technical support contact information by region, go to www.itron.com and select your country and
language.
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Itron Mobile Radio User Guide

Contents
Table of Contents
Con ten tsT a b leofCon ten ts 3
1 Itron Mobile Radio Compliance 5
1 Introduction 8
Feature List 8
Related Documents List 8
2 About Your Itron Mobile Radio 10
Itron Mobile Radio Parts List 11
3 Daily Operation 13
Charging the Portable IMR Battery 13
Providing Power to the Mobile IMR-FT 13
Turning the Radio On or Off 14
4 LED Status Indicators 15
Power Indicator LED Table 15
Comm Indicator LED Table 16
5 Communication Ports 17
6 Carrying the Portable Itron Mobile Radio 18
7 Installing the IMR-FT 19
External Vehicle Antenna Specifications 19
Antenna Parts 20
Installing the Antenna 21
Selecting an Antenna Location on the Vehicle 21
Installing the Permanent Antenna Mount 22
Installing the Magnetic Antenna Mount 23
Installing the DC Power Cable 24
Power Cable Routing--All Installations 25
Power Cable Installation--Removable 25
Power Cable Installation--Permanent 26
Installing the Mounting Jacket in the Vehicle 26
Installing on a Lap Seat Belt 29
Installing on a Partition or Other Vehicle Structure 29
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Installing on a Pedestal 30
Installing the IMR-FT in the Mounting Jacket 30
Removing the IMR-FT from the Mounting Jacket 31
8 Maintaining your Itron Mobile Radio 32
Cleaning the Radio Case 32
Installing a Replacement Battery 33
Servicing the IMR-FT Charge Base 34
Removing the IMR-FT Charge Base 34
Replacing the Charge Base Antenna Cable 35
Servicing the IMR-FT External Antenna 36
Inspecting the Antenna Connectors and Cables 36
Inspecting the Antenna Base and Whip 36
Cleaning the Antenna 37
Replacing the Antenna Gasket 37
Replacing the Antenna Cable 38
9 Storing Your Radio 39
10 Battery Basics 40
Battery Best Practices List 40
11 Safety 42
AC Power Adapter 42
12 Troubleshooting 44
Issue and Solution Table 44
Radio Readings Tips 45
13 Optimizing Bluetooth® Performance 46
Pairing Bluetooth for Itron Mobile for FCS Users 46
Pairing Bluetooth in Windows 46
To Pair Bluetooth in Windows 46
14 Itron Mobile Radio Capabilities and Limitations 49
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Itron Mobile Radio User Guide Table of Contents
4

Itron Mobile Radio Compliance
Important! IMR 2.1 devices (FCC ID: EO9IMRC) are approved for sale and use only
in the United States.
Equipment description
Itron Mobile Radio
Internal Antenna: IMR 2.1 External Antenna: IMR-FT 2.1
FCC ID: EO9IMRC FCC ID: EO9IMRC
FCC USA intentional radiator compliance statement
This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following two
conditions:
1. This device may not cause harmful interference, and
2. This device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause
undesired operation.
FCC USA un-intentional radiator compliance statement
This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device,
pursuant to part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable
protection against harmful interference in a residential installation. This equipment generates,
uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with
the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. However, there is no
guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation.
If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or television reception, which can be
determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the
interference by one or more of the following measures:
■Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.
■Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.
■Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is
connected.
■Consult the dealer or an experienced radio or TV technician for help.
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Electromagnetic compatibility
Caution: ELECTROMAGNETIC COMPATIBILITY
Use only approved accessories with this equipment. In general all cables must be high
quality, shielded, and correctly terminated. Unapproved modifications or operation
beyond or in conflict with these instructions for use, may void authorization by the
authorities to operate the equipment.
Important! Changes or modifications to the device or its antenna not expressly
approved by the party responsible for compliance could void the user’s authority to
operate the device.
Transportation classification
The Federal Aviation Administration prohibits operating transmitters and receivers on all
commercial aircraft. When powered, Itron Mobile Radios are considered operating transmitters
and receivers and cannot be shipped by air with the battery installed. To ship by air, remove the
battery and follow Li-ion shipping regulations.
Specific absorption rate data
The IMRC devices meet the government's requirements for exposure to radio waves. Your Itron
Mobile Radio has a radio transmitter and receiver. It is designed and manufactured not to
exceed limits for exposure to radio frequency (RF) energy set by the Federal Communications
Commission (FCC) of the U.S. government. These limits are part of comprehensive guidelines
and establish permitted levels of RF energy for the general population. The guidelines are based
on standards that were developed by independent scientific organizations through periodic and
thorough evaluation of scientific studies. The standards include a substantial safety margin
designed to assure the safety of all persons, regardless of age or health.
The exposure standard for wireless mobile and/or portable devices employs a unit of
measurement known as the specific absorption rate, or SAR. The SAR limit set by the FCC is
1.6 W/kg1. Tests for SAR are conducted using standard operating positions accepted by the
FCC with the radio transmitting at its highest certified power level in all test frequency bands.
Although the SAR is determined at the highest certified power level, the actual SAR level of the
radio while operating can be well below the maximum level. This is because the Radio is
designed to operate at multiple power levels, depending on the needs of the customer.
1In the United States, the SAR limit for wireless mobile and/or portable devices used by the
public is 1.6 W per kilogram averaged over 1 g of tissue. The standard incorporates a
substantial margin of safety to get additional protection for the public and to account for any
variations in measurements.
Itron Mobile Radio User Guide Itron Mobile Radio Compliance
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Before an Itron Mobile Radio is available for sale to the public in the U.S., it must be tested and
certified to the FCC that it does not exceed the limit established by the government for safe
exposure. The tests are performed in positions and locations (for example, worn on the body)
and reported to the FCC. The highest SAR value for this Itron Mobile Radio, model IMR when
tested for use when worn on the body as described in the user’s guide is 1.21 W/kg (IMRC).
While there may be differences between the SAR levels of various Itron Mobile Radio models
and at various positions, they all meet the government requirements for safe exposure. Please
note that improvements to this product model could cause differences in the SAR value for later
products; and in all cases, products are designed to be within the guidelines.
Warning! Use this device only in a manner consistent with the Itron Mobile Radio
User Guide
Itron Mobile Radio User Guide Itron Mobile Radio Compliance
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1
Introduction
This document details the features and functions of the Itron Mobile Radio and provides
information relating to its use and maintenance.
The Itron Mobile Radio is available in two models: the original handheld, portable Itron Mobile
Radio (IMR) with a built-in antenna and the new IMR-FT Field Tools version that is mounted in a
vehicle for curbside endpoint reading and field tool operations, respectively.
All IMR models share many of the same features and operations. Those common to all models
will be described and attributed to the IMR in a generic sense. Key differences in models will be
described and attributed to either the portable IMR or the mobile IMR-FT.
Feature List
Each Itron Mobile Radio is equipped with the following features.
Feature IMR IMR-FT
Power button. See Turning the Radio On or Off on page 14. X X
LED status indicators. See LED Status Indicators on page
15.
X X
USB communication port. See Communication Ports on
page 17.
X X
Bluetooth wireless communications. See Optimizing
Bluetooth® Performance on page 46
X X
Table 1
Related Documents List
For more information about the Itron Mobile Radio and the Itron Mobile for FCS app. See the
most current versions of the following documents.
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■Itron Mobile for FCS User Guide The Itron Mobile Radio is designed for use with handheld
and laptop computers running the Itron Mobile for FCS app.
■Itron Mobile Radio Quick Reference Guide (TDC-1720-xxx)
■Itron Mobile Radio Compliance Statement - IMR 2.1 (815-0411-00)
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Itron Mobile Radio User Guide Chapter 1 Introduction

2
About Your Itron Mobile Radio
When you unpack your radio, make sure you have all of the components listed in the following
tables. If any are missing, contact Itron Support Services immediately.
For the portable IMR, an optional Radio Carrying Kit is available for order separately. The Radio
Carrying Kit contains a belt clip and a shoulder harness.
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Itron Mobile Radio Parts List
The portable Itron Mobile Radio comes with the following items.
Itron Mobile Radio with built-in antenna
AC power adapter AC wall plug with USB type A port.
Communication and charging cable USB cable.
Documentation Itron Mobile Radio Quick Reference Guide
Itron Mobile Radio Compliance Statement
(Optional) Belt clip and shoulder harness Included if the optional Radio Carrying Kit is ordered.
Table 2
The mobile IMR-FT come with the following items.
Itron Mobile Radio with attached charge
base
External antenna 26.5 inch antenna whip
Antenna vehicle mount with cable Antenna mount with attached cable. Available as a
permanent mount with a 17-foot cable or a magnetic mount
with a 12-foot cable.
IMR-FT mounting jacket with adapter
plate
Securely holds the IMR-FT and mounts to a seat belt,
partition, or pedestal.
DC power cable Two-meter cable with 12V DC vehicle accessory plug.
Communication and charging cable Two-meter USB cable with right-angle micro-USB plug.
Table 3
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Itron Mobile Radio User Guide Chapter 2 About Your Itron Mobile Radio

Documentation Itron Mobile Radio Quick Reference Guide
Itron Mobile Radio Compliance Statement
Table 3 (continued)
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Itron Mobile Radio User Guide Chapter 2 About Your Itron Mobile Radio

3
Daily Operation
■Inspect the radio for broken, loose, or missing parts and fasteners, taking corrective action as
required.
■Ensure that the IMR-FT external whip is securely connected to its mounting base, and the
mounting base is securely attached to the vehicle.
■Make sure the radio is operated and stored within the recommended temperature range.
Operating temperature: -5° F to 140° F (-15° C to 50° C)
Storage temperature: -40° F to 158° F (-40° C to 70° C)
–Cold temperature extremes may result in reduced available energy from the battery
pack. This energy is recoverable as the battery pack warms to 68° F (20° C).
–Do not subject the radio to extreme temperatures, such as leaving it in a vehicle in bright
sunlight. Extended exposure to warm temperature extremes can result in permanent
reduction in available energy from the battery pack.
■Exit all external applications at the end of each work day and power the radio off. This
ensures that all applications communicating with the radio have terminated their
communication links and the IMR battery is not being discharged.
■Charge the portable IMR battery nightly.
Charging the Portable IMR Battery
1. Plug the micro-USB cable connector into the radio.
2. Plug the USB cable into a PC or an AC wall adaptor.
3. Allow the radio to charge for at least six hours before you use it for the first time or before you
store it.
Providing Power to the Mobile IMR-FT
1. Plug the vehicle DC power cable into the charge base.
2. Connect the DC power cable to 12V DC vehicle power.
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The radio remains on and the battery charges as long as power is being supplied by the vehicle.
Note: If the radio is connected to the PC over USB and the vehicle power is removed, the
PC will power the radio and charge the battery. If the PC is not externally powered this will
drain the PC battery over time.
Turning the Radio On or Off
■Turn on while using battery power:
Press and hold the button for three seconds (until the Power LED turns green) to turn the
radio on.
■Turn off while using battery power:
Press and hold the button for three seconds (until the Power LED turns white) to turn the
radio off.
■Turn on while using external power:
The radio is always on when using external power.
When a portable IMR is connected to an energy source with the USBcable, pressing the
button turns the power LEDgreen until the button is released, but it does not turn the radio
off.
When an IMR-FT is connected to 12V DC vehicle power, pressing the button turns the
power LEDgreen until the button is released, but it does not turn the radio off. The IMR-FT
radio remains on as long as it is powered by the vehicle.
Important! To preserve battery energy, a radio not connected to external power
automatically shuts down after one hour of inactivity. If this occurs, turn the unit on
as described above.
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Itron Mobile Radio User Guide Chapter 3 Daily Operation

4
LED Status Indicators
Two multi-color LED status indicators are located on the top of the radio. These indicators are
labeled with a power icon and a communication icon . The color and illumination of the LED
lights provide feedback about the Itron Mobile Radio's status.
The LED lights have two patterns for displaying different states.
■Solid. LED is on continuously.
■Flash. LED turns off and on at a constant interval.
Power Indicator LED Table
The following table describes the LED colors and patterns for the most common power
conditions.
Power indicator
Solid Flash
green ■Initializing
■Button pressed
■Charged
green Battery more than 50%
yellow N/A yellow Battery more than 20%
red Charging red Battery less than 20%
white ■Error: Battery
■Turning on
white Error: General
Table 4
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Note: When an IMR with a fully discharged battery is connected to power via its USB cable,
it may display a white battery error indicator. This is normal behavior while a fully discharged
battery is charging to a minimum voltage, at which time it should follow the states shown in
the Power indicator LED table. Wait several hours while the battery charges and you should
eventually see the power LED turn solid red, indicating it is charging, and finally solid green,
indicating that it is fully charged and ready for use. If the white LED never turns off while the
IMR is connected to power, the battery is likely bad and must be replaced. This will need to be
done approximately every 300 to 500 charge cycles. See Installing a Replacement
Battery on page 33.
Comm Indicator LED Table
The following table describes the LED colors and patterns for the most common communication
conditions.
Comm indicator
Solid Flash
green USB connected white Error
blue Bluetooth® connected blue Bluetooth low energy connected
Note: The application connected to the radio may assign a display pattern to the LEDs that is not
described in these tables.
Table 5
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Itron Mobile Radio User Guide Chapter 4 LED Status Indicators

5
Communication Ports
The Itron Mobile Radio has one micro-USB communication port under a protective rubber flap
on the side of the radio near the top.
Note: The USB cable supplied with the IMR-FT has a down-angle micro-USB connector to
facilitate proper cable management with the mounting jacket. Using a cable with a straight or
up-angle connector will put unnecessary stress on the radio USB port and may, over time,
lead to a poor cable connection.
In addition, the radio is equipped with an internal port for wireless Bluetooth®communications. If
communication is in place through Bluetooth, attaching the USB cable only provides power.
Communication may occur through Bluetooth while charging with the USB.
Note: Some Windows 7 or Windows 8 users may experience difficulty connecting to the
device via USB or may see a prompt to install an updated Texas Instruments driver for the
device. Download and install the Itron Mobile Radio USB driver available from Itron Access
at https://access.itron.com/ (available for registered users).
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6
Carrying the Portable Itron Mobile Radio
The portable Itron Mobile Radio’s optional shoulder harness and belt clip provide convenient,
hands-free ways to carry the radio while installing, reading, and maintaining meters and
endpoints. The shoulder harness and belt clip let you wear the radio comfortably while walking or
driving.
As a safety feature, the clips are designed to break away if the radio snags or becomes caught,
releasing the wearer and reducing the likelihood of injury.
The radio may also be carried in a pocket, backpack, or bag.
The radio is water resistant.
Note: If you are carrying the radio, make sure the side with the ridges is facing away from
your body, conductive materials, or anything else which may shield the radio signal.
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7
Installing the IMR-FT
Refer to the following procedures for guidance on installing your IMR-FT.
■Installing the Antenna on page 21
■Power Cable Routing--All Installations on page 25
■Installing the Mounting Jacket in the Vehicle on page 26
External Vehicle Antenna Specifications
This section provides the specifications for the external vehicle antenna.
Caution: The mobile IMR system is designed to operate with the external vehicle
antenna listed here. Antennas not listed here are strictly prohibited for use with this
system. The required antenna impedance is 50 ohms.
Specification 915 MHz Mobile Antenna
Itron part number MSE-0122-002
Frequency range 908-958 MHz
Maximum gain 5 dBi
Polarization Vertical omni-directional
Impedance 50 ohms
Termination 1-1/8-inch 18 thread mount
Overall dimensions 26.5-inch length x 1.43-inch diameter
Table 6External Vehicle Antenna Specifications
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Antenna Parts
Your IMR-FT comes with the whip antenna specified in the table, External Vehicle
Antenna Specifications on page 19 and either a permanent or a magnetic mount.
The whip antenna base is compatible with either mount. The antenna mount is
attached to the proper coaxial cable and the connector required by the IMR-FT.
Whip Antenna
Whip Antenna Base and Gasket
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Itron Mobile Radio User Guide Chapter 7 Installing the IMR-FT