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kalimarah
join:2001-12-26
San Francisco, CA

kalimarah

Member

Need Advice on replacement for Ubiquiti Bullet2 at repeater sites


UBNT Bullet 2's used as repeater site on redwood.
Question: what would be the best radio to replace existing Ubiquiti Bullet2 equipment? Our WISP uses UBNT Rocket M2 with sector antenna and we have already purchased rocket M2's to match the final link.

I have 3 extremely remote locations in Mendocino County, California. My area is heavily forested - douglas fir & redwood from 50 to 200 feet in height. Links have line of site and average about 1 mile. All 3 sites require 2 repeater hops to reach the end user.

I am using trees on mountain ridges as repeater towers. Each repeater site has 2 Ubiquiti Bullet 2 radios connected by ethernet (see image). Each site is powered by solar.

Rockets are power hungry and I can only put so many solar panels in a tree. I have tried NanoStations, but am worried it is too flimsy for remote outdoor use. The NanoBeam seems too narrow to work in a swaying tree. Suggestions?

Inssomniak
The Glitch
Premium Member
join:2005-04-06
Cayuga, ON

Inssomniak

Premium Member

I'd use the nanobeams.. They aren't that narrow.

viperm
Carpe Diem
Premium Member
join:2002-07-09
Winchester, CA

viperm to kalimarah

Premium Member

to kalimarah
They draw to much current? what kind of panels, how many and size and type of batteries are you using?
SipSizzurp
Fo' Shizzle
Premium Member
join:2005-12-28
Houston, TX

SipSizzurp to kalimarah

Premium Member

to kalimarah
Keep using bullets. With the close proximity of the pair, you need to keep using those antennas for isolation. Bullets are among the most reliable of UBNT gear.
wirelessdog
join:2008-07-15
Queen Anne, MD

1 recommendation

wirelessdog

Member

said by SipSizzurp:

Bullets are among the most reliable of UBNT gear.

said by SipSizzurp:

you need to keep using those antennas for isolation.



If the OP has LOS why would they want to continue using 2.4 to backhaul? Use Nanobridges with RF Armor for isolation. Then you will have all the frequencies available to you.
OHSrob
join:2011-06-08

2 edits

OHSrob to SipSizzurp

Member

to SipSizzurp
said by SipSizzurp:

Keep using bullets. With the close proximity of the pair, you need to keep using those antennas for isolation. Bullets are among the most reliable of UBNT gear.

Every bullet I've put up in 2011-2012 that I didn't cover the leds with line splice tape has had the glue fail.

The only way to have a trouble free bullet for a lifetime is to cover the whole thing with 2 layers of line splice tape. Then a layer of electrical tape.

I had a strange failure the other day where the case turned yellow and cracked rather then glue giving out.

I could hardly believe my eyes because I've had so many with the LEDs glue go I thought it was the only way they failed.

Op go with nanobridges throw rf armor on if your in a noisy area or don't want to have self interference anywhere. And drop the power levels right down.

Just keep in mind RF armor may drop your link if the tree moves too much.

Edit:also op you don't have nearly enough tape on those bullets.

Edit: the bullet titaniums have been bulletproof.

Aluminum case + no leds is the way.
voxframe
join:2010-08-02

voxframe to kalimarah

Member

to kalimarah
The bullets are probably the worst quality items that came out of Ubnt in the last 5 years.

Use nano-beams, and deal with the power issues somehow. I don't believe turning down the output TX power will have a large difference, but you'll have to deal with it in that manner somehow. The radios are only going to get stronger and more power hungry as the years progress.

Only other possible idea, small mikrotik board with 2 radio cards? But I think that will be just as bad.
SipSizzurp
Fo' Shizzle
Premium Member
join:2005-12-28
Houston, TX

SipSizzurp

Premium Member

said by voxframe:

The bullets are probably the worst quality items that came out of Ubnt in the last 5 years.

Maybe that is where I went wrong. Mine are 7 years old and still in service. I just have two, so my advice appears to be eclipsed by the other info posted.
voxframe
join:2010-08-02

voxframe to kalimarah

Member

to kalimarah
You don't have snow and +30C to -30C do you?
LLigetfa
join:2006-05-15
Fort Frances, ON

LLigetfa

Member

Not likely in Mendocino County, California.
raytaylor
join:2009-07-28

raytaylor to kalimarah

Member

to kalimarah
Judging by the appearance of those antennas, it looks like the old nanostations would probably give you a better signal - and they too use only 4 watts.
10dbi and no cable loss.

However an airgrid M2 uses only 3 watts of power.
The airgrid M2HP uses 6.5 watts of power - and will provide a much better signal for a small increase in power consumption.

The nanobeam m5 19 will use 8 watts of power, but double the speed.

In the last 4 years, solar panels have dropped in price to 1/5th what they used to be.
There is no excuse anymore for not over-sizing your solar array.
So at a bare minimum you should have 200 watts of solar and 12v 220ah (2640 wh) of battery storage.
kalimarah
join:2001-12-26
San Francisco, CA

kalimarah

Member

Thanks all for the advice. I think I will try using the UBNT NanoBeam M2's. It seems the best match, as long as tree-sway doesn't break the line of sight.

Regarding bullet2's, we have only used them for 2 years and 1/3 of them have failed. I have not been happy with their performance or their construction quality. Also, they are end of lifed. You can't get them new anymore.

Solar: I agree solar panels have dropped radically. The problem is - I am in dense forest with 200 foot tall trees. In two of my locations there is NO direct sunlight on the forest floor. In those sites, my solar system is 120 feet up the tree, including 2x70lb batteries. So, changing my solar setup is challenging to say the least.
wirelessdog
join:2008-07-15
Queen Anne, MD

2 recommendations

wirelessdog

Member

Seems stupid to backhaul on 2.4 if you have LOS. Certainly not best practice.