# Experience with Ubiquiti



## RePhase277 (Feb 5, 2008)

Out on the Super-Secret Off Grid RePhase Remote Property, I have no utility access, nor do I want any, except internet. The closest fiber is on the main road, about 2000 feet as the crow flies. A friend suggested Ubiquiti broadband antennas. So I'm going to set a pole with a weatherproof enclosure for the fiber modem, battery, and charge controller, powered by a 50 watt solar panel. 

Does anyone have any experience with a setup like this?


----------



## emtnut (Mar 1, 2015)

Nope :no: I've used Ghostbridge , with either a morningstar or xantrex charge controller ... totally different


----------



## Jlarson (Jun 28, 2009)

Used a lot of it, both for networking and for SCADA. It's been reliable.


----------



## RePhase277 (Feb 5, 2008)

Jlarson said:


> Used a lot of it, both for networking and for SCADA. It's been reliable.


What kind of speeds vs. distance did you see? I've read good reviews, but I want some live person feedback. Any particular model that's better than another? I'm getting a 1 Gb/s drop, so I'll want to get as close to that throughput ability, even if I don't actually approach it.


----------



## drsparky (Nov 13, 2008)

How about a Ubiquiti PowerBeam M2 wireless bridge? Just like having a real long ethernet cable. Good for over 10 miles line of site. Simple to set up. Cheap cost.


----------



## splatz (May 23, 2015)

Ubiquiti is the best choice IMO but Gigabit is a challenge! You have to bump up to the Airfiber. 

Are you SURE you really need gigabit?


----------



## emtnut (Mar 1, 2015)

Gigabit ... In the bush 

You running a server back there :shifty:

The Ghostbridge is an outdoor unit, up to 150Mb/s , and around $500 US for the pair ... not sure how that compares to the ubitquiti.

50 watt panel seems small, unless you are going to have it powered off when you're not there.


----------



## RePhase277 (Feb 5, 2008)

I've decided to go with the less expensive 100 Mb/s drop, which is still over 3 times faster than what's available at my house in town. All I need to upgrade later is a different modem according to the ISP.

I get by OK at 30 Mb/s, but my son has some game issues when we're full bore on Netflix simultaneously. I think it's hilarious that I can get better out in the woods.


----------



## HackWork (Oct 2, 2009)

drsparky said:


> How about a Ubiquiti PowerBeam M2 wireless bridge? Just like having a real long ethernet cable. Good for over 10 miles line of site. Simple to set up. Cheap cost.


Wow, that is crazy cheap. What else do you need?

RePhase, I have gone the opposite direction with bandwidth. I went from a 100/50 fiber connection back to Comcast cable with a 25/5 connection (realistically measured at about 29/6) and 2 of us could still stream Netflix HD at the same time and still surf fine.

So 100 Mb/s should be great for you.


----------



## Cow (Jan 16, 2008)

We're working a large dairy project right now and one of the automation contractors is using Ubiquiti antennas to bounce all the PLC signals around. He's pretty anal about his stuff so I know it has to be good. 

But I honestly know nothing about it.


----------



## RePhase277 (Feb 5, 2008)

emtnut said:


> 50 watt panel seems small, unless you are going to have it powered off when you're not there.


The antenna transmits at less than 1 watt, but call it 3 for safety. My current modem has a power input requirement of 12 V at 0.75 A, so 9 watts. Call that 15. So less than 20 watts is what I figure on using at most. I think 50 watts would be plenty and should provide good output even on overcast days.

But if I have to, I'll just put a bell box with a switch on the pole. I have to drive by it to get to the property, so I'll just stop and flip it on or off.


----------



## drsparky (Nov 13, 2008)

HackWork said:


> Wow, that is crazy cheap. What else do you need?
> 
> RePhase, I have gone the opposite direction with bandwidth. I went from a 100/50 fiber connection back to Comcast cable with a 25/5 connection (realistically measured at about 29/6) and 2 of us could still stream Netflix HD at the same time and still surf fine.
> 
> So 100 Mb/s should be great for you.


That's it, I just looked on Amazon, was expecting $300 only $80 bucks.
go for it.:thumbsup:


----------



## HackWork (Oct 2, 2009)

You run this place off a generator?


----------



## RePhase277 (Feb 5, 2008)

HackWork said:


> You run this place off a generator?


At the camp there is currently a battery box with 410 Ah and 300 watts of solar. The water pump is 12 V. A 2000 watt inverter gives me all I need for 120 V. I brought the generator out to run some power tools just in case once, but the inverter handled it all just fine.


----------



## HackWork (Oct 2, 2009)

If you ever want to run power, I know this guy named Plooktard who can get power the 2,000 feet to your place. It will only take him 17 years.


----------



## RePhase277 (Feb 5, 2008)

HackWork said:


> If you ever want to run power, I know this guy named Plooktard who can get power the 2,000 feet to your place. It will only take him 17 years.


Why, that's over 117 feet per year! That's NASCAR speed compared to what I'm going to do it at!


----------



## Jlarson (Jun 28, 2009)

Yeah if you want gig you'd need the air fiber. For your new plan I'd use the powerbeams. 

They are 24v Poe.


----------



## RePhase277 (Feb 5, 2008)

So, with as much vegetation in the way as I have, I don't think even the 900 MHz equipment will do, according to my research. I'm going to have to get these darn things above the the trees, or at least high enough that the tree density is low. Damn stupid Super-Secret Off Grid RePhase Remote Property


----------



## emtnut (Mar 1, 2015)

drsparky said:


> How about a Ubiquiti PowerBeam M2 wireless bridge? Just like having a real long ethernet cable. Good for over 10 miles line of site. Simple to set up. Cheap cost.


I just read that the Ghostbridge is a re-branded Ubiquiti M5 .... at 3X the price

Son of a beech's :no:


----------



## splatz (May 23, 2015)

RePhase277 said:


> So, with as much vegetation in the way as I have, I don't think even the 900 MHz equipment will do, according to my research. I'm going to have to get these darn things above the the trees, or at least high enough that the tree density is low. Damn stupid Super-Secret Off Grid RePhase Remote Property


That has to be some deep dark jungle. If you have something like a nice tall straight pine, I bet you could hang it IN the tree, as long as it's down far enough it doesn't whip around in the wind. It's only PoE.


----------



## RePhase277 (Feb 5, 2008)

splatz said:


> That has to be some deep dark jungle. If you have something like a nice tall straight pine, I bet you could hang it IN the tree, as long as it's down far enough it doesn't whip around in the wind. It's only PoE.


I have spent a lifetime camping and hiking... this is some of the densest stuff I have ever seen. Walking through it is tough. I can't imagine Vietnam being worse...

I was reading the UBNT forums and the suggestion was that 900 MHz was good for foliage, but even it would be limited in a few hundred feet of forest. I have 2000 feet + of jungle.. so...... I thought about using a tree. It would definitely conceal the antenna.


----------



## HackWork (Oct 2, 2009)

RePhase277 said:


> I have spent a lifetime camping and hiking... this is some of the densest stuff I have ever seen. Walking through it is tough. I can't imagine Vietnam being worse...


 Oh Vietnam WAS worse, trust me... Me and my crew were shooting Charlie thru the thickest bush you can imagine.



> I was reading the UBNT forums and the suggestion was that 900 MHz was good for foliage, but even it would be limited in a few hundred feet of forest. I have 2000 feet + of jungle.. so...... I thought about using a tree. It would definitely conceal the antenna.


This is your property? It's covered in bush so no one can see? What about running cable on the ground? Can you run RG-11? I'm not sure if that distance is too far or not.


----------



## RePhase277 (Feb 5, 2008)

HackWork said:


> Oh Vietnam WAS worse, trust me... Me and my crew were shooting Charlie thru the thickest bush you can imagine.


You're a true patriot sir. Thank you for your service to an ungrateful nation.





> This is your property? It's covered in bush so no one can see? What about running cable on the ground? Can you run RG-11? I'm not sure if that distance is too far or not.


I could technically run it along the easement, but then it would be over a mile. The 2000 feet is the straight-line distance from the closest approach of the ISP, over someone else's property. They would probably never see a cable, but I don't want to go that route and fight over it later.


----------

