Airgrid POE power supply

[jcrites2008]

I was wondering, is there going to be a Airgrid POE power supply? I know you could use any AC to USB power adapter, but it would be nice if UBNT sold them pretty cheap.

Thanks,

Jason

[UBNT-Mike.Ford]

I was wondering, is there going to be a Airgrid POE power supply? I know you could use any AC to USB power adapter, but it would be nice if UBNT sold them pretty cheap.

Thanks,

Jason

Hello,

At the current time we have no plans for this.

Thanks,

Mike

[cowrv39]

Hello,

At the current time we have no plans for this.

Thanks,

Mike
Mike i am a little confused. The max cable length is 20M which 65.6 ft. Some of my cable runs are about 120' and I noticed that on the bottom of the spec sheet you say "For maximum flexability use AirGrid POE (sold seperately). So what is correct? And what do I use for the longer POE cable runs?

-Brian

[UBNT-Ben]

Hi Guys,

Spec sheet was updated on Friday with the POE accessory. We will have specs for POE accessory on the web within a week or so.

Thanks,
Ben

[Yotendoten]

Just a thought here... but is there any chance you guys could make an adapter similar to your outdoor 802.3af adapter to convert a standard passive 12v - 24v poe connection to 5v? Would that not allow for longer cable runs with the AirGrid product line?

[UBNT-Robert]

Guys --

To clarify...

1.) AirGrid is low-cost 1x1 CPE solution. It includes USB+POE adapter which requires host PC with USB port. Maximum cable length supported is 20m

2.) AirGrid POE accessory will be a 5V/2A POE power supply for use with AirGrid. We have tested it with 50m cable without issues.

3.) NanoBridge is a higher performing 2x2 CPE/Bridging solution with POE-24 included.

[cowrv39]

Robert,
Please understand that I am a Ubiquiti evangelist but some times I wonder if you guys are not walking in your costumer footsteps. The AP location in relationship to the placement of the CPE antenna determines the distance from the CPE device to where the customer demarc inside there home or facility. Some homes the cables runs vary from 50' to and average of 125'. So now I must stock equipment (because of availability) to support short, medium and long cable runs. My business partner is a stickler on ROI and we have been in business for 15 + years and profitable. So the Airgrid comes along and I thought this is great decreases the time of ROI and increases:incazzato: the profits. So I read everything and I see the 20M limitation because of the 5V. Then I see the comment from Ben about the new POS supply was just added last Friday which has been tested up 50M with no problems. So then you write that the AirBridge can be used for longer runs. So now I must stock even more inventory. I need to have inventory on hand to keep my installers employed but I can't run to 7/11 for CPE equipment because it is not on the shelve. When I do buy equipment I need to buy in bulk because of the supply chain issues. When you design the next CPE devices please keep in mind that the CPE equipment must support long cable runs up to 100m and the power supplies should be standard across all product lines. This is very frustrating for my business. Thanks for listening.

-Brian

[WHT]

1.) AirGrid is low-cost 1x1 CPE solution. It includes USB+POE adapter which requires host PC with USB port.

If I were to take that clarification literally....

....you have produced a product that has next to zero value for any WISP.

[fiberhaus]

I agree with WHT....However, is this a deceiving question.....I am assuming the standalone (non-usb powered) devices will be powered using standard POE and Ethernet as the medium of power and network delivery......and that those POE injectors are included with the product?

Regards,

TGF

[UBNT-Robert]

Hi Guys,

Points taken. We'll look into rolling POE with 24V into AirGrid product line.


We do listen to your comments; so keep them coming. NanoStation for instance should have 24V/0.4A (opposed to 15V/.8A) POE rolled in now for long cable runs.

Also -- maybe check out NanoBridge -- 2x2, included POE-24 and is less expensive than NanoStation.

[Yotendoten]

Hi Guys,

Points taken. We'll look into rolling POE with 24V into AirGrid product line.

...


Thank you! :)

[WHT]

I agree with WHT....However, is this a deceiving question.....I am assuming the standalone (non-usb powered) devices will be powered using standard POE and Ethernet as the medium of power and network delivery.
Bingo...you caught on. It *IS* deceiving. They way I read it (knowing that is not what Robert intended to say) was you had to have a hosting PC (with all the necessary USB server drivers installed) to support the AirGrid.

If that were indeed the case, then 90% of my customers that have stand alone wireless routers that do not have USB drivers for the AirGrid could not use the AirGrid.

At any rate, I'm sure that Robert meant the AirGrids used a 5 volt PoE with a USB form factor.

[jcrites2008]

But furthermore, like I said before, you should be able to use any AC to usb adapter, correct?

With the 24volt you would have to have something to step down the voltage to 5 volts at the CPE right?

It seems to me Mike really should be kept more in the loop about what's going to be produced. First he says there is no plans for an AC adapter, then 2 days later Ben says there is going to be one.

[UBNT-Robert]

Bingo...you caught on. It *IS* deceiving. They way I read it (knowing that is not what Robert intended to say) was you had to have a hosting PC (with all the necessary USB server drivers installed) to support the AirGrid.

If that were indeed the case, then 90% of my customers that have stand alone wireless routers that do not have USB drivers for the AirGrid could not use the AirGrid.

At any rate, I'm sure that Robert meant the AirGrids used a 5 volt PoE with a USB form factor.


WHT- the standard AirGrid M series does not require any special drivers. All we are doing is using a passive adapter (POE+USB) to take 5V from host machine USB port instead of using a separate switching power supply. There is no communication with the USB port; it is purely taking power form there.

[WHT]

That's what I figured. Its just when you said it must connect to a "host PC" might have been misleading to someone.

[WHT]

But furthermore, like I said before, you should be able to use any AC to usb adapter, correct? Like a cellphone AC to USB power supply? How would you get the data into the USB plug?

[opampca]

Mike,
Will the 29$ AirGrid usb be only in client mode, or it has AP and wds modes ?
Richard

[Yotendoten]

Like a cellphone AC to USB power supply? How would you get the data into the USB plug?

Only the $29 model uses USB for Data. The other 2 should be able to use one of these I believe.... as long as you can extend the ethernet cable, as the Y adapter is rather short.

[jcrites2008]

Hmm... Yeah that ethernet cable is pretty short. It'll be interesting to see how UBNT's adapter works.

[Yotendoten]

Mike,
Will the 29$ AirGrid usb be only in client mode, or it has AP and wds modes ?
Richard



It is a USB "wireless card" for a PC or Linux machine, It doesn't have AirOS.

[JDEEN]

Hello,

Can someone officially confirm if they have used airgrid5 with poe-15v?

I'm about to place an order for about 20 of them. The usb+poe option is not going to work for me with my applications. I need these grids to connect to a wireless router.

[WHT]

Considering teh AirGrid is a 5 volt device, how is anyone going to get 15 volts to work on it? Regardless, there is no reason why you can't connect it to a wireless router.

[JDEEN]

Hi, other than the AC to usb power supply, can a regular 15V POE adapter work?.

[JDEEN]

I'm confused, doesnt the adapter supplied need to connect to a usb port to power up the antenna?.

How can I make this work on any wireless router.?

[Kro-Bar]

Hello,

Can someone officially confirm if they have used airgrid5 with poe-15v?

I'm about to place an order for about 20 of them. The usb+poe option is not going to work for me with my applications. I need these grids to connect to a wireless router.

I can confirm that it does NOT work.

[Kro-Bar]

Hi, other than the AC to usb power supply, can a regular 15V POE adapter work?.

No, the AirGrid will not work at 15v. you should be able to use any AC to USB adapter though.

[jcrites2008]

If you read this whole thread you'll see that Ubiquiti is planning to release a power supply for the AirGrids. If you can't wait for this, you still have some options:

If the router is close enough to a computer, you could plug the ethernet end into the router, and the USB end into the computer. However, this would require that computer to be left on all the time in order for any other computers to have Internet.

Also, as someone mentioned in another thread, you could get a router with a USB port on it, as long as that port puts out enough power.

Lastly, you could probably use any AC to USB power adapter (such as is used for ipods) but you might need an AC extension cord because, as someone mentioned earlier, the included USB/ethernet Y adapter isn't very long. Also, I would be careful where you buy them from and read reviews as I have heard some cheap ones can blow up your device.

Jason

[900mhzdude]

the AIRGRID ment for indoor install right?

UBNT is doing this for $30 when canopy is charging $400
if it is for indoor install's i like the idea of using USB that means the CPE will turn off when ever the customer shuts there computer off right? less load on the AP

[twinkletoes]

Points taken. We'll look into rolling POE with 24V into AirGrid product line

oh good. because as soon as i got a sample airgrid, i cancelled the rest of my order for them with streakwave. although it took a while to get phil to respond, he was busy in the warehouse hitting a bong. actually streakwave billed my card before they even shipped them, so i found that the nanobridge had a real PoE and I transformed the order from airgrid to nanobridge.

[sdwisp]

I was wondering, is there going to be a Airgrid POE power supply? I know you could use any AC to USB power adapter, but it would be nice if UBNT sold them pretty cheap.

Thanks,

Jason
Yes I'm looking for 12 five volt POE's now that I have 12 antennas that will be on remote hills ?

[UBNT-Mike.Ford]

Yes I'm looking for 12 five volt POE's now that I have 12 antennas that will be on remote hills ?

Hey Guys,

We have a 5V poe adapter accessory that plugs in like our current lineup.

Thanks,

Mike

[JDEEN]

Thanks for info. The router idea sounds great. I just need to find one that outputs the 5v.

[jcrites2008]

Hey Guys,

We have a 5V poe adapter accessory that plugs in like our current lineup.

Thanks,

Mike

What is the product number for this? Are they already available?

Thanks,

Jason

[jcrites2008]

Thanks for info. The router idea sounds great. I just need to find one that outputs the 5v.

They all should output 5 volts as that is the USB standard. The questions is whether or not it can provide enough current. Max power consumption for the air grid is 3 watts so that means the USB port would have to put out at least 0.6 amps of current. However, most USB ports can only put out 0.5 amps so that would surely be enough. I'm not sure if you will be able to find this information in the router specifications, so my guess is you'll just have to try one or you could contact the router's manufacturer to find out for certain.

[UBNT-Mike.Ford]

What is the product number for this? Are they already available?

Thanks,

Jason

Hello,

This should be available in distribution within a couple of weeks.

Thanks,

Mike

[JDEEN]

What's going to be the average cost of these 5v poe's?

[900mhzdude]

will the 5V POE work for the AirView? would like to have 1 up on my tower

[jcrites2008]

In a previous post, I said that if you were going to get your own AC to USB adapter that you might have to use a power extension cord. Someone here also mentioned to me that you could use a USB extension cord to achieve the same purpose. In fact, I'm thinking maybe that's how Ubiquiti has designed theirs: a AC to USB adapter with a USB extension cable instead of the normal DC cable.

[JDEEN]

I think if UBNT designs a 5v adapter, it should be able to go further than 20m.
Not sure.

[JDEEN]

Mike, is this available now to purchase?

[twinkletoes]

I think if UBNT designs a 5v adapter, it should be able to go further than 20m.

The voltage drop is related to the size of your conductors, and the material, not power supply.

[UBNT-Mike.Ford]

The voltage drop is related to the size of your conductors, and the material, not power supply.

This is correct.

Thanks,

Mike

[sdwisp]

Mike .....Where can I get the 5 volt POE's...Please I need the 5 volt POE's Help.....Me I have a radios to install...

Thanks
Eric

[UBNT-Mike.Ford]

Mike .....Where can I get the 5 volt POE's...Please I need the 5 volt POE's Help.....Me I have a radios to install...

Thanks
Eric

Hey Eric,

Any 5V PoE will work. Ours are in the process of bieng sihpped from China.

Thanks,

Mike

[Dave-D]

Eric, if you want a USB PoE, you can use any
of the mobile phone chargers that put out 5V
at 0.5A. You can buy them anywhere.

If you'd rather avoid the USB issue completely,
AirGrids can use any standard passive PoE injector
[with + on pins 4,5 and - on 7,8] and a 5Vdc, 1A
ac-powered power supply. A passive injector
costs about $5, a wall power supply $5 to $10.

Remember: AirGrid uses standard CAT5 cable and
connectors; you don't need USB for anything. And
AirGrid is intended for short-run CPE use--cables
of 50ft. or less. It doesn't even require shielded CAT5.

It's that simple. No waiting. Enjoy. Dave

PS: If you really want to use AirGrid on longer cable
runs, use a 6Vdc power supply for runs between
50 and 100ft. or so. Many installers should be able to
handle this difficult power supply selection process.

[jacobsuter]

Eric, if you want a USB PoE, you can use any
of the mobile phone chargers that put out 5V
at 0.5A. You can buy them anywhere.

If you'd rather avoid the USB issue completely,
AirGrids can use any standard passive PoE injector
[with + on pins 4,5 and - on 7,8] and a 5Vdc, 1A
ac-powered power supply. A passive injector
costs about $5, a wall power supply $5 to $10.

Remember: AirGrid uses standard CAT5 cable and
connectors; you don't need USB for anything. And
AirGrid is intended for short-run CPE use--cables
of 50ft. or less. It doesn't even require shielded CAT5.

It's that simple. No waiting. Enjoy. Dave

PS: If you really want to use AirGrid on longer cable
runs, use a 6Vdc power supply for runs between
50 and 100ft. or so. Many installers should be able to
handle this difficult power supply selection process.

Wrong and wrong.

Check out the thread where I asked the harder questions, and got firmer answers:

http://www.ubnt.com/forum/showthread.php?p=75853

1> You're going to need more than half an amp at 5V to make it happy.

2> From their specs (5.0v is the MAXIMUM VOLTAGE ALLOWED AT THE INPUT) you'll likely damage the unit during conditions of low power draw, or in the case that somebody happens to plug the PSU in before they have the cat5 in the device.

JS

[jacobsuter]

Guys --
2.) AirGrid POE accessory will be a 5V/2A POE power supply for use with AirGrid. We have tested it with 50m cable without issues.


These numbers don't work out vs the numbers provided by Ubiquiti in my thread ( http://www.ubnt.com/forum/showthread.php?p=75853 )

Your PSU = 5.0V with 2.5x more amperage than required

Wire = 50 meters of (at best) 22 gauge, realistically 23 (typical cat6) or 24 (typical cat5/5e) copper. 50 meters is a hair over 164 feet.

I'll use the 3 watt consumption numbers. Rest assured, they only get worse as the loads increase.

My calculations at 164 ft:

on 22 gauge: 4.3V at peak load
on 23 gauge: 4.1V at peak load
on 24 gauge: 3.8V at peak load

On my thread, its mentioned that the minimum operation voltage is 4.5V

I assume you guys are actually quoting numbers that are actually realistic (stable @ 100% transmit) not "its enough to get it to turn on and move a few bytes, then falls over when its under high load"?

[Dave-D]

Jacob, I don't know what 'wrong and
wrong' refer to. I did look at your
incredibly drawn-out lecture about
USB in the other thread.

I can only guess what your angst
is about. If AirGrid takes its power
from an available powered USB
jack, that would be USB2.0. USB
3.0 is almost nonexistant, and is
not specified in the AirGrid sheet.

In that case--regardless of the
3W listed as maximum, the most
power provided by a standard
USB2.0 jack is 5V at 0.5A or 2.5W.

A CAT5 cable will drop about a
volt in 60ft. at this current. It has
nothing to do with start-up surge
voltage--it's pure resistance. You
seem to guess that 5V for AirGrid
is an absolute maximum, but that
isn't published. I'm very happy
with a few tenths over that.

I agree that a 50m CAT5 cable is
not going to deliver enough voltage
at the 2.5W AirGrid load. And a 6V
supply should be rated at 1A. Dave

PS: I need to point out that the 6V
supply for long cables is only my kludge.
Ubiquiti has never approved using long
cables or a higher-voltage supply. But
it does solve the problem if you insist.

[jacobsuter]

Jacob, I don't know what 'wrong and
wrong' refer to. I did look at your
incredibly drawn-out lecture about
USB in the other thread.

I can only guess what your angst
is about. If AirGrid takes its power
from an available powered USB
jack, that would be USB2.0. USB
3.0 is almost nonexistant, and is
not specified in the AirGrid sheet.

In that case--regardless of the
3W listed as maximum, the most
power provided by a standard
USB2.0 jack is 5V at 0.5A or 2.5W.

A CAT5 cable will drop about a
volt in 60ft. at this current. It has
nothing to do with start-up surge
voltage--it's pure resistance. You
seem to guess that 5V for AirGrid
is an absolute maximum, but that
isn't published. I'm very happy
with a few tenths over that.

I agree that a 50m CAT5 cable is
not going to deliver enough voltage
at the 2.5W AirGrid load. And a 6V
supply should be rated at 1A. Dave

No angst, I just don't have any intentions of selling my WISP anytime real soon, so I'm VERY careful about the equipment I deploy. Broken equipment is expensive, pissy customers are even moreso. I'd wish more WISPs were picky about their gear, there'd be a lot less "junk" on the market and a lot more WISPs still in business.

Now, back to the items of technical value:

Go apply 5V to one end of a 1000 ft of cat5/6 with no load, you'll notice the other end will show 5V. Now add a reasonable load and re-test. You'll notice as load increases, the losses in the wire increase.

Also, your PSU's amperage rating has no relevance to the situation. Once you have "enough" it isn't part of the loss calculation. A 6V PSU with 20 amps will have the same performance as your 6V/1A. I also assume you're talking about a 6V switching type PSU. A simple "transformer with a bridge rectifier" wall-wart will produce quite a bit more voltage when not under load.

I asked the absolute maximum, ubiquiti's representative specified 5.0V. Exceeding that would be to operate the device out of published specifications, which should void your warranty.

Since you're saying their "absolute maximum rating" is BS, I guess we can also assume the given minimum voltage is also BS. Have you actually tested your 6V PSU idea on an airgrid?

As for the USB 3.0 crap, that was part of the Wikipedia article I quoted. Ignore it.

What needs to happen:

Someone (preferably @ Ubiquiti) put an airgrid feed on a "lab bench" type adjustable PSU. Load "testing" firmware on that unit that includes the ability to put the radio in 100% transmit mode, then start dropping the voltage until the unit can no longer maintain stability (or transmit signal quality suffers), and give us that voltage.

Then, take the same unit on the same PSU, turn off the transmitter, and slowly raise the voltage til it either shuts down due to an internal crossbar kicking in, or the device "smokes", whichever comes first, and give us that voltage.

Then we shall know the true minimums and maximums of *that* unit. It'll make a good starting point for proper deployment planning.

As for the airgrids - I've already worked out a method to work around this problem for myself, by putting voltage regulation on the mast. It still works out cheaper than anything else Ubiquiti offers at this point.

[Dave-D]

Jacob, I accept your desire to have
the maker provide true min and max.

Yes: if you measure voltage with no load,
it will show no voltage drop. That's not
relevant here; there is a load as soon as
you plug in the radio--not later in time.

I suggested a 6V 1A supply because it needs
to be over the min. 0.5A to account for the
power loss in the longer cable. Of course, you
don't need far more current--just some.

And yes: when you use any supply, you need
to be sceptical about regulation. If it isn't
accurate, you can do great harm. And yes:
cheap supplies may have simply a transformer/
rectifier/capacitor. Not good to use here!

I really like your idea about a close-in
regulator; in effect you're doing for AirGrid
what the 'instant 802.3af adapter' does for
the 12-24V units. But it's only needed when
you take AirGrid outside of its intended use:
a simple close-in CPE unit. And you'd need
transient protection in your circuit too.

If USB2.0 spec is max 5.25V, we can safely
assume the same for the AirGrids. That's a
5% over-voltage--not much to expect. Dave

[WHT]

Eric, if you want a USB PoE, you can use any of the mobile phone chargers that put out 5V at 0.5A. You can buy them anywhere.
Wrong and wrong.

1> You're going to need more than half an amp at 5V to make it happy.

I suspect we'll find Jacob is correct. Some USB devices require more than .5 amps to operate.

[Dave-D]

Not if they're USB 2.0 standard, WHT.

Here's an extract from the official USB 2.0
spec [rev 2.0]:

"Voltage Drop Budget
...The voltage supplied by high-powered
hub ports is 4.75 to 5.25V
.....
Power Distribution
Classes of devices
... A unit load is defined to be 100mA. The number
of unit loads a device can draw is an absolute
maximum, not an average over time. A device may
be ...high-power, consuming up to five unit loads.
.....
High-Power Bus-powered Functions
A function is defined as being high-power if,
when fully powered, it draws ..no more than
five unit loads from the USB cable. ... They
must .. be capable of operating at full power
(up to five unit loads) with .. 4.75V..... "

No USB 2.0 compliant device is allowed by this
spec to draw more than 0.5A of current. Dave

[tagno25]

No USB 2.0 compliant device is allowed by this
spec to draw more than 0.5A of current. Dave
There are some, but they use two (or more) USB ports, like some portable external HDDs.

[Dave-D]

Interesting point, but of course not
relevant to the AirGrid. Dave

[WHT]

Not if they're USB 2.0 standard, WHT.

No USB 2.0 compliant device is allowed by this
spec to draw more than 0.5A of current. Dave
Your problem Dave, is that you're confusion specifications with reality.

Obviously you have not configured dozens of CDMA/GSM cellular USB dongles for fringe area usage.

But don't worry...there are lots of things in real life that Google doesn't have an answer for.

[Dave-D]

My problem?

When a manufacturer designs a product
that is designated to meet a spec, it seems
logical it should actually meet it. This is the
'real life' of the technical world.

There are always exceptions; you seem to
believe they bust the rules. In this case, I
expect that one USB port in a cheap 4-port
array could grab the entire 2A that all four
ports are assigned. That doesn't make it a rule.

But don't worry, Google didn't 'answer' this
one; the spec is simply on the Internet. Dave

[fiberhaus]

Tranquilo, gentleman. You are two of the most senior guys on this board and both equally right and equally wrong. But both of your input is very valuable. No need to take a stand on something a silly as this.

Thanks Dave and Justin! You are both gentleman and scholars.

[WHT]

Would it increase my post count seniority to answer everyone's question or answer with "How did it work out"?

[MaximumISP]

Hey I'll take the oppourtunity to up my post count
Dave is way ahead of me :)
How about some gratuitious stars Mike

Boils down to theoretically and realisticly
Theoretically- I can use nanos to connect clients at 30km
Realisticly - Their service sucks

I am doubtful of powering a radio off usb (spec or not)
When I first started my wisp I tried developing a long range USB
self installable client radio (messed with many usb extender methods which failed miserably and ended up being a huge waste of time)

Mind you tech has come a long way since then so who knows
but (most of our client cat5 installs range between 50 -120 feet)
So I am skeptical of it

[UBNT-Robert]

Guys --

Based on your feedback, we have implemented the following plan:

1. Shipped 5V/2A POE Airgrid supply to be included for free with all initial AirGrid shipments. Ask your distributors for these if they are not included.

2. For future, after initial AirGrid shipments, we will release another AirGrid line so 2 versions will exist:
A. AirGrid with 5V POE+USB adapter for <20m single PC installations
B. AirGrid supporting 24V, with 24V/0.5A POE supply for >20m for versatile application use


Hopefully this resolves some concerns. Sorry we did not get it right from the start.

[MaximumISP]

Good call Robert

Few things go perfect the first time around :)

its good to see such fast action from you guys
This is one of the key things that set
you apart from the rest of wireless oem's
:ubnt_banana:

Might wanna consider getting some of us on board
during the creative process could save you $$$ :icon_wink:

[johnk]

2. For future, after initial AirGrid shipments, we will release another AirGrid line so 2 versions will exist:
B. AirGrid supporting 24V, with 24V/0.5A POE supply for >20m for versatile application use

Thanks for option B! This is great news.

I never really understood the USB power injector idea.
If it was to save a few dollars.... well ... you guys have already
won on the price point, no need to shave more off the price.

You have to consider the extra cost for
a) training the installers to know when to use this USB injector
b) support calls that become more complicated
c) stocking yet another power injector type
d) risk of blowing something up by using the wrong voltage (5v vs 12v vs 24v)

Anyways... this is great news Robert. Thanks.

John

[900mhzdude]

:ubnt_banana: :ubnt_banana: :ubnt_banana: YAY for B option :ubnt_banana:

[ahmedqais]

FYI guys i did tests ok with 25m cat6 cable using only USP port also the same adaptor made Nano Station working on the USP too .
Ahmed

[Aveyer]

That's great Robert, when can we expect to see the 12v-24v volt AirGrids in the EU?

[din0]

Err, The first thing I purchased for my air grids where 5v ac/dc power packs and made USB power adaptors, for the fact of units going off line when a customer turns off there PC and alarm signals start ringing.

Not rocket science.

[neofast]

Hi Guys,

Points taken. We'll look into rolling POE with 24V into AirGrid product line.


We do listen to your comments; so keep them coming. NanoStation for instance should have 24V/0.4A (opposed to 15V/.8A) POE rolled in now for long cable runs.

Also -- maybe check out NanoBridge -- 2x2, included POE-24 and is less expensive than NanoStation.

Please consider 12volt capabilities. I need to run lots of stuff on alternative power, and 24 volts is very inconvenient. Doable, yes. Just a bit inconvenient, as there's always power loss and additional points of failure when using voltage converters.

[tagno25]

Please consider 12volt capabilities. I need to run lots of stuff on alternative power, and 24 volts is very inconvenient. Doable, yes. Just a bit inconvenient, as there's always power loss and additional points of failure when using voltage converters.

They can run off of 12-24v, they may be changing the included adapter to the 24v one. You can still run the radios on 12 volts.

[jcrites2008]

They can run off of 12-24v, they may be changing the included adapter to the 24v one. You can still run the radios on 12 volts.

The CURRENT airgrids have a max of 5 volts. When they release 24 volt versions, 12 volts will most likely work.

[macovet]

Hello there,

I have read the post very carefully but my question still remains:

Since the device can reach max 0.6A (3Watt/5Volt) and USB 2 standard is till 0.5A, isn't it an issue to use a laptop usb port to provide power?

TiA

ps. I am thinking to use one of these (airgrid), powered from my laptop, for doing site surveys in places where there is no power (solar panels will provide power when the deployment will complete).

[jcrites2008]

Hello there,

I have read the post very carefully but my question still remains:

Since the device can reach max 0.6A (3Watt/5Volt) and USB 2 standard is till 0.5A, isn't it an issue to use a laptop usb port to provide power?

TiA

ps. I am thinking to use one of these (airgrid), powered from my laptop, for doing site surveys in places where there is no power (solar panels will provide power when the deployment will complete).

In theory it could be, but I have a feeling the airgrid would never actually pull that much power. I assume someone on the forum has tried this though. Anyone have any experience with this?

[WisTech]

I use that 5V usb POE to power bulletM5's, nanobridges and rocketM5's for aligning dishes and antennas all the time as long as the cable run is VERY short (mine is about 8' long) you won't have problems with the unit rebooting. The rocketM5 will reboot if you put it under load transmitting but it's great for aligning.

[heviejob]

So what AC to USB adapter work with the USB POE. I have tried one with 5.5v and 1000mA and the airgrid is not powering. I tested the voltage on the adapter and its about 6v. Which is the recommended one?

[jnennemann]

Guys --
2.) AirGrid POE accessory will be a 5V/2A POE power supply for use with AirGrid. We have tested it with 50m cable without issues.

I have an AirGrid 5m at 120ft and doesn't seem to be accessible. I am using the 5v 2a adapter, but doesn't seem to be enough to power it fully. Too bad it is 120 ft. up a tower now. My bad, there, I guess.

[Dave-D]

Naw, not too bad. Try using a 6V, 2A
PoE supply with an ordinary injector.

But it is true these devices were intended
for low-end client installations, where the
cable runs are short and the client has an
available USB jack for power. Dave

[jnennemann]

Yes... I have seen the posts describing the confusion by some, and the information released about a 24v version... problem was, these antennas were purchased WELL after this discussion took place, and what I was sent was old inventory. So now I have to make due. I really like the folks at wisp-router, but it should have been more clearly noted that what they were selling was the 5v and not the 24v version.

THANKS FOR THE HELP DAVE!!

[jnennemann]

Okay... 6v-2a supply won't crank out enough juice at 120 ft. of cable (24). An online voltage drop calculator shows me that there would be a 3v drop. So this means I have to locate an 8v2a supply? Crup... What is the necessary voltage RANGE for this equipment? A 6v supply is dropping down to 3v over this cable length. Anyone know where to get such a power supply? The ones I have found all have the wrong plug and I am a crappy solderer. How much fudge-factor do I have with the voltage and amps?

[jnennemann]

I found a 7.5v 2amp power supply. Hope that is close enough. Surprisingly it is the same voltage as is required by a 2Wire DSL modem

[eugenie4u]

did the 7.5V 2A work?

[jnennemann]

Power supply with 7.5v@2A worked. I ordered it through Jameco.com for about $16 a piece.

[rhauf]

I just ordered two of these.. which i believe are the 5v "usb" units.

Since i am cheap the performance seems like its worth the hassle of getting 5v somehow. so i came up with two solutions

5v passive regulator.
http://www.jameco.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10001&catalogId=10001&pa=924633&productId=924633&keyCode=WSF&CID=GMC


and a 5v switching regulator for solar installations and stuff where I need efficiency.
http://compare.ebay.com/like/390106045016?var=lv&ltyp=AllFixedPriceItemTypes&var=sbar&rvr_id=196844311385&crlp=1_263602_309572&UA=%3F*S%3F&GUID=9218a14a12b0a0abdd3215f2fffee519&itemid=390106045016&ff4=263602_309572

im sure there can be switching ones found for cheaper, this was just a quick google search.
also i have to figure out a good way to use them. either make little converter boxes that go in-line of the cat-5 cable, or solder them directly into the cable and heat shrink the section or something. which is cheaper and therefore probably what ill do. also i realize the passive one may get a little warm and require a heat sync or something.

i wonder why they did these 5v instead of 12-24v like everything else?

[Dave-D]

Um--because they are intended to
to be powered from a USB jack.

And Ubiquiti made free 5V PoE supplies
available on request from distributors. Dave

[microcom]

Microcom ships all AirGrid USB (5V) products ship with both a PoE injector and a passive adapter. Recommended ethernet cable lengths differ depending on which power supply is used:

The passive adapter (POE+USB) will take 5V from any powered USB port. Maximum ethernet cable length is 65 feet (20 meters).

The PoE injector (AG-POE-US) is rated at 5Vdc 2A and includes a 6-ft US power cord. Maximum ethernet cable length is 165 feet (50 meters).

http://www.microcom.us/ag5g23.html

http://www.microcom.us/ag5g27.html

[^^Fenix^^]

Finally, can I use Mobile Phone Charger 5.0V and 0.5mah with airgrid?

[Dave-D]

Not if it's actually 0.5mA. Dave

[^^Fenix^^]

Not if it's actually 0.5mA. Dave

But USB 2.0 Port is 5v and 500mA

[tagno25]

But USB 2.0 Port is 5v and 500mA

If your mobile charger can put out up to 600mA (and is actually .5Ah), then you may be able to run for around 50 minuets.

If it is actually .5mAh then you would be lucky to charge a phone for a few seconds.