We started a Multipoint project in which we start to deploy Base Stations ePMP 2000 with Sector and Smart Antennas. For the subscribers units we will not use any of Force models (180, 190, 200) because limitations of integrated antenna gain (up to 25dBi), because customer is already using 30dBi average antennas with current solution (UBNT), and we are migrating from UBNT to ePMP with Elevate. Then we have to use ePMP 1000 connectorized with external dish antennas of 30dBi to connect subscribers to base stations wtih distanteces that customer are working now with UBNT (up to 30 km). One of the optons is to use RF Elements UltraDish TP550 that is 55cm dish with 27dBi which is less that 30dBi they are using now but considering with this option we don't have to use coaxial jumpers because twist port system maybe we can compesante 3dBi gain difference and 0.05cm size. Also other option is to use any other 3rd party dish antennas with 30dBi gain but is hard to find someone with radio mount kit to attach the unit direct to antenna. Then is the reflector system like K Perfomance antennas, so I understand they have now reflectors of 30dBi to use with ePMP but I'm not sure if it is really available and how it works. I need help to define which is the best antenna option to use with subscribers to get same distance as UBNT do (up 30KM) to make the link to ePMP AP 2000 with sectorial and smart antennas. It is important to mention the APs will be installed in hills and volcanos with high noise and a lot of similar systems. Thanks and hope to hear for someone soon. Regards.
Have you at least tried doing some tests with the Force 200? I think you'll be quite pleased with their performance. I assume that not all of your subscribers are at the 30km mark? Why not use the various flavors of Force integrated radios for the appropriate distances/conditions and then use connectorized radios with any 3rd party dish you that meets your requirements? There's probably a dozen or more companies and probably at least a hundred different types, gains, and sizes to choose from. By doing this you very well could save quite a bit of time and money over buying just the connectorized version and large dishes for every install.
As far as the AP is concerned, for the conditions you mention, I'd probably recommend the ePMP 2000 w/OEM 90/120deg sector w/BSA OR if you're dealing with really high interference, possibly just using the 2000 with a RF elements 30deg horn, or even an ultra horn pointed at pockets of the subscribers you're with difficult coverage conditions.
What are you currently using with UBNT that is giving you 30db ? Rocket radios and dishes ? If so just replace the rocket radios with connectorized ePMP radios. If you are using nanostations with reflectors, was there a 30dbi reflector for Ubiquiti nanos ? You may be out of luck as I think the only reflectors for ePMP are made for the first generation of ePMP integrated and those have been replaced by the Force180. Are the original 5Ghz integrated radios still being made ? Will any reflectors will work with a Force180 ?
If you are currently using Ubiquiti Nanostations with with reflectors then assuming you can get your hands on a bunch of the original integrated 5Ghz epmp radios you can can just change out part on the end of the dish that holds the radios (or that is what we did anyway). At one time we used the KPP reflectors with Ubiquiti radios and even the generic reflectors we ordered from Streakwave/Baltic. Other than the radio holder being metal on the generics and plastic on the KPPs we could find that there was any difference at all between the Ubiquiti version of the reflectors and the ePMP version of the reflectors other than they had a different piece for holding the radio. So before elevate was a thing we simply went around to all the ubiquiti reflectors and replace the holder and radio on the reflectors with the ePMP holder and radio.
NOTE: The ePMP radios always showed significantly less signal strength than the Ubiquiti radios they was replacing and after recent firmware from Cambium caused the ePMP radios to claim even lower signal strength I can only imagine what replacing a Ubiquiti with Cambium would look like now. When we first started swapping them out we didn't think the ePMPs were going to work because their signal strength was so much lower than what the the Ubiquiti's claimed. But in most cases the ePMPs worked and worked better than the Ubiquiti radios they replaced even though they showed much lower signal strength. The customers were noticeably happier with the ePMP radios then they had been with he Ubiquities.
Thanks, I will try with Force 200. I think because is 25dBi it should be good for the most range distances up to 15-20km? The subscribers more than that maybe we can use 30-32dBi dish, right?
Thanks. I know they are using Rocket with 30dBi dish. We cannot replace radios because they are currently using this, so they want to install new ePMP subscriber then do the swap. UBNT radios was supplied before by other integrator, we don't work with UBNT and we will not do it for any case. At the first phase for this migration, we install a couple or base stations ePMP 2000 with sector and smart antennas and elevate iicence, then they connect the current UBNT subscribers with elevate firmware are work better than before, so now they want to do second phase that is replace subscirber becase we are sure with ePMP subscriber should work even better.
Do you think it will be a difference between Force 200 and ePMP 1000 with RF Elements Ultradish TP550 27dBi?
OK so if I understand correctly you have an ePMP 2000 AP and the customer has a Ubiquiti rocket radio and rocket dish that has been elevated and is currently connecting to the 2000 AP ? If that is the case then I don't follow why you don't just remove the elevated rocket radio from the rocket dish and replace it with an ePMP connectorized radio ? It's like 3 minutes downtime for the customers while you replace the radio . Saves you mounting another dish and running another cable.
Thanks for your comments. You are right, it is the same we said to customer. But because their policies, by the way is a bank and these network is for ATMs, when they acquire new APs and SMs they need all new, then setup the new link and when is working and compliant with their requirements, they accept the new link, put the new link in real prodcution into the network, and some time later they turn off the old link and dismount. Tha's why it is not possible to replace the radio only. Best Regards,