When it comes to giants – whether in prehistoric times or in the network – there is no way around the Spinosaurus: at up to 18 meters long, it was the undisputed colossus among the carnivorous dinosaurs. Powerful, enduring and amazingly well adapted to its environment.
And that’s exactly how the AF-24HD from Ubiquiti feels when you hold it in your hands for the first time – or rather: when you lift it onto the roof with the crane.
The AF-24HD: A beast among radio relay links
For our most recent project, we had to connect two locations with at least 1 Gbps symmetrical throughput over a line of sight of around 7 km.
We chose the AF-24HD – and for good reason:
Technical highlights:
- Frequency range: 24.05 – 24.25 GHz
- Modulation: Up to 256QAM MIMO
- Latency: less than 1 ms
- Range: up to 20 km
- GPS sync, integrated link analysis, spectrum scanner
- Antenna: 33-40 dBi, aperture angle < 3.5°
- Weather resistance: -40 °C to +55 °C, wind resistance > 200 km/h
These figures are impressive – and exactly what we were looking for in a robust backbone route.
The challenge: Gigabit over long distances
The two locations that had to be connected had a clear line of sight of approx. 7 km, but without the possibility of laying fiber optics. The requirements were clear:
- Symmetrical gigabit throughput
- High availability, even in bad weather
- Short latencies, as VOIP and camera transmissions are involved
We didn’t want to do things by halves – so we opted for the heavyweight AF-24HD.
The structure: precision instead of muscle power
Weighing just under 25 kg and with an antenna diameter of over 75 cm, the AF-24HD is a real beast. No comparison to a LiteBeam or NanoBeam – clear structures are required here:
- Pole mounting with counterweights or wall mounting
- Two technicians absolutely necessary for alignment
- Exact bearing required – one degree off means loss of connection
- Power supply via PoE (50V, max. 50W)
The installation took around 5 hours in total – including antenna setup, alignment, cable routing and switch integration. Thanks to the web interface with alignment display and acoustic lock-on, the adjustment was tricky but easy to manage.
The result: fiber feeling without digging
Once the devices were aligned and connected, our expectations were exceeded:
- 1.86 Gbps stable throughput
- Latency < 0.9 ms
- No noticeable parcel losses, even in heavy rain
- QoS and VLAN tagging worked perfectly in bridge mode
The monitoring via Ubiquiti’s AirOS showed a consistently clean link quality. There were no interruptions even in strong winds or short periods of heavy rain – only a slight reduction in modulation (e.g. from 256QAM to 64QAM) was briefly registered.
Our conclusion: The Spinosaurus among directional radios
The AF-24HD is large, heavy, powerful and needs to be treated with respect – just like its primeval counterpart. If you have the space, the line of sight and the requirements, this device is a real fiber optic alternative with impressive performance.
It is ideal for companies, ISPs or events with high data requirements – as long as you are prepared to invest a little in mast construction, alignment and weather protection.
The Spinosaurus was the king of estuaries – the AF-24HD is the king of air interfaces.
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