Search eBay for "ubiquiti passive poe" and you'll find an inexpensive DC injector <$5.  I use it successfully to power a roof-mounted Bullet installation (Conrad, KG6JEI mentioned it earlier in this thread).  I've attached a photo.  You'll see the CAT5 cable that connects data and power into the Bullet.  The antenna is attached directly via the 90 degree adapter provided with the Bullet.  This happens to be the Titanium version which I paid $114 for, but I could just as easily have used the plastic-cased version which sells for $74.

Andre, K6AH

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 Bullet Installation.jpg [359 KB] ::

What gear is being used to do the POE injecting from a 12v source? The only thing I own is the 1A 24v Ubiquiti POE injector that uses AC.

For quick deployment, the 5 Linksys nodes I have run fine with a banana plug in the cigarette lighter. I would like something as close to off-the-shelf as possible for Ubiquiti since one misplaced wire could make the Bullet let out $100 worth of magic smoke. I have already lost an IP camera & a Linksys to a bad portable power pack this week, so I am a bit jumpy.

I see you had noted using an inverter to power the Ubiquiti gear earlier. Not sure why the inverter have problems running the injectors.

If you haven't tried it yet the gear can run with a passive POE injector in a vehicle from the standard 12v of a car

(Operating range is around 10.5 to 24v)  no need to run an inverter to convert to 120v only to down convert to a lower voltage (15 or 24 depending on the Ubiquiti power injector)

I have 4 nodes at the moment in my demo lab running off my standard shack supply feed (13.8 off the rig-runner) (along with my other radios)

You may need to use a dc-dc converter or an inverter and an injector if the line needed to be long run of CAT5, but for a node that is located on a pole on a roof top (a few feet from a battery or large feed to injector) or inside a car where you have limited distance you need to travel no need to upconvert.

A local ham has one here actually mounted outside his car right to the antenna with only a CAT5 feed out to the unit and has reported no issues at all over the course of using it.

Higher voltages of the Ubiquiti injectors (or a DC-DC converter) are useful if the runs going to be long (Say maybe 25feet as a good point that you should do the math on a POE drop calculator)   A quick  math check says even at 12.0v source voltage (at the injector -- allowing for battery discharge over time) even 50 feet should still be 10.97 volts at peak power from the device (8watt), though the higher window you can give this the better obviously.

The 15v injector Ubiquiti provides is a good voltage for many run lengths at 25-150foot length. The 24v is meant for the longer runs of say 150-328feet (or more if you don't plan to plug a computer into it)

Biggest issue for locating (on emergency power) a Ubiquiti node is the power feed since the CAT5 is only basically 21awg you can have a lot of loss at 12v at 8watts --- Similar issues to a Linksys feed from a battery.  Just have to make sure where you switch to injecting the power the CAT5 line doesn't have too much drop.

I am pushing for everyone in our county ARES to add a Bullet to their shack and maybe add some type of node in their vehicle. When I am not doing demos with the "lightsabre" (the Bullet attached to the 15db antenna), I have it mounted on the side of my house with a Linksys in my shack attached to a couple PCs.

And I am all for testing other units. After all, the old, cheap Linksys units will eventually be gone.

Smaller form than Linksys is a definite plus for me. I currently have a Motorola WR850V2 (only V2 have detachable antenna) hooked up in my trunk. If I can find a unit that is smaller and will run on the 12V line, personally I would pay $10 more. I am already running out of space with the radios back there.

I do have an Ubiquiti Bullet flashed with a 15db antenna. The cost of it was about $150 total. Plus, it needs an injector for the POE. My 300 watt inverter didn't seem to have enough juice to power it, but my 750 worked fine.

But originally I was just asking if two units were significantly different and if the higher priced one had something unique about it. I didn't have some sort of motive or axe to grind for some reason.

We are setting up a MESH of permanent and mobile nodes for emergency situations. Since it is ALL out of pocket from only a few of us, the difference of $10-$15 per unit adds up when you are looking to purchase 12 or more of them plus some system to power each node off the grid.

eBay prices are probably a reflection of there being a LOT of WRT-54G's out there, and there being more people who are selling and buying the old ones.  More of a "fair market" price. 

I'm not sure about any other hardware differences, but I believe the WHR has one external antenna and one internal antenna.

I solved my problem by upgrading to DD-WRT. I was then able to install the wideband.hamnet firmware. Thanks to Erik, WB0NIU, for the suggestion.

Have you looked at the Ubiquiti Gear?

Ubiquiti was added as OFFFICIALLY SUPPORTED with several 2.4ghz models and many more 2.4 and 5ghz models to be added in next release (and chances for. 3ghz and 900mhz since the gear is avaliable)

Cost may be a bit more new than a used Linksys but after you get done putting a Linsksys unit in a weather resistant  box, buying adapters, cooling fans, heaters etc the costs for a Linksys unit adds up.

The Ubiquiti gear is outdoor rated (temperature range as wide as -40 to +80c compared to Linksys 0-40c) meant to be installed in mixed weather. They have higher RF output (as high as 10dbm more than Linksys at 600mw) and up to a 10db more sensitive receiver(giving you a 20db extra link budget).

I was actually going by prices on eBay. Although I am always hip to having an alternate to the Linksys, which is the point of this thread.

I was just hoping they had higher output or some other advantage.

On a slight off topic, is there a chart that shows routers and their max output on this site? I haven't found one yet.

I have 2 nodes ready to go into service.

They are the Linksys WRT54G dual antenna Nodes.

They came with the high gain antennas. (that is what is on them right now.)

I have ordered a vertical antenna and a directional Yagi.

Here is my question:

Can I leave one of the high gain verticals that came with it on and use the other antenna connection to feed both the Yagi and external vertical when I mount them to my outside tower?? (Just use a splitter on the tower)

Bob

I have 2 nodes ready to go into service.

They are the Linksys WRT54G dual antenna Nodes.

They came with the high gain antennas. (that is what is on them right now.)

I have ordered a vertical antenna and a directional Yagi.

Here is my question:

Can I leave one of the high gain verticals that came with it on and use the other antenna connection to feed both the Yagi and external vertical when I mount them to my outside tower?? (Just use a splitter on the tower)

Bob

It's probably a question of what you happen to acquire surplus vs. buying them outright.

Ok,

Just don't plan on seeing adhoc links show up anything you have will need to be cordinated as your out of default auto link mode.  Nodes do NOT discover nodes running under a diffrent SSID.

If you do aim to other nodes (as I see you plan to do) you will need to match their SSID to link up.

kc6ssm de  kj6dzb

Is your node still active, Im up and running at kj6dzb-10, and will try over the week end to point my node out in the flat lands up at the hill your way. dose your aprs node accept messages I will send you a not if It meshes!

73 kj6dzb   

The Buffalo seems to be at a higher price point than a Linksys. Is there an advantage to it over a Linksys?