vendors are selling 3.4 GHz and 900 MHz Ubiquiti airMAX equipment

[David Bern]

Friends:

I recently purchased 3.4 GHz Ubiquiti airMAX networking equipment

http://www.ubnt.com/airmax

from multiple US vendors of Ubiquiti airMAX equipment. 

I chose 3.4 GHz since it is in the middle of the 3.3 to 3.5 GHz amateur radio frequency allocation

http://www.arrl.org/band-plan
http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?c=ecfr&SID=336ab7469b61ecbfa15086dbf1bf2c59&rgn=div5&view=text&node=47:5.0.1.1.6&idno=47#47:5.0.1.1.6.4.159.1

and is not shared with ISM unlicensed part 15 devices such as those in the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands.  3.4 GHz is an important band since it is essentially an exclusive amateur radio allocation.  We have 100 MHz from 3.4 GHz to 3.5 GHz since the airMAX M3 equipment operate from 3.4 to 3.7 GHz.

My vendors are Streakwave

http://www.streakwave.com/product-ubiquiti.asp

and distriwave

http://us.distriwave.com/home

I prefer to buy from Streakwave since they seem to be the largest distributor and have the best prices.  Initially, Streakwave challenged my order for the NanoStations M3 equipment since they are for export only.  I convinced them by pointing them to my W2LNX FCC license

http://wireless2.fcc.gov/UlsApp/UlsSearch/license.jsp?licKey=2399918

authorizing me to own and operate this equipment in the United States.  I can now purchase from them since I have an account established under W2LNX.  distriwave simply accepted my order with no challenge.

The equipment I purchased are:

* NanoStation M3 from Streakwave and distriwave

http://www.streakwave.com/Itemdesc.asp?ic=NSM3

http://us.distriwave.com/P1964-NSM3

* NanoBridge M3 from Streakwave

http://www.streakwave.com/Itemdesc.asp?ic=NBM3-KIT

  The NanoBridge M3 appears to be a NanoStation M3 mounted on the feed arm of an off center parabolic dish.

* Rocket M3 from distriwave

http://us.distriwave.com/P1968-RocketM3

  also available from Streakwave

http://www.streakwave.com/Itemdesc.asp?ic=RocketM3

* matching RocketDish for the Rocket M3 from Baltic

http://www.balticnetworks.com/ubiquiti-airmax-rocketdish-3-65ghz-26dbi.html

  also available from from Streakwave
 

http://www.streakwave.com/Itemdesc.asp?ic=RD-3G26

  Baltic does not sell airMAX M3 equipment to US hams. Period.

* 120 degree sector antenna for the RocketM3 from Baltic

http://www.balticnetworks.com/ubiquiti-airmax-3-65hz-18dbi-sector-antenna.html

  also available from Streakwave and distriwave

http://www.streakwave.com/Itemdesc.asp?ic=AM-3G18-120

http://us.distriwave.com/P2000-AM-3G18-120

* omni-directional antenna for the RocketM3

http://www.balticnetworks.com/ubiquiti-airmax-omni-3-4-3-7-ghz-12dbi-omni-directional-antenna.html

  also available from Streakwave

http://www.streakwave.com/Itemdesc.asp?ic=AMO-3G12

* 900 MHz RocketM900 from Streakwave

http://www.streakwave.com/itemdesc.asp?ic=RocketM900

  also available from distriwave

http://us.distriwave.com/P1966-RocketM9

* matching 900 MHz Yagi antenna for the Rocket900 from Streakwave

http://www.streakwave.com/itemdesc.asp?ic=AMY-9M16x2

* shielded POE (power-over-Ethernet) injector from Tycon Systems

http://tycononline.com/poe-inj-led-s.html

  also available from Streakwave

http://www.streakwave.com/itemdesc.asp?ic=POE-INJ-LED-S

   Using these POE injectors, I discovered that the NanoStation M3s run on 12 volts.

So, friends, I've been busy the last two months buying equipment so I can report to you what is available in the 3.4 GHz band.  Note that most of this equipment is available from more than one vendor.  The airMAX M3 equipment is relatively inexpensive; for the price of a good HF transceiver, I was able to fill up my basement with 3.4 GHz and 900 MHz equipment.  This is commercial grade networking high-power equipment in 3.4 GHz band, not low-power consumer 2.4 GHz equipment.

Thank you,
David, W2LNX

[Charles Fullerton]

How much you pay for that stuff?  Until I hit the lottery, I gotta go cheap... 

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[David Bern]

Friends:

I've been getting questions about the details of how I was able to purchase the 3.4 GHz Ubiquiti airMAX M3 wireless networking equipment.  At first, I had trouble finding a vendor that was willing to sell to a US ham and it occurred to me that I can use eBay to search for a vendor since often on-line vendors use their Internet domain name as their eBay user ID.   Sure enough, when I did a search on eBay on "NanoBridge M3", I found Streakwave

http://www.streakwave.com

and then when I did a search on "Rocket M3", I found Distriwave

http://us.distriwave.com/

Streakwave seems to have the best prices.  Since Ubiquiti has a sensitivity about selling the 3.4 GHz equipment in the US, I was up front to Streakwave about who I am by putting on the order page "amateur radio operator W2LNX" as my business name.  The order was intercepted by a Streakwave account rep and she sent me an email asking me for further details about my ham license.  So I sent her

http://wireless2.fcc.gov/UlsApp/UlsSearch/license.jsp?licKey=2399918

and links to

http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?c=ecfr&SID=336ab7469b61ecbfa15086dbf1bf2c59&rgn=div5&view=text&node=47:5.0.1.1.6&idno=47#47:5.0.1.1.6.4.159.1

and

http://www.arrl.org/band-plan

and that satisfied Streakwave. 

Also, I was able to buy M3 equipment from from Distriwave without any questions.  I  had also listed as my business "amateur radio operator W2LNX".  Their prices are a little more expensive but the equipment is not expensive to begin with.  Lately, Distriwave stopped posting their prices, I just asked for a quote on the NanoStation M3 and Rocket M3.  For COMPANY, I put in "amateur radio operator" and my callsign and for MESSAGE, I put in

My fellow radio amateur operators are building a national amateur radio-high speed wireless network on 3.4 GHz since that is an amateur radio frequency allocation.  We want to buy Ubiquiti 3.4 GHz NanoStation M3, NanoBridge M3 and Rocket M3 equipment.

We will see how they respond.  Don't be shy about asking for a quote.  If enough hams ask for a quote, maybe they will discover a new market for the Ubiquiti 3.4 GHz networking equipment.

I had wanted to purchase Ubiquiti 3.4 GHz equipment from two different sources to be sure that 3.4 GHz equipment is available from more than one vendor.  I checked the URLs in my 06/23/2014 posting and they are valid.

Thank you,
David, W2LNX