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 more than 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

Monitoring via Ubiquiti’s AirOS showed 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.