AF-5X fits inside RF Armor Rocket shield

[jjonsson]

Just installed an AirFiber 5X in a Rocket Dish 30 dBi shield box.

Since I didn't install the slant conversion kit, the AF-5X is just connected with the cables not mounted inside the box.
I think with the slant conversion kit it can be mounted nicely. Also it looks like there's plenty of space around the AF-5X so that heating must not be such a big issue (at least not in my part of the world)

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And with the cover on....

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[JustJoe]

Just installed an AirFiber 5X in a Rocket Dish 30 dBi shield box.

Since I didn't install the slant conversion kit, the AF-5X is just connected with the cables not mounted inside the box.
I think with the slant conversion kit it can be mounted nicely. Also it looks like there's plenty of space around the AF-5X so that heating must not be such a big issue (at least not in my part of the world)

Since I don't have one yet, I don't understand ... does it not clip on the standard bracket anymore? I thought the AF-5X was shaped and mounts exactly the same as RM5 ??

[lligetfa]

The H/V feedhorn gets in the way. If the slant feedhorn is used then it can clip in fully.

[rkelly1]

A few people have indicated that the internal shielding on the AF5X is sufficient and a shield enclosure retain too much heat. We're in FL so heat can be an issue. I wonder if anybody has tested the actual level of shielding internal to the AF5X

[JustJoe]

If it's the same ol' plastic case design as the RM5, I would also be interested to know what they did for internal shielding?

From my tests, the RF Armor shield box was able to drop the noise floor by 6dB on an RM5 in the 5GHz band on the noisy roof of a metal building. That doesn't even count the shielding from the processor PC board noise. I'll never understand how the plastic M radios were able to sneak past the FCC certification on that board noise alone???

As far as heat dissipation, I think it's unfortunate that those genius Motorola engineers never seemed to give much thought to efficient power design since the days of early Canopy's .

If you are ever worried about the boxes and you have direct sun exposure, in my tests in June on clear blue sky CA days, if you paint the box with Rustoleum Gloss White, the inside of the box will run about 9° cooler than a bare aluminum metal box.

[lligetfa]

If it's the same ol' plastic case design...

It is metal.

[WisTech]

As I mentioned on the UBNT forums, I'd never run the 5X here in the valley of CA in a bare metal box. The 5X has a large area that is pure heatsink on the backside of it, and it honestly doesn't generate much heat to even necessitate having that much heatsink, but nearly double the power consumption in the same physical box, and 110º days could significantly reduce the lifespan IMHO. Run an airview from one of these things without a box, and compare with the box, I'm curious what everyone else is seeing noise-wise.

[JustJoe]

Yeah, if it's a totally metal box to begin with, that would sure make a difference on the noise.

Early, before RF Armor, I wrapped our XM-RM5s on a couple of 3' Rocket dishes with a couple of layers of aluminum foil. Very tedious process. But did reduce the noise. Eventually, got RF Armor 3' dish drum and box for it. Had some time during the upgrade on the building/flatroof end, so did some tests.

With the drum and just the back of the box installed, tried an unwrapped XM-RM5, noted noise floor to act as reference point. Swapped to the wrapped RM5, NF was 5dB lower. Put on the front lid of the box, NF was 6.5dB lower. Swapped back to the unwrapped RM5, put on the front lid, NF was 6.5dB lower.

I have the feeling the RF Armor box was blocking the noise getting in at the top of the RM5 at the pigtails. So it might have proved an even greater advantage, say on a tower, where there could more likely be noise sources above it.

I really like the RF Armor box keeping the pigtails dry.

There is the situation where someone already has the RF Armor box in place with an RM5 and doesn't want to take the dish off to get the box off when swapping in a AF-5X. It would be interesting to have a template to mark and drill a row of small holes for cooling across the back, right where the top of the AF-5X heatsink area ends, but still below the level of the pigtails (to keep them out of a driving rain). And a second row at the level of the bottom end of the heatsink area.

[sirhc]

We are working on a new dish box that will better fit the AF5X

Yes the AF5X does have an internal shield like the Rocket AC.

Does the internal shield do as good without the box? - Do not know yet but I still like the idea of the radio being secured inside the box.

[JustJoe]

We are working on a new dish box that will better fit the AF5X

Yes the AF5X does have an internal shield like the Rocket AC.

Does the internal shield do as good without the box? - Do not know yet but I still like the idea of the radio being secured inside the box.

I like them secured in a box too. New box would be nice, but that still leaves swapping into an existing box difficult. That's why I think providing a down-loadable .pdf cooling hole drilling template might be handy for some?

Are all the Rocket ACs shielded, including the Rocket AC Lite?

BTW, still wishing you would mount the "standard" plastic Rocket mounting plate upside-down, so radios can be swapped by sliding in from the bottom, with less strain on the pigtails. I've found the ones I modified that way to be a blessing when swap-testing XW-RM5 vs XM-RM5 on sectors and dishes.