Ubiquiti PowerBeam airMAX AC Gen2 PBE-5AC-Gen2 User manual

5 GHz High-Performance
airMAX®ac Bridge
Model: PBE-5AC-Gen2

Introduction
Thank you for purchasing the Ubiquiti Networks®
PowerBeam®AC Gen 2. This Quick Start Guide is designed to
guide you through installation and includes warranty terms.
Package Contents
Dish Reflector Antenna Feed Rear Housing Adjustment
Bracket
Mounting
Bracket
Hex Bolts with
Washers (Qty. 4)
Pole
Clamp
Long Carriage
Bolts (Qty. 2)
5 GHz High-Performance
airMAX®ac Bridge
Model: PBE-5AC-Gen2
Flange Nuts
(Qty. 2)
Gigabit PoE
(24V, 0.5A) with
Mounting Bracket
Power Cord Quick Start
Guide
TERMS OF USE: Ubiquiti radio devices must be professionally installed. Shielded Ethernet
cable and earth grounding must be used as conditions of product warranty. TOUGHCable™ is
designed for outdoor installations. It is the professional installer’s responsibility to follow local
country regulations, including operation within legal frequency channels, output power, and
Dynamic Frequency Selection (DFS) requirements.

Installation Requirements
• 13 mm wrench
• Shielded Category 5 (or above) cabling with drain wire
should be used for all wired Ethernet connections and
should be grounded through the AC ground of the PoE.
We recommend that you protect your networks from
harmful outdoor environments and destructive ESD events
with industrial‑grade, shielded Ethernet cable from Ubiquiti
Networks. For more details, visit www.ubnt.com/toughcable
• Surge protection should be used for all outdoor installations.
We recommend that you use two Ethernet Surge Protectors,
model ETH‑SP, one near the PowerBeam and the other at the
entry point to the building. The ETH‑SP will absorb power
surges and safely discharge them into the ground.
To LAN
ETH-SP
ETH-SP
ES-8-150W
PBE-5AC-Gen2

Hardware Overview
Bottom View
Technology
Cable Door
Rear Housing
Antenna Feed
Ethernet Port
Release Button Slot
Adjustment Bracket
Release Button
Dish Reflector
Alignment Pins
Reset Button
Carrying Handle/
Lifting Loop

Reset Button To reset to factory defaults, press and hold the
Reset button for more than 10 seconds while the PowerBeam
is poweredon. Alternatively, the PowerBeam may be reset
remotely via a Reset button located on the bottom of the
Gigabit PoE Adapter.
Release Button After you assemble the PowerBeam, check
the Release button; it should be fully engaged in the Release
Button Slot of the Rear Housing. This ensures that the Antenna
Feed is locked into place. If you need to remove the Antenna
Feed, you must depress the Release button first.
LEDs
Power The Power LED will light blue when the
device is connected to a power source.
Ethernet The Ethernet LED will light steady blue
when an active Ethernet connection is made and
flash when there is activity.
Signal In airOS®, you can modify the threshold
value for the wireless signal strength LEDs on the
Wireless tab under Signal LED Thresholds. Each LED
will light when the wireless signal strength is equal
to or greater than the LED’s threshold value. The
default threshold values for these LEDs are shown
below:
-65 dBm -73 dBm -80 dBm -94 dBm

Application Examples
The PowerBeam mounted outdoors with the Dish Reflector
installed provides directional outdoor coverage (gain is
reflector‑dependent).
The PowerBeam mounted outdoors without the Dish Reflector
installed provides outdoor‑to‑indoor coverage using the 3 dBi
Antenna Feed only.

Installation
1. Align and insert the tabs of the Adjustment Bracket into the
slots of the Dish Reflector. Rotate the Adjustment Bracket
counterclockwise until the alignment holes in the dish and
bracket align with each other.
2. Remove the Antenna Feed from the Rear Housing:
a. Push in the sides of the Cable Door and detach it from
the Rear Housing. Keep the Cable Door detached.
b. Press the Release Button and slide the Rear Housing off
of the Antenna Feed.

*640-00272-07*
640-00272-07
3. Line up the Alignment Pins of the Rear Housing with the
alignment holes of the Adjustment Bracket. Push the Rear
Housing into the Adjustment Bracket.
Note: In high‑wind environments, you can add support
with additional hardware (not included):
1. Using the four holes in the Adjustment Bracket as a
template, drill four holes into the Dish Reflector with a
4.4 mm or 11/64" drill bit.
2. Secure the Dish Reflector to the Adjustment Bracket
using M4 screws, washers, and nuts (not included).

4. View the Dish Reflector from the front. Ensure that the
three hooks (indicated below) of the Rear Housing are
fully engaged with the inner wall of the Dish Reflector and
locked into place.
IMPORTANT: Before proceeding, lightly pull the Rear
Housing to confirm that it is locked into place.
5. Attach the Antenna Feed.
a. Insert the Antenna Feed into the Rear Housing, and push
until it locks into place with a click.

b. Lightly pull the Antenna Feed to ensure that it is locked
into place and the Release Button is fully engaged.
Release
Button
Bottom View
6. Connect an Ethernet cable to the Ethernet Port of the
Antenna Feed. Then re‑attach the Cable Door to the
RearHousing.

7. Attach the Pole Clamp to the Mounting Bracket.
a. Hold the Mounting Bracket with its clamps facing you
and the Elevation Indicators towards the top.
b. Insert the two Long Carriage Bolts through the holes of
the Mounting Bracket.
c. Slide the hole of the Pole Clamp over one bolt of the
Mounting Bracket.
d. Place one Flange Nut on each bolt.
Elevation
Indicator

8. Mount the Mounting Bracket on the pole and secure it.
a. Place the Mounting Bracket against the pole.
b. Slide the slot of the Pole Clamp over the adjacent
Carriage Bolt.
c. Tighten the Flange Nuts of the bolts to 25 N ∙ m to
secure the Mounting Bracket to the pole.
25 N ∙ m
Note: The mounting assembly can accommodate a
Ø 40 ‑ 80 mm pole.

9. Locate the two slots on the Adjustment Bracket and the two
pivot pins on the Mounting Bracket. Place the Reflector Dish
with the attached Mounting Bracket onto the pivot pins,
ensuring that they fit securely inside of the slots.
Pivot Pin
(one on each side of
Mounting Bracket)
Adjustment
Bracket Slot

10. Install the four Hex Bolts with Washers into the Mounting
Bracket. Do not tighten the four Hex Bolts completely.

11. Adjust the elevation angle.
a. Pivot the antenna until the Elevation Indicator shows
the desired elevation angle.
b. Tighten the four Hex Bolts completely.
20°
20°
Elevation
Indicator

Connect the power using one of the following options:
• Using the included Gigabit PoE Adapter: Go to Connecting
to the PoE Adapter.
• Using a separate PoE switch: Connect the Ethernet cable
from the PowerBeam’s Ethernet port to a PoE‑enabled
Ethernet port on the switch.
WARNING: The switch port must comply with the
power specifications listed in the Specifications
section of this Quick Start Guide.
Connecting to the PoE Adapter
1. Connect the Ethernet cable from the PowerBeam’s Ethernet
port to the POE port of the Gigabit PoE adapter.
2. Connect an Ethernet cable from your LAN to the adapter’s
LAN port.
3. Connect the Power Cord to the adapter’s power port.
Connect the other end of the Power Cord to a power outlet.
Mounting the PoE Adapter (Optional)
1. Remove the PoE Mounting Bracket from the adapter, place
the bracket at the desired location, and mark the two holes.
2. Pre‑drill the holes if necessary, and secure the bracket
using two fasteners (not included).
3. Align the adapter’s slots with the tabs of the PoE Mounting
Bracket, and then slide the adapterdown.

Accessing airOS via Wi‑Fi
Verify connectivity in the airOS Configuration Interface. There
are two methods, the UNMS™ app and Web Portal. Both are
available for 15 minutes immediately after you power on the
PowerBeam. If necessary, you can power cycle the PowerBeam
to re‑enable its Wi‑Fi.
Proceed to the appropriate instructions:
UNMS App
1. Download the UNMS app from the AppStore (iOS) or
Google Play™ (Android).
2. Connect your device’s Wi‑Fi to the PowerBeam SSID
named: PBE-5AC-Gen2:<MAC Address>
Note: Ensure that DHCP is enabled on your
Wi‑Fiadapter.
3. Launch the app.
4. Tap the PowerBeam on the Connections screen.

5. Tap Connect on the Login screen.
6. Select your Country and tap Done.
7. Customize your settings as needed.

Web Portal
1. Connect your device’s Wi‑Fi to the PowerBeam SSID
named: PBE-5AC-Gen2:<MAC Address>
Note: Ensure that your Wi‑Fi connection has DHCP
enabled.
2. Launch a web browser and go to: http://setup.ubnt.com
http://setup.ubnt.com
3. Enter ubnt in the Username and Password fields. Select
your Country and Language. You must agree to the Terms of
Use to use the product. Click Login.
Note: The Country setting for U.S. product versions is
restricted to a choice of Canada, Puerto Rico, or the
U.S. to ensure compliance with FCC/IC regulations.
The airOS Configuration Interface will appear, allowing you
to customize your settings as needed. For additional details
on the airOS Configuration Interface, refer to the User Guide
available at www.ubnt.com/download/airmax

Installer Compliance Responsibility
Devices must be professionally installed and it is the
professional installer’s responsibility to make sure the device is
operated within local country regulatory requirements.
Since Ubiquiti Networks equipment can be paired with a
variety of antennas and cables, the Antenna and Output Power
fields are provided to the professional installer to assist in
meeting regulatory requirements.