Will it damage 3502E or 3602E to operate without 1 or more antennas?

[KevinHowJones]

Will it damage 3502E or 3602E, with the radios turned up to max power, to operate without 1 or more antennas?

I tried hunting this up in the FAQ, etc but didn't find anything specific to these models.

[Philip D'Ath]

I wouldn't do it.

The antenna disspates the RF energy.  Without an antenna there is no way to get rid of that energy.  It would be like using a car with an internal combustion engine without a radiator.

In both cases you are likely to "cook" it.

[Leo Laohoo]

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@KevinHowJones wrote:

Will it damage 3502E or 3602E, with the radios turned up to max power, to operate without 1 or more antennas?

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It'll permanently damage the wireless radio(s) of the AP. 

There are so many dual-band antennas (compatible with the AP) available in e-bay (AIR-AN2524DB-R or AIR-AN2535SDW-R). 

[KevinHowJones]

Okay, thanks for the helpful answers.  I wasn't sure since the output of those radios is so low, that maybe they could take it.  I have been told of techs who operate these radios that way when setting them up, and can even get connectivity if the unit is close enough.

Does anyone know the power output of these radios when set to maximum?

Thanks.

[patoberli]

That depends on the chosen channel and country. You find the information in the data sheet of the respective model.

[KevinHowJones]

To give a complete answer it should be noted that one or more antenna ports on the 3600 (IDK about the 3500) can be disabled, in which case operating the AP without antennas on those ports would not cause damage.  So the answer to the OP would be, "it depends..."

As the complete answer includes Philip and Leo's comments along with this one, I will mark this as the solution (pending no further feedback,) with the note that their comments should be examined as well.