My OptiBeam experience mimics AB7E. I had a 40m beam in Aruba where the
wind almost never stops plus I have a couple 40m beams at my NC residence.
I had no mechanical failures and the 40m elements are not saggy. I found
DF2BO to be responsive to any technical questions and a pleasure to deal
with. I choose their 40m beam because at the time it was the only one with
high-Q loading coils plus I believe that it is the only 40m beam with
detuning stubs to minimize interaction with other HF beams. I am not sure
what aluminum that OptiBeam uses, I seem to recall Tom just calling it
aircraft aluminum. I am not sure what is even available in Europe. I have
heard of mechanical issues with their 80m beams so perhaps that is was
K7NV was referring too. I think it would inaccurate to say that all
OptiBeam antennas have reliability /durability problems.
John KK9A
David Gilbert AB7E
Thu Nov 15 02:38:00 EST 2018
Previous message (by thread): [TowerTalk] Optibeam OBLY14-5
That doesn't fit my experience at all. I have two Optibeam antennas, an
OB16-3 and an OB2-40, that have been up since 2008 with zero problems in
spite of outrageously high wind gusts here at my QTH. In the spring
when the thermals create swirling winds that roar down the hillside, it
is not uncommon for 60 to 80 mph gusts to occur every five minutes or so
all day long about three out of five days for two months. I've measured
gusts over 100 mph on a clear day, and I've experienced even stronger
winds on rare occasions during our summer monsoon season. That's a LOT
of flexing.
In fact, the truss lines for the OB2-40 elements popped out of the truss
struts about three years ago and the elements have been just hanging on
their own since. I do plan to get that fixed, but I've been surprised
there haven't been any failures.
I might also point out that just about every report I've ever seen on
Optibeam antennas in the field talk about how rugged they are. When I
was extensively researching antennas online before I purchased mine, I
could only find two reports of Optibeam failures and both had to do with
the models that suspend additional elements from one of the other
elements, such as the OB16-5, and even then those involved gale force
winds. I suspect there have indeed been failures of Optibeam antennas,
but unless Tom has changed aluminum sources since I bought my antennas
your warning seems flawed to me.
Can you give any examples of such failures? If not you're just
spreading an unsubstantiated rumor.
Dave AB7E
On 11/14/2018 11:31 PM, Craig Miller wrote:
> Kurt Andress, K7NV, who knows more about antennas and towers than all
> of the rest of us combined, warns that the Optibeam antennas have
> reliability/durability problems because they use Turkish aluminum.
> K7LV is a very wise man.
> Craig
> WA6OXK
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