[TowerTalk] Need recommendations for a 40-10m. Yagi

[Wes Stewart]

I have a little OB7-3 that I bought never assembled, still in the box, from a 
contester friend who was going to use it for a "multiplier" antenna.  He changed 
his mind and sold it to me for half what he paid for it, which was still pricey 
IMHO.

I had an issue with QC and wrote a review on eham documenting it. I immediately 
got an email from "blue ocean", not trying to rectify the issue, but accusing me 
of improperly storing the antenna.  Since it had been in my friend's garage 
(along with several German cars), in the still strapped carton, I disagreed. He 
continued to give me so much grief, I asked that the review be removed.

Even with the very short boom, there is a bit if sag at the joint, and yes, the 
boom to mast clamps are similar to muffler clamps. The way the elements are 
assembled in my opinion makes swaging unnecessary and the loose fit makes it 
easy to telescope the tubing for shipping purposes.  I can't fault the 
operational performance and it models well, but I wouldn't buy another OptBeam.

Wes  N7WS

  On 5/6/2018 11:31 AM, john at kk9a.com wrote:
> On my OptiBeam 40m antennas there is no swaging, just a bolt that goes
> though the element. The square boom mounts to the aluminum plate with a
> square u-bolt and it's impossible for the mast to spin. The boom to boom
> joints were just a couple of internal plates. I have had no issues with any
> of these things but perhaps they are with larger beams. Momobeam uses a
> similar square boom except they have slots in the boom for coupling and I
> have recently seen one that moved out of alignment. I agree that finding
> metric tubing in the US is very difficult.  Since DX Engineering now sells
> OptiBeam perhaps they can obtain replacement parts.  I always found OptiBeam
> owner, DF2BO to be a pleasure to work with.
>
> John KK9A
>
>
>
> Jim Thomson VE7RF wrote:
>
>
> ##  Several folks have had  severe issues with the way  optibeam splices
> their square boom sections  together.   I dont like their  boom to mast
> assys, it uses  2  x muffler clamps for the mast.  Nobody uses  muffler
> clamps for anything these days, esp the types with sheet metal saddles, as
> depicted. https://www.dxengineering.com/parts/dbo-ob12-4w-p      JKs
> version wont budge or slip on any mast.   Optibeam uses  METRIC  tubing
> sizes for the elements..and also the square and also their round booms.
> Unlike  6063-T832,  39 ksi yield strength......  or  6061-T6, which uses  40
> ksi yield strength..and both using standard tubing sizes and wall thickness,
> METRIC tubing does not telescope with a snug fit.  They make a sloppy fit
> and have to be either shimmed, or swaged.... pita.   The deal breaker for
> myself is that  METRIC  tubing is a bitch to find in Both Canada..and the
> USA.  A buddy finally found one source for metric tubing in the usa....and
> it was special order, and expensive.  That may have changed.    So even if
> you can find replacement METRIC  tubing in the usa, next up you will have to
> get the ends carefully swaged.  Any swaging process has to be done dead one.
> Too little or  too much, and you are in trouble..esp if too much.
>
> _______________________________________________
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> TowerTalk mailing list
> TowerTalk at contesting.com
> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/towertalk
>