[TowerTalk] Optibeam OBLY14-5

[David Gilbert]

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