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Reviews For: AIR BOSS pneumatic antenna launcher

Category: Antennas: HF: Verticals; Wire; Loop

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Review Summary For : AIR BOSS pneumatic antenna launcher
Reviews: 53MSRP: 59.95
Description:
Launches line into tall trees for erecting wire antennas
Product is in production
More Info: https://www.olahtechnologies.com/
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
15534.7
W3PH Rating: 2015-05-16
Tall trees? You need this. Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
This is my 2nd season with the Air Boss. This year & last I was able to put the sinker over 70' pines in the first or second shot (actually, made it over on the first shot every time, but sometimes the sinker hits branches on the way down and I've had to try again - not the Air Boss' fault).

I've tried about everything over the years and nothing gets over these trees as easily and accurately. Air Boss has saved me a lot of time.

I have a battery-powered air compressor that's designed to inflate car tires, and it gets the Air Boss up to pressure in 5-10 seconds, no effort on my part.

The Air Boss is a bit of a kit - you have to supply & mount your own fishing reel. I got one at Walmart along with some good line and extra sinkers and it didn't take long to set up.
W3IL Rating: 2015-04-03
Please Read this review Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
A great design with the ability to accurately hit the exact location that is targeted. This combined with the very personal attention by the designer/seller of this product makes it the perfect "weapon" to attack the specific location which you have chosen to support your wire antenna design. It took me a total of three shots to get a feel for the system. On the third shot, I targeted and hit the highest branch that was previously out of reach. Use it just like a rifle.
Read and follow the directions! I used 20 lb.test monofilament line. I recommend buying the sinkers that are available with the Air Boss Launcher. They are the perfect size egg sinkers for the job.
I have been a ham since 1963. I have seen many products used by hams advertised using many superlatives (Biggest, best etc). The Air Boss Launcher is to antenna launchers as the K3 Radio by Elecraft is to technically advanced transceivers with hot receivers.
If you want to get your antenna up higher and in the best location available, you should simple order this device. Give Bill, KR4LO a call - he can answer any questions that you might have.
I have no connection with the company that manufactures and sells the Air Boss launcher.

Bill, W3IL
AA4MB Rating: 2014-12-31
Best launcher EVER Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
First, I'm neither a friend of, or even know KR4LO personally - let's get that out in the open right now. Having said that, from my perspective this is the best antenna launching device that I've ever used.

Over 41 years as a ham, I've tried various approaches (brick/rope, slingshot, bow & arrow, etc.) but nothing comes close to delivering what the Air Boss has. At my mom's rural property, I have several 100' plus trees. Pumping up to 45 lbs of pressure with a vehicle tire compressor, the Air Boss sends the weight over any of the trees on her property with ease. It's amazing. It's never failed me yet. I'm now on #3 wire antenna hung at what were previously unattainable heights (1 at over 100 feet, 1 around 80 and one at about 65 feet at my home QTH). I've told all of my friends that need to raise their antennas to give me a call. I'm using the stock fishing line that came with my cheap Johnson reel and pulling over nylon mason's line - and then attaching UV rated 3/16 dacron rope to that and pulling it over. I would imagine that if I went with 30 lb test Spider Wire (as is recommended in the Air Boss manual) that I could easily eliminate the intermediate step using the mason's line. But that extra step didn't cause me enough grief to run and find the Spider Wire and then string it onto my reel.

I'm in a state defense force and I can assure you that henceforth, the Air Boss and a 12 compressor will accompany me on any mission in which we will have HF communications running from the field.

Can you build this for less yourself? Sure, I guess so. But by the time one sources the valve fitting, cuts all the PVC, finds that Lowe's or Home Depot are out of the release valve, purchase PVC cement, find the gauge, etc., you may come to realize that for the trouble you'd go through on your own, it's the best $59.95 you ever spent. Am I trying to imply that Air Boss is a better solution than every other launcher - pneumatic or otherwise - out there? Emphatically not. But if you're searching for something that really does work, I don't think that you can go wrong.

It's.That.Good.

former_KY3F Rating: 2014-09-15
I have an Air Boss. Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
I've used my Air Boss three times. Installing my G5RV and repairing the G5RV two other times when it needed to be repaired.
It works better than any other method of getting wires over tall trees.
I get over 70 foot trees with ease.
A ham could probably make one of these himself, but you couldn't save much by doing so. The asking price is very reasonable.
If something happened to my Air Boss, I'd buy another.
Make sure you use the egg sinkers that you can buy from the Air Boss site.
K0KNX Rating: 2014-09-14
Not "Built like a tank" Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I never had a chance to use this device but it was leaning against the wall in my basement, several days ago, I accidentally knocked it over and the upper half broke off. Just a simple slide off the wall and it's toast.
K9OZ Rating: 2014-09-07
Best launcher I've ever used Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I recently moved to a new QTH with heavily wooded lot with high trees. That's great, if you can get wire up in the trees. I've always had good luck with a fishing pole, but here, I was just filling the trees with fishing line.
I bought the Air Boss and had wire where I wanted it with first shot, getting a guide rope over a mass of 80 foot trees. Incredible.
Product is well engineered and is packaged very well for shipment. There is nothing negative I can say.
The only caution I'll say is start out with low pressure and build up. This thing really shoots. It takes a little experimenting or you will find yourself overshooting your yard.
W5NRF Rating: 2014-06-26
very effective Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
A well-designed product, completely assembled, that uses 2 oz egg sinkers which match the barrel ID for efficient and controlled use of air pressure.

This product is easy to aim and easily clears 80-100' trees if necessary, but reduced pressure can be used for lower heights.

The company ships immediately, and responds promptly to queries. I highly recommend them.
N1YAE Rating: 2014-04-25
Great Product Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I purchased an Air Boss a few months ago. I believe it is one of the best methods for getting wire antennae up in the air. Of course one could always build it yourself, but for the time and costs involved why bother? The product is packaged extremely well, one could not ask or expect better packaging. One never knows the abuse shippers subject a package to. Despite the excellent packing, my pressure meter came damaged. A replacement was shipped promptly! I highly recommend this product without any reservation.
WQ8Q Rating: 2014-04-07
Easy-peasy Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
Several years ago I bought one of the famous sling-shot type antenna wire launchers at the Dayton Hamvention. I must have been very bad at using it, because my hand ended up all bruised where I didn't get the slingshot aligned quite right, or when it did go right, I never could get the fishing line as high as I wanted it, so I just made do and wherever it landed in the tree, hauled the antenna up to that point.

Undeterred, and thinking I could still do this after waiting all these years for the two trees I planted to get high enough for an antenna, a few months ago I bought the Airboss after watching the online video. Looked easy to me. Received it in no time at all and tried it on my front yard tree, while there were leaves still on the tree. (not the best time to do this) It took me a couple of tries until I realized not only had the lead sinker cleared the tree but had gone completely over the house. I finally had one end of the dipole up really high.
Just yesterday, before the leaves came out on my backyard tree, I decided to put my other end of the dipole up higher. Just one shot, thru some limbs, put the sinker right where I wanted it, pulled the antenna rope up and tied it off. Easy-peasy. The Airboss cost considerably less than the slingshot kit, and I sure wish I'd bought that first!
W7WQ Rating: 2014-04-03
Works great Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
I have an Air Boss and it makes getting wires up and on the air a pretty straight forward job. Recommended. I've seen some real fancy tennis ball launchers that cost several hundred bux. Get this one, use the savings for more coax to hang even more wires!