| ON4CIS |
Rating:  |
2023-06-28 | |
| Great antenna ! |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
This is the best antenna for restricted areas. It takes some time to put together but the manual that comes with it is superb! Everything is explained in detail, there's pictures in colour and so on.. can't go wrong. If you need help, Tom will do anything to get you on the right track, great support !
The antenna sits at only 9 meters, SWR is flat on all bands, performance is great ! Perfect job OPTIBEAM ! |
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| LA5ZO |
Rating: |
2023-02-28 | |
| Fantastic, both electric and mechanical |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
Living next to the North Sea I need antennas that can withstand salty air and high winds. My previous antenna was the OBW10-5, which also performed well, but an antenna that requires more care/maintenance.
Having owned 2 Optibeams I decided to purchase the OB10-5M. I live in a housing estate with neighbours close by, and antenna size matters in more than one way. As the OB10-5M measures less than 8m across and a boomlength of 4m it was a good choice. It was installed with good help from ham friends. Already on the ground the VSWR test looked very promising. From 1.2 to max 1.8 on all bands. After it got up in the air the figures dropped to less than 1.5 as max.
The day after the antenna was mounted we had the first storm. The wind gusted up to 130 km/hr and the storm lasted 12 hrs. I had one small section that came loose, but this was due to my own negligence, not tightening a 4mm screw. It was easily fixed. I have worked lots of DX with the new antenna. It was really great picking DX station on the cluster, pointing the OB10-5M in the right direction and get a reply pretty quick. With the best equipment you will catch fish easy ! Thanks for another great antenna :) |
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| G7VAB |
Rating: |
2023-01-08 | |
| Great performer |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
I bought my antenna earlier in the year and have recently put it up and I am extremely pleased with the results.
Build was perhaps more complicated than anticipated but we had never previously built such an antenna. Performance is fantastic. I previously had a Hexbeam and I can safely say that this antenna outperforms that antenna by some margin, even though it was an excellent performer.
I cannot praise the support from Thomas enough and he was very patient with me in terms of the prepurchase questions that I had and replied to my emails extremely quickly, even at weekends at some point.
Build quality is superb and while there might be cheaper alternatives out there I would counsel any potential purchaser to be very careful because copies may not match up to the performance and build quality of this antenna. |
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| DK6QA |
Rating: |
2022-06-17 | |
| Never had a better one! |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
It all started with an email to Tom (DF2BO). I asked a few questions about the OB10-5M and he responded promptly. I ordered the antenna and was amazed when I opened the big box. What I saw first was paper, a lot of paper, hi! But then I saw the various components, well labeled and some pre-assembled. A manual with clear text and photos let me assemble the antenna in a day. I was surprised how filigree the antenna on the top of the tower looked, even though there was a lot of aluminum in the air. Even my XYL was excited, hi! The material used makes a solid impression. All fastening material is stainless and promises a long service life. The first test was for the SWR on all bands and I was very pleased to see that the value was never above 1:1.3. In summary, I would like to say that the antenna was worth buying and I will not cry after my Trap-Yagi.
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| DH1UM |
Rating: |
2022-05-01 | |
| Perfect antenna! |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
Hi OMs,
you like DXing on 20,17,15,12,10m but you don’t have a lattice mast to install a big beam?
Choose the OptiBeam OB10-5M and you will get an antenna with light weight of just 49.6 lbs (22,5 Kg), a 12.47 ft (3,80 m) short boom and 26.05 ft (7,94 m) the longest item.
My OB10-5M is working on a 33 ft (10m) high tubular mast with just 2.36 in (60 mm) pipe diameter with rotator at the base. The tubular mast is fixed with tree pivot bearings.
The data on the company's homepage are physically realistic and I can confirm the specified data by SWR-measurements with a VNA and during the operation on the bands (using operating mode ft8 you get realistic rapports).
The design of this beam is with regard to weight, length of boom and elements everything that's physically possible.
The feeding via a phase line with just one coaxial cable for all given bands without using traps seems to be the design of the future.
So the allowable performance is just limited by the used balun.
The mechanical construction is perfect for a long lifespan by using aluminum and stainless material and solid dimensions.
The communication with Tom was very good, agreements were kept perfectly with good support.
The beam is easy to assemble based on a detailed instruction supported by a lot of pictures. I didn't miss any screw or any washer in the kit.
Best Dx and a lot of fun with this small but great beam
Uli, DH1UM
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| G3ZXZ |
Rating: |
2021-12-30 | |
| Excellent antenna |
Time Owned: 3 to 6 months. |
| Have had this antenna for about 6 months now. It replaced a hexbeam. The hexbeam was good but this antenna is better. About 1-1 and 1/2 S points better than the hexbeam I had. Can beam LP to VK/ZL and get replies on 20m where with the hex I struggled a bit. SWR is excellent all bands. Easily followed instructions and straightforward to assemble. Top quality parts. Good results on all HF bands. Competes very well with larger arrays such as Ultrabeam and Steppir antennas at a 1/3 of the price. Particularly good on10 and 12m as the antenna has an extra bit of gain and top drawer on the other HF bands. Anyone thinking about acquiring this antenna dont hesitate. This is the best antenna I have ever used. |
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| M0BZH |
Rating: |
2021-12-28 | |
| Good |
Time Owned: 6 to 12 months. |
Had this antenna 12 months, previous antenna Traffie Hex beam.
The assembled antenna tuned as per the specifications on 4 bands. However, the 17m portion was found to be LF and required a further set of holes drilling in both the 17m elements which wasn’t a problem.
The antennas greatest attribute is without doubt its exceptional FB performance on 20m which is far superior to the hex beam. All the other bands were found to be similar in performance to the Hex beam.
Taking cost versus performances into consideration I conclude from my own personnel experience is that that the hex beam is a better all-round option but if you are looking for the best FB on 20m in lieu of the costs then this is the antenna for you.
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| ON8EI |
Rating: |
2021-06-29 | |
| This is an excellent antenna. |
Time Owned: 3 to 6 months. |
| This is an excellent antenna. Beautiful parts and fairly easy to put together. Tom replies quickly to your questions and was very helpful. I used to have a hexbeam which was good but this is better and more precise. If you get this antenna you will not be disappointed and as we say in EI "the price is forgotten long after the quality remains" On Facebook there is a page with lots of photos and comments about this antenna https://www.facebook.com/groups/269085390933660 So to sum up. Thank you Tom for making a middle aged man very happy. 73's de ON8EI/EI4GO John. |
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| EA3HUQ |
Rating: |
2021-04-26 | |
| Excellent! |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
I am in the province of Barcelona (Catalonia - Spain). I have always had vertical antennas because of QTH restrictions. I have also had horizontal yagui antennas.
Finally I opted for Tom and his antennas and chose the OB10-5M as it was the one I could install in my QTH due to space and neighbor restrictions.
From the first moment I realized that I was dealing with a manufacturer that has another level! Attentive and very precise in everything. The antenna arrived on time. Well packed and protected. When I preceded the assembly, the materials are of the highest quality. The assembly is easy and well explained. Everything is prepackaged and marked in such a way that it is very easy to follow the instructions with almost no option of being wrong. Once the assembly was finished, I raised it to the point of placement on the mast of the tower. I have not had to make any further adjustments from the first moment. The tower I have is short: 2 sections of 3 meters plus the 1.2 meter tip where the rotor is housed. Facing west, it is two meters closer to my roof.
Performance: although I have not had time to test it deeply, from the beginning it worked on all bands with an SWR level between 1.0 and 1.4. I have made contacts with the west coast of Canada and USA 5-5 / 7, also with Japan 5-5 and Asiatic Russia 5-5 / 7; in Europe 5-9 + 10/20.
As a manufacturer it is not that your product is a little better compared to brands like Cushcraft or HyGain, on the contrary, it is infinitely better! OptiBeam are way ahead of all these brands. For quality, calculation, precision, ease of installation and especially in the end success in capital letters.
I am very proud to own what I consider to be one of the best antennas on the market and in the world. I feel like I have "another level" of installation.
73s Josep (EA3HUQ)
04/26/2021 Update: After 3 months since the installation of the OB10-5M there have been storms of wind, humidity, ice and the antenna has not suffered any variation and continues to work exactly as the first day.
Some example contacts for me, previously impossible, that I have made with this antenna: Brunei 5-9; Bali 5-9; Jakarta 5-9; Hong Kong 5-3 / 5 ... FTDX5000 + Tokyo Hy-Power 1 KW. In Europe my signals reach 5-9+10/20 in most contacts. I am very satisfied. And I will continue investigating and making periodic updates for those who may be interested. Best regards 73's. |
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| AH6FC |
Rating: |
2021-04-26 | |
| Excellent |
Time Owned: 6 to 12 months. |
Over the past few years we relocated back to KH6 ...unfortunately to an antenna restricted QTH. Was limited to a 50 lb antenna and less than 8 sf wind load. Previously had used a Hexbem....good antenna but just couldn't stand the frequent wind stress at this QTH. Previously, I had an Optibeam 18-6.... a rather big antenna...40 foot boom...great antenna but big. Needless to say, couldn't use it at this QTH. Needed something I could hide from the HOA police, yet something that would tolerate the ongoing wind stress.....15 - 30- mph. So the Hexbeam was good but it kept breaking down...inspite of the "heavy duty" version. so I researched. The Optibeam was the best alternative. I did consider the the SteppIR DB-11, but it is 60 lbs which was too heavy for the crank up mast I have to use.....avoid any place with HOA rules....just say NO!....so put up the optibeam.
This antenna is very robust (Optibeam) and performance is very good. Even at a meager 10 - 17 feet above the ground it works quite well, In KH6 the bands are always quiet and everything is DX,,,,good and bad. But this antenna works very very well. When I compare to a BigIR vertical with 40 radials on 20 - 10 meters, the Optibeam offers consistently 2 -3 S-unit advantage. Physically, which was my largest issue, is excellent. The engineering is way better than the Hexbeam. Granted the Hexbeam is a good antenna, the Optibeam is a better antenna...in addition to the physical differences.
Woud I buy it again? Yes, no question. I only wish I had the ability to put my Ob-18-6 back up, but unfortunately cannot. Though I do have an OB6-6 I hope to plan to put in the jungle in the back yard and keep at 15 feet. Hi hi.
If you can, JUST SAY NO TO HOA/CCR ......our last QTH was in the country and we had a double wide trailer next door.....100% better....unfortunately I Am a cold weather wimp, thus we moved back to KH6..
BUT DON'T HESITATE ON THE OPTIBEAM....AN EXCELLENT ANTENNA, EVEN AT LOW HEIGHTS. WHEN YOU ARE DEALT WITH A MARGINAL QTH SITUATION, YOU HAVE TO DEAL WITH WHAT YOU HAVE.....THIS ANTENNA HELPS THINGS WORK OUT.
73 es Aloha,
Bill
AH6FC |
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