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Reviews For: OptiBeam OB12-6 Six-Bander Beam (10-12-15-17-20-40)

Category: Antennas: HF: Yagi, Quad, Rotary dipole, LPDA

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Review Summary For : OptiBeam OB12-6 Six-Bander Beam (10-12-15-17-20-40)
Reviews: 9MSRP: 2599
Description:
Unique in the world. Six bands: 10-12-15-17-20-40 meters with no traps and just one feedline. Perfect performance with no need of tuning.
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.optibeam.de
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
1595
KM9E Rating: 2023-03-23
Wow would be an understatement! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
UPDATE 3/21/23: Since buying this antenna, I haven't looked back. It is nothing short of amazing! It has now been up a little over sixteen months. I have busted pileups that have amazed me, and it's only at 51' above ground. I was actually going to put up a OB16-5, however, me neighbor saw me building it in the backyard, and went to the county zoning board because it was too big, and hung one foot over the property line at 60' in the air. He won his battle.... I had to move the tower from the side of the house to the backyard. The zoning board declared me the winner of the war by letting me have unlimited height & any size antenna which would remain within my property line. So rather than put up the OB16-5 (35'), I bought this OB12-6 (48') and sold the OB16-5. For Christmas, I took a picture of the tower & antenna, had a Christmas card made (only one), and sent it to him. He has yet spoken to me since the zoning board granted my request! It has weathered some 60-75MPH winds and several ice storms w/o any issue whatsoever. How else do I measure performance of this true beast? How else, but country count. To date, LOTW confirmed country count ... 10M -- 163, 12M -- 112, 15M -- 162, 17M -- 114, 20M -- 170, 40M --128, total DXCC confirmed count 239 today! And the OB1-30 above it has 105 countries in only 3 months since being installed. The numbers don't lie. I ran 1/2" helix to the tower from the shack & then 7/8" from the ground up to the 48' level. My Elmer (SK now) once told me, put 70% of your budget into feed line and antenna. The rest can go into the shack & radio. If you can't hear 'em, you can't work 'em. Tom's (DF2BO) personal support & the OB12-6 have proven their value. I will never regret spending the money on this antenna. 10 Star out of a possible 5 Stars performance, and that is no exaggeration!

Update on 2022/02/24!

Operating from Indiana … Since putting up this antenna in mid-late Nov 2021, I have worked 144 countries with 106 confirmed LOTW, earned DXCC. Has busted through pileups with confirmations from Korea, India, Lebanon, UAE, Turkey, Algeria, Cape Verde, Dodecanese, Egypt, Israel, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Kuwait, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Namibia, Norfolk Island, Pitcairn Islands, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Seychelles, most of Europe, South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, South & Central America! This antenna is unbelievable! Been through two major ice/snow storms & performed with brilliance… no damage whatsoever. The proof is in the puddin’ fellas. Thanks Tom Delta Fox Two Blue Ocean!

UPDATE: 10 STARS IF I COULD!
I have had this antenna up at 51 feet for about a month now. I use an FTDX101MP with an Expert 2K running a kw for pileups. In nearly every instance, I have worked every station in a pileup on the first or second call including United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, and Oman. On two different days, I aimed the beam at Europe on 20m and called CQDX. I was the hunted dxer with pileups for 6-8 solid hours. This has never happened to me in 40 years as a ham! Had 20 minute ragchew qsos with Kuwait & Seychelles Islands (at their desire I might add) with 59+ reports from both. I have constantly heard reports saying I am the strongest USA signal on 20 & 17m from Europe, Africa, New Zealand and Austraila. While Tom sells higher gain, larger antennas, you could not pry this antenna from my dead hands! This antenna has outperformed any antenna I have ever owned including the KT36xa, EA59+, Wilson, Cushcraft … you name them, I’ve had them. The OB12-6 by far is the BEST! Thank you Tom, DF2BO, for a great product & great product support.

Original: I bought the Optibeam OB12-6 to place at 51 feet on my Universal towers 35-40 with one added 10’ base section. The tower was tilted up by crane with all antennas installed. The SWR was just as specified when checked on all bands.
Over the last week, I have worked everything I’ve heard on 17/20/40m! I had reservations about this beam maybe being a compromise, but not anymore.
As a rag chewer, I enjoy chatting with any station I work, including DX stations. Yesterday I had a 30 minute 20m SSB QSO with a South African station …. One of the most memorable contacts in years. All reports have been 59+. This beam is built like a tank and performs like a full size monobander! Tom, DF2BO, has designed another great product in the OB 12-6! Glad I made the decision to buy this antenna! Look forward to many years of great dx with this antenna!
PA3HGT Rating: 2018-05-09
Good performer,build like a tank Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
We replaced the OB9-5 and the OB1-40 which performed flawlessy, for an OB12-6.
For 20 to 10 meters the difference is not big but for 40 is another story (Tom,correct me if i am wrong ;-)
The antenna came in 3 boxes and well packed !
I first noticed the big boom of square 80 mm when i started to asemble the 12-6!
The assembling looks dufficult but when you take the time,everything is going well,took me a few evenings and 2 afternoons to complete the assembling.
When the OB12-6 was installed ,SWR on all bands are good only 10 and 40 meters had to be re-adjusted for SWR.
The SWR of the antenna is dependaple of the aerea where the antenna is installed (60ft/18 mtrs high with an Optibeam OB5-6 (50 Mc) above the OB12-6, 10 ft/3 mtrs space).
Bandwidth is on every band better then on "paper".

Working on 40 meters with this antenna is like a dream,chasing dx on 40 was fun with the OB1-40
but with 2 elements for 40 the real fun starts !
The antenna is well constructed and strong winds are not a problem for this antenna.
We live in a very windy area and NO Optibeam antenna (this is our 4th Optibeam) is lost or damaged in strong winds.

If you want to go for durable like typical German engineering and good performance with a decent and quick support ,buy Optibeam,you can't go wrong with that.
One example of quick support:Tom was going to bed after a long day and he saw my mail.He replied before he was going to sleep.Says enough for me about this great guy.

For more pics/review (dutch written,translator available) of this beautifull antenna but also the OB9-5 and OB1-40 : http://www.pa3hgt.nl/Optibeam.htm

73,Hans,PA3HGT
www.pa3hgt.nl (dutch written,translator available)
ON7GB Rating: 2017-05-26
Best 40m antenna ever used Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
Having worked just about everything on most HF bands in many modes I was looking for a not too large compromise antenna.
The OB12-6 seems like one but really isn't.
It's a superb antenna with incredible performance on 40m and in no way I feel like I've given in on strength on the other bands either.
DF2BO replies almost instantly to any questions you have and is always very helpful!
N1FG Rating: 2017-01-14
Excellent performance Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
Prior to purchasing the OB12-6 I read *everything* that I could find about the antenna, and more importantly, about Optibeam itself. I wanted a capable and reliable design which I could depend on as a multi-band solution with limited requirements for adjustment or maintenance. All my research indicated that Optibeam's reputation was excellent and their products superb performers. (This is just one of the many reviews which attest to that.)

Once I had decided on the OB12-6 I contacted Array Solutions (US dealer) who processed my order quickly and later that day I received an email from Tom (DF2BO) at Optibeam thanking me for my order and providing some installation documentation which I had requested.

When looking at the antenna you would think the assembly process is extremely complex, but in actuality it was very straight-forward in large part due to the design itself. Pre-drilled holes, clearly marked elements, industrial grade hardware all teamed up to make the assembly process a pleasure. I only had one occasion to contact Optibeam as I couldn't find two spacers listed on the parts list which would need to be inserted into the ends of the 17m elements. I received a response just a few minutes after my Friday afternoon email (well after work hours had concluded in Germany) which kindly indicated that the spacers had been pre-installed inside the elements prior to shipping. (I hadn't thought to look there! haha) Great customer service!

So, six months later after all the assembly and installation on the tower how does the antenna work? Absolutely *GREAT* performance and SWR on all six bands! I am no longer surprised at the frequent remarks from contacts "strongest station on the band", or "not hearing any US stations but you". Also, even though this winter has just started, the antenna has already experienced significant ice and snow with no apparent effect to operation and the trussed 20m and 40m elements show no droop whatsoever.

I can't recommend this antenna or company more strongly, and I thank all the hams who have posted reviews as you helped me make a great selection!

73,
Larry KJ1RE
HI8RD Rating: 2014-01-15
Outstanding Multiband Antenna Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
It took me so time to write this review after seven month of using the Optibeam OB-12-6.
I‘ve been a ham since mid seventies and have operated different antennas systems on several locations thru all the years on the hobby.

I am not a contester but during the present stage of my ham life I enjoy the pleasure of working DX. I am focused on improving my station and started with the antenna system. I was clear I needed to replace a multiband hex beam and a 2 elements 40M Hy-Gain monobander using the old linear loading system. I started looking for a multiband antenna that included my favorite band which is 40 meters.

It took me a while looking at different options. I wanted to combine a good quality, compact size with minimum compromise as well as an optimum design on both electrically and mechanically. With this demand in mind I knew the price was not going to be cheap, among various manufacturers, I contacted Optibeam by email and got lots of valuable information from Tom DF2BO, also from Bob W5OV who provided all the pricing and shipping information at Array Solutions who is the US rep for Optibeam Antennas.

After exploring different manufacturers I finally made up de decision to go for the Optibeam OB12-6

ORDERING:
When you go to Optibeam website it is a bit confusing to get a clear idea of how much it will cost you to get the antenna, especially if you are not in Europe to figure out the cost, the shipping and to do the currency conversion, specially for me that have to convert from Dominican Pesos to Dollars and the to Euros. First I contacted Array Solutions in Texas the US and it was fairly smooth to process the order.

SHIPPING AND DELIVERY:
Once the order was placed I received the antenna much earlier than what I expected, the antenna was shipped on April 11 and in the morning of April 15 I got a telephone call from my local airline company at Santo Domingo International airport telling me I had a package from Germany. Great.

PACKING:
The antenna was packed and shipped with the same quality of its design. It came in three boxes, two large very well packed boxes and a third box with the heavy duty balum shipped from Array Solutions. I have to admit that when I opened the boxes I got myself intimidated by the huge amount of parts included, but going thru the instructions included, it was fairly straightforward proccess

Be advised there are many small parts associated with this antenna. In the packets of nuts, bolts and washers extras were included. After checking the parts I kept all parts in the respective bags until ready for use.
I did find a couple of items missing which not sure if were lost in Customs or what. These minor problems were not enough to degrade my evaluation and pure pleasure with the quality and finished of the product. Quality control is up there,

MANUALS & INSTRUCTIONS:
A set of manuals which in first part in German, followed by the English version, it is a single document on both languages, a collections of general pictures, not all is relevant for the OB12-6 which is confusion at the beginning but a detailed schematic drawing showing all dimensions in detail. The manual may be improved in the future by optibeam, but not problems were encountered during assembling process.

ASSEMBLING:
I took me three days dedicating 5-6 hours daily to completely assembly the OB12-6. I used some wooden stands made with 4X4 which were very useful to hold the boom flat in place, and assembling the elements. There were no issues encountered with the elements. All parts and components were very carefully labeled and marked down according their functions.

All the parts and components were marked and labeled as to their function on the antenna.
Boom assembly was perfect: all holes lined-up.
The tubing for each element bundled together for very easy assembly.

TESTING:
After the assembly I performed the initial tests using an antenna analyzer . At about 5 feet high and surrounded by walls and different things around the small garden area it was acceptable SWR readings of about 1.7:1 to a highest of 2.1:1 on the lowest frequency (7MHz). Obviously, I did not expected ideal performance 5ft off the ground.

PERFORMANCE:
My first QSO with the OB12-6 was to Israel, the antenna was about 5 feet above the ground, my report 58, not too bad. Now at a height of 75 feet reports of 59++ are common. But my pleasure is being able to report back signals of 59+ to dipoles, verticals, QRP and mobile stations around the world is just phenomenal.
I work DX stations pounding in like local stations with signal reports well over S 9 plus while they are virtually not hearable on my V inverted dipole about 60 ft.

I am working stations I hardly heard before with outstanding signals, these are few of the countries I am working daily: Japan, New Zealand, Emirates, Hawaii, Arabia, Nigeria, Israel, Sudan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Africa, W. Malaysia, among others and the ability to break pilups it on the first call, I am a believer.

CONCLUSION:
This is a very worthwhile asset to any serious amateur radio operator. After six months of owning and operating the OB12-6 I can only say that I cannot contemplate pursuing the hobby without a valuable piece of hardware like this.
I would not hesitate to recommend the OB12-6 to anyone is serious about a good antenna

I have given this antenna a "5" because of a combination of the antenna design, quality materials used, great customer service, prompt response and attention from its general manager Tom-DF2BO, clear instruction manual, and the excellent performance after 6 months operating the antenna.

And if you can’t tell…I am really enjoying this Optibeam OB12-6, it has renewed the pleasure of this fantastic hobby of ours so ever more enjoyable.
OH1MTS Rating: 2013-01-11
Super Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
My OB6-12 has been up in tower for 3 months and I would like to put out some words.
1, thanks to all my friends in UAE telling “OptiBeams” are the best you can get.
2, thanks to Thomas at OptiBeam for the professional support, support also includes the corrections when customer is making mistakes. Much appreciated when Thomas pointed out from SWR table that my 40m settings for Europe where wrong.
3, thanks to OH6NVC building the tower for me.
4, thanks to OH6RM and group doing the mast installation.
I’m working remotely 95 percent of the time and having a super beam with only one feedline with no need to tune “ oola,oola “ is the way to work.

This week’s reports from USA:
40m “ you can write your own report as it’s so strong”
20m +65db “stronger signal would mean that I need to use Richter’s Scale

All this with 6m (20ft) boom, my next project is to have second tower and 80m beam .

ON7TQ Rating: 2011-12-22
great antenna Time Owned: more than 12 months.
After using the antenna for over a year now, i still love everything on the arial. Reports I get from all over the world proves that the antenna does the work I wanted it to do. Great construction, very solid materials, and not to forget great service from DF2BO Tom. Keep up the good work guys

73
ON7TQ - OQ7T
Roger
W3CF Rating: 2003-11-18
this the Mercedes of Multiband yagi's Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Called Thomas and bought an OB12-6 for our operation at V26DX for CQWW SSB 2003. Not being a techie all I can tell you is that this is the best multi band Yagi I have ever used. I thought my Mosley Pro series was stout but this thing makes it look puny. Pictures of Installation at http://www.v26dx.com . Tom and his wife Dianna came to Antigua to assemble and install the antenna on the roof of an 8 story hi-rise hotel on the west coast of Antigua. Dianna put 90% of the antenna together by herself and this baby smokes!! Precision engineered parts and computer designed modeling and assembly was just outstanding.

We entered contest M/M and about 80 watts to the Optibeam mounted at 137' ASL. An actual salt pond is less than 100' away and the Caribbean less than 300' away. We were able to hold any frequency 10-40 that we wanted even amidst KW alley. Granted the V26DX call sign helps a great deal but we did over 5.7K Q's on the high bands and 40 m and we really never got pushed around.

SWR curves were right out of the installation manual and very impressive. No traps...one feedline....built with precision German engineering....Gotta figure out a way to get this Mosley off my tower and get a OB12-6 HERE..
73 Doug W3CF / V25C@ V26DX
DL2UH Rating: 2003-10-22
A super new 6 band Antenna Time Owned: more than 12 months.
My new antenna (OptiBeam OB 12-6) 6 bands - no tuning - unbeatable performance

Who ever might think that a sixband-Yagi for the bands 40-20-17-15-12-10m can only be a compromise should try the OptiBeam OB12-6.
This trapless Yagi shows amazing performance on any of the 6 bands.

I was using a 2el duo driven DJ4VM multiband quad for about 6 years.
It was a never ending story with tuning, matching, repairing, trying new systematics and what not.
When comparing my dx signal with friends from my surroundings most of the time I had to carry the red laterne. I really was frustrated and tired of all that.

OptiBeam has gained a great reputation all around the world meanwhile. Being on the air I heard more and more happy users of OptiBeam Yagis.
Studying eham.net more and more nice reviews for OptiBeam Yagis show up.
Though I was sceptical. Could that really work? 6 bands with one single coaxial feed line, including 40m, just on a 22 foot boom? Haven’t I heard from so many hams who have just tried 4 banders 40-20-15-10m which never seemed to work properly? And what would happen with the well known interaction between 40m and at least 15m?
I spoke to Tom, known as DF2BlueOcean, President of OptiBeam, who simply offered that he would take the antenna back in case I would be disappointed.

So at the beginning of July 2003 I bought the OB12-6 straight from the OptiBeam factory.
The assembly was easy, everything fits perfectly, only the best material is used, and the 40m elements with the so called „high efficient air coils“ look wonderful.
In the evening the antenna went up to a height of 55 feet, first SWR check, wow, absolutely amazing, all 6 bands just looked perfect, and the 1 : 2 SWR bandwidth on 40m is about 160 khz easily.
In the same night, just with 100 Watts, I worked so much dx like I did not work for many weeks with my quad. Just good conditions at that day?
For sure not. The next day and all the following days until today show, though having the worse location in comparison to several hams in my surroundings, no longer I have to carry the red laterne, in dxing I am equally strong now compared to many guys who have considerably better locations than I.
And on 40m now I beat most of them as I have a 2el Yagi on this band with my OB12-6.

I only can highly recommend this multiband-Yagi, it for sure is no compromise, it is a performer.

Tom, thanks for your good consulting and for delivering this amazing product!