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Reviews For: OptiBeam OB1-30 (30m shortened rotary dipole)

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

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Review Summary For : OptiBeam OB1-30 (30m shortened rotary dipole)
Reviews: 7MSRP: 400
Description:
High efficient 30 meters shortened rotatable dipole, like the OB1-40 almost lossfree reduced in size due to the "OptiBeam Air Coil" .
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.optibeam.de
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
0075
KM9E Rating: 2024-03-11
The OB1-30 & Optibeam is the real deal! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
First, I wish to state that I have not been paid or receive any incentives to write this review. I had bought an OB1-40 some time ago. It performed & was built so well, that I was sold on Optibeam and purchased an OB12-6. This antenna has two elements on 40, so I didn’t need the OB1-40 & took it down. However, the OB12-6 doesn’t have 30m.
I contacted Tom, DF2BO, by email to see what it require (money and parts) to convert the OB1-40 into an OB1-30. Within 4 hours, I received a response from Tom! He stated that no parts or added expense was needed. He sent me the dimensions for the OB1-30. No new coils would be needed … only had to cut down the different sections to the new lengths. He also suggested going to the 1:2 balun, as I could only get the OB1-30 7-8 feet above the OB12-6.
I originally tried this on a pole and rotor about 25-28 ft above ground with dismal results. It was a cloud warmer. I contacted Tom once again about my plight. He said I must get it above the beam. He looked at my qrz page & suggested sending a tower guy up, standing on the OB12-6, and mounting as high as he could get it, while strapped to the mast. Well, I found a certified and insured tower guy with giant “coconuts” who was willing to do the job for $150. DEAL … at 67 years old, I now work smarter not harder!
The tower crew showed up last Friday morning, and the job was complete in under an hour. He mounted it to the mast, ran the preattached LMR 400 ultraflex down to the top of the tower where it was connected to the 7/8” heliax and sealed.
To my surprise initial test revealed no interaction with the beam and flat SWR across the 30m band. Now for the real test … would it work on the air. I started making contacts on both cw and FT-8 (like watching paint dry on the wall). By Monday night, I had 57 countries CONFIRMED on LOTW using the OB1-30! You bet your bippie this thing works! It has virtually no wind load and performs unbelievably!
It’s not just the antenna, its the fantastic customer support of Optibeam … not from some tech support department … from Df2BO (Tom), the owner of the company … within hours of sending my emails every single time! He could have had me purchase another antenna, but he didn’t. Optibeam is built like a tank and outperforms any antenna I have ever owned. In this case, you DO get what you pay for & then some. Thank you Tom for bringing ham radio to a new level of excellence! OPTIBEAM for life.

Update 3/21/23 —- Can’t say enough good about Tom & this antenna. Just since putting it up at 57’ several months ago, I have LOTW confirmed 104 countries. If you can’t get a 30m beam up, this is THE way to go. 100-200 watts, 2-3 months — 104 countries —- need I say more. That doesn’t even take into the fantastic personal support from Tom, DF2BO. This is a case you in which you get MORE than you pay for!

Update on 3/9/24 — still amazed at this rotatable dipole. Troublefree, and absolutely performs when I make a call. Easily covers entire band without tuner. Have now confirmed 175 countries on 30m. Thanks for an outstanding product Tom, Df2BO!
DL4HG Rating: 2018-10-25
Good simple antenna Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
I put the new Optibeam OB-30 on my tower in summer this year. It is 2m obove my triband yagi and Tom from Optibeam recommended to use a 1:2 Balun to load the low impedance of the dipole.

The antenna has a very good quality and low swr and is working really good.

Well done Optibeam !

IK2WSO Rating: 2017-10-30
Powerful antenna. German Mechanical Construction Quality Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
My ob 30-1 is just 2 meters high from the x7 for this reason Tom suggested the use of a balun 1: 2
Antenna arrived in very few days with bomb-proof packaging.
Detailed instructions, very easy to build with precise and well-matched pieces.
Very robust mechanics
Mounting time of about 1 hour
Just positioned on the tower Ros Plate on the whole band (swr 1, 4)
Turn on the radio and in the first 30 minutes of trial have gone to log 3c1l and vk9cz
I have performed a comparative proof in reception between inverted v full size dipole and ob 30-1. Ob 30-1 always has higher signals up to + 3 points S on some stations.
I would say that I am very pleased. The price is justified by project quality, design and customer service always present. Tom responded to my mails in a very short time, including Saturday and Sunday.
Great antenna with very high performance
HB9ANM Rating: 2012-09-01
Amazing! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Assembling the OB1-30 was a breeze, the manual is very well done and everything fits together nicely. I like the way the tubes are bolted together - a simple, but very efficient, reliable system. It took a little more than an hour to put it together and install it on my tower (at 45 ft). Then came the big surprise: signals came in about two S points stronger than with the inverted vee. My first QSO was with a JA. Then I called CQ DX - and generated a small pileup! This antenna makes me feel like a big gun... A shortened dipole? Yes, but the low-loss coils make all the difference!

I can only recommend this antenna and add another 5 stars to the many stars OptiBeam already has on eham.net. Thanks, Tom, for an outstanding product and service.

best 73
Richard - HB9ANM
ON4CCP Rating: 2007-05-08
super ! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Not that much to say, except that this is again Optibeam Quality

assembly : about 45 minutes, tower mounting included
swr : 1.2:1

I just tested the antenna (only 11m high due to high winds) during 30 minutes with 1KW:
36 QSO's made : 17x JA, 4x PY, 1x ZL and 14 european stations contacted.

Of course on 30m everyone plays in CW, but for me this proves the OB1-30 efficiency.

Thanks Tom for the nice design !

73s Koen
OT1A/ON4CCP
DL1EJA Rating: 2007-02-27
technology on its best Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I have this dipole mounted together with OB1-40 on a boom section about 2m on top of a OB-11-5 about 20m over ground. It is really a amazing, how easy it is to assable and to use. Worked 5 new DXCC (#244) in the first week: This one is a pileup killer!
SV1BYI Rating: 2006-03-10
I LOVE OPTIBEAM Time Owned: more than 12 months.
All what I have said in my review regarding the OB1-40 I can say about the OB1-30 as well. I have no space for a 40/30m Yagi, if so, for sure I had the OB4030 up on my tower.
But the OB1-30 already makes you feel like being one of the louder stations on 30m, it seems to be much more than just a rotary dipole. And what I have said concerning my OB1-40 counts here as well, without any doubts for me it is like day and night comparing the OB1-30 to a lossy vertical or a poor inverted vee.
Dxing with the 1-30 is fun. As short as the element is, the secret again is the high Q coil which is used to shorten the element, and which is the same coil used on the OptiBeam 40m element, a real piece of art.
Since I have the OB1-30 up on my tower I enjoy dxing on 30m, I have directivity, apparently I have a loud signal, and so I have a lot of fun. You want to work more than 245 countries within two years on 10 MHZ? Then go ahead and install an OB1-30