Towertalk
[Top] [All Lists]

Re: [TowerTalk] antenna choices

To: "towertalk@contesting.com" <towertalk@contesting.com>
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] antenna choices
From: "Bry Carling AF4K" <bcarling@cfl.rr.com>
Reply-to: bcarling@cfl.rr.com
Date: Mon, 13 Apr 2015 07:36:26 -0400
List-post: <towertalk@contesting.com">mailto:towertalk@contesting.com>
Thank you Benedeikt,

Wow, their oPTIBEAM OBW 10-5 MOXON wire beam looks wonderful. I wonder what the 
wind load and price is. I am looking at this on the Array Solutions web site 
but can't seem to 
find out much there.

I will keep searching ON THE WEB for details. 

Brian, AF4K

On 12 Apr 2015 at 13:05, Benedikt Sveinsson wrote:

> I have some comparison
> 
> I had a new model of the TH7DX on a 43ft tower for 4 years - bougth the 
> antenna new from Dxengineering
> 
> In Feb I got a Optibeam OB9-5 
> 
> I really hated putting the TH7DX togeather - and then picking it up after 
> each storm, the build quality was bad, tapering was not done properly so the 
> clamps did not hold the elements properly, so I had to put a screw into every 
> joint.  Trap caps would not stay on, QRO op in rain was troublesome (live 
> close to the sea). The Optibeam was just properly designed and withstood one 
> of the worst storms we had here in decades (gusting over 45m/s) it was so 
> easy to put to gether and no room for error. Just read the rewies on eham.
> 
> On the air, the OB9-5 performs so much better than the TH7DX - that is my 
> feeling albeit bit subjective - It seems to have  much lower angle of 
> radiation. I was sceptical as the OB9-5 only has 2 elements on each band, 
> wheras the TH7DX has 3 or more. But on all bands the OB has outperformed the 
> old design by far. It's very flat over each band in SWR.  So I'm never going 
> back to trapped yagis.  I now have the feeling If I can hear the station, I 
> can work it - and I always get the DX in few calls ;)
> 
> 
> 73, Benni TF3CY
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: TowerTalk [mailto:towertalk-bounces@contesting.com] On Behalf Of Kelly 
> Taylor
> Sent: 10. apríl 2015 18:48
> To: Bry Carling; jim@audiosystemsgroup.com
> Cc: towertalk@contesting.com
> Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] antenna choices
> 
> Again, bad example.
> 
> Cushcraft designs date back decades, in some cases to the 1950s and 60s. The 
> development costs are all paid for.
> 
> As we have seen, and as much as some people choose to disagree, modern 
> antenna designs outperform 50-year-old trap designs. Enough people are 
> willing to help pay for the development costs to get better antennas.
> 
> Any business can only ever sell at a price the market will support. Enough 
> people are buying F12, Optibeam, JK and other brands' antennas the businesses 
> don't need to cut their prices. Those who don't buy their products aren't in 
> enough quantity to force a lowering of price.
> 
> If enough people voted with their feet, these makers would either have to cut 
> their price or go out of business.
> 
> Brian, if enough people are willing to pay you $10 for a crystal, and if you 
> determine that a price cut is NOT going to alter demand for crystals, you're 
> leaving the price at $10, yes?
> 
> 73, kelly
> ve4xt
> 
> 
> On 4/10/15 11:56 AM, "Bry Carling" <bcarling@cfl.rr.com> wrote:
> 
> > Mass production always lowers the price. That is not a fair comparison.
> > Somebody somewhere is quite happily making Cushcraft antennas for a 
> > much lower price than these multi thousand dollar antennas.
> > 
> > Best regards - Brian Carling
> > AF4K Crystals Co.
> > 117 Sterling Pine St.
> > Sanford, FL 32773
> > 
> > Tel: +USA 321-262-5471
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> >> On Apr 10, 2015, at 11:56 AM, Jim Brown <jim@audiosystemsgroup.com> wrote:
> >> 
> >>> On Fri,4/10/2015 8:08 AM, Bry Carling wrote:
> >>> It seems like very few antennas are affordable to the average ham.
> >>> 
> >>> It seems like they need some competition. With prices in the 
> >>> multiple thousands of dollars for a few aluminum tubes somebody 
> >>> could make lot of money by being less expensive...
> >> 
> >> When we buy a product, we are paying for design, manufacturing, 
> >> marketing, shipping, documentation, and support. None of that is free.
> >> 
> >> Want to reduce the cost of an antenna? No problem. Pull out the ARRL 
> >> Antenna Book, pick a design, order the hardware, and build it. Or get 
> >> some version of NEC and design it yourself.
> >> 
> >> While you're at it, keep track of the number of hours you spend. From 
> >> the cost of those overpriced antennas, subtract what you paid for 
> >> materials, and divide that number by the number of hours. Chances are 
> >> it will be less than what you could make flipping burgers at McDonalds.
> >> 
> >> 73, Jim K9YC
> >> _______________________________________________
> >> 
> >> 
> >> 
> >> _______________________________________________
> >> TowerTalk mailing list
> >> TowerTalk@contesting.com
> >> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/towertalk
> > _______________________________________________
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > _______________________________________________
> > TowerTalk mailing list
> > TowerTalk@contesting.com
> > http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/towertalk
> > 
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> 
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> TowerTalk mailing list
> TowerTalk@contesting.com
> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/towertalk


_______________________________________________



_______________________________________________
TowerTalk mailing list
TowerTalk@contesting.com
http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/towertalk

<Prev in Thread] Current Thread [Next in Thread>