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Re: [TowerTalk] Cushcraft Parts From MFJ

Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Cushcraft Parts From MFJ
From: Chuck <Chuck@dxham.net>
Date: Wed, 24 Nov 2010 13:30:39 -0600
List-post: <towertalk@contesting.com">mailto:towertalk@contesting.com>
On 11/24/2010 1:00 PM, Larry & Karen wrote:

Not like those made in Lincoln  
I've always loved HyGain antenna's and products. Living in the Midwest, 
not too far to their old assembly plant in Lincoln, Nebraska was nice. I 
got to visit their facility on many occasions so when I decided to get 
back into 6 meters, after a long absence, I immediately thought of 
putting up a HyGain 6M antenna, so I called  Burghardt's and they sent 
me one right down.

The antenna LOOKED just like the ones made in Lincoln so I proceeded 
with the assembly and installation. Many small parts and lots of 
measurements and adjustments later, I had the beam mounted atop my 100ft 
tower. The antenna performed as I expected a 4el beam to perform. SWR 
was reasonable.....for awhile.

Here on the plains of Western Iowa, we get frequent high winds and many 
storms. One day, I decided to get on 6 meters and make some contacts and 
my SWR was way out of whack. I went out back to the tower and saw that 
half of one of the elements was totally MISSING! I found it out in the 
corn field a little ways from my tower.

Unfortunately, after dropping the antenna down and replacing the element 
with one I had on-hand, we reinstalled it only to have a different 
element break off a couple weeks later! All in all, I lost 4 half 
elements in less than 6 months. We yanked it down, boxed it up and off 
it went back to Burghardt's! What a wonderful company! Jim credited me 
the full price towards a new 5 element M2 6M5X beam, which I installed 
in the spring. What a difference! The M2 antenna has been up for 8 years 
now and performs flawlessly!

Sorry MFJ. Your QC on your antennas just isn't what it was when HyGain 
was in Lincoln, Nebraska.

Chuck  KØTVD


> I have to agree with Ted on the quality of MFJ.  I have had both the old and
> the new Hy Gain for example and my experience with the new has never been
> good.  They have cheapened the HY Gain line to the point where it is
> basically junk.  You might argue that it's priced fairly reasonably for
> entry level hams, but if they have to keep repairing equipment they will
> soon be turned off, maybe to ham radio altogether.  For example, I can
> understand and element breaking off in high winds, but the last two feet of
> the element out at the end?  Twice?  Take a six foot section of the boom of
> any MFJ/HY Gain tribander and hold it in one hand and in the other hold the
> exact same piece of an actual HY Gain boom from the past and tell me which
> one you want to put in the air.  No contest.
> 73, Larry  K0IS

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