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write your own review of the Hygain Ham IV.
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KE4WY
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Rating: 5/5
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Sep 14, 2009 06:00
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Just keeps on turning
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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Well I bought my Ham IV in 1982 when it was CDE before Hy gain bought them out and it's turned several beams over the past 27 years with the heaviest weighing 105 pounds. It's been trouble free other than changing a metering bulb in the control box.
I have thought about having it rebuilt since it's 27 years old but why mess with a perfectly working rotor.
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K9FON
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Rating: 5/5
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Sep 13, 2009 20:10
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Look for an older one
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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My H-4 is from 1994 or so and has never failed once. I have heard the new MFJ made rotators are cheaply made as compared to the older Hy Gain "made in Nebraska" rotators. My H-4 used to turn an Avanti Moonraker 4 beam when i lived at home and was on CB (yeah yeah i know) and now turns a Cushcraft A-4 tribander. I know a ham that has one that he bought in 1980 and had never been taken down, until recently. He moved and had his Kt34 and the rotator removed. He regreased and cleaned the H-4 and it still works 100%. I just hope my H-4 lasts another 15 years.
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K5ADF
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Rating: 5/5
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Apr 2, 2009 16:01
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great service so far!
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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Reading the last few reports about the Ham series rotors, It has made me wonder. I have a Ham 3 rotor that I put up on the tower in 1978 turning a 10 element 6m array and 2m 10 element twist. It is still operational with its medal clad controller. No repairs needed. The 6m array was replaced with a 5 element in 2002.
In 1999 I decided a dipole and vertical was not enough for HF, so I put up another tower with a Ham IV rotor that I bought reconditioned from Norm's rotor service saving $$ over a new one. It is turning a cushcraft 3 element array (another story about the yagi). I have not had a problem with the newer rotor. Unfortunately I cannot say the same about the HF yagi.
I do not have any RFI problems with the rotor controllers even though the new controller has a plastic case and is physically setting immediately under the 600 watt HF amp on the next lower shelf with two inch vertical clearance.
Living in San Antonio, we do not have the harsh conditions that the northern tier of the country experiences. We do have high wind at times, rain and sometimes hail. Snow and ice are foreign concepts to us!
I would recommend the Ham IV rotor for use down here in the southwest.
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WW0D
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Rating: 1/5
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Apr 2, 2009 13:53
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Look Elsewhere for a Rotor.
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Time owned: 3 to 6 months
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I've been licensed since 1970 and am using my third HAM-IV rotor. My new 40-15 Universal tower and HAM-IV rotor and Cushcraft 3-element tri-band yagi antenna system were installed last October. We live in an area in Minnesota where the winds blow 20 to 30 mph with gusts into the 40 mph range. My rotor quit working in March after 6 months of use and now my beam is locked in a SE position. I get excellent signal reports from Florida, Georgia, the Carolinas, etc. but not much else. I had similar non-functioning issues with HAM-IV rotor #2 and considered using something else last fall but decided to go with it again. Big mistake! The ultimate consumer question is "would you buy that product again" and my response to anyone is "definitely not"!
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W8SPM
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Rating: 5/5
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Feb 10, 2008 06:29
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Good Product
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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I have had 3 Ham 4 Rotors in 30 years of Ham Radio! I ordered a new Ham 4 from R+L Electronics in Dec 2007! When it arrived I had no parts bag or Instruction Manual? I called MFJ and talked to the Service Department ! In 3 days I had the parts and information I was lacking!
The problem was corrected very quickly and there have been several Upgrades to this rotor !
Anyone considering buying a rotor should consider the Ham 4 ?
Sam W8SPM Parkersburg,WV
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KC9GUZ
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Rating: 5/5
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Nov 3, 2007 11:50
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Great!!!!!
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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Back in 1995 i bought a H4 to replace a CD 45II that i had. I got the H4 simply because it had a break. The rotor was up a solid 12 years with no problems. I just recently removed my old tower and rotator that sat at my folkses unused and after rewiring the rotator to the control box it still works F/B. This after the rotator sat up in the tower unused and never turned for almost 5 years! Thats called longevity! I dont know if that can be said for the newer MFJ made rotators. Ive heard and read about some real horror storys about the new Ham 4s.
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W3XAF
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Rating: 2/5
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Aug 10, 2007 12:19
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RFI Problems
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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I bought a brand-new Hy-Gain Ham IV Rotor and used it to rotate my MFJ-1775 rotatable dipole antenna.
I had no problems with the rotor. It worked fine but every time I transmitted, the directional needle in the Ham IV controller box would move about five degrees up & down. Even though I placed the ON/OFF Switch to the OFF position, the needle would still move when I transmitted. Finally my controller stopped working and I sent it back to Hy-Gain for warranty repairs. According to Hy-Gain, I burned up three transistors and three solid state control circuits.
After I got the repaired controller box back from Hy-Gain, I placed ferrite rings on the control cable leading to the controller and I also placed ferrite rings on the controller power cable. This solution dampened the needle swings to about three degrees up & down. When I removed the control cable from the back of the controller, the needle would not move at all when I transmitted. Therefore, I isolated the problem to RFI on the control cable.
Then I noticed that the Ham IV Rotor Directional Controller Plus case was made out of PLASTIC instead of metal. A plastic case affords zero RFI protection. To solve the problem, I placed aluminum foil around the entire plastic case and aluminum foil around the control cable and then grounded the aluminum foil.
I no longer have an RFI problem when I transmit.
When I telephoned Hy-Gain Tech Support and told them about my problem & solution, they replied that they never heard of this problem before.
I would appreciate any comments from Hy-Gain Ham IV Rotor users concerning similar problems.
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N2CLB
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Rating: 5/5
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Feb 8, 2007 18:30
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the best
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Time owned: 3 to 6 months
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i got a rebuilt one off of qth and have used for about 3 months now it is not a mfj and it has been rebuilt but i do not know how old it is and it is by far the best rotor i have ever used
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N5JFJ
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Rating: 5/5
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Dec 5, 2006 04:10
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AWESOME!!!
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Time owned: 6 to 12 months
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I've used Hygains Rotors for years BUT...this time I purchased a Ham IV that needed cleaned up as it had been stored for years. As I was using my Drimmel tool to clean away the oxidation on the bottom the Date code was 1983. Long story short, and happy to say I cleaned and hooked this puppy up and AWAY SHE WENT...works like the work horse I always knew with the Ham IV! So if a Ham IV at 23 years old is still a ticking and working this way (and I know it wasn't rebuilt as it belonged to my brother) then this product STILL certainly has my RESPECT. GOD BLESS YOU and 73 DE N5JFJ
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WA8NWN
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Rating: 5/5
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Aug 17, 2006 20:36
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Unbelievable
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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Had mine since 1978 turning a Mosley TA33 Junior. No problems at all with anything.
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