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write your own review of the Hy-Gain DX88.
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HB9PL
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Rating: 4/5
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May 21, 2012 10:11
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Performs fairly well
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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I've purchased my DX-88 some years as there was no alternative for the installation of a directional antenna. Mounted on a corrugated tin-plated steel roof it is very good performer on 40 and 30 meters. Average on 80, 20, 17 and 15. Usable on 12 and 10 meters, but then what can you expect from a multiband vertical?
The narrow bandwidth on 80 meters is a disadvantage, but the problem was successfully eliminated with a remote-controlled variable capacitor connected parallel to the 80 m coil which is next to the base (See my article on page 36 of QST, February 2006) With this modification, I can easily tune the antenna over the entire 80 m band for lowest SWR.
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KA2X
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Rating: 4/5
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Jan 14, 2011 18:35
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Re-furbing my 20+ year old DX-88
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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After experiencing SWR jumps that required more & more frequent re-tuning of my DX-88, I took it completely apart for an inspection & a good cleaning. I found the main cause of the problem to be a badly corroded connection in the base assembly. This was caused by a missing screwhead which was broken off the screw that connects the base tubing to the coax terminal. I re-built the base using parts available from Hy-Gain.
Then, to complete the re-furb,:
- I replaced any of the stainless hardware & clamps that were stained.
- I scrubbed all the mating aluminum surfaces down to bare metal using red Scotch-Brite pads(available in the paint section of your Hardware Store).
- I coated all mating aluminum & stainless surfaces with aluminum oxide inhibitor - like NOALOX OR PENTROX (available in the electrical section of your Hardware Store).
Total cost was around $100 & about a week's labor plus another week waiting for parts.
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KB6HRT
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Rating: 5/5
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Nov 23, 2009 11:48
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Very GOOD antenna
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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Over all this is a very good antenna, the DX88 works very well on all bands tested, It replaced an R-8 antenna that worked well on 6-40M I now have 80M with the DX88 and can add 160M down the road, The DX88 compares very well with 2 dipoles I have on the property, this antenna was easy to tune, I was going to put up another antenna I had already installed around 80 radials in the yard, radials help any vertical a lot as I found out with the R-8 which I have been using for about 4 years. The R-8 does not require radials, but I moved it to the center of the radial field a week before I installed the DX88 for comparison to see how it would perform, it sure woke up the R-8, then when I installed the DX88 it performed as well as the R-8 on most of the higher bands but on 40M it surpassed the R-8 on 40M and I now have a good 80M option for 80M at night time that is right up there with my 2 dipoles. I am very happy with the DX88. I have had a R-6000 a MFJ P 6-20 vertical another R6000 an a Screwdriver antenna on the roof and a R-8 ground mounted with out and with radials and now the DX88. The radials made a bigger difference than the type of antennas used but the DX88 when to gather easy an tune easy............KB6HRT
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AB7R
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Rating: 5/5
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Sep 28, 2006 10:38
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Strong antenna
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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I had this antenna for a few years and worked great with a good radial system.
Found it to be very stout and strong. But replaced it with a BigIR vertical.
Fred...cannot find an email address for you. Contact me at ab7r@cablespeed.com. I have a new condition base section for the DX-88 (pre MFJ). You may be able to use it to fix yours.
GL
Greg
AB7R
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KA1YUW
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Rating: 5/5
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Jul 23, 2003 23:06
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Great Antenna
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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I have owned this antenna for many years now. It does what Hy-Gain advertises. I have worked a lot of dx on all bands. I have 50 radials, 14 feet long. Someday I plan to get the 160 meter addon.
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VK2CZ
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Rating: 5/5
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Nov 19, 2002 21:38
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Good starter
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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It is a good all-rounder, but lacked that 'spark' performance I was wanting. Two things I did to it which may not be everyones cup of tea:
1. I removed the 10m trap and replaced it with a 700mm tube section. 10m performance is abysmal in all verticals, plus I have a 16m yagi on 10m. Interestingly, the only other band tuning affected by this mod was 30m, and the antenna sleeving on the 30m adjustments just makes it.
2. Mounted the feed point about 3m above ground, and had all the radial catenary down to the ground. It's a bush block and plenty of space.
This made the antenna physically longer which noticably improved its TX perforamnce on all bands. The higher feedpoint improved DX signals noticably. The only other note was about the weak base tubing. I used the old capacitor clamp off the 10m section to bolt the 40/80m capacitors to the main support boom in TWO places. Much more rigid and no guy's.
A tiny design flaw too. In VK we can run 400w on 30m (unlike 200w in the USA), so those itty-bitty coax capacitors do heat up.
If I work you on 80~12m this is it. David Burger VK2CZ, Sydney
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VK8NAT
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Rating: 5/5
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Jul 25, 2002 04:11
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Great value... and performance!
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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As others have said it is hard to give a vertical a 5.... BUT! The DX88 was a piece of cake to put together; easy to errect; a snap to connect and worked without any problems! This is the second DX88 I've owned.... the first one was used for about 6 years without any issues and excellent performance, and then like an idiot I sold it to "upgrade"..... disheartened by poor performance I lost the ham bug.... then bought a Yaesu FT817.... and a secondhand DX88.... and bang! My first contact was with a NZ on 21MHz at 5 watts..... I haven't looked back since and have been enjoying the ability to contact almost anyone I transmit to!! Isn't that the job of an antenna??? The the Hygain does the job VERY well!
Cheers,
vk8nat
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WB2WIK
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Rating: 3/5
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Dec 21, 2000 13:08
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Complex and weak
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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I installed a DX-88 a few years ago for a friend, AB6XF. Having installed hundreds of antennas over the past 30 years, this was not a big deal. Assembly was time-consuming, and one piece of tubing was factory-supplied as the wrong length, per the directions. I happened to have an equal section of aluminum tubing in my "antenna graveyard", and cut it to the right length per the instructions, and used that, instead. When tipping the large vertical up into position (its base attached to a strong roof tripod), I noted the tubing near the base took a small permanent bend, indicating this model would probably not take strong winds without guying. I lowered the vertical and attached three guy ropes (3/32" braided Dacron) about one-third of the way up the antenna, and then re-installed it, pulling the ropes to make it vertical. I installed four insulated wire radials per band, using 5-conductor flat rotor cable with individual wires cut to the formula lengths. Performance was average for a 25' long multiband vertical, no better nor worse than other similar units tried. But it's disappointing to find that an antenna definitely needs guy supports when this is not mentioned in any advertising or literature; this disclosure could make the difference between an intelligent product selection and an unwise one.
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K0DKJ
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Rating: 5/5
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Dec 21, 2000 00:39
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Good ant.
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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About four years ago I had one for about 6 weeks,
then sold it. (Won it as a prize). I've been
kicking myself ever since ! Side question: Will
MFJ ever market a good antenna rather than the
toy wire stuff they now have ?
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W7ZR
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Rating: 4/5
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Jun 8, 2000 19:42
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One of Better Verticals
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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Hard to rate a vertical a 5 but this one comes close. I have used this vertical on several dxpeditions where it performed flawlessly. This is a 160 (with optional kit) thru 10 including all of the WARC bands. It is a KW+ antenna that works well when tuned. Take your time tuning and measuring each band and you will be very happpy. Mechanically good electrically good. I did put some external relays on it to handle switching in the 160 section and that worked good too. Overall can't go wrong with this antenna if you are in the market for a vertical.
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