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Reviews For: Hygain TailTwister

Category: Antenna Rotators & Accessories

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Review Summary For : Hygain TailTwister
Reviews: 45MSRP: 649.95
Description:
20 sq. ft. wind load rotator
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.hy-gain.com/products.php?prodid=T-2X
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
00453
KL7GS Rating: 2012-08-03
Not for 4 el SteppIR Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Even though it is rated by the square feet for a 4 element SteppIR, the T2X can be stripped out in a windy area. My T2X has the break delay board installed. Mine T2X first wore out the rheostat wiper, and MFJ said they were putting all their wipers on new units and did not know when they would have one to sell for a repair part. I got the part from a third party supplier. Then the teeth in the lower housing got stripped out. Another ham 5 miles away has his T2X get stripped out when rotating his 4 element SteppIR. Maybe the whipping action of the SteppIR elements cause more torque than the T2X can handle? Both of us use extending towers, so the towers are down during winds over 35 mph. We get 80+ mph winds every year and over 100 mph every 3 or 4 years coming down off the glaciers here in Alaska. We are both going with Orion rotators.

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Earlier 2-star review posted by KL7GS on 2005-05-21

I've replace the pot in the rotor befofre I put a used T2X up in the tower three years ago. I put in Arctic grease and cleaned everything up. I live in Alaska, and we get 100 mph winds every other winter. I usually don't turn the antennas when it is below -20F. Put in the delay board in the controller. It took too many phone calls to MFJ to get parts, I was told they can barely make enough parts for the new rotators. Which means to me that they don't care to keep exisiting customers supplied with parts. The pot has since opened up, and I don't have a working indicator over the full range. Now they will not answer emails, and I'm just left on hold on the phone. After 10 minutes of silence I've hung up twice.
W1BR Rating: 2012-03-25
poor design Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I bought a tower package from a SK estate several
years ago... the package included a Rohn 25 60'
foldover tower and a TX-2 Tailtwister. I went through
the TailTwister completely. Relubed it, and replaced
the problem-plagued terminal strip with an after-
market kit.
After installation, the rotor indicator became very erratic and this has worsened over the years.
The rotor binds at certain beam headings, and I
have to reverse travel to get her going over the
rough spots.
The IdiomPress EXrotor modification has been a
life saver!!!!!!!! Rate the IdiomPress mod with
five stars. I've used older Ham M rotors and TR-44s
for decades, and the TX-2 was no improvement!
N0XM Rating: 2011-12-30
Degraded performance Time Owned: more than 12 months.
As a further update to my July 3, 2010 comments: The performance of the rotator has continued to erode over the 4+ years I've used this device since I acquired it new. Sticks more and more frequently and now the heading indication is no longer linear or acceptably accurate. Frequently the indicator is off by 30 degrees when moving the beam 90 to 180 degrees.

Spent a lot of money for this unit new, and have a beam with a wind loading far below the design limit of the rotator per the OEM specifications.

Wish this unit had worked much better for much longer. Unitl I change it out with another brand, I'll get up from the operating seat in the shack, walk to a window and see where the beam is after I move it.

(One last point, the mast/beam is tight and not slipping.)
ZS1BOB Rating: 2010-08-15
Hygain Tailwister Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
Bought a 'new' second-hand unit, less than a year old. Very good to excellent condition.
On occasion It won't move and I have to climb up and rock the tower to get it going.
My antenna is a TGM-36SR, weighs almost nothing compared to other antennas ;
I suspect a volt drop - power cable is 40m to the rotator with thick wiring & starting capacitor on the rotator.
Going to build a box with relays & feed it with high amperage power-supply.
NE4EB Rating: 2008-09-01
Wouldn't Buy Another One Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I used the TailTwister from 1990-1999 in Florida. It never completely failed, but rocking the antenna from side to side to get the rotator rotating became second nature. It used to lock up all the time. Also, the screw terminal strip on the bottom of the rotator was a nightmare design.

This unit is also overpriced for what you get.
VE2DC Rating: 2007-07-22
Very old technology Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I put one up to turn a small 12-17M beam. Gets the job done, but within a very short time the directional indicator became erratic. Surely after the time this series of rotators has been on the market they could come up with a better directional indication system.
SM7OVK Rating: 2007-05-01
Good rotator Time Owned: more than 12 months.
No rotator will live for ever without any maintenance! The Tailtwister is easy to repair and fix. Some information at my homepage, www.producon.com/sm7ovk/rotator.html
I would buy one again. Have been taken apart two times during 20years of service.
W4ABW Rating: 2007-01-31
Older Tail Twister Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I bought my Tail Twister about 25+ years ago when they were made by CDE in Fuquay, NC. I put it in service in 1994 and its still like new. The new ones don't seem to have the reliability that CDE had. Back then the cost was far less too.
LA5HE Rating: 2007-01-30
1 Time Owned: more than 12 months.
THis was my 2.nd T2XX, purchased in June 2005 at Hamradio in FN. It carries SteppIR 3 ele + OB4030.
First year went ok but in the autum 2006 it became erratic and finally it does not turn any more. I belive either the motor or the gear is kaput ! Now I release the break and turn the antenna by a rope from ground ! This saved the day for the VU7LD/VU7RG and S21XA operations but is not very practical.

An email to the factory brought no response !

I will invest in the Italian rotator once the winter is over. ( Big Boy ! ). Lifetime cost is more relevant than the purchase price IMHO
WF2S Rating: 2006-11-26
Pathetic Product Time Owned: more than 12 months.
This product has been a failure since installation. It fails to work in cold weather because "the gear lubricant becomes stiff" per the Old Hy-Gain tech dept. In July it choses to stick in the NE and we play a rocking CW and CCW game to get it to budge. The cable is fine. A factory exam said all was OK. It replaced a Ham -M for a bigger array - mistake. I also have an Orion 2800 for my real HF array and it is without flaw. The Tail Twister now lives in a box, tucked away form sight and memory. Live and learn !