Manager


Manager - NA4M
Manager Notes

Reviews For: Hygain TailTwister

Category: Antenna Rotators & Accessories

eMail Subscription

Registered users are allowed to subscribe to specific review topics and receive eMail notifications when new reviews are posted.
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
K9XK Rating: 2003-06-26
Some of it is GREAT Time Owned: more than 12 months.
As many of these reviews seem to indicate, if there is a weak area on this system it's the control box. The rotator itself is fantastic, IMO. My setup is somewhat stressful to the mechanism, in that there is a reasonable amount of slop between the mast and its hole in the top tower section. Granted, the mast is only about 5 or six feet long but the antenna is big. The rotator still works perfectly every time after ten years in the Chicago weather extremes. No grunts or groans.

The control box seems to be somewhat cheaply manufactured and I have had niggling problems with it but it does do its job.
W6ED Rating: 2003-03-29
Poor materials Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I have 2 tailtwisters. one as backup. I turn 16 sq ft of antennas. largest is 20m 4el with 34' boom. Averge life about 1 year before ring gear teeth rip out Rotor doctor rebuilt last one and installed heavy duty gears, but still had failure of ring gear. Had one failure of spur gear also. Had same problems with Ham 2 rotators, failure of ring gear. All terminal strips rusted out quickly replace with straight length of cable with twistlocks on ends.
VA6DX Rating: 2003-03-29
Completely unreliable as a work horse!!! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
The only reason I gave it a 1/5 instead of a 0/5 is because it actually did turn the arrays for a while. My first Tailtwister turned a small A4 with a few other VHF/UHF yagis. Worked fine for a few years but had trouble turning the array in extreme cold wx. Also had trouble with the brake release at times. Over the next few years of operation, I had a hard time getting it to turn in any wx condx. It soon required "rocking" back and forth to get it to move. Replaced with another brand.
Still have a tailtwister on the 4 VHF yagi array and now having the same problems with this rotor as I did on the HF tower.
After seeing what Don VE6JY is using at his superstation, I was sold on what model I was buying to replace both rotors. I've helped Don over the years putting up some of his large antennas. These monsters require something dependable so he's replaced his many failing tailtwisters with the Alfaspid rotor which has none of the downfalls the tailtwister has and turns 2 or 3 times more than a tailtwister.
In my opinion, the best place for the Tailtwister is the garbage can!!!

Barry VA6DX
K5NT Rating: 2002-06-06
Good service for 21 Yrs. Time Owned: more than 12 months.
My TailTwister was installed in 1981, and has given great service. It is showing its age a bit, but I appreciate its reliability and the way it has withstood our frequently strong Texas winds.
GW0GEI Rating: 2002-03-16
Unreliable Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I have to agree with W1UF's comments. I have found the T2x to be very unreliable. The pot failed after three years use, and the cut off switch also failed. After a further years use the new pot has failed and three gears have stripped. I have had problems with MFJ gear before but this unit was bought before they took over Hygain. I would certainly not buy another T2X and, due to the cost of getting parts shipped over to the UK, I will be selling it for scrap the next time something goes wrong with it. I have never over loaded my T2x - it turns a TH7 and 8Y for 6m - Contrast this experience with the 15 years plus service I have had from my lowly Kenpro kr400rc, which has been overloaded for most of its long life, and has only failed when hit by lightening. My advice is go for another make (Create? proistel? M2 etc)
KA0JW Rating: 2001-07-01
Terrible workmanship Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
I bought a TX-2 to replace my HD-73 rotor and was dissapointed in the quality(or lack there of)of the control box ,heres what I found: 1) globs of loose solder rattling around on the inside of the box. 2) control was wired wrong internally for
clockwise and counter-clockwise rotation. 3)The meter movment IS NOT r.f. shielded ,it moves when I transmit on any band. 4)The backlighting of the meter display is a joke,the meter they used is not manufactured to be backlighted so they positioned the light bulb to shine down on the front of the meter causing shadows on the meter face. I'm very dissapointed in the TX-2 ,had I known it was an MFJ product I wouldnt have bought it.In my opinion you should buy some other brand of rotator untill MFJ gets its act together.(if ever)
W1UF Rating: 2000-03-19
Amazing what Hams put up with--even myself. Time Owned: unknown months.
I have two QTH's in Massachusetts. Both have towers and beams and have been up for several years. I wanted the most reliable rotor and selected the TailTwister at both sites. I now own three of them since I always have to keep an extra around as a spare. Here are the problems:

Units last about 3-4 years when the pot fails causing the indicator to be inop. After about 5 years the terminal strip rusts out and needs to be replaced. All units have brake release problems and need to be "rocked" at times, more often in winter. (and almost always when the DX is in the other direction!) Limit switches fail.

I replaced the T2X in the home QTH with a Yaesu G-1000SDX.. It has been up for about a year and is a pleasure. I shall do the same at QTH 2 this summer.

My advice: The T2X is of poor basic design. When you buy it you are buying trouble.
WA2BPE Rating: 2000-03-19
A good rotator but with problems common to all thi Time Owned: unknown months.
I have been using the CDR/Telex line for > 10 years with relatively few problems. They are all, however, subject to the same problems, e.g., the indicator pot becoming unreliable and noisy is the commonest fault with intermittent "lock up" the next (gears or wedge? - not sure). The biggest problem today is the acquisition of the line by MFJ and the unbelievable lack of spare parts. Last October, I resorted to a repair using a motor from a "junker" as a last resort - Winter comes early in the Northeast; RotorDoc (a very reputable dealer/repair center) was unable to get parts and at last check, the situation was not much better. I hope that aspect improves for a fine line of trustworthy, USA made rotators. No flames, please - I was virtually burned at the stake some time ago for even suggesting that there was a problem with credibility. My argument has, unfortunately, proved itself to be correct. We *need* a source/line of reasnonably priced USA made rotators!! Perhaps MFJ bit off a bit more than they could chew with their expansions; credibility and trust are earned; a difficult task once damaged.
W9PVD Rating: 1999-12-07
A very dependable rotator Time Owned: unknown months.
I have had mine up since 1983, it turns a Cushcraft A-4, 13 el. Boomer and hasn't failed, even in Wisconsin's coldest winters (-40 Deg). Installed a home brew "aimer" that does all the work. wouldn't be without it.
K1VC Rating: 1999-12-07
18 years and still turning Time Owned: unknown months.
I bought my T2X new 18 years ago. It's been turning a KT-34A which was later upgraded to a KT-34XA which was later joined by a CC A3WS. Never had problems with the rotor. I would only change one thing....add presets.

----------------------
Earlier 5-star review posted by K1VC on 1999-12-07

I bought my T2X new 18 years ago. It's been turning a KT-34A which was later upgraded to a KT-34XA which was later joined by a CC A3WS. Never had problems with the rotor. I would only change one thing....add presets.