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Reviews For: Yaesu G-800DXA

Category: Antenna Rotators & Accessories

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Review Summary For : Yaesu G-800DXA
Reviews: 25MSRP: 409
Description:
The Yaesu G-800DXA is a medium duty antenna rotator featuring automatic brake release, 450° rotation, overlap indicator, preset control, variable speed control, slow start/stop, and more. The illuminated control box has 360 degree readout, with moveable beam heading template. Supplied with weather-proof motor connector and quick-connect control plug for quick and trouble-free connection.
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.yaesu.com/
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
23254.1
W4RAR Rating: 2007-02-12
a few faults Time Owned: more than 12 months.
This rotor works ok but a couple of things that really need improvement. Like everyone else wrote the connector for the control cable is the worst, a child could have designed something that would work better. I've also had problems with the presets they never seem to return back to the point you set em. Idiom press makes an upgrade board for rotor control other than that guess its ok
W7IS Rating: 2005-08-28
Old World Technology Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
The G800DXA is basically a well made product. The two way adjustable mast clamps can be adjusted for most any size mast by using the built in size markings. Although trying to see the marks and adjust it while standing at the top of a tower wouldn’t be the easiest process. Fortunately I had the top 8 ft of the tower at ground level and was able to perform all the rotator adjustments at ground level before final assembly of the tower. I found all the factory adjustments to be very close -- requiring only minor changes. A total of five pots to adjust on the back of the controller. There are two things I don’t like about these Yaesu series of rotators:
1.They use a pot in the rotator that controls a slave motor in the controller to show the ant position. It would be great of Yaesu updated their line of rotators to be all digitally controlled. The salve motor in the controller is just a trouble spot for later problems. And its old world technology not up to today’s standards.
2.The small connector that attaches the rotator cable to the back of the controller is very cheap and cheesy. It’s supposed to be crimp on pins and I found them to be totally inadequate. I soldered the pins but the cheesy connector is such poor construction that I plan to later solder the cable directly to the inside of the rotator. And use a proper external cable connector. I’ve already had problems with a bad connection due to this poor quality connector. The other connector at the rotator is weather sealed and good quality. But it does take a very steady hand to solder the tiny pins. Yaesu should have provided an option of purchasing a ready made 125 ft cable like what comes with the G2800DXA.
I used it with the Yaesu GS-065 Thrust bearing and it’s the best designed thrust bearing I’ve ever come across. The speed control is very handy and on fast speed it will turn the rotator 90 degs in 10 seconds. It would have been lots better if there were more than one adjustable preset. But that wont happen till Yaesu upgrades these old analog rotators to be digitally controlled. Other than what is mentioned above, it does the job very well. And dosnt have the loud clunk of the brake that the Ham IV rotators have. Every time I used the old Ham IV rotator it used to wake up the neighbors
N6AJR Rating: 2005-07-11
works for me Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Mine is actually the g-800 sdx, older model of the same rotor. it does well with my 3 ele steppir on a 15 foot roof tower. The preset is hands and also the speed control helps with torque on the tower ( also the auto soft stop on the preset.) I live in a really windy area and use the preset to park it when I am done. it seems to do everything I need. Its a rotor and it turns the antenna.. what else is there to do??
KG4TBQ Rating: 2005-07-11
great rotor Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I've owned this rotor before. It's a great rotor. I didn't have any problems with it. I like the preset because I could set it to a specific location to go to if I just wanted to talk to someone I usually talk to. Just push the button and it goes.It's no big deal though.Just a neat little feature. The extra 90 degree over lap is great also. It really saves you from spinning the rotor completely around just to get to someone.
W6VA Rating: 2004-08-15
Poor Presets Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I would have rated this higher except for the poorly designed preset control. One should expect better from a rotator in this price range but the presets are like an afterthought add on.
The preset markings are difficult to read and have almost no resolution. Each marking is 30 deg and is way too course for accurate beam headings. You very rarely can pinpoint the correct heading. The actual markings are a dull orange on black which is really hard to read, especially at night with normal illumination. The knob itself has almost no way to indicate where it is pointing. Only a slightly raised bump. Why couldn't they have put a white line for easy visual reference. Will have to get white out and paint it on.

As for ease of installation they make you wire bulky plugs which make it very difficult to test the system before final installation since once the plug is on you have a much harder time pulling it through conduit or through a hole in the wall.

On the plus side it does have a nice overlap feature of 90 deg which is handy so you don't have to go back all the way around to go a few extra degrees. It is also fast. I'm sure it is rugged judging from other reviews of Yaesu rotators.

If you are buying this for the preset feature be sure you can live with the limitations listed above.