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Reviews For: Hygain 204BA

Category: Antennas: HF: Yagi, Quad, Rotary dipole, LPDA

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Review Summary For : Hygain 204BA
Reviews: 13MSRP: 300
Description:
4 element monoband, close spaced 20 meter Yagi.
Product is in production
More Info: http://
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
00134.6
W9ZX Rating: 2021-10-12
dependable workhorse Time Owned: more than 12 months.
The 204BA that I have was originally bought by a friend about 35 years ago and it has been on my tower or his all that time. It looks and performs just as it did the day it was purchased new. The gain and front to back are quite impressive and far better than any tribander I ever had. It has stainless hardware so it either came that way or he added it. I have replaced the balun once, otherwise I have not had to spend anything on it. I love chasing DX and this beam does a fantastic job at 60 feet at my QTH. I would not hesitate to buy another one.
ZL1BBW Rating: 2018-02-10
Magnificent Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I bought this beam NOS about 3 years ago and finally got the Tower up and installed the beam. The performance difference over 3wl wire vee beams is unbelievable. Generally even with 100 watts its point and work, with the linear even better. Its on a 55ft crankup tower, normally at about 45 ft and I made a Coax balun/choke as per the instructions.
VA3MLV Rating: 2016-09-24
First impression Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Ok well here it is. First impression on this antenna is built well. It's the older model with the difference I noticed between older & newer is the feed connection. The older model is screwed into the driven elements & the newer used clamps. Anyways I purchased a balun from the best company you can get a balun from ( balun designs ). It's just a 50ohm 3kw current isolation balun specifically for yagis. I will write a update review I'm a few months or so. It's replaced a mosely Tri band yagi which worked ok, had no issues what's so ever except being limited to hear as far as I would like to. Even still with the mosely i was able to work 80 countrys. I'm certain that this monobander will be able to pull in weaker & further stations than the tribander. The whole reason for the change is RX not TX so we see how it performs.
NN4X Rating: 2015-09-22
Ain't What it Used to Be :-( Time Owned: more than 12 months.
[ NOTE: This review was originally posted here on eHam on Aug 15, 2008, but later was mysteriously "disappeared" from the reviews. I found an archive copy of it, and am reposting

The antenna continues to perform well as of September 2015. ]

----

It pains me to write this review.

I already own two 204BAS', and needed a third to complete a 2-high stack. The 204BAS is a classic short-boom 20M antenna, and its performance is hard to beat.

With more than a little trepidation, I laid down about $500 on a new MFJ LJ-204BA.

When the time came to assemble it, my fears were quickly realized. The swaging, rather than being smooth and even, like the Hy-Gain (and, frankly every other commercially made antenna which used swaged elements), was rough and uneven, as if done by Chinese political prisoners in slave labor camps (nothing against Chinese political prisioners in slave labor camps - at least THEY have an excuse).

Frequently the slits cut in the ends of the elements were not sufficient to allow the clamp to firmly attach the next section of tubing. I ended up using pop rivets to ensure a good connection.

The conductive grease supplied was coarse, as if it had sand in it. At least there was enough.

The badly swaged elements caused another problem - the next section of tubing frequently did not extend straight out, so some of my elements are angled, making the antenna look worse than home-made. I've assembled hundreds of antennas in my Ham career - literally! I've NEVER seen this problem before.

MFJ's penchant for cost-cutting continued: The end caps for the elements were not the normal, fairly robust black UV-stabilized end caps. No, they were pretty blue ones, with thin walled plastic. The end caps for the boom were even worse. Rather than being the typical black, they were ORANGE (think of the Florida Gators colors, and you have the caps colors). I did not install the antenna immediately after assembling it. Within two weeks, I noticed that the orange color had faded! TWO WEEKS! This doesn't bode well for the longevity of the caps. I had already covered most of the caps with Scotch 88 tape, so it was only a little bit that was exposed to the sun.

Lastly, MFJ changed the way you feed the antenna. The feed comes from BEHIND the driven element, and they use some poorly made clamps to make the connection to the driven element, rather than the screws in the bottom of the element.

Oh - as far as the settings - use the W6NL settings, not what MFJ (and Hy-Gain before them) suggest.

Hope this helps. It's still a good antenna, but, wow...what a shame to see what's happened to it.
VE9OX Rating: 2014-04-16
Super 20m Monobander! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
This 4 element 20M monobander is still favored after 40 years by many thousands of amateurs worldwide.

I have had it up at 80 feet for 3 years and I purchased it from MFJ (Hy-Gain).

It has good mechanical and electrical engineering.
It has stood up to near hurricane force winds here in Atlantic Canada.
It has a 25Db typical F/B and with very good forward gain.

When I can hear them, I can work them with this fine 4 Element 20M monobander.

SWR is very low across most of the band without a tuner but, I use a tuner anyway especially when using my amplifier.

I use a DX Engineering 5K rated Yagi balun.

Good assembly manual and quality parts were shipped - no shortages.

No issues ever with 1.5kW CW and 2 Kw plus PEP SSB.

This is a 50lb antenna and is reasonably rugged and a great performer.
I my opinion,there is no better monobander antenna available for the price of a Hy-Gain(MFJ) 204BA.

A true performer....you will be very pleased with one of these antennas.

'73.
VE9OX
K5BAH Rating: 2013-07-14
Can't beat this antenna for the price!! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I've had this antenna for 2 years now, and can't say enough good things about it. It's at 70' on the tower and the only antenna other than a 2 meter vertical. The antenna is huge. I barely had enough room to put it together in my yard due to other obsticals. It was also heavy, large and cumbersome but well worth the effort to put it up. It took two people on the tower, one to wait for it on the top and me to help guide it as it was going up. The gain and rejection for the money, can't be beat.
W0OGH Rating: 2012-09-05
Great antenna Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I bought my 204BA back in the mid 70's. Moved 3 times since then. It's now at 30 ft which is all the tower i have but i wouldn't have any other 20M beam, unless of curse it was a bigger one which i don't have room for anyway. This antenna has given me -0- problems since owned. I only run 100W here but if the condx are right and i can hear them, i can usually work them. Great antenna unconditionally!
AK2F Rating: 2010-11-28
Best antenna ever owned Time Owned: more than 12 months.
On 20 meters, I work a lot of DX. With amplifier on, I usually work most pile-ups on the first call with 59+ signal reports. Good pattern and relative gain. Other antennas used at same location: Cushcraft A4, SteppIR 3 element, TA-33 Jr. This antenna works significantly better than a tribander.

A few years back, I re-configured the 20M elements into a 5 ele 10M beam. Just had to add one element of tubing and it worked great without spending money. You can do the same for other bands using the 20M tubing! Elements slide, so you can adjust to any legnth.

I like the Hy-gain construction. Hopefully MFJ will keep this up. Bought this antenna used about 20 years ago. It's still in great shape!
NC0B Rating: 2008-11-01
Very good directivity Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I bought mine second hand in 1972, and it is still going strong in 2008. It has never needed any service in 36 years, so what more could I ask for. Front to back is consistently over 20 dB & front to side over 35 dB. Its gain is below some of the computer designed modern beams by a dB or so, but how often does that matter. It isn't very heavy, and it doesn't take some monster rotor to turn it or keep it from windmilling. It does need a brake, like in a Ham-M or T2X. It is mounted at 50 feet, and has a 402BA above it at 65 feet which has been up for 35 years. I have stayed with Hy-Gain mono-banders at my second QTH since I can get them in the air by myself. I gave it a 4 since there are more exotic beams, but I wonder if they will still be working after 3.5 decades.
VE2DC Rating: 2007-08-09
Best performance per pound (kilogram) Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I used one of these for a few years and the performance was great. Decent gain and great F/B. I replaced it with a 205BA and was disappointed by the inferior F/B until an ice storm put it out of it's misery! I subsequently replaced it with a 205CA optimized with YO and it was also a great antenna.