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Reviews For: Hy-Gain AV-640 Eight-Band Vertical

Category: Antennas: HF: Verticals; Wire; Loop

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Review Summary For : Hy-Gain AV-640 Eight-Band Vertical
Reviews: 70MSRP: 449.99
Description:
Hy-Gain 8-band Vertical 40/30/20/17/15/12/10/6M
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.hy-gain.com/Product.php?productid=AV-640
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
15704.2
VE3FGU Rating: 2010-10-14
Still working great Time Owned: more than 12 months.
The antenna has been up for over a year and still working great. I had to take it off the TV tower as the RF was getting into the house via the power lines only 10 feet from the antenna. So for the past 5 months it has been on a 10 foot pole at the end of the yard and still outperforms the 80 M delta loop on 40 and 30. While it was on the tower, with no guy ropes on the antenna, it did survive a very strong wind that snapped off some small trees and bushes a few feet away from the tower. I will be taking it down in a few days to inspect everything before putting it back up on a 30 foot telescoping mast with 2 sets of guys on the mast and Dacron rope guys on the antenna. This antenna can really put a lot of stress on a mast and it actually bent the 1 1/2 inch pipe on the tower when I had the antenna there.
The SWR does change when it gets wet but overall I am pleased with the performance. Breaking into DX pileups is not difficult with this antenna.
N9CLQ Rating: 2010-10-08
Very Pleased Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I installed the AV-640 in September 2010 and am very pleased. My lot is small and I can just fit a Barker & Williamson broadband folded Dipole. While it has served me well I understand it is a comprimise. The AV-640 went together well. No missing parts, everything is high quality. Mounted 10 foot above ground on 1 1/2 inch pipe. I'm in Illinois and the first contact on the AV-640 was on 40 Mtrs. with a Connecticut station. Compared antennas and Vertical was 3 S-Units stronger than Folded Dipole. Next contact with a Texas station who reported the same. Antenna was easy to tune and performs better than I expected. This is a keeper.
KG4QPQ Rating: 2010-08-08
My favorite vertical Time Owned: more than 12 months.
To those that say this is a lot of work to put together, I say I agree wholeheartedly. It is a lot of work. However, it is well worth every minute spent.

I bought this antenna for the second time at HamCation last year. both times I have owned this antenna, I have been very pleased.

Take the time to put it together. If you are putting it on a mast as I have, guy it with some nylon line or parachute cord at the center per directions. It does just fine even in Florida wind.

I continually hear of people struggling with radials on other verticals. I sold one of those to buy my first AV640 and haven't looked back. I highly recommend this antenna despite the time it takes to assemble and the sometimes fuzzy instructions.

K3MOV Rating: 2010-08-01
Great for what it is is!! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
This is an elevated vertical for 40 to 6 meters. I've had mine for about ten years. It has 7 counterpoises at the base and requires no radials Mine is only 15ft. above the ground and 15 ft. from my house. In comparisons with my Zero Five 43' ground mounted vertical with 40 radials, my G5RV @35 FT., and my 20 meter dipole @ 45 ft. I have found that it hold its own and then some. Under certain conditions and in certain directions it is the best of my four antennas. The manual is on-line at https://www.mfjenterprises.com/hygain/man/pdf/AV-640.pdf if your copy is hard to read. I find it hard to understand why the prior poster would give the antenna a 2/5 when he has never put it up or used it. My suggestion: Get the manual off the computer, put it up, try it out and then post a valid evaluation of how it plays. 73, Tom K3MOV
AA6FE Rating: 2010-07-31
I hope the antenna is of better quality than the instructions Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
So far I have not got the 640 together and up, but I have to hope the antenna is better than the instruction booklet. So many typos and confusing statements it reads like the Japanese/ English manuals of several years ago. They could have a few clear printed photos of some of the segments. This looks like it came off a copy machine that needed service. Even the copy of the photo on the cover is of poor copy quality. Offset printing would make for a nicer presentation and the cost would be little more and give the customer the idea that they actually cared, unless the antenna is as much trash as the booklet. Well suited to the out-house usage. To their credit it looks like all the parts were included, with few extras. The workmanship on the threaded sections fit, but they are not the best quality. Most of the stamped or nibbled metal and plastic pieces would have been better if they had done a few minutes in a tumbler or seen some finishing process. In general at this point I feel like they did the minimum possible to separate me from my money. Perhaps they were out last night huntin' and drinking some of the local moon-shine. I know the margins and profits are tight in the Amateur market but this seems to drop below the line. MFJ management take note.
K6IOU Rating: 2010-07-24
The quality seems Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
pretty good . . . but the instructions, as mentioned by other posters, are ambiguous and contradictory in places. C'mon MFJ, they are just photocopies. Correct the typos and other errors and then include the corrected version when you ship the antenna.

The antenna performs as expected and my rig with its 3:1 max internal tuner matches all bands [except 40m] end-to-end. 40m gives me about half the band @ < 3:1. Getting the antenna's adjustable elements 'in tune' only required a couple of corrections. The initial assembly measurements per the instructions were pretty much right on.

I tend to be critical of MFJ quality control but think this Hy-Gain [now owned by MFJ] vertical is a good investment. I would have given it a "5" if they had gotten their act together with the printed instructions.



K8RI Rating: 2010-07-08
A good, 40 through 6 general purpose antenna. Time Owned: more than 12 months.
The AV-640 is a good, general purpose antenna, for 40 through 6 - meters. Assembly is a bit time consuming and a couple of saw horses are essential to minimize frustration. Follow the manual as there are a lot of parts. The matching network is relatively simple with a current balun (actually an Un-un) followed by a 4:1 balun.

The number one feature for me was "no interaction between bands when tuning the antenna. That was followed closely by the "no radials required". I have my AV-640 mounted on top of a little 40' aluminum tower. I've been working world wide on both CS and SSB with the legal limit on the 40 meter band and for a while ran 800 watts SSB on 6-meters, which is well in excess of its rating for that band.

One drawback I found was the drain hole in the bottom of the tuning unit (which is necessary) was too large. It was large enough for paper wasps to get in where upon they rapidly filled the thing with nests. http://www.rogerhalstead.com/ham_files/AV-640/AV640.htm (watch for line wrap)

800 watts on 6-meters put an end to their home building "on my property", but I had to take the antenna down, disassemble the matching unit, and clean out all the residue. Apparently a number of them had the "goo" cooked out of them right over the bottom coax connector.

I sealed the drain hole, and put a series of 1/8" holes in the bottom to insure proper drainage yet not serve as a front door for a new home.

After putting the antenna back up, the resonant points had shifted. Turns out the "goo" had gotten through the coax connector and into the feed line. Also the compensating cap was shot. A phone call to Hy-gain and within a week I had the parts to rebuild the matching network.

It works fine now, but I do need to "fine tune" each band.

Two points I've found different than other reviewers. I've heard no noise from the wind and antenna. The other, is I do not consider the antenna to be strong. I cut a piece of Lexan into a ring using a pair of hole saws. I drilled three holes in this ring at 120 degrees. The ring is free floating and serves as an anchor for 3/16" poly propylene guys. I'd not put one up in a windy area without guys, particularly when the base is 40' up.

Overall the AV-640 has been a good, general purpose 40 - 6-meter antenna that will handle the legal limit on CW and SSB and at least for me stood up to some good band openings on six while running 800 watts SSB. It's also made it through a couple of contest week ends running the legal limit on 40 meters. It's a good antenna for the money. It would be my choice in the future if I need another general purpose antenna.
K0KVR Rating: 2010-04-02
Pathetic Support Time Owned: N.A.
I have had an AV-640 vertical for about 4 years and it has worked OK considering it is a vertical. In high winds it twisted and a few of the top hat radials were bent. My problem is with Hy-Gain. I have tried and tried to call them with few exceptions, I get no answer, no message machine, etc. I recently ordered some replacement parts, and asked for an email confirmation with tracking numbers and was told if the salesman got to it, he would send them to me. My credit card was charged a week later, and then I received the order and only half the parts were there. Again, I have tried calling and their email link does not work.

My advice, find a company that can at least answer their phone, provide an accurate order, and email you with tracking numbers.
DH4SC Rating: 2010-03-12
Very good vertical Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I have this vertical 2nd time over the years and I was always very pleased with it. Got good results and reports on all bands.
On 40m my fullsize 1/4 wave is almost every time 1 S-unit better. It is elevated about 3m over ground and has 3 elevated radials. The AV-640 is mounted about 5m up from the ground.
Maybe the AV-640 is the best performing vertical from 10m - 30m. And it´s a very good compromise on 40m if you don´t have enogh space to mount a fullsize vertical for 40m.
The Hy-Gain AV640 is built very tough, the materials are of good quality. The antenna has no problems with high winds. A storm with winds of about 90 miles did not cause any damage to the antenna.
The first setup can be a little bit tricky, but no problem. After several setups on my or friend´s antennas I can do a setup in about 2 hours - from original boxed to a mounted antenna.
Bandwidths are very good, you don´t need a tuner on 10m - 30m. On 40m you get about 150kHz bandwidth.
Maybe it´s the best multiband-vertical.....
EA5FJF Rating: 2010-01-03
It's coming down - moans in the wind Time Owned: more than 12 months.
The AV640 is finally coming down. It 'sings'or moans. I said this six months ago, but it's keeping us awake now. I've had it for a year, and it works well, but don't ever put this on the roof of your house. It may be OK on a separate support in the garden. Sad really, as it is my only aerial for the WARC bands and 6m.
I've no idea if this is a common problem. No-one came back to my previous April comment, so it may be just me. However, enough is enough, and I'm taking it down. 73 from sunny Spain. Steve EA5FJF