Hygain Antennas

[Charger383]

Hygain mainly makes all Ham and commercial antennas now. Thay are great antennas. After all, they were the ones that made the Penetrator and Penetrator 500 base antennas, and in my eyes they were the best antenna ever built.

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[Rylos1]

I ordered an antenna from them and then I hear nothing. Actually I guess I ordered through MFJ and then they tell me to forward all correspondence to Hygain. I just can't get an answer and was wondering whether I should just cancel the order, it's been three weeks.


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[Charger383]

why can't you just call them??





By Telephone:

General Information: (800) 973-6572

(662) 323-9538

Technical Support: (662) 323-9538

Fax Number: (662) 323-6551



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By Mail:

Mailing Address: Hy-Gain

308 Industrial Park Road

Starkville, MS 39759



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By E-Mail:

Website Questions: website@hy-gain.com

Manual Requests: manuals@hy-gain.com

Catalog Requests: catalogs@hy-gain.com

Customer Service: mfjcustserv@hy-gain.com

Technical Support: techinfo@hy-gain.com

</p>Edited by: <A HREF=http://pub86.ezboard.com/ucharger383.showPublicProfile?language=EN>Charger383</A> at: 5/29/02 6:42:39 pm

 

[Lil Red]

I agree Charger.

Every day I come home from work and look up at my Penetrator 500 and give her a wink. She's so beautiful. And by far the best antenna I've ever owned.

I still can't believe I got it for 15 bucks. I saw one on eBay last week that went for $175.



(P.S. I'm still looking for something similar in the aluminum line sitting on somebody's roof for you.)


Li’l Red



<marquee>

..... DX call: Operator 104 in Mass. on 38L...6Delta 1368 on 37L</marquee></p>

 

[Rylos1]

Has anyone ever dealt with this place? Also whatkind of customer service do they have?


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[Jay in the Mojave]

Hello Lil Red:



I have a couple of the Hy-Gain Penetrator 500 5/8 wavelength base station antennas myself. I bought a few off the internet, some in great shape and a few not, .... a stick of Aluminum Tubing was straight.



Hy-Gain came out with the Golden Colinear, 5/8 wavelength in 1962 for $92.50, but because it had only a single point mount holding the vertical element, they all broke in time. Next came the CLR II that had 3 ground plane radials, (as did the first Golden Colinear) and a Mickey Mouse Impedance Matching Circuit, that was a etched circuit board, that the conductor was only .070 inches in width, and was etched in a coil. The CB'ers and Hams burnt out these inexpensive Impedance Matching Coils in droves.



Next Hy-Gain came out with the Penetrator 500, that was very well made, had a Top Hat assembly, 4 Ground Plane Radials, and a extenal Impedance Matching System. The Penetrator 500 came in three different configurations, two that measured 259+ inches from the base ground plane assembly, and the later one that was 257 3/8 inches, for the 40 channel radios.



I believe this was the only ground plane antenna that was ever rated to handle 1500 watts, which was what the typical Ham Linear Amplifiers would do, during the Penetrator 500 peak in popular time.



I would have loved to be in the meeting at the Hy-Gain Plant when they set down and said they need to design a antenna tha will take 1500 watts, I am sure there heated arguements, and things thrown.



I have one Penetrator 500 up and working that has to been up 30 years. Great Antenna.



Jay in the Mojave


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[Jay in the Mojave]

Hello Lil Red:



The Penetrator 500 used the 12 gauge aluminum wire as the Beta and Matching wires. The Beta wire is the Impedance Matching Inductor, and the Matching wire is to make the antenna look electrical longer than it is, so it looks like a 3/4 wavelength electricaly, but only radiates as a 5/8 wavelength antenna.



I have modified the Penetrator 500, by removing these tuning wires. And installing 3/8 inch solid aluminum rod, and 1/2 inch aluminum tubing, replacing the orginal stock tuning wires. These larger conductors will decrease the loss in the Impedance Matching System, and alow the antenna to adjusted or tuned.



The new Beta Inductor is designed to be adjustable, as it is made in a "U" shape, (from 3/8" aluminum rod) mounted sideways in connecting clamps, that will allow it's length to be adjusted. The Tuning Inductor, is made from the same type 3/8 Aluminum Rod, and 1/2" Aluminum Tubing. The Tuning Inductor looks like the orginal shape, but has the 3/8" aluminum rod bent into a 180 degree Trombone shape, that adjusts its length inside the 1/2" tubing that is mounted facing up, and is help in place with house clamps.



I have only modified one Penetrator 500 for the adjustable Impedance Matching System, this was to done to compare its field strength with a stock Penetrator 500, and the Modified Penetrator had about 2 to 3 dB stronger field strength as compared to the stock Penetrator 500.



Shoot me E-mail and I will send you pictures of the CLR-II and the Penetrator 500 with the modified Impedance Matching System.



Jay in the Mojave


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[Flatland Radio]

I still run a P-500 and it amazes me how well it works for being around 30 years old.Had a little trouble at first tuning it in but with Jays help it tuned in nice and has been working well for nearly a year now.I grew up near the hygain plant which is now telex/electrvoice and they make 900 mhz + antennas now.



OH, thanks again Jay for the "bitchen" advice you gave me,you rock sir!

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[Samalayork]

Hi Everyone! very informative topic on this CLR 2 antenna! 14 years ago till today it was a mystery to me, got it from the landlord said prev occupants left it in the roof for about 3 years ago...oferred to clean the roof and remove the antenna to keep it myself...said: ok just do it today - yeaaah!
It was goot to know their max power tolerance due to the little matching device..
by the way, do you know if the circular matching coil can be ordered at Hy Gain? or better yet, does anyone knows a simple replacement coil for it? it would be nice to handle 1/2 kilowatt ....still looking for the power supply to ''fire it up'' fully :\

 

[VA3ES]

I could not agree more! I've owned a HyGain Penetrator 500 for 36 years and it must be one of the best verticals I've ever used! I retuned mine to 10M, 28.800 and it does a superb job on DX, almost equal to my 3 element HyGain TH3 tribander. I use it on 28.420, a local calling frequency, and the local ground wave coverage is phenomenal, easily almost 50 miles (if not more).

Just keep the external electrical connections corrosion free and it will last a lifetime. I just love mine.