Complex permittivity of dry sand is measured by using an open-ended coaxial probe, which was self-designed and manufactured. As a simple calibration scheme of the probe, the phase difference between the measured and the calculated reflection coefficients of pure water is subtracted from the phase of the measured reflection coefficient for dry sand. And then the complex permittivity of dry sand is reconstructed by applying its measured reflection coefficient into an improved imaginary transmission-line model. The accuracy of our measurement scheme is verified by showing that its reconstructed complex permittivity approaches the precise value of dry sand.