mfj-9410x 10 meter

[KK4FPX]

Anyone know if this is a good transceiver? I have a Radio Shack that gets out well but everyone tells me it has a bad hum.I bought it used so I guess thats the reason I got it cheap at a ham fest.
I still don't want to spend more than I have to to get a good one.I enjoy working ten meters and the price on this one in within my reach.
Ed K4ECE

[WB2WIK]

The Radio Shack HTX-10 or HTX-100 is probably a better rig.

Regarding the hum: What kind of power supply are you using, exactly?

[KK4FPX]

I was useing a MFG-4312,but for the last week I've had it on a deep cycle battery and I still get reports of a bad hum.The Radio Shack Transceiver is the HTX-10.
Except for the hum I get out well with it.I've worked most of Central and South America also The Cook islands and New Zealand.
I'm on a inverted vee dipole antenna.

[WB2WIK]

When using the battery, there is no charger connected to the battery?

(Make sure there isn't.)

If there's no charger connected (there shouldn't be), then any "hum" is likely to be either induced from a close by fluorescent light fixture or power transformer or something coupling into the rig's mike or mike circuit.  You might also check all the microphone pin connections carefully to make sure the ground connection from mike to rig is intact.

[WB6BYU]

Did the HTX-10 have a sub-audible tone option for FM?

The next step would be to see if it goes up and down as you adjust the mic gain, or
if it remains constant.

[KK4FPX]

No sub-audible tone.no florescent lights.nothing hooked to battery.
Haven't tried the mike gain yet.I may be running it too high.I'll check next time I'm on, 10 meter seems dead tonight.

[KU4UV]

It could be that the voltage from the battery is too low.  I used to have this problem running an HTX-100 in my car with the engine off.  Check the battery voltage.

73,
KU4UV

[KK4FPX]

The battery is hooked to a solar cell and stays topped off.

[WB2WIK]

The battery is hooked to a solar cell and stays topped off.

What regulates the charge from the solar panel to the battery?

[KK4FPX]

It's regulated by a Sunforce 7 amp charge controller.

[KB9TMP]

I have read in different places on the internet that the HTX-10 does have one PL tone built in. It is an 88.5hz tone and can be turned on by a button press combo. Here is one link where it is referenced: http://forums.qrz.com/archive/index.php/t-15501.html Go to the very bottom comment for the PL info. If this is accurate then your radio might have the tone activated without you knowing it. As for the MFJ-9410, I would prefer a used Ranger 2950 to anything that carries the "Mighty Fine Junk" label.

[W5DQ]

Anyone know if this is a good transceiver? I have a Radio Shack that gets out well but everyone tells me it has a bad hum.I bought it used so I guess thats the reason I got it cheap at a ham fest.
I still don't want to spend more than I have to to get a good one.I enjoy working ten meters and the price on this one in within my reach.
Ed K4ECE

Personal opinion but you'd have to be a bit touched in the head or have money just burning a hole in your pocket to drop nearly $300 on a MFJ single band junker like the 9410. For another couple hundred, you should be able to find a nice clean used older rig that will work circles around the 9410 and have other bands to boot. Some ideas that come to mind are TS440S, TS-830S or a FT-100D.

I don't understand what possesses MFJ to think hams have money to burn on rigs like the 9410. It appears they are preying on the uninformed newbies who are looking for a inexpensive way into 10M HF radio but at nearly $300 per band, I would not call that inexpensive.

Gene W5DQ

[KK4FPX]

Ill check the tone control tomorrow when I get it back from a friend.thanks

[KK4FPX]

The tone burst only works in the FM mode.Any other ideas?