Is it worth it?

[JOEYMIGS]

Is the MFJ-259B worth the cake? With shipping and handling, you're looking a


MFJ-259B

HF/VHF Antenna/SWR/RF Analyzer w/ LCD, Counter & Meters

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MFJ-259B
Price: $289.95

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The Worlds most popular SWR/RF analyzer just got incredibly better and gives you more value than ever!
MFJ-259B gives you a complete pictures of your antennas performance. You can read antenna SWR and Complex Impedance 1.8 to 170MHz
Read Complex Impedance as series resistance and reactance (R+jX) or as magnitude (Z) and phase (degrees). You can determine velocity factor, coax cable loss in dB, length of coax and distance to a short or open in feet. You can read SWR, return loss and reflection coefficient at any frequency simultaneously at a single glance. Also read inductance in UH and capacitance in pF at RF frequencies. Large easy-to-read two line LCD screen and side-by-side meters clearly display your information. Built-in frequency counter, Ni-Cad charger circuit, battery saver, low battery warning and smooth re-duction drive tuning and much more.
Super easy to use! Just set the bandswitch and tune the dial -- just like you transceiver. SWR and Complex Impedance are displayed instantly!

Heres what you can do
Find your antennas true resonant frequency. Trim dipoles and verticals.
Adjust your Yagi, quad, loop and other antennas, change antenna spacing and height and watch SWR, resistance and reactance change instantly. Youll know exactly what to do by simply watching the display. Perfectly tune critical HF mobile antennas in seconds for super DX -- without subjecting your transceiver to high SWR. Measure your antennas 2:1 SWR bandwidth on one band, or analyze multiband performance from 1.8 to 170Mhz! Check SWR outside the ham bands without violating FCC rules. Take the guesswork out of building and adjusting matching networks and baluns. Measure distance in feet to a short or open in faulty coax. Measure length of a roll of coax, coax loss, velocity factor, impedance. Measure inductance and capacitance. measure resonant frequency and approximate Q of traps, stubs, transmission lines, RF chokes, tuned circuits and baluns. Adjust your antenna tuner for a perfect 1:1 match without creating QRM. And this is only the beginning! the MFJ-259B is a complete ham radio test station including -- frequency counter, RF signal generator, SWR Analyzer, RF resistance and Reactance Analyzer, Coax Analyzer, Capacitance and Inductance Meter and more!

Take it Anywhere!
Fully portable, take it anywhere -- remote sites, up towers, on DX-peditions. Use 10AA or Ni-Cad batteries (not included) or 110VAC with MFJ-1312D, $14.95. Rugged all metal cabinet is only 4x2x6 3/4 Inches.

[WB2WIK]

If you ever use antennas, it's a good investment.

I've had one for several years and use it more than almost anything else I own.

[G3RZP]

It's a convenience box. There are other ways to get the same answer, probably to greater accuracy, but they are not as convenient. By the time I've lugged a signal generator, a receiver, a mains lead and either my General Radio or Wayne Kerr RF bridges and the necessary BNC leads out to the antenna and done the measurements and resulting calculations, the MFJ would have done the job and you could be sitting having a beer!

On the other hand, I didn't spend $259 on the RF bridges....more like $50 for the two.

[N3OX]

I do a lot of antenna building along with building my own matching networks and so forth, and having a meter to measure resistance and reactance both in antennas and in random coils and capacitors I build is a huge help.

Is it worth buying one if you're going to install a single multiband vertical, tune it up, and use it to talk on the radio for the next 20 years unless it breaks?  Probably not.

But in any other situation, I'd really recommend it.  It's not just an antenna measuring tool... it's useful for measuring any passive RF circuit.

I probably use mine for *something* once a week, and I've had it for something like 10-11 years now.  Totally worth it to me.

73
Dan

[WA4PTZ]

I have owned both versions of MFJ's analyzer and have
learned much from them. I upgraded to the more
expensive model , with UHF so I could have more
versatility of use. They both performed well. Now
there are folks who would tell you to buy a better
and more expensive analyzer and they have their good
points. But for the buck the MFJ is great. I use
alkaline batteries in mine because it is sometimes
many weeks between uses and the nicads don't like
the idle time.
Enjoy and 73,
Tim  WA4PTZ

[KJ4ADN]

I've owned one for 15+ years, it was very handy for checking antennas as I was building them for CB.

About a year ago, I bought an AIM 4170b.  
For building antennas, espically multi-band, beams, verticals, or whatever - the AIM 4170b does it 100% and the MFJ 259 sits on the shelf.... unless someone wants to 'borrow' it, or I'm doing a quick check on a balun.

Seeing a single frequency (MFJ 259) is ok, you're looking at a meter.
Being able to see the entire band, or multiple bands, with the exact frequencies highlighted, in a graphical display you can save and print out - what a huge time saver!

Sure it's about 2x the money, but you only need to use the AIM 4170 one time, and you'll forget about looking at those meter type units.

Bill

[K8KAS]

Best $200 bucks I ever spent in ham radio, if you need to know something about an antenna or matching network with the 259 it takes about 20 seconds. You do have to understand what the meter is telling you so some antenna theroy and knowledge is a big help.
Get one and learn. Denny

[N0SQ]

Just be sure to watch out for static and strong RF fields. I have to send my unit in for repair AGAIN. There's got to be a way to protect the input on these devices. Also, I've blown up the diodes in a vhf/uhf analyzer at work several times, also. Not worth the money when they're so easily damaged.   

[WB6BYU]

It depends what you want to do.

For tuning up an occasional antenna, really all you need is an SWR meter.
(And the knowledge of how to interpret the results, of course, which is
true of any option.)  Often you can find someone in your local club who
has one and can bring it over to tune the antenna with you.

If you expect to do a lot of experimenting with antennas, they can be
useful, again depending on what you need.  If you are trying out different
wire shapes and running them through a tuner, you really may not care
what the impedance is.  If you are building loading coils, there are other
ways to measure them, but it is useful.

I still use one of the original SWR Analyzers - 1.7 to 30 MHz, analog dial,
and only reads SWR.  That's good for a lot of things, though not necessarily
for antennas with a narrow bandwidth due to the poor frequency calibration.
(I cross-check it against my receiver when needed.)  But then I was also
known for lugging my tube-type SSB transceiver up onto the roof to take
measurements of my antenna, along with the 40 pound power supply running
a pair of 866 rectifier tubes that had to be kept vertical:  where there's a
will there's a way.


So it isn't necessarily something a beginner is going to go right out and buy,
but if you plan to play with antennas a lot, it is a useful gadget.  If that is
too much stress on your budget, you can get by with an SWR meter for the
moment in most cases.

[AC2Q]

NO NO NO NO NO

Buy the Rig Expert.

[KB1GMX]

I have a MFJ259B and use it almost every day.  I have a HP 4191A at home 
and a Agilent 8753PNA at work for serious stuff but have used the 259B at
work for fast measurements. I have a "KD1JV Deluxe Tenna dipper"
it works but is a very simple device.

The difference is what information I need and to what accuracy level
and frequency range I need to cover.  All of the units listed are useful
and some are really great tools. However when the task is to tweak
the stinger of a hustler whip the PNA needs an extension cord, takes
three minutes to wake up and must be calibrated before use.  The
Tenna dipper turns on in less than 10 seconds and you tune till
the light goes out.  If all I need is to get the whip on 7160 the tenna
dipper is more than enough tool.  If I need to measure things like
phase, feed point real and imaginary impedance, or have a graphic
display of the antennas function the PNA wins.   The rest fall
somewhere in between.

The Rig Expert is better than the MFJ and you pay for it.

Deluxe Tenna Dipper  ~3-30mhz      $75
MFJ259B               1.5 to 170mhz  $289
Rigexpert              1-54mhz          $350
Rigexpert              1-230mhz        $710

These two require a PC to do anything useful:
AIM4170  1-180mhz        $540  (this is a single port VNA)
Array solutions 2180 VNA  $1524  (real two port low cost VNA) 

In all cases you get a very useful instruments and the more you pay for more
features and accuracy.  The question is how much feature and accuracy do
you need?  What do you plan to measure?

However if  your not using it often or don't understand what it tells you
then they are likely overkill.

None of these are a replacement for a good SWR meter.  Most antenna
setup work can be done with a SWR meter and a transmitter.


Allison

[K3WEC]

I think an analyzer is great, given what's already been said re: how much you tinker with antennas.  An analyzer can save a lot of trips up and down to check values.    

Just don't leave it out in the rain.  

I see the OP posed the question in 2009.   I'm guessing the decision has been made already. 

[WX7G]

It's invaluable.