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| Reviews Summary for Drake MN-2700 with accy B-1000 Balun |
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Reviews: 20
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Average rating: 4.8/5
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MSRP: $270.00
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Description: Drake MN-2700 with optional accessory B-1000 Balun.
Quality as usual from RL Drake. No complaints. I prefer it over the roller inductor tuners (fast QSY). Accurate wattmeter/SWR bridge and ability to match a wide variety of antennas. Once common at Hamfests and in the Yellow Sheets, they are now "locked" in the custody of their current owners who will probably never part with them. I saw this coming, so I acquired a mint one with B-1000 Balun for my long term collection. Unsung hero. Havent seen one on Ebay in over 6 months. Optional B-1000 Balun known to easily command $100.
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write your own review of the Drake MN-2700 with accy B-1000 Balun.
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KC5CQF
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Rating: 5/5
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Oct 28, 2003 10:51
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Drake Tuff
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Time owned: 6 to 12 months
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This is one of the best tuners ever built. I have never had an Arc or a Spark come from this tuner. It will tune the proverbial "Barb Wire Fence". It will handel 2000 watts "all day long". I use it for AM using 370 watts of carrier and 1500 watts PEP. It tunes and dips very smoothly. It is built like Tank, but of course it is, it's a Drake!!
Mike
KC5CQF
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UA3AB
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Rating: 5/5
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Sep 4, 2003 08:50
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A keeper
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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Got my at Dayton few years ago. Have to use it not very often but it does a job when needed.
Easily handles modern amps.
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OZ1JJX
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Rating: 5/5
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Sep 4, 2003 05:12
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Good stuff !!!
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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A very rare tuner on the second hand market. Get one if you can !!! MN-2700 is not a service friendly tuner, so look for a piece in good condition.
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KD7EFQ
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Rating: 5/5
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May 5, 2003 07:59
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Great Tuner
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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Faster than cranking a roller inductor, some
built in TVI attenuation, attractive styling,
Made in U.S.A.! One of the better tuners out
there. I'm keeping mine! 73's. KD7EFQ
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PY2ZS
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Rating: 5/5
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Mar 31, 2003 22:08
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Great AAA+ Tuner!
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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Although I don't own a B-1000, my MN-2700 have been working flawlessly for more than 18 years!
It can match a wide range of antennas, even with legal power. Once I tunes my 40m dipole on 20m with 1400W carrier, and nothing happened with my tuner... but my dipole falled down with HV arcing on insulators!!!
Much better than any other antenna tuner. If you find an used one, grab it immediately!
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AD5EM
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Rating: 5/5
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Mar 9, 2003 23:11
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Sweet
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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After using several different MFJ tuners I found my MN 2700 on a swapnet. What I like about it is the quality construction and much more finished look than the MFJs. The two things I don't like are having to switch between SWR and Output readings and no light on the meter. The MFJs are what I learned on and the Drake is a different tuning exercise. Not bad, just different and as such I'm slower at tuning up. A situation that will solve itself with experience. The unit I ended up with is in near perfect condition, so I think it's got a home for a few decades. They just don't seem to make them like this one, anymore, and that's too bad.
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K8DE
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Rating: 5/5
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Jun 18, 2002 12:18
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Great tuner
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Time owned: 3 to 6 months
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Have used a number of tuners for a number of different purposes over the years, and have settled on this one for a number of reasons. Good range of operation for matching, includes switch selected fixed caps to extend range. Also works on 160m. Can bypass all antennae from panel switch, and darn, it's even pretty. Like most Drake Wattmeters, the calibration is right on compared to my Bird, and consistent across the frequency range. Was fortunate to get an essentially unused unit from an estate sale. If you need a tuner, this is a good one (if it hasn't been abused in all the ways people beat up tuners....)
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WD8OST
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Rating: 5/5
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Jul 11, 2001 16:28
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drake mn 2700-no balun
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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just bought one on qrz swap-sell. rec. today put to work tuned it on all bands did the job. have drake mn 2000 but no 160m ten -tec 229 all band to hard for old man to tune. mn 2700 hard to find. very happy with it .hope it keeps working well? run no more than 800 watt max.
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WA8OMQ
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Rating: 4/5
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Jun 14, 2001 00:06
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Great Tuner, but buy in mint condition or suffer.
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Time owned: 3 to 6 months
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When I bought an MN 2700 from an estate sale I figured, heck - what could go wrong with a big, passive network? Turns out, -plenty! These tuners are pretty sweet, but be sure you get one in excellent shape as these puppies were not designed and built with even the simplest repair in mind, and service is not available from Drake. The antenna selector switch is nonstandard, susceptible to damage from high power operation, and no longer available. (You could, with a struggle, bypass it or maybe avoid use of a damaged position).
Remember the stories about the automobile where you had to pull the engine to change a spark plug? This unit was designed by the same guy, I think. To replace a fixed ceramic capacitor (there are several banks of these HV caps switched-in to extend the range of the big variables) practically requires that the entire unit be disassembled down to kit form. To even tighten up the screws of the front panel lever switches (they screw into a subpanel behind the front panel) requires that the all knobs, the trim and front panel be removed as well as the unsoldering of some internal parts. If you had a new antenna switch, you'd think hard about installing it.
You had better have lots of time and be one competent technician before you go to the mat with this thing, so check it out thoroughly before you buy! I learned all this the hard way. Nevertheless, I now use mine with a stealth G5RV and it works great, matching lower-than-50-ohm impedances which my Johnson Matchbox could not, including 17 meters.
At their best, they are "5-stars"- attractive, compact, relatively easy to use (a vernier on the big dials and a lighted meter would have been nice) and very effective. The bypass switch is very handy. I really enjoy mine, but buy one in terrific shape or you'll be sorry.
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K9RT
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Rating: 5/5
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Nov 6, 2000 14:27
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Excellent
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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I've owned at least one MN2700 since the early 1990's, and though I've tried the MBVA, Ten Tec 238 and other legal limit tuners, I always return to the 2700. Currently I have three and they are becoming scarce.
Main reasons for my choice: Nice big meter, easy for these old eyes to read. Only improvement would be if it were to be illuminated.
Second: It is one of only two tuners (so far) that I've used where you can bypass ALL the antennas direct or thru the tuner. The Ten Tec 238 allows this also as I recall, but it doesn't have as many antenna connections.
The B1000 balun works great on 450 ohm ladder line on an all band inverted vee.
I've used it all bands, including the WARC bands, where it tunes fine even though there is not a dedicated bandswitch position for them. Using legal limit power, never a groan or an arc.
If you want a relatively compact legal limit tuner with the above features, you can't go wrong in my opinion
I've settled on the 2700 until a better tuner crosses my path
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