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write your own review of the MFJ-259B.
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N4UE
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Rating: 5/5
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Jan 9, 2010 08:55
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I love mine!
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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I've had mine for a long time. I got it shortly after they came out.
Just last night, I used it to design and build a 'tuner' for 2 Meters. After the tuner was 'tuned' I double checked the results with my Mirage MP2 and the results were identical.
I can't imagine building antennas, matching networks, etc without one.
ron
N4UE
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K6SDW
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Rating: 5/5
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Jan 9, 2010 07:24
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Surprised........
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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I'm always surprised with something sold by MFJ actually works and the 259B works as claimed! I've had my at least 10 years and it has never failed...well, knock on wood HI HI
Cheers All
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KJ2P
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Rating: 5/5
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Jan 9, 2010 06:46
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Functions as advertised
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Time owned: 6 to 12 months
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Excellent little tester. SWR readings agree exactly with Flex 5000A. Case is rugged, but a bit crude.
Considering that the price is lower than other good meters, the 259B is a bargain.
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K6GAK
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Rating: 5/5
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Oct 4, 2009 23:42
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Very useful tool
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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This is not a laboratory grade test instrument, but it's more than adequate for the needs of 95% of amateurs who tinker with antennas (2 meters to 160 meters). It's a solidly built unit with easy controls and readouts. It's battery operated (rechargable batteres and a built-in trickel chargr) or a power cube for 110v operation. You can buy a nice case for it, along with the batteries and grid dip coils, for about $90 extra. Think back to the last antenna you put up and how much time and sweat something like this would have saved you. Don't worry that it's not a precision instrument. It will more than handle what you need and the cost is reasonable. A large number of the antenna problems I've had over the years relate to antenna tuneup. So get an MFJ-259B right away. You'll be glad you did and also become immediately popular with your ham friends who will want to borrow it.
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UY7CW
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Rating: 5/5
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Oct 4, 2009 06:55
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No problem!
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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I bought mine 2 years ago to make my life easier and to be able to tune up my balcony antenna(Buddipole-also a great product) faster and more precise. Since then I use my MFJ259B and have no problems of any kind... As you can imaging I have to use the analyzer very often since when changing the band the fisical dimentions of my antenna also change and even so I didn´t need to replace the batteries(price-1 Euro for 10 pcs:))for over a year.
I am more then contented with this product. UY7CW
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K7BAB
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Rating: 5/5
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Sep 22, 2009 09:03
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The “Sine Qua Non” of Antenna/Resonant Circuit Design/Testing
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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If you are looking for a lab-quality instrument stop here! However, if you want a good and reasonably-priced piece of test gear, the MFJ-259B Antenna Analyzer is what you need.
An antenna analyzer is a very good piece of gear to have in your shack. Years ago, I built a 15/20M trap dipole and adjusted it with a Millen antenna impedance bridge and a Millen grid dip meter. Upon transmitting, the results were D. O. B. accurate and I saved hours of time and possibly a set of blown finals. I got the 259B for the same reason I used the Millen gear decades ago.
I suggest that one reads the instruction manual and pays particular attention to the caveats regarding operation in RF fields and possible instrument damage due to not heeding their warnings.
An examination of the interior of the unit reveals a reasonably well-constructed “amateur-radio” grade piece of test instrument.
I hit a couple of “bumps” with the unit and found the MFJ Customer Support staff is courteous and knowledgeable.
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WD8LIC
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Rating: 5/5
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Aug 5, 2009 16:53
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Wonderful!!!!!
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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I am one of those "challenged" hams that lives in a restricted condo. And, my Dad , age 90, is a ham living in a "challenged" assisted living facility. We both have ISOTRON Antennas. If you know anything about ISOTRON antennas you know they are a bear to tune. But, once tuned, work FB.
Prie\r to buying my 259B, it would take hours to properly tune my 20/40/80 ISOTRON set up.
So, I bought the 259B. Presto! Tuned in 5 minutes. Works wonderful!
Thank you MFJ! You saved me and my ISOTRONS.
By the way, if you are an ISOTRON owner and are frustrated or disappointed with your antenna, beg, borrow or steal a 259B. Your antenna and you will appreciate what the 259B can do that you can not do, which is tune the antenna in 5 minutes.
73,
de Bob WD8LIC
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W3LZK
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Rating: 5/5
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Aug 5, 2009 12:29
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Can't believe its been 5 years!!
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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I can't believe its been 5 years since I bought this great piece of gear. I got this at Dayton in 2994 when I was technically nit a new ham being licensed in 1995. But I was a new ham in the fact that I had only been active in the hobby for about a year. I was told by a friend that I "really" needed one of these gadgets, that it makes antenna work a whole lot easier. Antenna work?? I don't know nothin bout antennas, you'll learn he told me. Well that was 5 years ago, ya know what? I did learn about antennas and a lot more, like having an MFJ-259B antenna analyzer will make you everybody's friend. Hey Mark can I borrow your analyzer> Hey Mark I'm working on my antenna, can I borrow your analyzer for the weekend(which turns into a week or more).
I have had absolutely NO problems, zero, nada, this analyzer has worked FB out of the box. I usually use store bought AA batteries, which last extremely well. No I don't use this every day, but when I need it its there ready willing and able to do what I ask of it to do. It seems like I go in phases with my antenna work. For a while I'll go without having had a need of the 259B, then there will be the times when it seems like all I'm doing is working on my antennas. Either its my mobile set up which ny the way is in its 3rd incarnation of a mobile HF set up. Or I;m working on my 40 meter dipole like I was last week, or maybe its checking SWR's on my newest antenna my 2nd (sold the first) GAP Challenger vertical antenna. It never ends what this little beauty does, and how handy it is to have around.
So its been a 5 year relationship that looks like its going to go on and on. I think when I bought mine I paid about $260 for it, thats $52 a year, I'd say I've gotten my monies worth out of it. You can spend upwards of $500 for an analyzer that has all the bells and whistles, but why, unless your either in the business and have need of something that is quite possibly lab grade or you are one that only the best will do. I appreciate that I really do, those folks that can and do work on and build commercial grade antennas have need of equipment that wont fail when they need it. On the other hand, I've take this to every field for the last 5 years, to help with tuning our antennas, hasn't failed me yet, I change the batteries maybe 3 or 4 times a year or when ever it needs it. You could do a lot worse than to pick up an MFJ-259B, I've never had a piece of MFJ gear that I've bought new fail. That is not to say that I haven't bought a piece of MFJ gear from someone that had totally trashed the piece of equipment and I've had to repair it, but that is true of almost anything you buy used, not everything but a lot. Any way folks, if you find an MFJ-259B at a decent price, check it out, if it works as advertised get it, you wont be sorry.
73 de Mark
W3LZK
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NA7I
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Rating: 4/5
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Jul 23, 2009 07:25
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OK - some problems
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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My first MFJ item - worked as advertised, making setup and tuning of a TAK-tenna easy. Could have done it with rig in basement, but then I would have been in and out of house each time I tweaked it. Much easier to stand there and move the contacts on the antenna, watching the display on the 259B. Of course, it requires 10 AA cells to operate outside, but it's worth doing that for the convenience. Have some other 'stealth' antennas planned that this item will help with.
I do have a problem with the ON/OFF button - it is buried so deeply into a circular recess (for protection, probably) that it is hard to activate with my flumsy fingers. Can use a pencil-eraser, but don't always have one. The main problem here is the button is almost impossible to activate with the fabric 'cover' (accessory) installed. I say 'almost'; I have *never* been able to get it to turn on/off with cover in place.
Don't buy the fabric cover - mine almost separated putting it on the box. I doubt I'll go out and measure antennas in the rain, anyway - even with the cover.
BTW - reading other reviews above, and having learned the hard way in another hobby, I will no longer buy *any* battery holders from Rat Shack - at least half (about 6 of 10) fail to maintain good electrical contact, brand new. So far, the ones in the 259 are OK....
Dick - NA7I
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KM6EG
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Rating: 5/5
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Jul 8, 2009 17:00
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Good value for the cost.
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Time owned: 6 to 12 months
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I have to give it a 5 as it worked right out of the box and does what's advertised. Very handy to have, especially with the integral freq counter. I have not tried the built-in battery feature because I just plug in to my QRP battery. Had similar good luck with my MFJ-209, now 10 years old.
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