|
New to Ham Radio?
My Profile
Community
Articles
Forums
News
Reviews
Friends Remembered
Speak Out
Strays
Survey Question
Operating
Contesting
DX Cluster Spots
Propagation
Resources
Calendar
Classifieds
Ham Exams
Ham Links
List Archives
News Articles
Product Reviews
QSL Managers
Site Info
eHam Help (FAQ)
Support the site
The eHam Team
Advertising Info
Vision Statement
About eHam.net
|
|
You can
write your own review of the MFJ-418 Morse Code Tutor.
|
KG4TQQ
|
Rating: 5/5
|
Sep 11, 2005 13:28
|
Send this review to a friend
|
|
Excellent tutor
|
Time owned: more than 12 months
|
|
I have owned my mfj tutor for about 2 years. I learned enough to pass the 5 wpm and I have used it quite frequently in the past year trying to get my speed up. It does help tremendously. However, there is nothing better than getting on the air and transmitting and receiving code. There is a huge difference in hearing almost perfect code compared to what you hear on the air. Also, I have had to replace the round turn on/off "knob" because it broke into two pieces. I purchased two extra ones from the factory for the next break. I also know that you cannot drop this unit very many times without having problems. And, for reading excellent code you WILL have to have earphones as the outside noises near you will interfere with your hearing. Overall, it is a GREAT piece of equipment for learning CW.
|
|
VA7CPC
|
Rating: 5/5
|
Jun 21, 2005 16:37
|
Send this review to a friend
|
|
Portable, and excellent!
|
Time owned: 0 to 3 months
|
I bought an MFJ-418 to supplement my PC-based (Nu-Code) software. I've been carrying it around for weeks, using it on subways, buses, planes. It fits nicely in a pocket, and the battery seems to last forever.
It handles 'custom character sets' nicely, so I can continue with my Koch method practice, synchronized with the PC. I'm practicing with the callsign generator as well, as a break from copying random character strings.
This box is a winner! Code practice may not be fun, but with the MFJ-418, it's very, very convenient.
|
|
WT4M
|
Rating: 4/5
|
Jan 16, 2005 17:13
|
Send this review to a friend
|
|
Awesome tutor, but fragile looking case.
|
Time owned: 0 to 3 months
|
This is about as many features as you could possibly want in a Morse code tutor. Does it all and does it well!
I did note that one other review pointed out that the quality is not in the speaker. That is an understatement, the speaker is really sorry. Don't even attempt to use it without headphones!
Also, I don't know if they all do this, but my volume/off switch scrapes against the case as you get about half way through the volume setting. This makes it hard to turn up.
The case is made of plastic, and I believe that if you dropped this thing from more than about 3 feet on a hard floor, you would be left with many pieces. I would give the manufacture/QA about a 3 with function coming in at a strong 5!
Makes learning the code a joy. All of the functions are excellent! For $80 they should spend a little more time ensuring that the volume knob does not scrape the case. For that matter, I am certain a more sturdy case would not hurt the profit margin too much at that price!
|
|
KG4PWC
|
Rating: 5/5
|
Dec 29, 2003 18:19
|
Send this review to a friend
|
|
Improves your skills at all levels
|
Time owned: more than 12 months
|
|
I agree with all the comments below. I've owned this item for over a year. I use it to practice at high speeds in excess of 30 wpm using the word and call sign generators. Battery life is very good using headphones. I am not aware of anything like it on the market.
|
|
N0CGF
|
Rating: 5/5
|
Dec 2, 2003 20:44
|
Send this review to a friend
|
|
LEARN CODE EASY
|
Time owned: more than 12 months
|
Learning Code used to miserable, using CODE TAPES.
The only relief was W1AW. Then I purched this at
a hamfest...With in hours my code speed jumped
15 wpm to 25 wpm. This experience was a FUN way
to learn code...well worth the money. The MFJ code tutor has put the FUN back in morse code.
73's Dennis
|
|
KD5VOP
|
Rating: 5/5
|
Dec 2, 2003 20:26
|
Send this review to a friend
|
|
A Jewel!
|
Time owned: 3 to 6 months
|
|
I passed element 1 last night, in no small part due to the MJF morse code tutor. I purchased one used from ebay this summer (based on these reviews), but wasn't able to fully study for my exam till last month. I used the ARRL CD's to get the basics down, then spent a majority of my time with the tutor. I recommend a simple pair of Walkman headphones, as the "money is not in the speaker". I especially liked the ability to select letters, numbers, prosigns, or combinations during practice. As I improved, I could adjust the number of characters sent, random words, and finally...QSO's. Yes, some of the character combinations do repeat themselves if you listen to it long enough..but this is not a bad thing. The tutor "knows" the characters that are most frequently confused (ie, B & 6, H & 4, etc) and when you hear those combinations often enough, I felt it improved my learning. Obviously, there is no short cut to learning CW, and now that I passed my exam, I need to get my speed up to a level where most hams operate. And this little jewel will do the trick. It will grow with you. Buy one and you will not be disappointed.
|
|
LNXAUTHOR
|
Rating: 5/5
|
Aug 11, 2003 15:34
|
Send this review to a friend
|
|
Highly Recommended!
|
Time owned: 0 to 3 months
|
- there are lots of ways to learn CW...
- you should use whatever method is easiest for you, but my feeling is that the most important factor is the desire to learn and a motivation to succeed...
- that said, in my view (and for me personally) i would not have been able to learn CW in what i consider a short amount of time (four weeks) without the aid of the MFJ-418
- i ended up passing Element 1 two days ago - four weeks to the day after picking up this pocket-sized code tutor at a local HRO... i inserted a fresh 9V and it is still working great, even after all the practice sessions!
- the MFJ-418's manual is available through MFJ's Web site, so take a look at its capabilities... it has all the features you need to build a flexible training schedule, avoid tedium and memorization, and can be used for the Koch method of learning if you wish...
- the sound was more than adequate using its built-in speaker...
- be careful, however! if you use headphones, turn the volume down before you begin practice! there's no distortion whatsoever at greater volumes, but you only need a bit of a tweak for loud volume w/headphones...
- i used the external speaker, a set of headphones, and when out of the house with a free five minutes, a cheap $3 single-piece earphone...
- my MFJ-418 will be used long after my passing Element 1, as i plan to continue working on my code and upping my copy speed...
- and when i'm done with my MFJ-418, i will pass it on to a new Technician with a desire to learn the code...
|
|
KC2FPR
|
Rating: 5/5
|
Apr 13, 2003 22:51
|
Send this review to a friend
|
|
Worth It
|
Time owned: more than 12 months
|
|
Great little tool. I use it at work during down time (headphones) I've used it exclusively from zero code til 5wpm passed general, got me and confidence up to 10wpm, when I started actual on air qso's. Now I can copy about 22wpm, but don't enjoy that speed. Most of my major improvements were from the mahcine. Most of my fun was from FIST OPs (tnx)!! Seriously, I can tell you I've had this machine a long time. In the winter she rides in my winter coat, & when I bored waiting in line, or driving, I use it like a walkman and try my best to headcopy. You will learn to hear code as sound this way, and most people progress faster when this happens,... see you on the fun mode - Kc2fpr
|
|
KG6OSK
|
Rating: 5/5
|
Apr 13, 2003 12:42
|
Send this review to a friend
|
|
Portable CW learning aid
|
Time owned: 0 to 3 months
|
|
Read all the preceding reviews of the Tutor, most of which describe the unit pretty accurately, and I think you'll get the idea that this is an extremely useful and handy device with which to learn code and/or boost your speed. Its few minor faults really don't detract from its overall utility. The randomness of character presentation is indeed suspect, and after lots of use, certain patterns of character appearance are seen. This can be overcome by using the custom character set definition capability, and periodically changing the sequence of the characters within these sets. The rotary volume control rubbed against the plastic panel overlay, and the overlay had to be trimmed a bit with a razor knife. Perhaps three times in 5 weeks the unit hung up and had to be power cycled to return it to normal use. And, the way the unit senses button pushes of its configuration buttons was mildly annoying at times. But, these are minor complaints and I was generally very pleased with the device and feel that I've easily gotten my money's worth out of it. I used it almost exclusively in a 5-week effort to pass the 5 wpm code test and I continue to use it daily, wanting to boost my code speed.
|
|
NM0EJ
|
Rating: 5/5
|
Jan 20, 2003 08:40
|
Send this review to a friend
|
|
Excellent
|
Time owned: more than 12 months
|
This tutor, combined with the Koch method (I bought Morse Code, Breaking the Barrier, which is also published by MFJ) allowed me to go from complete beginner to 15WPM+ in twenty minutes a day over a 5 month period. While that was still a pretty large commitment, it went very quickly and was rarely frustrating.
The MFJ-418 worked well. Yes, the speaker is not audiophile quality--or even audiophobe quality. Yes, the randomness of the random character generator is a bit predictable. Yes, it is a bit goofy to use. But for MFJ to provide something this good at this price at what cannot be a huge volume is outstanding.
The real hero, however, is the Koch method. Not only did it help an impatient, short attention span guy like me learn morse, it also changed the way I think about some types of learning.
|
|
If you have any questions, problems, or suggestions about Reviews,
please email your Reviews Manager.
|
|
|
|
|
