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write your own review of the MFJ-4245MV.
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KB5EOK
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Rating: 5/5
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Jul 21, 2006 11:19
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Great stuff...
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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I can't help but feel that MFJ gets a bad rap - with no good reason. This PS is FB!!! It weighs 5.5 lbs, and packs the power of a MUCH larger conventional. I wish it had heavy duty terminals on the rear, but I have made the terminals work.
My Astron 20A used to run HOT! I used to keep a small external fan on it to keep it cool. With this MFJ PS, there is no heat problems, and the fan is relatively quiet. If I'm trying to pick up some faint DX signal I will be wearing my headphones anyway.
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KA7GKN
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Rating: 5/5
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Feb 9, 2004 18:46
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one of the good ones!
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Time owned: 3 to 6 months
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After 20 years of reliable service I retired my astron RS-35A power supply. I just got tired of the mechanical hum and I tried various tricks to reduce it. Now, the astron still works fine and is reliable, however, it is time to try the new fancy switcher types!
I went to HRO, opened the box and shook the power supply...not noise, no loose paerts, so I bought it.
At home I opened it up and....the power cord ground was indeed properly attached. Everything was tight, all the soldering looked pretty good, and there were some ferrite beads installed.
I discarded the included power cord and used a shielded type power cord, added two mix-31 split ferrite beads. I placed the power supply on some easy liner solid shelf liner. This stuff is about 1/16" thick and acts as a shock type mount to eliminate any noise from the supply's rubber feet to the shelf. I found it at Lowe's and it's made by Henkel. www.duckproducts.com
I use this stuff for many things such as keeping my tabletop tools from moving while they run.
OK, time to power up the power supply.
the fan noise was worse case 56dbspl. I use the radio shack analog spl meter, slow response and "C" weighting. To put that into something meaningfull, my Mirage bd-38 fan is 68 dbspl! or noisy!! My ACOM 2000A runs at about 54 dbspl or amazingly quiet! Keep in mind typical voice level into a microphone is 68-70 dbspl.
The power supply is located on a shelf under the operating position by the modesty panel of the desk. This keeps any noise away from the pick up field of my microphone.
the detent is supposed to be 13.8v well, mine was around 13.6 to 13.7 for me not an issue.
I ran it under a 30amp load and nothing! no voltage drop, no sag, no hash, no pain!
I do have my own volt and ammeters on the desk top and the mfj meters track exactly the same.
I also read the switching power supply review in the January 2000 issue of QST. I was very impressed with the spectrum graph!
The two high amp users in the shack are a Yaesu ft-8800R and a Tokyo Hy-power HL-728D dual band linear ...about 25 amps.
The power supply is performing very nicely and I think it will be a keeper. I think switching power supply hash is something being addressed by the vendors and may no longer be an isue.
marty, ka7gkn
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N9NMR
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Rating: 0/5
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Nov 19, 2003 13:49
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DOA with a pop, flash and curl of smoke
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Time owned: 6 to 12 months
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Powered-up the unit after not using it for 2 months. With a bang, flash and curl of smoke, the unit is DOA. I had no load on it at the time. I never ran the unit even close to the 20a rating. Thank goodness I still have a few months left on the warranty!!
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KG6HAF
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Rating: 2/5
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Oct 13, 2003 18:29
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Loose fan
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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Just got my MFJ-4245MV two weeks ago, it has a more recent (wider) case than in the picture above. (Follow MFJ link for current pic).
Upon opening box, there was a rattling noise inside the unit. Opened it up to find the front box fan just sitting loose in the case and rattling around -- like adding it to the unit was an afterthought. Unbelieveable. (Unit has two box fans, one mounted on the rear and and the other in front of the main circuit board behind the meters. They _are_ noisy, but my old computers here are just as bad.)
Anwyay, couldn't see any way the front fan was supposed to be secured, so I tied the front fan to the rear fan with loops of string over the circuit board and that holds it in place, but I sure feel like an idiot for having to do that with such an expensive piece of equipment. MFJ's legendary quality control problems continue, I guess.
Unit works fine otherwise, and I like the big lighted meters.
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KC7ZHO
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Rating: 5/5
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Sep 21, 2003 04:06
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been in service six years
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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I got this power supply over six years ago the only time I turn it off is when I leave town.
The only problem I had is the light bulb burned out about A year ago. I dont think A guy could ask for better performance.
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KD5TRT
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Rating: 3/5
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Feb 13, 2003 16:56
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Less than perfect operation
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Time owned: 6 to 12 months
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I bought the MFJ-4245MV switching power supply and had no problems for about 7 months. Then, I started hearing a little intermittent "clicking" in the fan. About a month later, the PS failed. It would not produce more than about 10-12 volts max. Took it back to where I had purchased it and they sent it back to MFJ. Two week turn around and it seems to be working fine again. I'm not sure if I would buy another one, but they did fix it, no questions asked.
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KD5MNA
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Rating: 5/5
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Dec 14, 2002 17:52
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Great power supply
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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I have the MFJ-4245mv Switching power supply. I was very skepticl on the supply I bought, I hav run battery power and solar for several years and finally bought a power supply. I have heard some storyies about the fan being a bit load and it is no more then the fan on my icom 706 and my marage amp. I run a hiel haed set so I dont hear my equipment. Also the switching being load and it is not. The only complaint is dust but that is with all equipmnet. It works great, excelent supply for any one it is rated at 45 amps and my radio and amp pull 41, and I have never shut it down. i dont beliave in being so picky as to take it apart and look around it fits the bill or it dont and this one does hands down. Two thumbs up to MFJ for a cheap great supply.
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W5VK
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Rating: 5/5
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Oct 20, 2002 14:58
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OK for me.
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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Needed a very small, lightweight PS to use portable in my RV with my 706 MKII. Got the smallest 22amp MFJ...w/ no meters, etc. Used for SSB & CW. So far, so good.....Quiet fan, no discernable hash, stays cool. For the size and $ a good deal. If it changes, I'll write more.
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K9TMS
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Rating: 2/5
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Sep 7, 2002 17:55
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Volt meter problems
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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MFJ-4245 defective out of the box. No voltage indicated, but the lights at least work. Will see if AES can get a working one to me before next week end's VHF contest.
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WA5BDU
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Rating: 5/5
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Jun 28, 2001 13:14
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Great little PS
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Time owned: 3 to 6 months
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After getting my IC-706, I realized I didn't want a boatanchor class PS to go with it, since my intent is to lug it around. This little (and light) MFJ switcher is great for the job.
I don't know if MFJ has made improvements or not, but on mine the fan runs all the time and is quiet. I hate fans that go on and off and I also just hate fans in general, but they're in my computer and in my FT-1000 and the one in the MFJ PS is quieter than either of those by far.
Also--mine doesn't have a detent on the voltage control--but when I set it to the 13.8 V mark on the meter, it's dead on with my DVM.
No switching noise and the voltage doesn't move a bit with 20 amp keying.
73--Nick, WA5BDU
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