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| Reviews Summary for MFJ-874 Grandmaster SWR/Power Meter |
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Reviews: 1
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Average rating: 5.0/5
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MSRP: $149.95
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Description: SWR/Power meter covers 1.8 to 525MHz. 200 Watts Max input. Reads SWR, and forward/Reflected Power. Switch lets you select Average or PEP Power for AM & SSB.
Dual coax inputs and outputs for Radios with separate HF/6M and VHF/UHF antenna connections. Large lighted 3 1/2" X 1 3/4" meter.
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More info: http://www.mfjenterprises.com
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write your own review of the MFJ-874 Grandmaster SWR/Power Meter.
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K3DAV
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Rating: 5/5
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Jul 25, 2009 18:05
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Great Meter
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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I have had my MFJ-874 for several years now. It was directly compared to a Byrd wattmeter, and the 874 was within just a couple of watts.
This meter is designed for use with radios that have 2 antenna connections on the rear, like the 706MKIIG, or the FT-857. One for HF/6M, and the other for VHF/UHF. A switch on the front of the meter lets you choose between the 2 band coverage areas.
Keep in mind, this meter can also be connected to a single HF/6M radio, and a separate VHF/UHF radio, at the same time, and can be left inline with both radios at all times. The push of a button lets you select which radio you want the meter to read SWR or power from.
NOTE: It is not designed for 2 HF or 2 VHF/UHF radios. It must be one of each only. One set of in/outputs are made for 1.8 to 200MHz. The other set is made for 125 to 525MHz. Because of this overlapping configuration, the only acceptable combination of 2 equal radios would be 2 separate 2 meter radios. 2 meters is the only frequency band that both sets of in/outputs share.
I used this MFJ-874 for many years on my old Icom 706MKIIG, and now use it on my Icom 746PRO. It is about 6 years old now, and still performs like the day it was new. The PEP reading feature is great for AM and SSB power readings. The meter face has 3 scales for power which are selectable with the range switch for 5W, 20W, or 200W scales. With a 5 watt input, all 3 scales showed the same 5W power reading.
There are 2 SWR scales close together for the 2 different band ranges. They can read an SWR up to 10.1:1 then to infinity.
The meter printing is large bold print in black and red, and very easy to read. The meters movement is smooth, and not jumpy. It goes to the reading solidly without going past the correct reading and falling back and forth until it settles. Then the needle slowly drops to zero in 2 seconds. There is a small green light in the bottom that shines upwards. It is not very bright, but it's enough to read the meter. It is powered separately by a DC jack on the rear, and will take 13.8VDC directly from any source.
I highly recommend the MFJ-874 meter to everyone. For my application, I noticed very little to no insertion loss in power or recieve signals on all bands. Of most meters I have owned,(And that includes many top brand names), the MFJ-874 has been the most accurate and dependable I have used yet. You can't do better for under $150.00. This review is based on 6 years of experience with the same meter.
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