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Author Topic: ameritron!?  (Read 1386 times)

W9IQ

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Re: ameritron!?
« Reply #15 on: March 05, 2022, 06:36:46 AM »

That hasn't been my experience, I have had very good luck with MFJ and Ameritron products.  I did have a problem with the balanced tuner, someone forgot to install the 1:1 input Balun, but all it took was single phone call to MFJ and I had the part 3 days later.  Installation was a simple soldering task.  Frustrating for sure, but not anything to get fired up about.

It does make you wonder what MFJ does for a visual inspection and functional test if a product can make it out their door in that sorry condition. It sounds to me that it is not a low quality bar but rather no bar at all.

They are fortunate to have complaisant customers such as you.

- Glenn W9IQ
« Last Edit: March 05, 2022, 06:55:54 AM by W9IQ »
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- Glenn W9IQ

God runs electromagnetics on Monday, Wednesday and Friday by the wave theory and the devil runs it on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday by the Quantum theory.

KA4DPO

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Re: ameritron!?
« Reply #16 on: March 05, 2022, 11:55:57 AM »

That hasn't been my experience, I have had very good luck with MFJ and Ameritron products.  I did have a problem with the balanced tuner, someone forgot to install the 1:1 input Balun, but all it took was single phone call to MFJ and I had the part 3 days later.  Installation was a simple soldering task.  Frustrating for sure, but not anything to get fired up about.

It does make you wonder what MFJ does for a visual inspection and functional test if a product can make it out their door in that sorry condition. It sounds to me that it is not a low quality bar but rather no bar at all.

They are fortunate to have complaisant customers such as you.

- Glenn W9IQ

 Admittedly I was a little miffed when I opened the tuner and saw what the problem was, but I just chalked it up to MFJ's legendary ability to do stupid stuff occasionally. 

That was the one and only time I ever saw that in an MFJ product.  Rather than pitch a fit over an inexpensive tuner, I chose to call them instead.  So by politely asking if they could help me, I got the result that I wanted. 

I am not complaisant, not by any stretch of the imagination Glen, I am however, reasonable when such things happen.  And the tone of your post, and your attitude, is what promotes failure in business. 

By the way, the Mercury III and the Mercury tuner is looking pretty good, hope you own stock in them.

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AH7I

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Re: ameritron!?
« Reply #17 on: March 15, 2022, 10:53:07 AM »

That hasn't been my experience, I have had very good luck with MFJ and Ameritron products.  I did have a problem with the balanced tuner, someone forgot to install the 1:1 input Balun, but all it took was single phone call to MFJ and I had the part 3 days later.  Installation was a simple soldering task.  Frustrating for sure, but not anything to get fired up about.
It does make you wonder what MFJ does for a visual inspection and functional test if a product can make it out their door in that sorry condition. It sounds to me that it is not a low quality bar but rather no bar at all.

They are fortunate to have complaisant customers such as you.

- Glenn W9IQ

 Admittedly I was a little miffed when I opened the tuner and saw what the problem was, but I just chalked it up to MFJ's legendary ability to do stupid stuff occasionally. 

That was the one and only time I ever saw that in an MFJ product.  Rather than pitch a fit over an inexpensive tuner, I chose to call them instead.  So by politely asking if they could help me, I got the result that I wanted. 

I am not complaisant, not by any stretch of the imagination Glen, I am however, reasonable when such things happen.  And the tone of your post, and your attitude, is what promotes failure in business. 

By the way, the Mercury III and the Mercury tuner is looking pretty good, hope you own stock in them.



MFJ great. It's like the Harbor Freight/Tractor Supply/Northern Tool of ham radio.
They have stuff you can't find anywhere else at prices that say, "hey...try me out".
Sure, QC could be better. But I've never had a problem getting a schematic.
What happens when the $849 NCC-2 antenna phasing unit from DXEngineering breaks?
Who's gonna fix that? There's no documentation. Why should I have to reverse engineer something when it
breaks. Especially if it's three times the price to begin with!
Give me the MFJ-1025. It's a little funky. It's a little more awkward to use. But the damn thing works great and
MFJ provided the info to repair it.

The MFJ 1.5 kW remote tuner. Same thing. A but funky. A bit awkward to use. But, it works great and there's nothing close to it for twice the money.

Antennas? The MFJ cobweb is not bad for a 20-6 m antenna that you can put thirty feet in the air for the cost of some cheap top rail fence tubing, some cord, and a few stakes. At 30', it works very well too. You'd be hard pressed to buy the same bits new for DIY without spending more.

As an aside, I'm a 'cheap ham'. I use surplus RG6 and RG11 coax. I reuse antenna wire until it's only good for scrap. I buy my parts when Allied, Avnet, etc discontinue and discount them. I pick up "free" stuff at the hamfest for parts...

73, -bob ah7i



« Last Edit: March 15, 2022, 10:57:33 AM by AH7I »
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K6BRN

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Re: ameritron!?
« Reply #18 on: March 15, 2022, 01:10:37 PM »

Hi Bob (AH7I):

Quote
As an aside, I'm a 'cheap ham'. I use surplus RG6 and RG11 coax. I reuse antenna wire until it's only good for scrap. I buy my parts when Allied, Avnet, etc discontinue and discount them. I pick up "free" stuff at the hamfest for parts...

"being cheap" is not really a virtue.  In means "...of little account; of small value; mean; shoddy..." in the context you are using.

Perhaps "being frugal" (knowing when and where to spend your money for most bang and least frills) might be, if you have to and your family, etc. depends on it (been there, done that).  No shame in it - you do what you have to do to get by.

For many, cost of personal time in fixing issues, out of the box dependability and decent performance has becomes more important than a price sticker that does not reflect the cost of potential issues.

The MFJ topic is VERY divided - some can't afford better (but their prices are rising) and some have been lucky with their purchases.  The former can be identified in their reviews by comments like these:  "...started out with a some problems but once I got the soldering (etc.) sorted, it works great."  The latter simply say "...I've NEVER had a problem with MFJ gear...".  And they've either purchased very little from MFJ and gotten lucky, don't really use what they've purchased or, in some cases, have only purchased the gear used and sorted - by somebody else.

Then there is the other side of the opinionated crowd of MFJ customers - actual customers - who've had big disappointments, often on multiple occasions - and point out to others that MFJ quality, both in production and design, can be a real crap-shoot.  I've been burned, on an antenna (A3S), grid dip meter, RF current clamp meter and antenna analyzer.  Fellow club members have been burned on many items, especially power supplies - some of which I've helped fix.  I could NOT fix the antenna (bad trap design iteration - now changed, I think), sold the useless dip meter at a swapmeet (yes, I KNOW how to use one) and fixed the antena analyzer and current clamp.  Still have the last two and they still work, more or less.  But they're not on my "favorite" list. 

The Rigexpert AA-600 antenna analyzer I purchased works much, much better than the MFJ-269C.  And did - right out of the box.  It cost more, but then I use it MUCH more than the MFJ-269C.  It's more useful and accurate and can quickly generate repeatable plots of antenna performance.  I paid 2-1/2 tiem as much and got 10x the utility.  'Nuff said.

As Glenn pointed out above, any QA at MFJ seems to be accidental rather than part of their process.  This is consistent and seems to be built into their business plan.

But if MFJ works for you, it's your money.  Enjoy.  I'm not really a gambler, though.

Brian - K6BRN

BTW - I do buy stuff and Harbor Freight from time to time and their business practices are somewhat similar to MFJ's.  Small cart wheels, bungee cords, moving blankets (actually made out of paper).  But not anything I have to rely on (generators, tools that could cause damage, etc.)  A friend recently purchased a metric socket set from HF.  Unfortunately, the sizes marked were more or less approximate and the tools began to round off some of the bolts and nuts he worked on with them.  Those tools went straight into the dumpster.  Not so cheap, in the end.

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WB8VLC

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Re: ameritron!?
« Reply #19 on: March 16, 2022, 11:44:12 AM »


It does make you wonder what MFJ does for a visual inspection and functional test if a product can make it out their door in that sorry condition. It sounds to me that it is not a low quality 'bar' but rather no bar at all.


Or maybe it is that the MFJ employees just spend way too much time at the bar.

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KO4JPZ

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Re: ameritron!?
« Reply #20 on: March 16, 2022, 02:18:10 PM »

Gripe and groan, mumble etc. Whens the last time you tried for service on your Hallicrafters, Heathkit, etc.


I've been meaning to start a rant on Heathkit customer service. LOL
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K0IZ

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Re: ameritron!?
« Reply #21 on: March 16, 2022, 03:52:20 PM »

In spite of the various gripes (some deserved), we should be happy that companies like MJF are alive and well. Lots of products, some rather innovative, and almost all on the lower end of pricing. 
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W9FIB

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Re: ameritron!?
« Reply #22 on: March 17, 2022, 04:09:17 AM »

Gripe and groan, mumble etc. Whens the last time you tried for service on your Hallicrafters, Heathkit, etc.


I've been meaning to start a rant on Heathkit customer service. LOL

Radio Shack won't refund me for a defective product. Now that burns my butt.
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73, Stan
Travelling the world one signal at a time.

W9IQ

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Re: ameritron!?
« Reply #23 on: March 17, 2022, 04:51:07 AM »

Radio Shack won't refund me for a defective product. Now that burns my butt.

Did your "genuine simulated walnut" sticker fall off?

- Glenn W9IQ
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- Glenn W9IQ

God runs electromagnetics on Monday, Wednesday and Friday by the wave theory and the devil runs it on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday by the Quantum theory.

K7JQ

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Re: ameritron!?
« Reply #24 on: March 17, 2022, 06:23:22 AM »

I can understand if you’re on a limited budget and want a lower priced amp now, without having to save up to get it. Ameritron used to be that amp. But have you seen their prices lately? They’re on par, or more, than higher quality, more fully featured amps at the same power levels. And just like other amps, aren’t available due to supply chain issues. Since MFJ manufactures them, QC is always suspect.

For example, why on earth would you buy an ALS-1306 SS amp at $4K when the Acom 1200s, Palstar LA-1K LDMOS amps are out there for less money? Or better still the Mercury IIIs, now available assembled and tested for $2.8K. The AL-1500 is close to $7K. Compare that with Acom or OM Power amps. Why not go for an Elecraft KPA-500 over an ALS-606 for virtually the same price?

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KA4DPO

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Re: ameritron!?
« Reply #25 on: March 17, 2022, 11:06:58 AM »

I can understand if you’re on a limited budget and want a lower priced amp now, without having to save up to get it. Ameritron used to be that amp. But have you seen their prices lately? They’re on par, or more, than higher quality, more fully featured amps at the same power levels. And just like other amps, aren’t available due to supply chain issues. Since MFJ manufactures them, QC is always suspect.

For example, why on earth would you buy an ALS-1306 SS amp at $4K when the Acom 1200s, Palstar LA-1K LDMOS amps are out there for less money? Or better still the Mercury IIIs, now available assembled and tested for $2.8K. The AL-1500 is close to $7K. Compare that with Acom or OM Power amps. Why not go for an Elecraft KPA-500 over an ALS-606 for virtually the same price?

Just poking around the internet, the Ameritron amps are a bit less expensive than their closest counterparts from other manufacturers.  So I guess you really need to shop around.  The Mercury III gets my vote for the most feature packed SS amp at a killer price.

In defense of Ameritron, they do have some saving graces.  Their tube amps are uber simple, no microprocessors to fail or get screwed up.  They are very user serviceable, and you can get parts for them from MFJ.  Right now I would say that Elecraft and MFJ are probably the only companies that can supply replacement parts without too much trouble, at least you can contact them by phone.

So as clunky as the AL-811H and AL-80B are, they are sturdy, simple, easy to fix, and will last a long time if you know how to operate them properly.

I still think the Mercury III is the bomb, those guys nailed it.
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K7JQ

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Re: ameritron!?
« Reply #26 on: March 17, 2022, 02:12:35 PM »


Just poking around the internet, the Ameritron amps are a bit less expensive than their closest counterparts from other manufacturers.  So I guess you really need to shop around.  The Mercury III gets my vote for the most feature packed SS amp at a killer price.

In defense of Ameritron, they do have some saving graces.  Their tube amps are uber simple, no microprocessors to fail or get screwed up.  They are very user serviceable, and you can get parts for them from MFJ.  Right now I would say that Elecraft and MFJ are probably the only companies that can supply replacement parts without too much trouble, at least you can contact them by phone.

So as clunky as the AL-811H and AL-80B are, they are sturdy, simple, easy to fix, and will last a long time if you know how to operate them properly.

I still think the Mercury III is the bomb, those guys nailed it.

The key words in your first paragraph are "a bit". A VERY LITTLE bit these days, and their solid state amps are way over-priced for their outdated technology and lack of quality control.

You do have a point that their tube amps are simpler and easier to fix. But looking at the various website amp forums, the overwhelming problem posts are "my Ameritron AL-xxxx just crapped out", or  "didn't work right out of the box". The microprocessor protected amps may be more complicated, but at least the protection circuits detect and prevent problems in the first place.

The AL-811H is now $1.5K, and the AL-80B (probably their best overall amp) is now $2.3K. Their prices have really skyrocketed, and are no longer really budget priced. Plus the QC has gone down (if that's possible). But on the bright side, there's always the possibility that you get a problem-free "good one".

But yes, the Mercury IIIs is "the bomb" for value and features. If Kenny can ramp up his production facilities and can deliver amps in a timely manner, he's got a gold mine on his hands. I'm sure he's inundated with orders now, and I've seen posts from people on "the list" (waiting for notice to send in the deposit) that delivery is out to 2023. That's kinda hard to believe though.
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K0UA

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Re: ameritron!?
« Reply #27 on: March 17, 2022, 07:20:10 PM »

Sure glad I got my Mercury IIIs back in Dec. 2020 when the wait time was 3 weeks.
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73  James K0UA

N0UN

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Re: ameritron!?
« Reply #28 on: March 18, 2022, 08:06:08 PM »

Plus, you could have made your complaint with proper spacing, spelling, punctuation, and capitalization. Looks like it was written by a couch potato video gamer!

+1

N0UN
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VE7REN

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Re: ameritron!?
« Reply #29 on: April 30, 2022, 03:03:37 PM »

N0UN-nice comment!  there always seems to be a guy like you lurking the forums with NOTHING good to say!
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