| VA7CRH |
Rating:  |
2008-03-08 | |
| Valuable tool, with issues |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
The MFJ-259B singlehandedly got me into homebrew antenna building. The latest was a Moxon yagi for 17M. As said by others, probably the single most important piece of ham equipment with the exception of the rig itself.
I suppose it really does need 10 AA batteries. But the issue with the power switch being easily turned on (even in storage) needed solving. I cut off the end of a power connector and it resides in the power slot when the analyzer is not in use... the power switch simply will not turn the rig on with the power plug filled, but with no pwer forthcoming.
Also, why can one only access the battery compartment by undoing 8 screws?
Otherwise it takes a couple of complete drain of 10 batteries to make one wise, as it did me.
All in all an indispensible addition to a shack, esp. if you're doing homebrew antenna building. Perhaps I should have got the 269 for UHF, but why do neither do the 220 Mhz band?
For this and the power switch issue, it gets a four of five. Despite the nitpicks, it gets the job done. Warning - your ham friends will want to borrow it, and if you're a gracious ham, you'll lend it. |
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| GI0ZGB |
Rating: |
2008-02-09 | |
| MFJ-259B(z) Update |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
| The MFJ dry joint curse struck after a few days, wouldn't charge the battery pack, so I spent a while sorting that and a number of careless attempts at soldering whilst the opportunity was there. I eventually got it to work as advertised, but MFJ clearly needs to improve quality control big time. I then bought a Palstar ZM30 analyzer, the difference in bulid quality was like day and night, and although it didn't cover VHF, I couldn't help wishing I had bought it first! Goodbye MFJ! |
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| W6RTW |
Rating: |
2007-09-10 | |
| Does the Job! |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
I have had my 259B for a couple years now. I can't imagine how I got along without it. It has done the job time and time again, with HF and VHF arrays, dipoles and verticals, and mobile antennas. You know it's a great device when all your ham friends want to borrow it!
Two things have made it a better product for me:
1. Install 2500 mAH rechargeable batteries
2. Glue a large rubber grommet over the power switch. This will eliminate the accidental power on problem.
This is almost the most important piece of test equipment in my shack. (Right behind my DVM) It also makes a great weak signal for checking out receivers.
73, Bob W6RTW |
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| G4TRA |
Rating: |
2007-08-17 | |
| MFJ in need of help again. |
Time Owned: 3 to 6 months. |
I’ve deliberately kept away from MFJ products in the past, knowing their reputation for quality. However when my trusty SWR meter seemed less than suitable for the antenna experiments I was doing, something more suitable had to be found and at the price it was difficult to ignore the MFJ-259B.
I brought it in from the USA via a grey importer, nothing wrong with that, good service, quick delivery and money saved too.
Apart from a voracious appetite for batteries the unit performed well on a number of antenna and feeder issues making me wonder how I had managed for so long without an antenna analyser. However after three months light use, the unit failed. It powered up, the software configured but it would not measure anything. Knowing the reputation that MFJ has justifiably earnt regarding the quality of their products I opened the unit up and there as expected was the dry joint. The SO239 antenna socket on the rear panel had never been soldered to the PCB, it was totally devoid of any solder, just making mechanical connection, or in my case, not.
I’ve given the unit a 3 as it’s working OK now and hopefully it will for a long time too, but really I should have given this MFJ-259B a 2 as MFJ are certainly in need of help when it comes to simple quality control on their production lines. Good job for MFJ that most of their customers can handle a soldering iron
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| KA4HXZ |
Rating: |
2007-08-16 | |
| good when & if it works |
Time Owned: 6 to 12 months. |
This is the 2nd, dealer swaped out the 1st (DOA)
it worked fine for nearly 3 weeks, then intermit. then REAL intermit.. mostly just weird readings. would give varying readings just setting still with any changes to the antenna, feedline, etc. Don't get me wrong, I know atmosphere, etc will make small changes.. but from 1.2 :1 to 3 :1 and all the other chars change, impedance, inductance, etc. IT would never work above 50 Mhz with any amount of realiability. And forget trying to use it near any semi- strong rf field, even if the the field is 100mhz out of the things range. really diss-apointed with it. Took MHF 2 weeks to responde to phone call, and so help me, the person told me that by the time I mailed it to them the waranty would have expired.. |
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| K3ASF |
Rating: |
2007-06-12 | |
| Holy SWR Batman |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
WOW!! is all I can say about this analyzer. Never owned one before last week and they're probably pretty much the same but I just finished buiding a 2 meter loop for SSB as per instructions and the best SWR I could get was 3:1 at 144.2 mhz. Just for the heck of it I tried going out of spec. by a full inch and guess what. BINGO!! 1:1 and 50 ohms.
Probably would have lost a few pounds, though, running back and forth with the Bird. Only took me 50 years. (To soon old...to late smart) |
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| N0AH |
Rating: |
2007-06-07 | |
| Sucker is DEAD-Why, Oh Why, Why....(Nancy Carrigan) |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
Only took 9 years to drop dead. Four DX'peditions, on front page cover on NCJ, one major write up in CQ Contest magazine, several home made arrays, stacked tower arrays, VFH arrays, 6 meter tune to work my first and last EU from WY, who knows how many contest fuctions, mobile set-ups, 200 zone 5BWAZ, 5BDXC, 319 worked, it just would not die during all of this. Finally, the PL-239 shorted out and there is no easy way to fix it sitting between two boards. Buried in backyard next to Spot. I really hate MFJ but I will never complain about the 259B unless my new one dies out of the box- Which will most likely happen- Still hate the on/off switch...to easy to turn on and the battery saver is not that great if it happens.
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Earlier 5-star review posted by N0AH on 2005-06-19
There is always the exception.....an MFJ product that works. Gaaagggg. Why can't they get anything else right? I have used mine for years without problems and have enjoyed what it has allowed me to do.
Belongs in every shack.
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Earlier 3-star review posted by N0AH on 2002-01-01
I use the analyzer for reference. But as for true values, I'm always concerned. It seems to put things in perspective well for HF applications, and feedline measurements, but I found it to act physco on VHF antenna measurements. I do enjoy it over my 249 which crapped out on me, and on a lot of my friends, after a few months of use. The 259 seems to be more duarable but the manual is a continued problem in explaining what the measurements are telling you- It seems like a few case examples would really improve the understanding of using it for various applications besides SWR measurements. |
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| N6AJR |
Rating: |
2007-06-05 | |
| handy |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
it works, what else is there to say.
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Earlier 5-star review posted by N6AJR on 2005-06-19
I have had my 259b for 4 or 5 years now and use it all the time. It works well and certianly does what it is advertised . It does eat recharable batteries but the built in charger will recharge them in 20 hours or so.
I have to give credit to MFJ, they do build a lot of things that most hams would not be able to afford otherwise. for example my 424 voice keyer, , several of their rf switches, their 24 hour clocks, their dual cross needle swr meters, , the smaller 300 watt tuner/meter like the 945 e.. the little code practice gizmo ( morse code tutor) amd a lot of other stuff.
I know sometimes their stuff needs a trip to the factory, but I have always had good luck with both warrenty and paid service.
But how many hams would have a much poorer shack with out the help from Mr. Martin F. Jue..
I say Good Job MFJ and Thanks.. |
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| KX0R |
Rating: |
2007-06-05 | |
| Nice instrument if you're careful |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
I've enjoyed my MFJ-259B for over a year, and now I want to recommend it. This little portable box does a lot of things well, and like many others, I've found that it increases my enjoyment of our hobby. I regret not getting one sooner.
This must be one of the best products MFJ makes. Please don't judge it by the variable quality and poor reviews of their other products. The only defects I saw in my analyzer were tiny cosmetic flaws in the paint job. I didn't buy this to look at or to show off.
If you are reasonably careful with this tool, it will reward you. It's built to sell at a fair price, and there are necessary compromises. I don't think it's quite rugged enough for professional field work; nevertheless, if you read the manual and handle your unit carefully, it may amaze and delight you.
One of the things I did with my analyzer was to go through the entire coaxial RF chain of my homebrew rig - switch boxes, dummy loads, SWR meters, a bridge, coax cables, T-R relays, etc. All this stuff has served me well for many years, but until I had the 259B, I didn't realize that I had a cumulative SWR of over 2:1 through the chain on some frequenices. Using the 259B, I was able to find which components were contributing to the collective mismatch, and then I was able to compensate each of these components by intuitive trial and error. This is a project that would have been hopeless without a such a simple, versatile instrument.
Having an MFJ-259B will help you get control of your ham station and your RF projects, so you can spend more time doing fun stuff and less time wondering why stuff isn't working or tuning up the way it should. If you're into homebrew or QRP, you need one of these.
One thing that needs to be pointed out is that the 259B is a pretty good portable signal generator. The oscillator is levelled and reasonably free of harmonics. While stability is only fair, the counter tells you where you are. The unit puts out several milliwatts. I've used mine as a portable generator as much as an analyzer.
Like several others have said, it's a shame that the sign of the "j" term in complex impedance is not displayed...but if you know what this means, you may be able to figure it out.
You'll need a basic understanding of RF concepts and complex numbers to fully use the information measured by the MFJ-259B, but having one of these devices will definitely help you understand RF and how it behaves in your components - just read the manual, read other books, and be patient. It takes most of us years to get comfortable with this stuff. There's no better way to learn than measuring your own antennas and RF components.
Unless you already have a better, more sophisticated analyzer, this is the one tool you MUST have to work on tuners (antenna matching networks).
If you're a careless worker and you're hard on your gear, don't get one. If you drop it, it might break. If you put high-level RF into it, it will burn out. If you leave it on the antenna and a transmitter comes on nearby, it will be toast. If you leave it on while running on battery power, it will run down and go dead.
Definitely install NiMH rechargeable batteries and keep it charged. That way you won't get upset about what a set of batteries costs and how soon they run down. The NiMH cells give plenty of time, and you can always run on the adapter if you need to use it for many hours on the bench.
From what others have said here about other MFJ analyzers in their line, I think that the 259B is the unit you want. You'll like the combined analog and digital displays, the accurate counter, and the useful frequency range. It seems to be the most reliable unit of the bunch, and it's a great value. Whoever designed it should get an award. This thing is cool.
KX0R |
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| S58F |
Rating: |
2007-05-21 | |
| Great unit, Recomended |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
Bought this unit-new,from WB0W few mounth ago.
I've used it to cut coax tuned stubs, adjust antennas, and nearly everything else you can do with it
What more can be said? I highly recommend the MFJ 259B.
If you are just an appliance operator, don't buy it, you won't understand it.
Cu de S58F ERIC
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