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Reviews For: MFJ-1919EX tripod and mast

Category: Antennas: HF Portable (not mobile)

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Review Summary For : MFJ-1919EX tripod and mast
Reviews: 3MSRP: 159.95
Description:
MFJ-1919 tripod plus telescopic fiberglass mast with QuickClamps.
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.mfjenterprises.com/Product.php?productid=MFJ-1919EX
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
0034.3
AE7NM Rating: 2020-04-17
Parts Missing, Customer Service Non-Responsive Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
The product looks pretty good. I plan to adapt an ELK dual band log periodic antenna to fit. I will use this with an Icom IC-9700 for a portable station.
The tripod seems to be a modified speaker stand. The mast comes as a kit. You have to mark the maximum extension on the tubes and install and adjust the quick clamps. My package was missing the plastic cap for the top mast section and a split aluminum tube that adapts the bottom quick clamp to the tripod's tube. The mast cannot be assembled without the tube/adapter.
I have turned in two problem tickets to MFJ customer service and added several replies. I attached the purchase receipt and a copy of the assembly instructions with the missing parts circled. It is has been more than 2 weeks with no response and no parts. I will finish this review if I ever get the parts. I finally got the attention of MFJ customer service and they sent the parts, twice. The tripod and mast are sturdy. The quick clamps work very well.
If you are concerned about stability in winds, I recommend MFJ-1905 Tripod Anchor Foot Braces. These are fold-up feet that attach to the ends of the tripod legs. The legs are pre-drilled for the feet. There are holes for tent stakes in each foot to anchor the tripod. You could also set weights like canopy leg weights on the foot braces.
K2PMC Rating: 2019-05-29
Great product but instructions not sot good Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I agree with KG7OR's review. The extra thumbscrew and retaining pin and ring are a bit of a head scratcher. But, I was a bit more charitable than KG7OR and gave it a 5 as they were not a "big deal" to me.

I am more conservative than most and I opted to guy the mast at the bottom of sections 2 and 4. With those guys in place I could shake the mast really hard and it wasn't going any where. The mast got a good test only several hours later as a monsoon blew through our area with gusts close to 40 MPH. I did several times, but the mast didn't blink at all.

However, don't be foolish and try to use it at or nearly fully extended height without guy lines or you'll be sorry. The guys are a pain in the neck, but well worth the effort.
KG7OR Rating: 2018-04-23
Great product, lousy instructions Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
My 1919EX arrived with the following parts loose in the long shipping box, thanks to a torn plastic parts bag:

2 - 2 inch round knob on a 1/4 inch threaded bolt
2 - 1/4 inch nut
1 - 3 inch retaining pin on lanyard

The knob & bolt is needed to secure the 3 tripod legs at the desired width, but there were no threads inside the hole for the bolt, and no mention of it in the instructions. After lengthy examination of the tripod from every angle, it became evident that MFJ expects you to (a) turn the tripod upside down, (b) insert one of the 1/4 inch nuts into a small slot just below the bolt hole, (c) slide it in until the nut aligns with the hole, then (d) thread the bolt into the nut. All with no instructions. Anyway, I got it done after forcing the nut downward with a thin screwdriver plus a few choice words for MFJ.

Next, what's up with the pin on a lanyard, and the other knob & bolt (mysteriously called a "thumbscrew" in the instructions)? There's absolutely no place to install them on the 1919EX. After more close examination of the entire assembly, followed by online searching of any relevant photos, Youtubes, etc., it eventually became apparent that the 1919EX tripod is the same one provided with the model 1919 (no fiberglass mast), and that one does require a second "thumbscrew" plus the retaining pin. They're not needed with the "EX" model, but you get them anyway, without explanation. (Thanks to DX Engineering for posting their own photo rather than MFJ's.)

Aside from the initial assembly woes, the 1919EX is very stable with a 5' per side triangular footprint when the 3 legs are fully extended. It's a great way to get an antenna up as much as a quarter wave on 20 meters, although guy ropes at the maximum extension will be needed with large antennas, windy environments, etc. I use it with an MFJ-347 dual Hamstick mount with great success.

Bottom line, very good product, quality and usability as advertised. But MFJ loses a star in this review for forcing the customer to figure out a very obscure assembly requirement with no instructions, and for further confusing the issue with unusable parts for another product.