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Reviews For: MFJ-461 Morse Code Reader

Category: Decoders, multi-mode

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Review Summary For : MFJ-461 Morse Code Reader
Reviews: 59MSRP: 79.95
Description:
Place this tiny pocket size MFJ Morse Code Reader near your receiver's speaker. Then watch Morse code signals turn into solid text messages as they scroll across an LCD display. No cables to hook-up, no computer, no interface, no other equipment needed.
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.mfjenterprises.com/products.php?prodid=MFJ-461
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
00593.2
NC8G Rating: 2003-03-12
Difficult to use Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
I don't like it, and would rather throw it away rather than pass it on to some unsuspection person who actually expects it to copy live code over the air. It does a good job at the hamfests when MFJ demo's it using nice perfect, clean code, but in the real world, it doesn't do well at all. Save your money and learn to copy CW the old fashioned way.
K8YSV Rating: 2003-02-04
Works great since I FIXED IT! Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
I got one of these little doohickeys from a friend who bought it and couldn't get it to work. Likewise I followed the instructions to the letter, but to no avail. I couldn't get the LOCK LED to light at all unless I wired it in. Once plugged to audio in it worked great. Since there was no warranty left on it, I pulled it apart and noticed one of the solder pads for the mic element was devoid of solder. I resoldered it, slapped it back together and viola! It works fine! QC at MFJ never was the greatest so what do you expect. I offered the repaired unit back to my friend but he didn't want it anymore. Sure it likes a clean signal and a good fist, who doesn't? I do find it helps me to concentrate on the recieved code and I find that I'm copying slightly faster than the device but in my head. No need for pencil and paper anymore!

K8YSV
M3CMA Rating: 2002-12-23
for the price first class Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I purchased the 461 as I wanted an easy / small / portable unit that I could use on the move. This device meets all of these requirements.

I did have some problems to start with but the staff at Nevada in the UK were kind enough to put things right. I was simply not utilising the pots on the rear correctly.

Great copy and even better if you utilise the AF in using a wire.
W5EJ Rating: 2002-11-02
I LIKE IT!! Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
I didn't expect it to read signals down in the mud. My receivers have good filters. Have no trouble reading almost any CW sig I want to. I use it for "backup" when I've been off CW for a while or when I want to copy someone just beyond my limits. If you take a little time to get it adjusted right and learn how to use it, it's a great little box!

Ed, W5EJ
PY2MRD Rating: 2002-10-16
It´s a joke !!! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
A better idea is to spend the money with a dinner.

Poor performance. MFJ should respect hams worldwide. Its virtually impossible to copy a qso in the real world.

Even with a windows based CW generator its performance is poor.
K8CPA Rating: 2002-05-31
It does copy...But. Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
I own one of these things.... I works okay... It doesn't like noise... But if your rig has all the filtering in it... you should be able to get it to work... It can't copy bugs though... (HELL I cannot hardy copy those bloody things,why would I expect a device like this too! HAHAHA!) I use it daily on 40 meter cw and it works fine... if there's no band noise and the guy has a decent signal, I can usually follow the converation at 20 wpm with no problem...

My only whine, moan and complaint is,why didn't they offer an external power supply option, as in 13.8 supply plug?

Thing love batteries and will eat them, if you leave it on when not in use...

but all in all it's a nice little unit and was reasonable in price.

73

ON4LG Rating: 2002-05-27
Not so bad Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
This toy doesn't work so bad. I'm now able to have contest qso without listening 5 minutes to get the DX call correct. Of course it's not perfect when band is overcrowded but that helps a lot new comers like me.
W5VK Rating: 2002-05-12
not MFJs best product Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
Ditto most of the other reviews. I have played with a couple of earlier cw decoders. I expected with the advent of new technologies (my other decoders were 15 years old) the small MFJ decoder would be significantly improved. Not so. I don't feel it is worth the $80 + tax.
KU4ZL Rating: 2002-04-04
Never worked.... Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
got it home right out of the box with a new battery,never has worked.Sent it to Mfj and after 2-3 weeks they confirmed they had recieved it and it would be 3-4 weeks before they could repair and send back???I purchased it NEW and now IF??I am lucky I will get another one which has been repaired.Should have got a USED one off E-Bay......JUNK
N9SLR Rating: 2002-02-09
Under real conditions - fair Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
My code speed peters out about 15 wpm and I was hoping this unit would help me in communications with hams sending up to 20 - 25 wpm - kind of a little "speed cheater". I found that, as MFJ indicates, with a strong signal and if you tune so the tone is 700 Hz, that the MFJ-461 does work well. I did find that use of the patch cord to supply signal directly to the unit was far superior to using the built in microphone. HOWEVER, the number of times, under real conditions, that I got solid copy was only about 10- 15%. Often, strings of copy occur, then a slight fade or some other noise throws it off and it takes a few seconds (and lost copy) to recover. Furthermore, as MFJ indicates, the unit cannot make up for a bad fist. If someone hestates just slightly between two characters in a word, the unit separates the word (your brain would not be fooled). After three days of trying to use the unit under real conditions, I finally returned it and decided I was better off letting the human brain do what it is good at - picking out signals under difficult conditions and decoding them.