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Reviews For: MFJ-969

Category: Antenna Tuners/Matching Networks

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Review Summary For : MFJ-969
Reviews: 115MSRP: 199.95
Description:
Covers 160M to 6M, 300W
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.mfjenterprises.com/products.php?prodid=MFJ-969
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
001153.5
OM7RU Rating: 2001-12-09
Electric shock producer Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I am user of 969 for a 3 years, and this is my experiences:
- not possible to unscrew one screw of top cover
- some connectors was unstable (need to draw close)
- wires chaos inside, any white powder on some places
...and the best one: lower part of aluminium capacitors knob is conductive connected to a rotary part of capacitor!!! (know designer, that it is not a Pi circuit?) After first 300W tune was my finger with painful wound.

I am sending question about this to MFJ via e-mail, but without any answer. It seems like noname product with MFJ label only.

After few hours of homemade hardware upgrades work properly with some limits. So... I think, that this is no way for those of us, who want to make QSOs instead of labours in workroom.
KC0IMN Rating: 2001-11-27
Does the job! Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
I haven't worked this unit hard, but it has matched everything I've needed matched. The unit has an attractive appearance and was priced right. It does have a less than substantial feel, but I've never had any problems with bulbs or belts so for me it performs as expected.
KG8ZH Rating: 2001-10-18
Will get the job done, but made like junk Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I have had this tuner for a couple years now. Had trouble with the tension springs collapsing on the roller inductor. I had to take it apart and replace them. a few weeks later the meter went out on me. ordered a new meter from MFJ for $25.00. I could not believe they had the nerve to charge me $25.00 for a meter that had the quality of something that should cost about $5.00. Then the lamp went out. replaced it with a Radio Shack lamp. One good thing about this tuner, is that it is easy to work on, because you will need to.

When working properly though it will tune a wide range of antennas to a flat match. Just keep your tools nearby.
K3SUI Rating: 2001-09-10
Another loser from MFJ !! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
After using the 949E for awhile and feeling it did a pretty good job, I thought that MFJ may actually know how to build tuners in the 300 W range. I thought I would upgrade with the 969. BAD MOVE !! I cannot tune anything that my 949E tuned. I'm not sure that it's wired correctly inside, since the variable inductor doesn't ever find a match. Off to E-Bay it goes. This tuner is a real piece of junk !!
NC3Z Rating: 2001-09-02
Fair quality, good performance Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Just bought the 969 new in Aug 2001. Unit looks nice on the outside. And it did tune what my ATU could not. But the quality inside is very questionable, who assembled these things??

Lamp burned out in the first hour and the roller inductor takes two hands to turn and feels like sand is in the mechanism.

You get what you pay for. Next time I'll know to spend more from another manufacturer. I have seen very high quality work from other USA companies, not sure what happened with MFJ.
KK7CX Rating: 2001-08-04
works well Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I have been using the MFJ-969 for two years. It tunes my wire, beam and vertical just fine. My only complaint is burned out panel light and broken rubber band that turns the inductor counter. I found a better light bulb at Radio Shack and it has been working for over a year. The rubber band was replaced on the inductor counter and has been hanging in there so far (6 mo's). Overall the construction isn't all that high tech, but it works well.
WD4FGH Rating: 2001-05-08
Paperweight Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Meters don't meter much. Roller inductor doesn't seem to have any impact on tuning. The balun looks awfully light weight. Maybe I can sell it someday, but for now its just going to sit there and gather dust.
EI2IV Rating: 2001-04-29
Great 160-6m ATU Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I have my MFJ-969 for abt 3 years, It workes great
on any antennas I have used, random wires etc.
The only problem I ever had was the meter lamp went west but I was running it from the Rigs PSU
at 13.8 volts.
So if you are looking for a good ATU for HF/50MHZ this is the one!!!
DL1BEY Rating: 2001-04-29
It´s a joke. Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
This tuner is a joke. Only the roller inductor is good, but all other build in pieces are toy like.
Look the balun! Isn´t it funny?
NV0U Rating: 2001-04-24
Good tuner, terrible build Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Don't have anything bad to report on the operation of the tuner. It tunes the wire I have up with no problem on any band and operates just like it should.

However, I have to say that this is typical MFJ - anything you buy you should consider to be a kit because you will have to fix something on it.

On opening the box and removing the plastic wrapping, I found three (3) bolts that had not been screwed in more than just enough to hold them in place - two of those were on the roller inductor and the third was one of the cover screws. Pretty sloppy there, folks.

My one main complaint with the tuner is the sloppy feel of the roller inductor. I have not had a chance to dig into it, but I can assure you that as soon as I have a few days of spare time, that roller inductor is coming out for a rebuild. The counter mechanism feels cheap (it is) and it just is not solid at all.

Overall the rest of the tuner is solid. Nothing wiggles (roller inductor is the exception) and everything else seems to be fine.