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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
N1XZZ Rating: 2009-06-09
NOT AS BAD AS SOME LEAD YOU TO BELIVE Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
This is my first review on this Tuner. I purchase this tuner with the soul intent of using its case to install the parts of a old Dentron that I have. The Dentron is not the prettiest thing to look at. Once the tuner got in I hocked it up to one 80m dipole feed with 450 ohm ladder line, vertical 10m and a home brew 6m 3 element beam. Just to see if the tuner was as bad as some of the reviews implied, the 80m dipole tunes on all bands from 80m to 10m with favorable reports on all bands even 20m usable any way’s, i only run 100w and Since it was working ok the first day I kept it on the station just to see if it would start twitching or doing all the things that I’ve read hear. And I must say that 2 months in, putting 2hr a day on it it’s still working fine. We all know it’s not a TenTec 238B or anything but in my case the tuner is holding on just fine to the point that I am going to put of the project of using it for parts until it starts bugging. But buy the way it’s performing I don’t think it will be any time soon. I still gave it a 3/5 because for what it cost new MFJ could afford to use better quality parts. i bout it use at a good price but if I was going to get a new tuner I would buy a used higher quality tuner for what MFJ wants for this “TOY”
KX4UL Rating: 2009-05-22
Nice AffordableTuner! Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
I have been completely satisfied with my MFJ-969 Tuner! I purchased mine second hand from an estate for $150 with power supply for the meter lamp included. It was obviously never used, as it looked absolutely new and the manual was still in the sealed plastic wrapper. The seller cheerfully hooked it up to test for me. It worked perfectly and still does! The tuning knob was a bit stiff but loosened up nicely after some use. I like the antenna selector for two antennas, both tuned and bypassed, and the included 100 watt dummy load. The meter is just the right size and very easy to read.

This tuner works perfectly on several different radios with my RadioWavz G5RV Lite 10m-80m dipole with traps mounted in my attic. It tunes the antenna on 160m as well. I have had no problems with this tuner or any of the MFJ equipment I have bought over the years. Although I know they do have issues with quality control as I personally know other hams that have had problems and had to return items.

The presets in the manual were a good starting point for me and I was able to tune down to a 1.5 and lower on most bands with some tweaking. I did have a little trouble at first getting a low SWR on 80m and 160m. But I have found if you can’t get a low SWR near the recommended presets then don’t be afraid to venture out and move the roller several turns one way or the other and tweak the settings again. I did and was able to get a 1.1 SWR on most every band! I usually start with the roller setting as suggested and the transmitter and antenna knobs at 12 O’clock. Start with the roller and then tweak the knobs.

I am not an equipment snob and I don’t want to spend too much money on a hobby. I think overall MFJ makes some decent affordable gear. The only catch is you might get a bad item once in a while and need to return it. From what I have heard, MFJ has no problems replacing the item or refunding your money. As such I have no problems buying their products. I would buy another MFJ-969 without a second thought!
G4MKR Rating: 2009-04-10
Not Reliable Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I've owned the MJ-969 for over 10 years and it has been used every now-and-then but always on low power. As soon as anything more than around 50 watts is used the SWR jumps all over the place. I have tapped it while transmitting and that will cause a detune. It looks like the roller coaster is the weak point. I've stripped it down, cleaned everything but it is still the same. Has anyone had the same experience and cured it?
W7PSK Rating: 2009-02-05
Not Impressed Time Owned: more than 12 months.
What a piece of Junk. I bought it because it tuned 160 and 6. I had it into a NW Antennas LC160 dipole and it didn't even last 6 months. I have it sitting on the sideline and had to put my old DIAWA tuner in line. That little Diawa is 25 years old and still performing.

The SWR starting going wonky not long after I got it. The Light Blew out within a month (finally found it, weird size and soldered in, prolly wont fix it). I was running it off 12v Astron Power supply.

Also the Dial counter kept slipping and the numbers don't mean anything at all. It went from 0 - 125 at the start. Now it goes from 105 to 235.

I opened it last night to try fix the numbers, got them straight but the gear drives for the digits are CHEAP. So I looked for the issue of the SWR. I found the Plated Strap that rides on the Roller inductor contact Totally Black and Pitted. Ive never ever run and amplifier and this thing was supposed to support 250 watts. I will try and tear it apart to get that and sand it down to maybe try and fix it. The antenna should not have caused enough problems to ARC that strap.

I wont buy another MFJ Tuner and I recommend you look elsewhere.
REMOVED_VK4NR Rating: 2009-01-18
The Right Stuff! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
After reading some of the reviews of this tuner I think I must be living in a parallel universe!
Maybe it’s because tuning a manual tuner is fast becoming a lost art!
The MFJ-969 is a T-Match tuner, just like any other manufacturer’s T-Match tuner, but is of a lower build quality than some.
That’s not to say it’s a load of junk as I use one all the time – and I’m a fussy bugger!
If you do some research you will discover not only the shortcomings, but also the strengths, of T-Match tuners i.e. their ability to tune almost any strange load (albeit with unfavourable LC ratios resulting in additional loss).
This is why commercial manufacturers love the T-Match design – it just about always works.

The build quality of the 969 is reasonable (and so is the price) considering all it’s facilities (meter, switches, balun etc). I particularly liked the active Peak Reading power meter. This can be powered by a small PSU or a 9v battery which fits under a hatch in the base of the tuner.
The meter can be turned off to extend battery life.

The rotary inductor knob (so classy!) on mine is not at all stiff and can be turned using one finger.
Because the inductor is air-cored (efficient) it does not have the weight of an inductor wound on a heavy lump of some (lossy) material, so there is no “fly wheel” effect when you turn the knob.
.
A simple way to check for loss is it to monitor for any heating effects in the tuner (when connected to your antenna) whilst transmitting a carrier for 30 seconds or so. This is easily done by feeling the inductor and balun (if used), with the cover removed, but STOP transmitting first!
Alternatively a very unfavourable LC ratio will often show, during transmission, as a rise in reflected power on the meter.

MFJ manufacture niche products for a niche hobby market and all in all do a pretty good job considering the price. Their manuals are usually informative and run to several pages.
More expensive T-Match tuners don’t necessarily perform any better.

The ARRL published a very good article about T-Match tuners here:-

http://www.arrl.org/tis/info/pdf/9501046.pdf

If you are looking for a flexible tuner to use with your 100 or 200 watt rig then the 969 is most suitable.
If you don’t like winding the inductor knob when band changing but still want a simple, flexible and reliable tuner, then consider the 948 or 949e – but that’s another story!



G4WXF Rating: 2009-01-11
Attractive Unit at an Attractive Price Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I have been using a 969 for over 12 months to tune my multiband doublet antenna. I find it easy to use and once dial readings are logged very quick to tune to any band.
Previous to buying the 969 I had been using a 949e for several years but wanted to be able tune for maximum efficiency.
With a t-match tuner this occurs when minimum inductance can be selected so a rotary inductor is essential. Generally I have found that most of the pitfalls associated with any t-match tuner/4:1 balun tuner can be eliminated by choosing a sensible antenna + feeder length resulting in reasonable impedances/reactances at the tuner end.

Externally the unit had a decent finish with proper screws (not self tappers) holding the covers on and had a QA sticker on the bottom.
All switches and knobs seemed of good quality and were almost identical to the knobs on my elderly Kenwood TS-530s!
The large rotary inductor knob was particularly well made but was somewhat stiff when the unit was brand new. However, after a few days use (and a little judicious lubrication) it could easily be rotated by using the finger hole.

Internally the finish was good with well soldered joints. I noticed that the solder joints had been marked with “blue” indicating a further QA internal inspection.

But is it any good?

Being a retired test technician I decided to carry out some efficiency measurements, using a Johnson Matchbox (clone) as the reference, by measuring the feedline current with a pair of calibrated RF ammeters.

The antenna used for the tests was a 66’ doublet fed via 42’ of 450 ohm ladderline (measured vf 0.90)
with a Yaesu FT897d being used as the source.

The measurements were carried out on each band from 40 to 10 metres. Great care was taken in obtaining the data and the tests were conducted three times to ensure accuracy.

The ammeters are installed in the 450 ohm ladderline, between the tuner and the antenna, feeder current(s), balance and ATU settings being recorded and a table produced.

The results were pretty much as I expected with the Matchbox being the same or sometimes marginally better than the 969 with regard to efficiency.
The balance on both units was always well within 10%.

Other combinations of antenna and feeder length could present either very high or low impedances together with high reactance’s which may increase losses in a t-match + 4:1 balun tuner.

I would recommend anyone using any form of external tuner (manual or auto) to read this article.

http://www.eham.net/articles/20240

I tested the built in 4:1 balun, in the manner as shown in the above eHam article, and found the performance to be excellent.

So to summarise:-

The MFJ-969, when used with sensible antenna/feeder lengths, can efficiently transfer power to a doublet antenna whilst maintaining good feedline balance.
At below US$200, and with it’s facilities like SWR/Power metering, built in balun and dummy load, I consider it a good buy.

W4AIN Rating: 2008-11-20
Works Like A Charm Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I have been using a MFJ-969 for over 9 years and have found it to be a wonderful tuner. I have used it to match everything from 6ft single wire to G5RV to 950ft end-fed longwire and have never had a problem with it. Always tunes to 1:1 match! Works the same now as when it was purchased new, and have used it for thousands of hours on all bands 160m-6m. In my opinion, you just can't buy a better manual 300w tuner in this price class. Worth every penny paid and then some! If, per chance, something ever goes wrong with this one, I won't hesitate to replace it with another 969.
K0PJG Rating: 2008-11-13
Unit works vy FB Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I have read many of the negative reviews about this tuner......aside from an actual factory defect, I have found that reading the instruction manual helped a lot.
Meter Does read output, but you do have to push the ON button and hook up a 9volt battery OR an external supply...otherwise the meter WILL NOT WORK. ( Unlike my 949D or 989C )
Using ladder line....you must install a jumper from "Wire" to one of the "Bal Line" terminals
or it will not function period with ladder line. (Same as 949 es 989C )
Roller knob on my unit is fairly smooth and not hard to turn.

MFJ quality is not the most wonderful, but when you purchase a FORD, do not expect a Lincoln.

A manual turner is just that. If you are too lazy or in some cases, not able to turn a knob then don't buy a manual tuner.

BTW, when it says "300" watts....that is Peak not average. If you push it too far, it will arc and or smoke.

I feel this 969 is head and shoulders above the 949D or E.

My 969 sits on shelf most of the time. When I saw all the negative comments I pulled it out es put it through its paces. It is a very FB turner for the price range and power level.

73,

Tom - WØTDH(ex-KØPJG)
KC2SRZ Rating: 2008-10-11
P.O.S. OUT OF BOX Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I have to give this tuner a 0 rating based solely on MY experience with it. It is possible that I recieved a lemon from the factory and that other units work well, but I'll never know.

Upon opening the box when it arrived at my house, I was impressed with the way the tuner looks. Very nice to look at and feels sturdy.

However, when I hooked it up to my Yaesu FT-920, that's when the love affair came to a screeching halt.

The "Roll Inductor" knob was tight. It even has the little dimple on it to turn with one finger. I guess that was put there as wishfull thinking, because in order to turn this puppy, you have to grab the entire knob and rotate with your whole hand.

And turn and turn you must. There is a 3 digit counter on the face of the tuner and depending on what band you are on, you have to turn this knob until that # reaches a certain range.

It takes forever. And if you switch bands a lot, (like I do) I hope you have a strong wrist. Because you're going to be working that tight fat knob all day.

Oh and did I mention the tuner didn't even tune???

Zilch, nada, nothing.

I'm not even sure if the insides were connected when it left the manufacturer.

I purchased the unit from R&L Electronics and sent it back the same day it arrived.

I had originally bought this tuner, because it covered 6 meters thru HF, but when I sent it back to R&L, I asked for a full refund. I purchased a MFJ-949E and an MFJ-903 instead.

That would cover all my 6m-HF needs for now.

From my previous experience the 949E is a classic MFJ workhorse. This newer 969 is a dud.
KI4ESN Rating: 2008-06-28
A great tuner for the price. Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
I got this tuner last Christmas and I have been well pleased with its operation. I have made several contacts outside of the US as well as quite a few in the US and it has worked great every time. Prior to my buying this tuner I read the reviews here and read a lot of good ones and some bad ones on this tuner but I decided to try it for myself and I was not disappointed. The price and what you get for it is a bargain.