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Reviews For: MFJ-4245MV

Category: Power Supplies

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Review Summary For : MFJ-4245MV
Reviews: 73MSRP: 150-200.
Description:
Switching and Non-Switching Power Supplies
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.mfjenterprises.com/products.php?prodid=MFJ-4245MV
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
00733
K6QT Rating: 2010-06-26
Wonderful power supply (so far) Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Wonderful power supply so far. I've only owned it two days, however. One thing I don't like about MFJ is that although they warranty their products, they make you pay s/h TO AND FROM their site, which can get very expensive. I'm looking at this with a bad amp right now (they want me to send it out and a check for $12 to send it back). So keep this in mind when buying. The box says "you are being protected by MFJ's famous limited year warranty". Maybe more "infamous" than "warranty". I should also perhaps mention that this amp had another problem earlier, which I reported to the company (when switching between UHF and VHF or vice versa, sometimes a radio will lock up the relay, requiring a hard restart of the machinery), and I got a polite e-mail basically telling me to get lost. So now I have two problems with the same amp and I have to send it and pay for them to send it back, and I know a ham with the same problem as I do who had to on TOP OF THAT, pay them the $40 for repairing it that they deemed necessary, not covered by the "famous" warranty. Don't mean to dwell on another product, but I do want to let you know how they (MFJ) operate in real life when a problem develops with one of their machines.

As others have said, the photo in the description is the wrong one. The actual power supply has posts for 40 A worth of equipment, a cigarette lighter with 7 A worth of equipiment, some quick-attach plugs on the back (2 sets) for, I believe, 5 A, a voltage dial to dial in the proper voltage for whatever you are running on your power supply (e.g., to crank it up to 13.8 V). Also two meters, one for voltage, one for current to apprise you of what's going on in the case of both.

I love the PS. Seems to work very well. I've got my Yaesu FT-857D hooked up to it and works fine. I do not find the fan to be excessively loud as some do. I will be willing to bet that it's not so much a matter of all our fans on every single MFJ-4245MV being different as that each of us has a different threshhold of noise we are willing to take. I simply position my supply, so as not to be near my mic and I don't even notice it purring away. Nor does anyone I'm talking to notice it and make mention.

I'm just so glad I don't have to connect my FT-857D to a battery that needs recharging any more. I know it's hit and miss with MFJ, but hopefully I've been lucky with the 4245MV. I hope and pray I have. I was so fortunate not to have to pay full price on this item. At AES, had I ordered it over the phone, I suppose I would have paid the listed price, which was more like $200. However, I did an Internet order and got it for $150. Very nice to have a 40A PS for only $150. Dual voltage also very nice, if I take it out of the country, and I do travel to Europe occasionally. Not a monster PS either. Very nice size.

Overall, I'm very pleased with this device. I hope it goes on for years and years, as MFJ does seem to do for some people. Hope I am one of the lucky ones.

Good luck on your search and I will keep apprised of any changes or problems that come my way. E-mail me with any questions, sre.1966@gmail.com.

73 de Shon, K6QT
W8ASA Rating: 2010-06-18
Very Loud Fan Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Note: The picture on the review page is of the wrong power supply.

I've had mine about two years now, and have had no problems at all with the power supply itself. I've even used it for two Field Days running off portable generators on sunny, hot days. The voltage has been very steady, and I don't get any hash at all in any of my receivers.

My fan is LOUD! I think after this Field Day (next weekend), I will put a resistor in series with the fan to slow it down. The fan runs constantly so long as the power supply is turned on, even with no load applied. I thought it was only suppose to kick on when the power supply heated up. It could be that the thermostat sensor is bad.... better to run all the time than never, I suppose.

Other than the fan noise, which is significant and bothersome, I would give this a 5/5



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Earlier 4-star review posted by W8ASA on 2010-06-05

I have had this DC supply for a couple of years now, and it has worked as it should with nary a problem. I cannot detect any hash from it. My only two complaints are:

1. The fan is extremely noisy, and runs all the time, even under no load! Why is that? A quiet fan would have given this a 5 out of 5 from me.

2. The front power post covers do not come all the way off, so you can't use a ring-type connector to hook up your rig, unless you cut it open to slip over the post. Not a huge problem, but an unnecessary one.
N5HSM Rating: 2010-02-15
New unit, Great Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
Had a very noisily unit, they replaced it. I'm 100% happy with this one

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Earlier 2-star review posted by N5HSM on 2009-05-27

Bought new 3 months ago w new rig, Works good but had to locate 10 feet from Rig due to complaints of blower noise in TX audio - looked at 2 others at dealer - same, Fan is loud. I will be looking at other brands
AE5LO
KB3TNZ Rating: 2010-01-10
works great !! Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
I bought this power supply used on ebay at a reasonable price.Has worked perfectly everyday for me.Even when the bulb in my antenna tuner shorted and shut down the power supply,it came back on in 5 minutes,so the protection circuit did its job.As a ham on a with limited funds I can appreciate affordable equipment,new or used.With the amp meter I can verify I am transmitting ok.
KC0GLA Rating: 2009-01-10
45 A without the back pain Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I have owned this 5+ years now with no problems. I have used this power supply on every radio I own at one time or another. I have not noticed any RF hash from this supply.

Positives separate easy to read amp and volt meters, very lightweight for 45 amps, 3 way binding posts and two accessory connections, lighter socket, removable power cord, and reliable. Negatives I can not think of any right now.
W2DAP Rating: 2008-06-21
Great value Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I agree with the prior post. I have used MFJ products (which includes Ameritron)for decades and am extremely satisfied. My 989C tuner has been in use for just about 20 years and has required minor service occasionally but was well worth the investment. My 259B analyzer has frequently seen very rough service and performs flawlessly;I would call it the single most valuable addition to my shack. I own more than a dozen MFJ products and couldn't be happier with all of them.
KQ4MK Rating: 2008-06-20
I love Mighty Fine Junk! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I have bought and used many MFJ products over the past 25 years or so, and never had a problem. Maybe I am lucky, but I think MFJ simply makes innovative products that work very well. They might not be polished pearls, but they do tend to be pearls, and MFJ doesn't charge you for extra polish, sculptured corners, or chrome and gold plating that does nothing for product performance.

That said, I have used Astron transformer supplies for many years, and the 4245MV was my first MFJ switching supply. It is fantastic. It is quiet (both in real terms, and in T/R ripple terms), small, light, and well laid out, with a nice variety of power connections available for accessories. Mine is also the newer model than the one pictured. I have driven it lightly, and driven it hard without any error or complaint. It also runs cool compared to a traditional supply under load over time.

I feel bad for people who had problems with their power supplies, but given the wide range of MFJ products I have used and abused in the past, as well as the present performance of my 993B tuner, 4245MV PS, and decades old Morse tutor, I suspect that MFJ has a high enough happy customer ratio to be the envy of the likes of Icom, Kenwood, Yaesu, etc.

I try to budget for the best in operational, and reliability value. MFJ is not always the brand of choice, but when it is, I have never been let down. To date, the 4245MV is in that category.

When I need another power supply, MFJ will get the nod. That's why they call it "Mighty Fine Junk". It doesn't have the brightest chrome plating, but it is mighty fine.....

KQ4MK



KN6LE Rating: 2008-05-29
MFJunk Time Owned: more than 12 months.
This is the second switcher I've had die. First my 25 amper went, then the 45 amper. Took the 45 amper apart and apparently in Taiwan they consider it acceptable to use reject boards. Where there is no trace, they make one with solder. I had a resister, two electrolytes, and the regulator go. Black smoke like a jet engine exhaust coming out of the fan port. I was running a transceiver at 45 watts output at the time.
ZS5J Rating: 2008-03-16
Mighty fine junk Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
I won't be buying any more MFJ equipment - I had a 1.5 kw MFJ roller inducter tuner that literally fell apart - knobs fell off, internal belt kept slipping and couldn't turn the shaft. I had an MFJ SWR analyzer that worked great for a year, then just quit on me. And the paintwork/cabinets of all their products are extremely poorly made. The paint simply flakes or peels off after time.
Yesterday my MFJ-4245 power supply died, without shorting a fuse. I had my ATU in my rig tuning an antenna, when suddenly it simply died, and all fuses are still okay. It had been used very lightly for 6 months. When I hauled it out, the chrome fan protector on the rear was all rusted and corroded, and the paintwork was coming off. You just need to slightly touch it, and the paint scratches. This was only 6 months old !!!!
I have some Icom PS-15 power supplies that I bought in 1983 that are still going strong, and the paintwork still looks new. It pays to spend a little more, and buy from one of the big 3. It will then match your rigs, and last a lifetime.
No more MFJ for me. Come on Martin, you can do better. 73
KA1SU Rating: 2008-01-27
Great MFJ Pwr Sup Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
I have three MFJ Model 4245 (45 Amp) and I think they're every bit as good as the newer Astrons. I can not hear any noise in the RX of my 756ProIII, 746Pro, Yaesu FT897 ot IC-910. I also have a spectrum analyzer that shows no switching noise above the noise floor.

Good Pwr Sup for the money. Small size and the fans are not as noisy as some of the rigs and computers I have.

I highly recomment this unit.