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Reviews For: MFJ-1279 Ultimate Sound Card Interface

Category: Interfaces, Radio to computer, amp, rotor, coax switch, internet

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Review Summary For : MFJ-1279 Ultimate Sound Card Interface
Reviews: 15MSRP: $139.00
Description:
Sound card interface
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.mfjenterprises.com
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
00154.1
KE6K Rating: 2015-05-28
Very nicem asy to use interface Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Have used mine for 12 years, First with a TS-570D, then an IC-756PPOII, and now an IC-7200. The 7200 has an excellent USB interface but CW must be done via audio or an external keyer. Since I had this I hooked it up and works great again. Nicely filtered.
Had a wee problem with pin connects but an email to MFJ got a response in a couple of days that solved my problem.
N5VU Rating: 2008-11-09
Very good Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Works just as advertised. What more can I say. I use it mostly on SSTV and PSK.
K9CTB Rating: 2007-09-29
Nice little box, if pricy Time Owned: more than 12 months.
An elmer and friend of mine, Steve would say, in addition to "You should have bought a KAM", that I should always "Build it yourself!" Well, I have in the past, built sound-card keyline circuits. But I was excited by the MFJ-1279 when I saw that one could "jumper configure" any microphone signal to any pin on the 8-pin mic plug. I bought one and found it to be immensely useful in my shack for SSTV, PSK-31 and even MT-63. I have had great results using the '1279 with an IC-718, an IC-746Pro, a Yaesu FT-600 and even a Harris RF-350K (RT-1446). It's been in my shack a long time! :-)

The MFJ-1279 can be configured to use either (or both) RS-232 signals to generate the keying signal for the rig. The '1279 is very versatile in it's adaptability to pretty much any rig and sound card combination. The audio signals, both send and receive, are transformer coupled. The RS-232 port of the computer is isolated from the rig by opto-couplers. A very professional job on the part of MFJ. There is a "monitor" feature that you can use to connect radio audio to your standard computer speakers. Also there are additional jacks on the rear panel that carry audio to and from the soundcard. Very convenient if you have some sort of audio analyzer or a recorder in the circuit. There is even a 1/4" jack for a foot switch key device. The box itself has a nice black finish which looks nice with the other gear in the shack. The 1279 comes equipped with the 12 vdc adapter, RS-232 and audio cables. All these things carry a price tag. Over 130.00USD new the last time I looked. So indeed if you are only looking for an RS-232 to rig keying setup ... by all means, spend the $2.00 and build it yourself. But if you want a very adaptable transmit/receive audio and keyline interconnection box for your soundcard modes, and you don't need USB support ... take a good look at the 1279.

----------------------
Earlier 5-star review posted by K9CTB on 2005-08-22

The MFJ-1279 is a nice addition to my shack. I bought it because I needed a method to adapt either (both) my TS-940, Yaesu 757 or my Harris RF-350 for use with the various sound card modes. With a little work, I made adapter cables for use with each rig. The MFJ allows you to key your rig from either the DTR, RTS or TXD signals on the com port. There is a "CW Out" RCA jack that you can even use to key your rig....not only in CW, but the other modes as well. This is great if you have an RCA style keyline say, on the rear panel of your rig. Both the audio in and out are transformer isolated. MFJ makes it easy to minimize the chance of a ground loop, because you can keep both audio lines easily isolated. There are both transmit and receive audio adjustments provided, which makes it nice to "set and forget" the audio settings within windows -- so it stays comfortable through your computer speakers when use the soundcard for, well, regular sound. All in all the '1279 is a great accessory. The only downside I see is that, with all the bells and whistles on the interface, I am surprised that MFJ didn't isolate the keyline control lines with optos or something. I guess however, that in all my time on soundcard modes, I've never seen a com port distroyed by a rogue transceiver anyway. There are those who will say 140 bucks is quite a bit to pay for something you can wire up in an hour or so, but those folks probably never saw my definition of "homebrew". For me, it was $140.00 well spent.
VA3KAB Rating: 2007-04-28
works as advertised Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I've been running one of these boxes for more than a year now using psk31 deluxe and dm780 software and a yaesu ft-840. Setting up the jumpers was pretty easy, just followed the instructions in the manual and it worked first time. I've never had a problem with it and it's logged a lot of hours over the last year.

I've thought about getting one of the new SignaLink USB boxes with the built in soundcard, they look pretty nice and I would be able to get rid of all the cables needed for the MFJ, but the bottom line is the MFJ is doing everything I need it to do so I have no real reason to buy something else other than it's always nice to have a new toy :)

All in all it's a well constructed unit that functions just as it's supposed to.
ZS6VL Rating: 2007-01-28
No problems Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Had no trouble in setting up the unit, worked first time. Currently hooked up to my IC-718 and running MixW. Neat little unit, does what it's supposed to quite well. Construction / build could be a little better but nothing major to complain about. All in all a good product, although I generally find sound card interfaces a bit expensive for what they are, this one is no exception. Summary: recommended.
KG4RUL Rating: 2006-01-17
No problems configuring! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Unlike the experience of WA6GON, I was able to quickly configure the interface. It has worked well and is still in use over a year later. I especially like being able to use a footswitch for PTT by simply plugging it in. Ths only thing I would like different is conventional pots with knobs for adjusting drive levels.

Dennis KG4RUL
KR4OW Rating: 2005-11-11
Good unit Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
The nice thing about the 1279 is that it has a separate cw keying line tied direct to the computer port which still allows you to use it with your logging program and for contesting
Excellent. I bought this unit new and have had no problems with it I would recommend this to anyone

David KR4OW
N5IET Rating: 2005-10-02
GOOD JOB MFJ AS USUAL Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
This soundcard interface is great.

It matches any mike connector with 8 pins.

Which means I dont have to buy a new one or a new cable when I change rigs.

Sorry "Rig Blaster", but not *real sorry* :0)

Oh I know you have to be able to effectively read a connection chart (like the simple algebra tables we studied in High School)

.. and you have to know where to look in your rigs manual to see the little cartoon drawings of the Mic Connector (without reading it backwards) but the drawings they have out today for the growing number of "non-technical" Hams out there should help that.

- still not sure how "non-technical" and Ham Radio goes together - but anyway on with the product review.

Got it all going in about 10 mins (no soldering).

No distortion or interference at all.
It just sits there and does what it was made to:
Give good clean digital encoding and decoding.

Cant ask for more than that.

My DELL and FT-920 loves it and so do I.


73 fer nw,
Bob N5IET

(old calls KE5CTY - WB5ZQU - WY5L)
10X# 37210, FP#-1141, SMIRK#-5177
http://www.qsl.net/ke5cty/
Code may be taking a back seat for now,
but the pioneering spirit that put the code
there in the first place is out front of it all.
KI4HWJ Rating: 2005-01-12
Good for the $ Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I hooked it up and it works great! Not much packet activity around my QTH. Be sure to hook up those jumpers right!!!
73
VK2IMM Rating: 2004-05-21
NICE UNIT Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
This product offers wide set of features and makes interfacing a computer running digital modes software for soundcard with a transceiver very easy. Audio input and output lines use transformers for isolation, IN and OUT signal levels can be adjusted with internal potentiometers. The set of jumpers on a PCB makes patching of MIC connector circuits a five-minute job for most radios with the same type of MIC connector.

This interface has a connector to accept input from computer serial port. Based on software/port configuration three separate circuits can be selected either for PTT or for CW keying (this is nice feature is you use transceiver keying over serial port on CW). Each circuit has a corresponding LED which provides indication if it is active. There is front panel based pushbutton type switch, which allows enabling or disabling PTT circuit in case if TX activation over audio input (Vox) or via CW key input is preferred.

There are a few other features which I have not used.

This unit does require some configuration in the beginning (getting several jumpers installed correctly). The instruction manual is well written in technical language with the circuit diagrams provided. It appears that the manual version which I received with the unit had some errors in the diagram explaining jumper locations for the particular type of radio and the locations needed to be reversed to make interface functioning properly. Apart from that everything worked as expected and the experience was positive. I would rate this unit as 5. Extra level of attention to cabling/patching diagrams may be required.