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Reviews For: MFJ-989C

Category: Antenna Tuners/Matching Networks

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Review Summary For : MFJ-989C
Reviews: 144MSRP: 360
Description:
Handles 1500 watts PEP SSB output power
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.mfjenterprises.com/products.php?prodid=MFJ-989C
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
001442.7
N8NN Rating: 2019-06-25
Robust Tuner Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I have had my MFJ-989C for more than ten years. I am confused by the negative comments about the construction. My tuner is well built, has never failed, and never arced when using my SB-220 amplifier. The capacitors are wide-spaced and the roller inductor works smoothly.

The manual says the tuner is rated at 50-600 ohms. If you try to tune into a poor antenna, you will get poor results. If your tuner arcs, you need to do some antenna work before getting on the air! The manual gives clear recommendations for antenna dimensions. You should always tune with low power. If you can't match the antenna at low power, don't turn on your amp!

The MFJ-989C has a built-in dummy load, SWR-wattmeter, a balun for balanced line feeders, and feeds a long wire as well as two coax fed antennas. The SWR-wattmeter works with the tuner in or out of the circuit.

I have used my tuner with open wire feed, a long wire, and many coax-fed antennas. If you can find one of these tuners, grab it. You won't be disappointed.

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Earlier 1-star review posted by N8NN on 2000-10-18

Bought my 989C after reading the ads -- big mistake. The tuner is an overpriced piece of junk. Roller inductor is a toy, the knobs are cheap and the wattmeter inaccurate. The turns counter is not centered in the window and difficult to read. Save your money.
KG9H Rating: 2019-06-04
Excellent Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I have had this tuner / dummy load now since it came out. I purchased it from the Ham Radio Toy Store in Wheaton, IL as his first sale. Here it is, 20+ years old and STILL works perfect. Have had it running at three different locations, never had any issues with it. de Frank KG9H
WS7X Rating: 2017-12-03
Works well for me Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I've had this tuner for more than 20 years and have had no issues with it except that the plastic face plate has started to peel. I have used the tuner on every band and various modes, with many different antennas and it will tune up every time. When I used it on a new antenna I make a chart so I can quickly repeat the settings for a fast band change in the future. Maybe the newer, more recently made tuners are not built as well, I'm not sure. But my 20 plus year old one works great. I have considered replacing it with an auto tuner, but no one seems to make a legal limit auto tuner with a built in balun and dummy load. So until I find one, my 989C will remain at it's position in my shack. I suspect many of the negative reviews are just not justified.
WB0KWJ Rating: 2017-01-01
Low quality, poor manufacturing Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I have had my MFJ-989C tuner for about 10 years.

It now works decently. However, to get to this point required tightening and replacing some internal screws, soldering and resoldering connections, and putting some glue on the meter to hold it together. That, the MFJ-989C came to me as many MFJ items come to their owners: not quite finished.

The case construction is flimsy, although it remains reasonably sturdy if everything is screwed tightly. The meter works, as do all the functions (now that I've finished the build). The variable capacitors are serviceable, although of low quality. The roller inductor is poorly constructed of inexpensive materials. I had to clean the roller and coil with a light polishing cloth to remove an oily surface film. This is not one of those robust rollers of days gone by. It works, although there are enough mechanical failure points that some part of the roller is likely to fail in a high-use situation. That is, the MFJ-989C a "light duty" device. If you're tuning a lot, I would suggest checking and aligning all the parts of the roller. Better yet, get a higher quality tuner. Don't tune the inductor with high power applied.

This unit is rated at 3000 watts PEP. We must suppose that this means 3000 watts PEP into a reasonably well designed antenna with a reasonably low SWR. Those familiar with antenna tuners know that due to odd resonances it is possible to get arcing at relatively low power with what might appear to be a tunable antenna. The included instructors allude to this, saying that there are limitations to what the MFJ-989C can tune. However, given the dimensions of the MFJ-989C components, I believe a more honest rating would be no more than 1000 watts PEP.

If you are lucky, and your MFJ-989C is reasonably well built, or you finished putting it together yourself, you will have a serviceable, discount, light-duty 500-1000 watt PEP tuner, with the possibility that it will work at higher powers if care is taken with antenna design. However, if you are a QRO operator, the best advice would be to spend the money on a better tuner, or, better yet, on tuned antennas.
K5RCR Rating: 2016-11-24
Owned for many years - works fine Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I have owned this tuner for so long that I have forgotten when I obtained it. I have never experienced arcing with this tuner with power levels up to 600 watts. I normally tune up the load at low power first, then switch in the amplifier. I can imagine that attempting to tune a load at high power without first "getting close" at low power would cause a lot of the drama described in other reviews. My only "problem" with the tuner is that the diode in the SWR meter blew many years ago. I have a large SWR - power meter that is easier to see and I have been too lazy to replace the one in the 989.
W8NIC Rating: 2016-02-22
I'll never own one again. Time Owned: more than 12 months.
this was my very first tuner in 2008. ran an ic-746 and an sb-200. for what it's worth, it works good with 100 watts but as soon as I turn then amp on even with just 400 watts, IT'S ARC GALORE!!!
I don't know why I kept it, but it has been in the basement since 2008 I happen to come accross it while cleaning up. So I decided to hook it up to my IC-775 dsp using 200 watts and guess what? ARC GALORE AGAIN!!! So instead of selling it I just decided to put her to sleep (garbage can).

I've been using a Palstar (another low quality tuner) and it does not arc with 1k watts but the meter works when it wants......

Oh well.....

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Earlier 0-star review posted by W8NIC on 2014-03-10

ARC ARC ARC ARC ARC - Oh, did I tell you that all mine did was ARC? Works well with 100 watts but as soon as I put at least 600 watts to it? ARC ARC ARC.
Didn't bother selling it, it's in the garbage now.
AC6CV Rating: 2015-09-16
No problems in 23 years of use. Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I've used the MFJ-989C tuner since 1992. I bought it new. I have never had any of the problems indicated. After 23 years of use I do suspect the belt may be slipping a little. Not surprised. It has been in storage for a few of those years with temps of over 120 degrees. Never encountered arcing.
KZ4USA Rating: 2015-07-25
It seems to be a good tuner Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I think most of the people having problems don't
build their antennas right and feedline length is
not right. They need to read some antenna books.
K2CD Rating: 2014-09-20
Long Lasting Without any Major Issues Time Owned: more than 12 months.
What can I say? I've owned this tuner for 20 years. Got it second hand at that. It's been very reliable outside of the little wheel that makes contact with the roller inductor coil jumping past the stop in the 000 position on the counter once or twice. I fixed that years ago with a new blob of silicone and it hasn't jumped off since. No arcing observed on any band with 1300 watts. I took the time to learn the dial positions for each band so I'm not tuning blindly each time. DXLab Commander allows you to input the tuner settings so they're there for each band, antenna, etc. at a glance.
WB6TOM Rating: 2014-07-28
I LIKE IT Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I purches a MFJ-989c not long ago knowing that the belt was broken as it was a old 989c,
I purchest 2 new belts from mfj to install soon as I could get them, well after waiting for 2 weeks never received them. so I went to the local NAPA store and low an behold there the belts were, Just "O" rings for .59 cents a piece, well for about $1.20 for (2) I was ready to rock & Roll and they work great. oh the part # 727-2034 at NAPA. and by the way I cancel the order at mfj it was $8.58 with shipping for 2, to summup I like the mfj-989c it sure is better than some of my homebrew tuners I was useing back in the 1950 an 60.I feel like an applience operator now. Hi Hi .
73s WB6TOM