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Reviews For: MFJ-495 MEMORY KEYER

Category: Keyers & CW Keyboards

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Review Summary For : MFJ-495 MEMORY KEYER
Reviews: 14MSRP: 159.95
Description:
A full-featured memory keyer with LCD display to set fuctions and show sending message. It keys CW from a paddle, a keyboard and a serial computer interface. It has 32 message memories, over 8000 characters.
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.mfjenterprises.com/products.php?prodid=MFJ-495
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
00144.6
AA7JC Rating: 2005-01-30
Good Keyer Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I bought this keyer at a weak moment, and it arrived a few days ago.. What I have summarized below are my first impressions. I rated it as "good" (4 out of 5) but there is not much to compare it with in it's league. So in that light, it could have been rated a 5

This keyer has some really cool and useful features.. It also has some very annoying faults.. With some mods this could be a first class device.


GOOD
====

- Looks good

- Pulse Tune Button (BTX) on front panel - WOW..... This is a great way to safely tune up a transmitter at full power. It is configurable from 1-35% duty cycle at speeds 50-99 wpm. Default is 13% at 75wpm. Very effective combo.

- Carrier Tune Button (CTX) on front panel - Pretty handy way to check output power if you have older analog metering in your shack.

- Morse Commands (from the paddle) - This is a must in the absence of a keyboard.

- Sine Wave Side tone with *shaping*! - So sweet.

- LCD shows text as it is being typed from the paddle - Very useful.... (The K40 from K1EL does this too)

- Banner style text scrolling on the LCD - Text *moves* across screen left to right on top line of display. Seems like a minor point but it is clearly the best way to do it for easy reading.

- DB9 Serial Output Jack - You can capture or view the live output directly to your computer monitor.. very useful

- Dedicated Hand key/Computer RCA jack - a nice touch.. no need to multitask the keyer jack.. Plus this jack is configurable for high or low "on" states

- Audio output 3.5mm stereo phone jack - Good idea.. This allows you to pipe the side tone to where it is needed in your station..

- PTT RCA jack - Another nice touch

- Will key both positive and grid block devices. - Yes!

- Good RF immunity.. - (As tested so far)



BAD
===

- LCD is the worst I have ever seen.. - Where did they find it??... They should have a serious talk the purchaser!... Amazing.. You actually have to be looking at the screen straight on or from below?? .. Hmmm.. and to make matters worse, there is no backlight or contrast control.. Absolutely the WORST LCD viewing angle I have seen yet.. This affects the usability of the keyer tremendously.. I had to position the keyer in one special spot perched up high just so I could view its display.. GRRRRRR!

- Key Input jack is a 1/4 inch stereo phone jack?? - Who the heck uses 1/4 inch plugs on their paddle?... Good Grief!!..... Prepare to use an adapter.

- Keyboard connects with an old fashion 5-pin DIN connector?? - Insane!!.... Helllllo MFJ!!..... Nearly *every* keyboard made in the last several years have been outfitted with PS/2 plugs..... Again, prepare to use an adapter.

- Can't view text typed into the type ahead buffer? - Oh my gosh!......... It is hard to express how anoying this is... Do you like typing into the blind? Think about it.. What if you fat finger or think you miss spelled something.. Don't buy this keyer if you expect to use it as a keyboard sender!..... Competing with the MFJ 495 (for only $32), the K40 kit from K1EL displays the buffer nicely (you have to supply some of the parts). See: http://k1el.tripod.com/k40info.html

- Must remove the top (4 screws) to change jumper for positive or grid block keyed devices. - What were they thinking?? Disassemble the keyer to get to a needed switch?!...... Technology is available that eliminates the need for a switch entirely..... This Keyer should be better. See the Jackson Harbor Press "Keyall" circuit that will key both neg and pos devices up to 500 volts (optically isolated) .... http://jacksonharbor.home.att.net/keyall.htm

- If you change the speed using the variable resistor knob on it's front panel, the LCD does not tell you the new speed unless you are in that "screen"......... The K1EL K40 keyer does this MUCH better. First it uses a shaft encoder with detents at every speed stop. Second, whenever you change the speed, the LCD momentarily displays the change for two seconds so you can see exactly what speed you just changed to.
W3PH Rating: 2004-09-27
Works well with both keyboard and paddles Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
This my first MFJ product - ordered with trepidation because of all the MFJ horror stories, but the only hitch was that the device was backordered about 3 weeks, and it took a week to find this out.

Turns out this is a nice keyer - I've used Idiom press keyers for years (I have one of every model they've made) so I'm used to those, and using the MFJ-495 was easy once I set the emulation to Mode B.

Menus are intuitive, and I was up and running quickly.

The keyer handles modern rigs well - weight can be set to a fixed value, or can vary according to the speed control. Compensation can be set to handle rigs like the Pegasus that need it. Works well with keyboard or paddles.

Love the sinewave sidetone, and the front-panel sidetone volume control.

No problems with RFI so far - as a precaution I'm using shielded cable for power as well as paddles.

Tried it with several keyboards, and it worked with all, ranging from old AT-style keyboard to several new ones. Chose one for best keyboard feel, but functionally, they all worked.

I'd put the real score at 4.7 - there were a few minor minuses (none deal-killers):

a) keyboard plug is AT-style rather than more modern PS/2. If you provide your own keyboard, be ready for this (adapters are available).

b) no auto-character spacing - I've been using this since the WB4VVF accu-keyer days and missed it at first. Some people don't like autospacing, and I managed to adjust after a day or two.

c) the display should be backlit - as it is, it's nearly unreadable in my shack, even at eye level, and next to all the other gear with lit displays, it gives the impression that the display is broken. Fortunately, the display isn't all that important and can be mostly ignored.

d) it's a little big compared to the Idiom keyers, esp. the CMOS-4

I like it, and will probably get another for my 2nd QTH.
N4LQ Rating: 2004-08-27
5 Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I have had many keyers over the last 40 years but this one is the best yet. I say this for 2 reasons. First, the timing suits my taste. I am making less errors and the rhythm is perfect. I tried using a Logikey K3 for several years and I always felt like I was dragging the characters behind me. This thing seems to be pulling me along, egar for the next paddle entry. (Real technical eh?) I use mode B. The Curtis chip had been my favorite until this came along.
Second: Someone finally made a keyer with a sinewave sidetone. It's beautiful to listen to eventhough I usually use the sidetone in my rig. The menu is fairly easy to negotiate and there are gobs of options such as the computer interface which allows you to monitor your keyboard entry etc.
There are a couple of areas I was disapointed in. One was the display. There is no backlight. In order to read it, you need to have the keyer almost parallel with your eyes and some room light. Also, I had this preconcieved idea that I could monitor my key entry as I typed. Not so. What you see on the display are the characters that are being sent, not what you are entering. You cannot type way ahead and easily backspace to make corrections like you do on a computer. I'm still working with this but at 50+ WPM I doubt if I will ever be able to stay just a few characters ahead of the display and backspace to make corrections before they are transmitted.
The keyer has both weight and key compensation like the K3. Using the memories is easy. Just select one and enter your text via the keyboard or paddle. Hit a function key on the board or a function key on the keyer to transmit the memory contents.
The keyer comes with a power cable and plug for the keyer's 12vdc input. You install the plug of your choice on the other end. So far, I have experienced no RFI problems like I have with other MFJ products in the past. Others I have talked to confirm that this one is RFI free. Let's hope so!
K1RTJ Rating: 2003-11-25
This Keyer does it all! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
This is my first keyer and I've paired it with a Kent TP-1. Memory and set-up menus are very easy to navigate. The LCD shows you exactly what you are doing. Using an (AT)keyboard makes it real simple to load messages and adjust the 22 set-up menus. Everything has functioned as advertised. It does everything except read in-coming code. I have not been a big fan of MFJ products in the past, but this one appears to be well constructed, and is a pleasure to use.

73,
Fred (K1RTJ)