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Reviews For: Dentron Jr. Monitor

Category: Antenna Tuners/Matching Networks

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Review Summary For : Dentron Jr. Monitor
Reviews: 29MSRP: 79.00
Description:
Antenna tuner, mobile?
Product is not in production
More Info: http://
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
25294.9
N4NDX Rating: 2012-01-09
Great Little Giant Time Owned: N.A.
I purchase this Dentron Jr. Monitor tuner due to a bad experience I had with my every day Auto tuner when I had to send it back for repair the second time and since I had to wait 3 weeks the first time I thought it would be wise to purchase a small tuner until it arrives to get me by. Well I'm so glad I did because it is an amazing piece of equipment. I tune all bands with no problems even 160 meters that I could never tune with my much bigger tuner and with the Dentron Jr was a breeze. It is built like a tank and looks real nice even though it is very small. I have used 285 watt out through it and not a twitch. If you are in need of a small tuner and happened to find one buy it you won't be sorry.

David/n4ndx
MM3PTS Rating: 2011-06-06
Fantastic little tuner Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Well guys ,this is a keeper ,as said it will tune just about anything .The quality is by far above mfj and for such a little box the weight is If only they still made tuners like this we would all be happy amateurs ,well most of us going by the previous reviews .My advice is if you see one buy it quick .
FORMER_KC6O Rating: 2010-02-16
DESERVES A 5/5 RATING! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Incredible little box. Will tune a sardine if need be.

Packed full and solid as a rock.

I had accidentally broken off a knob shaft and made another from a chopstick and a Bic pen.

I plan to buy another in the near future.

This is one item all Amateurs should have, period.

Darned efficient, too.
K9XK Rating: 2010-01-25
Ah yes, the Junior Monitor Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
I remember back in the '70s when I first became a ham and I was waiting for a vertical antenna from Trigger Electronics. (which never came because they were stealing everyone's money) I got impatient and just for the heck of it I put a 9-iron on the mount I had installed for the vertical and tuned it up with the Junior Monitor. I worked several states on 40m CW.

That's when I because a believer in this goofy little box! Imagine if I would have used a 3-iron, with its extra length.....
KD4WPC Rating: 2009-05-22
Itzakeeper... Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
Oh yes, This 1 iza keeper for sure. Someone said it would "tune a cold noodle"...If you cut that cold noodle in 1/2 and let it dry, this thing would still tune it. I'm very happy with my dentron jr. and dont intend to let it go.
I got mine off ebay for less than 70.00 and its even got a switch to bypass the tuner someone added to it...nice 'lill extra.
I dont use the small meter on the unit...I run a set of meters with it...allways best.
I do however stress the fact that if you try to put more than 300 watts to it,its gonna let magic smoke out all over the place. If you are runing 100 watts from your xmiter you wont have a bit of trouble and it'll keep on tuning for a good long time.

I have also used this tuner on a g5rv jr. with a frg-7 rcvr...works just as good to "tune em in".

If you have the chance to gitchu 1...gitit!!!
KB9MVW Rating: 2009-02-13
classic Time Owned: more than 12 months.
There is not a better manual tuner on the market than this one. Well you will have to find a used one at a ham fest of ebay. On the used market you can find them between 25-50 bucks. This thing will tune a cold spagatti noodle and get you a contact in france..great for long wires or any other antenna. Ideal for qrp..dont go over the 300 watt max unless you like second hand smoke..O ya ya you might not like the little meter on the front..no its not an swr meter. its a power meter..the more power or swing on the meter the better the tune..if your radio has a built in swr meter..just buy this one, you wont be sorry.
WD8TA Rating: 2009-01-14
Likable Little Tuner Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I have 2 and recently got a 3rd because it is a nice little tuner. The 3rd one is in bad shape.

When I received it, it was rattling. I opened it up and instead of seeing the customary airwound coil there were 2 torroids one of which was connected to the inductance switch with multiple taps and another went from that torroid to ground. I have a feeling someone decided to customize the tuner as I don't think the torroid was standard issue. If they were can someone please send me a set of inside pictures to compare with what I've got off list?

The only thing I can say is to make sure that the relative power connection circuit is intact. It uses a 27K 1/2w carbon comp to tap the line and run that to a 1N295 germanium detector diode. Pretty much all of mine have had the 27K burned out and someone replaced the 1N295 with a silicon diode (1N914/4148 or a 1N4007) as the 1N295's are sort of hard to find. I've had to replace the resistor and the diode on each as people pump too much power through them.

As for me, I try to buy them whenever I see them and have some extra cash laying around.
XE1UFO Rating: 2008-10-21
GREAT! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I now have two of these! For those interested, the manual is here:

http://dw.ham.dmz.ro:8080/downloads/antenna_tuners/dentron/ham.dmz.ro.dentron_jrmonitor_manual.pdf

And it handles (according to the manual) 300 watts! I believe it is one of the best buys in a used tuner!
KC9CS Rating: 2008-05-18
Great Take-along tuner Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I bought mine for $25. Top outside cabinet needed a freshen up coat of paint, front and back panels were fine. Inside was pristine, as if it had never been used. I use it for QRP on field days, camp trips, etc. It'll tune long wires, balanced or unbalanced lines, etc. I paralleled bnc connectors to the SO-239 rear panel connectors for ease of hooking to my QRP rigs. Simply put, it is a solid, rugged and great little tuner.
KI4CRA Rating: 2007-07-28
Can't beat this little tuner! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I have had this gem in my arsenal for almost 4 yrs now. About the only time I used it was for field day or when testing a new wire antenna I built.
Well 2 weeks ago, my wife and I took our daughter to the airport so she could report back for duty at Ft. Leonard Wood. Came home, found out we had had a short term power outage, when the power came back on, it trip something inside my 6 month old FT-897D, and the little battery lights were blinking. Long story short, wound up sending the 897 to Ca. for repairs.
Figured that I needed something in the front room to keep me happy, (see my bio, on my lazee boy HF station). So I brought out my trusty FT-817ND hooked my Dentron Jr. to my 67' Windom and I was back on the air! Although, I'm only running 5 watts, this tuner WILL tune from 40 on up through 6mtrs. including 10 and 6 meter FM. So yea, this little tuner that was GIVEN to me is staying in the shack. I do have the MFJ 949E which is hooked to my Kenwood TS480HX, I think I'll just leave my lazee boy QRP station up and running the way it is for now. Can't beat this little Dentron Jr. Monitor! Looks like it's going to get a LOT more use!


73de Mark
AI4HO