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Reviews For: MFJ-949E

Category: Antenna Tuners/Matching Networks

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Review Summary For : MFJ-949E
Reviews: 132MSRP: 149.95
Description:
300 watt 1.8-30MHz antenna tuner
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.mfjenterprises.com/products.php?prodid=MFJ-949E
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
001323.8
KG5IF Rating: 2009-09-07
Good perfomance for the money Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I bought this tuner used at a hamfest. I wanted a portable tuner with the forward and reverse power meter and the tuner functions of my mfj-901b. What I found using this tuner it works well and matches most anything I throw at it. Two things to keep this tuner working as it should is use it within its power ratings and don't hot switch the inductor with the key down. Its been to several field days and works well in the shack.. I usually use it on qrp and sometimes qro < 100 watts.
KD7AWG Rating: 2009-06-12
Bad SO-239 Detract from Good Tuner Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Overall, this is a good tuner. However, two defects, one serious, detract from a “great” rating.

The SO-239 coaxial RF connectors MFJ uses are pure garbage and the center conductor will loosen up over time giving you grief.

I ripped everything apart for hours because a bad SO-239 caused the transmitter to shut down in a strange way. The Transmitter connector looked like (and felt like) it was making good contact (on receive), but when transmitting it would fail. I replaced them with genuine Amphenol SO-239 connectors (Mouser part #523-83-1R). It is a simple ten-minute job to change them (two screws and one solder connections).

I was surprised and happy that I did not blow the finals out.

The Antenna Sector switch only anchors to the PC board through metal struts that also serve as conductors. I lubricated this switch to reduce the amount of force used to overcome the detent thus reducing the strain on the strut to PC board connections. I also did this with the inductor switch.

The Antenna adjustment is the hot shaft on a spacer. Your hand capacity will slightly detune the circuit at times. Shafts above ground that go though panels used to be a no-no.

Tightening all shaft nuts from time to time is a good idea.

The tuner will match almost any load and long wires pose no problem with the appropriate feed point and counterpoise.

The duel pointer meters are a blessing and make tuning a breeze, but I would start with the recommended tuner setting in the manual. Get a 12VDC wall wart from a thrift store to light them up, cheaper.

The instruction manual is excellent and should be read cover-to-cover before using the tuner.

With reasonable care, this tuner should last a long time and is a good deal for the money.


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Earlier 4-star review posted by KD7AWG on 2007-10-08

Adjusted for inflation, this tuner/SWR bridge/balun is a bargain. I was given mine used and it appears to do everything well that it is supposed to as per the owner’s manual.

What needs to be noted is MFJ’s comments about “high impedance” antenna loads caused by certain lengths of end fed antennae and feedlines and the caveats regarding arcing and using the least amount of inductance. A high-impedance feed point constitutes a “voltage node,” thus a relatively high voltage will be presented to the tuner’s components.

MFJ’s “grounding hints” appear sound and well though-out. What appears to be a “ground” may be anything but. Too much RF in the shack is a dead giveaway that something is awry. NB: Compliance with the NEC is no guarantee that you have a good RF ground.

Of course, MFJ could have built a more robust tuner to compensate for grossly unsatisfactory field conditions; but it would cost more too.

I noted the un-insulated capacitor shafts. Since you will be adjusting the tuner at the lowest power that produces readable meter deflection, this, in my opinion, is not a safety issue.

All-in-all this is a good product for the money.

AD4J Rating: 2009-03-24
Excellent Value! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I've owned two of them and both performed flawlessly. You get a lot of bang for the buck with a balun, antenna switch, dummy load, and wide range tuner in one package. I'm currently using it to tune a 67' doublet fed with 300 ohm window line. For 40 - 10 meters, I use an external balun (DX Engineering) because I suspect sure the internal one is as rugged and effective. For 160 and 80 meters, I feed one side of the window line and half the doublet as an inverted L (in conjunction with a single, raised radial for each band). The 949E tunes all these configurations to a low SWR. Using 100 watts, I have never experienced arcing or significant heat in the tuner.
MI3LVZ Rating: 2009-03-12
Does what it says on the tin Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Got mine for £90 off Ebay and in new condition,it has never let me down and tunes anything i can throw at it.
Well pleased.
KC0GLA Rating: 2009-01-12
No Problems Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Bought this tuner to use with HF with my 847 before I got HF privileges. Used it for 4 or 5 years for RX only until I got my General. Then used it on my G5RV with no problems. Read the manual and always tuned up with 25W or less and stop transmitting to change the inductor. Also used with a OCF and vertical.

Retired it out of primary service because of mostly ease of use of a auto tuner. Now use it for FD and other operations. Every once and a while had problems tuning it right away if the antenna was way off of tune.
KD0BVK Rating: 2008-09-14
Good to 100w usually Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
Had one for the better part of a year, it would arc on occasion on 160 going into a 1/2 wavelength wire on that band which is understandable all things considered. It could tune just about anything else I hooked it up to, including my house's rain gutters which it did surprisingly well with as long as I had the ground wire well connected hi.

Sold it when I moved up to higher power. I guess if folks generally operate the MFJ tuners at (claimed power rating / 2) they'll not be badly disappointed. No big complaints, it's cheap but decently functional.

73
ai1p
AD7TO Rating: 2008-05-15
Still working after 10 years Time Owned: more than 12 months.
This antenna tuner has held up pretty good over the years. I've had no issues with mine. Good tuner for the money.
9V1RA Rating: 2008-04-20
Does the job but poorly made Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
I have used an MFJ949E for about a year. It's cheap and does the job it is supposed too and for the money, I'm not really complaining. However, for a manufactured piece of equipment, it certainly lacks professional build quality. Built in a kind of aluminium project box with rough edges, uncleaned drilled holes and a plastic faceplate that has not been trimmed very well. It has that sort of very well home constructed look and feel to it. I fear it might fizz and hiss a bit above 200 watts though. Maybe I'll try that sometime!!
KB2URI Rating: 2007-12-27
Love the little bugger.. Time Owned: more than 12 months.
One problem that seems to span these and other MJF Products - Quality Control. Should you buy one of these. Immediately open it and take a look around, you can quickly spot if it has an issue or not. Should you have to do this? No, but save yourself some later grief. Really.

Bought mine right after getting my ticket.. Its been over a decade. Worked like a dream till it arced with a very bad match on 160m (my own stupid fault really... but a $2 part would have fixed that..) The arc incident killed the 12-position inductor switch; but luckily you can find better 12-position high-rf rated switches to replace the flimsy piece of junk.. Having done so, it's worked like a dream once again; now on several rigs My own Kenwood 520S and 480SAT (fantastic lil' rig btw) as well as several Field Day setups over the years with ARATS, including an Icom-706, Yaesu FT-990, and even Drake Twins.. Done the job each and every time.. Also a bonus is that it works with a good deal of reliability on 6 meters as well.. Yes, you can make the argument about that, but still, it works, dose the job well enough to be a reliable item in the shack, and thats what matters.
W1EPM Rating: 2007-10-30
Gets the job done Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I have now owned this tuner for four years. It tunes a r7000 vertical, ma5b mini beam, as well as a horizontal loop cut for 80 meters. If you use it properly (low power to tune) it will and does work as designed. It gets the job done for me. The price is right and I would recommend it if asked. Any questions please feel free to email: w1epm@hotmail.com 73's Ed