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Reviews For: MFJ-1414

Category: Antennas: VHF/UHF+ Omnidirectional: verticals, mobile, etc

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Review Summary For : MFJ-1414
Reviews: 6MSRP: $19.95
Description:
Dual Band (2m/70cm)Mobile Antenna
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.mfjenterprises.com
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
0062.2
KF3EI Rating: 2016-08-18
Does not deliver Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
The MFJ 1414 arrived without a tightening screw that fixes the base whip to the extension whip. The antenna sits on a good vehicle ground well strapped with grounding braids. The MFJ 259 reads R 30 X 25 at 147.5 best SWR 2.5
The whip is very flexible and will worsen the bad SWR at rest to something incorrigible at vehicle speeds.
This antenna needs help. It looks like a 1/4 wave at 440 and the 2 and 1/2 half inch coil separates a longer whip, so hard to know what design it is?
KM4EAN Rating: 2014-10-01
Horrible Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Worst antenna I've ever owned, the lowest SWR I could obtain was 2.3. I went from the shortest to the longest in very small increments. Antenna mounted in the middle of my roof with a gum drop mount. Other antennas I would get 1.5 or less with or without an amplifier, keeping it as a back for emergencies since it was only $20 , but it really is crap.
W9DSD Rating: 2014-08-16
Give it a chance Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I own two of these. One is mounted on a stake pocket mount, which while not an ideal location, the SWR is acceptable on 5-10 watts which is all I require most times. The other one lives on a Hustler MBM 5" mag mount. On the roof of my truck, the SWR does NOT go over 1.3:1 at 50 watts on either band. Like virtually any other mobile antenna, you can tune it as needed. Do the bottom section first, then the top. I'd buy another one of these in a heartbeat.
KB5ITJ Rating: 2012-09-24
high SWR Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
SWR too high on 2 meters, 2.5 is best it will do. Don't know about 440, don't have a UHF rig. Did find out that the antenna is near perfect on 6 Meters.
W7USN Rating: 2010-01-12
Works Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I ordered it and when installed, it worked as advertised. The Stainless Steel base section seems to be a little soft but we'll see what happens when I get on the road with it.
KC4HGH Rating: 2007-05-21
What a DAWG! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
What did I expect for $19.95? Not only that, I was billed $10 from the dealer for something it took $5.83 to send back....

I called MFJ Technical Services (800-647-8324) and talked to Jason, who immediately sent me another out upon receiving the one I sent...same results. I'm sending it back to the dealer I originally bought it from, at a net loss of the same cost of the antenna, due to shipping....

This antenna was tested on two different vehicles with an MFJ-269Pro anylizer...on VHF, the best SWR achieved was 2.8:1, on UHF, the best attained was 4.2:1. This one was on top of a vehicle, in the clear; formerly, it was tested on a stake-pocket mount behind the cab of a p/u truck behind the cab...obviously, this wasn't good, since the mismatch was much higher. Nowhere in the VHF/UHF spectrum would this antenna perform- at all!

Was it too good to be true? YES, don't waste you money or time on this DAWG! In speaking with Janet at MFJ, I advised her of the cruddy performance of this antenna and advised her to dump the rest of the inventory in the trash. Of course, she thanked me for the call!

Looks like I'll be spending the bucks for something DECENT in the future, if I want a VHF/UHF antenna....