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Reviews For: MFJ-998 IntelliTuner

Category: Antenna Tuners/Matching Networks

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Review Summary For : MFJ-998 IntelliTuner
Reviews: 112MSRP: 699.95
Description:
The MFJ-998 Full Legal Limit 1500 Watt Intellituner takes you to the final level in automatic antenna tuners. With a capability of 1500 watts SSB and CW, coupled with automatic tuning, your high-power station can now operate essentially hands-free even when frequency and band changes are made.
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.mfjenterprises.com/products.php?prodid=MFJ-998
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
001123.8
K1TG Rating: 2011-07-31
Confused about installation Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I just received my MFJ-998 with a ICOM interface
cable. Unfortunately, the cable is useless with my
IC-7700 (no Molex on it). Must I make my own cable?
What do I use on the radio? ACC1 or ACC2.
Using it without the cable is a non-starter for
me.
W2EVU Rating: 2011-05-20
Works fine Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
I have been using the 998 for nearly a year with both my Kenwood TS-830S and my Yeasu FT-897D. It tunes to low SWR with both transceivers and with my Tribander beam, my MFJ-2990 vertical and with my 75 meter dipole.
KE6OFS Rating: 2011-05-19
Still not working Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
OK So I have a brand new 998 and a brand new Kenwood TS-2000. The 998 will not work with new kenwoods for antenna tune. Even though all the setting are set up and the cable is in place the Kenwood clicks instead of the 998. I sent it back to AES on my dime who sent it to MFJ and they replaced a chip and updated the Bios (they found that there was a problem). When I get it back a month later it worked for the first QSO and now it's back in the toilet again where it wont tune by hitting the Kenwoods AT button. I have notified MFJ and await their position. I'm assuming their going to tell me to ship it back to them on my dime and they will fix it (again). The tuner does a good job when it works. I blast 800 watts through it and it tunes like a champ but the unit does not tune with kenwoods interface cable as described. get this...When I got it back from MFJ and turned it on the interface setting was turned to off yet it was communicating and taking instruction from the Kenwood, at least for one QSO and then nothing again. I guess I'm just a bit sore that I am the guinea pig on this one.
FORMER_AA4II_RE Rating: 2011-03-27
Own 2 now Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
After reading through all the reviews on this tuner, and then reading the manual through a couple of times as I was considering the purchase, I found a number of the perceived faults were actually identified as design points, or fixable by setting changes in the default setup. This tuner does all I've asked of it. Makes my two setups very easy to manage when needing use the tuner with an amp to deliver rf to antenna. Especially when QSYing between bands. I'm using them to tune 43ft vertical through an 4:1UNUN, OCF window through a 4:1balun, and a fan dipole that covers 60, 20, and 17M but also covers 12 and 10M with the tuner.

The only common problem I've run across is the Huh, increase power message. However there is a clue to solve this in the manual also, it states that during some tuning cycles the cap/inductor combos can get off to the point that when changing bands it presents a hi swr to the hf rig, and folds back the power to the point that the tuner doesn't see enough power to tune. I've found that simply toggling the cap and inductor pushbuttons several times to get away from the extreme settings allows me to solve this message.

Once the tuner has made a match, the memory functions allow for a quick solution next time I go there. Very satisfied with the tuner. As it says I now own two of them!

73 Rick DE AA4II
K1TN Rating: 2011-03-01
Just two caveats Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
After several years using the MFJ 993B auto tuner (100/300 watt model) I bought an AL-811 amplifier for occasional use. I have never run it at more than about 300 watts output so I cannot vouch for the MFJ-998 tuner's power handling capability.

The 998 does not have an internal balun. You will have to buy an external balun if you intend to tune a balanced feedline antenna.

The 998 does not have as wide a matching range as the 993; the manufacturer's specs reveal this. At the moment I'm using a 200-foot long centerfed on all bands (with an external 4:1 balun). The little 993B will tune it on all bands. The big 998 won't tune it on 160 or 10 meters -- at least not down to "flat." It probably would if I shortened the antenna a little or added a little feedline. I don't consider this a detriment to the 998 at all.

The 998's relays are a lot louder than those in the 993; I find this comforting. Keep in mind that once you've tuned up (and the relays have clacked), the 998 remembers the settings, so when you go back the 998 just clicks once.

The 998 operates just like the 993, so if you are moving up you will get it right away. With either, you really do need to read the manual carefully to benefit from what these tuners can do.

The 998 has a nifty amp protection circuit and only a fool would not hook it up (just two relay cables to connect your transceiver to your amplifier through the 998).

The little 993 tuner handles my 300 watts just fine. The 993 has a 100 watt and a 300 watt configuration; in the latter the matching capability is supposedly somewhat reduced, but it still tunes my antenna (when the 998 won't).

I still have both the 993 and 998 tuners; definitely keepers.
VK3WHO Rating: 2011-01-30
It does the job reasonably well Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
I have owned a MFJ-998 tuner for about one year and generally found that it has works as it was suppose to. But, there are however some serious quirks, they are:

It some times wants to start retuning while halfway through a transmission, even though the VSWR is well within specifications and hasn't changed. It would have been a nice option to have a manually lock and total manual tune.

On the 10 metres band it sometimes has a problems of not getting low VSWR as the step size between inductors and capacitors are too large.

It sometimes has problems tuning the upper HF bands, if the tuner is sitting in a VSWR voltage node. It asks for more power even when supplying a 80Watt.

The tuner has some latency before disabling my ALS-600 amplifier while going into tune mode. This cause the amplifier to come on very briefly at full power.

Although the MFJ-998 is rated at 5 Watt minimum input, my FT817ND will not drive it, as it throttles back the power due to the poor VSWR before antenna is tuned.

Given it has a alpha numeric LCD display I would have expected the function description to be more comprehensive and include a help menu. It could have include more details on fault condition, such as low battery voltage and include the option for displaying complex impedance of the antenna instead of cryptic messages a beeps.

The manual I find is poorly indexed and is written for users who are already experienced with this product. When the MFJ-998 first arrived it took quite some time to find out how to interface it to my IC7000. Finding the second menu section, that requires a special sequence of button presses, was the problem, it was not in the setup procedures for the radio but buried else where in the manual.

The construction is of a relatively high standard, using thicker than normal circuit board to hold the relays in securely. The quality of the soldering is also much better than of other MFJ products I have seen in the past. The only draw back of this solid design is the noise of the relays when tuning, it sounds like a machine gun going off.

Overall I have enjoyed using this product and it has done the job well. Compared to other tuners I own, I think the IT-100 is quicker and more accurate, but of cause it can't handle the power nor has it an amplifier interface.

73's
Frans
K9CEG Rating: 2010-09-08
Works Good Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
I have had my tuner for about 5 months now and it works just fine.There is a learning curve with the tuner but as with anything a little common sense goes a long way.I own several MFJ products and they all work fine.And I will continue to purchase there products.
W3DDF Rating: 2010-08-21
Works Great Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
I have had the MFJ-998 auto tuner for 8 months. Works very well. Tunes when the internal antenna tuner in my rig won't. Never had a problem with it.
WV4I Rating: 2010-08-21
simply did not work Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I tried one of these where I had been using a LDG AT-200Pro. Only difference was it went after the amp, whereas the LDG was between the radio and the amp. Long story short, totally unpredictable results. Besides simply not tuning at all, when it tried, the freq readout was all over the place. RFI, defect, who knows? Based on my negative experience with the MFJ-998, and past nothing but perfect experience with LDG, if I try a QRO autotuner again it will be the LDG AT-1000Pro, and I'll just back down the drive to my AL-82, keep it under 1kw PEP. If you buy one of these MFJ-998's, do ask about the return policy, as you may need it.
KC6ICA Rating: 2010-07-17
Good Time Owned: more than 12 months.
This is a good device. Sometimes I have to shut it off to recognize power from the transceiver. Input power has to be between certain levels. To operate anything QRO will test a station's equipment and installation. Here is an email about MFJ's service with a problem I had: Thank You MFJ "Bob" in tech support! Over the last couple of years Bob has helped my with me MFJ-998 auto-tuner. First when shipped new, it was damaged in shipping. Sent back for another. Repackaged stronger again, it arrived with a hole in the outer and inner boxes, but no damage to the tuner. A year and a half later, the tuner smoked, probably due to a change in SWR during QRO. I opened it up, visually saw a burned cap near the ant 1 output connector. I called MFJ support, Bob answered. I asked if I could repair it with his help. He said yes and he would mail me new caps as a replacement. With his help, the tuner is back in use with a few extra caps, at NO CHARGE and quickly. Thank You Bob and MFJ! I have many MFJ products including a lower wattage auto-tuner, the 994. I bought the 994 used and it has never been a problem. However, in all fairness, the 994 does not have to deal with issues that may come up during QRO operations. I find all of my QRO equipment to need careful attention.