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Reviews For: MFJ-269

Category: Antenna Analyzers

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Review Summary For : MFJ-269
Reviews: 83MSRP: 359.95
Description:
HF/VHF/UHF SWR Analyzer
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.mfjenterprises.com/products.php?prodid=MFJ-269
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
00833.7
W9MT Rating: 2020-11-25
The MFJ-269 is still my workhorse. Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Today in 2020, there are better units out there, even at a lower cost. But I own two of these (one new years ago, and a 2nd at a hamfest at a price I couldn't pass up), and they earn their keep.

The original 269 and the PRO version do not cover 220 MHz. In the UHF range, you get an VSWR reading and nothing on the resistance/reactance meter. Like most MFJ analyzers, you also don't get a +/- sign for the reactance, so you don't know whether it's inductive or capacitive reactance you're seeing.

Both have seen service as antenna tuner pre-tuning, such that my transceivers or transceiver/amplifier combos that have been tuned into a dummy load and peaked there, see a nice 50 Ohm load with a simple throw of the antenna switch from analyzer to radio.

I like to build cheap (wood boom and 8 gauge wire elements) yagis and yagi/quagi antennas for 2m and 70cm. (The type I build have a hairpin match driven element.) The MFJ-269 is a great unit for trim tuning of antennas for both bands, but really shine on the 70cm versions. (Usually only trimming of the driven element is needed.)

The only weird prompting one sees on the UHF band (in addition to the reactance meter not working), is the need to "Increase Frequency" or "Decrease Frequency" readout on the LCD. But one gets used to this quirk.

The 269 is no slouch, either, for quick tuning of permanent wire antennas for HF work, and even accurate pre-tuning of portable use antennas like the SuperAntenna verticals. The 269 also works great as a grid-dipper type unit with the MFJ-66 coil set.

So, if you can find a used one cheap, I'd say "go for it". But with the price of a new, current version 269 series meter (which now includes sub broadcast band and 220 band coverage), one can find a more capable competitor's meter for the same or less money.

The choice is yours...
N4YX Rating: 2019-02-25
Working for Me Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Picked this up used for the right $ at a local Hamfest. Included paperwork showed it had been returned to MFJ for replacement of the Tune Control. All features & functions work correctly. Very handy device and now that I have one would not want to be without it.
K8KEM Rating: 2017-08-30
Pretty fair Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
The MFJ 259B I have is a nice unit and has been a pleasure to use. I just use regular batteries in the unit 10 AA's. I guess the only issue I have is when I put a 75 ohm load on the unit, I am expecting it to read 1.5 VSWR, it reads 1.2. Close enough I guess. But it's so handy with all the things it does! Amazing unit for the price. Measuring coax length is neato! Checking L and C against my LC checker and its right on. I will be upgrading to the 269C soon. It has the 12 bit A/D converter, it may eat batteries quicker.. will see. I don't think Ham Shacks or small RF labs should be without one. Provides a great deal of info other than just looking at SWR.
KZ4AK Rating: 2017-07-22
MFJ-269C Problems Time Owned: more than 12 months.
First one was DOA. Vendor replaced. Since, has been back to MFJ for repair of malfunctions (they kept it a LONG time.

Even after repairs, there is a problem reading L or C. I understand the frequency range error and this is not that error. It is not simply an accuracy issue. The value of either C or L is completely dependent on the frequency setting. The value varies wildly with freq setting.
woody at albe24 dot com
Has anyone experienced this problem?
KF4LRN Rating: 2017-05-23
Not able to charge and Button Flaw Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
My critique is that the MFJ-269c will not charge batteries as advertised. I purchased from HRO on November 1, 2017. I sent the unit back on December 12 2016, after getting new batteries from HRO thinking they were bad, and it was returned January 25 2017. The worksheet was less informative than the submission information I sent with the unit. The paperwork said repair-replace. I received the exact same unit back with a notation that it was calibrated and checked for function. The unit, after repair, will not charge batteries as advertised. I purchased the carry case, to protect the unit while in the field. Seemed like a good idea, except that now I have to remove dials, remove the very tight fitting case, and remove the back every time I have to charge the batteries. This is more trouble than it is worth. On the bright side I did receive a second set of MFJ rechargeable batteries with the returned unit. Maybe their way of saying suck it up and change the batteries. I have purchased a Tenergy TN160 12 cell charger to do what the MFJ-269c cannot. Suggestion, zipper or velcro the rear of the carry case so I can gain access to the batteries without having to remove dials and such each time I change the batteries. I'm not big on reviews, but after having to go through the process of changing the batteries, yet again, I felt obligated to review. Maybe someone can design a carry case for the MFJ-269c that will accommodate battery changes. I keep the case because of the carry strap. It prevents me from laying it down in less than ideal conditions, and forgetting where I put it.

Prior to shipping back for the lack of recharge-ability, I also forwarded information on a flaw with the power button. The button has a raised edge surrounding the power button. It was designed to prevent the unit from locking on. It does exactly this. The problem is that if the exposed portion of the button is pressed, say while in a bag and pressed against other objects, it will power on as long as the button is pressed flush with the raised edge. So it is quite likely that it will be dead when you need it most. The fix is to simply increase the height of the lip, problem solved. The button is large enough that my big fingers would have no issue turning it on with a higher protective lip. The solution I got back from the company was to be careful.

Trying to post the review on MFJ website got this “Please provide a valid review for the form! Alphanumeric characters and spaces are allowed!” I’m posting here instead.

Stay Safe and 73’s
Dave Templeton - KF4LRN
NN2X Rating: 2017-01-06
Does the job Time Owned: more than 12 months.
This device works for me....Comes in handy, and works.

WB4IVG Rating: 2017-01-05
A lot of Bang for the Buck! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I am an RF engineer, so I do a lot of bench and field testing of RF circuits and Antennas and Antenna Systems. I'll admit that a lot of MFJs equipment is sort of Cheezily made product, however it get the job done and done well accurately! GRANTED these units are NOT Lab Grade but they are not 15 or 20 Thousand dollar units either. I have much lab grade equipment at my disposal like Anritsu Sitemaster, AEA, Helper,Keysight/Agilent(HP), and others. I have had various MFJ analyzers from the old one metered HF unit to the 269Pro and they all served well. The great thing is if stolen damaged or destroyed it does not break the bank to replace one. Would I use it for Certification work Well of Course NOT, but for functional day to day use it is excellent, certainly a great value for the money spent!!!
DL2FDJ Rating: 2016-12-25
Does the job. Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I bought the 269 in 2013 and used it ever since. No issues with it at all. I own a AA-600 as well but still use the 269 from time to time.

The metal case is a typical MFJ build which I expected. It will not win a beauty contest but it keeps the unit protected. Batteries last quite a while despite what I read about it in the past.

Would I buy it again? No but only because the AA-600 came out.
K6BRN Rating: 2016-04-23
Useful but has problems Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
Purchased my MFJ-269C in 2015 from Ham City, along with optional case, rechargeable batteries, external power supply (wall wart) and dip coils. It is useful for tuning antennas, measuring coax length, as a crude signal generator and frequency counter. But it is poorly made and in some areas poorly designed. For example, the rechargeable batteries were dead out of the box, and even after I exchanged them, I found that I needed an external charger to charge them - the internal unit would NEVER do the job. Then the knobs began to break off - the brass stress relief ring in the shaft mounting is too thin to do much good. To pull out the batteries, the knobs have to be removed, the carry case pulled off and the back unscrewed - a real chore - and it uses up batteries fast. After a while I got frustrated with constantly pulling the batteries out to recharge them and with knob replacement, so I purchased a RigExpert AA-600, which not only works perfectly but plots antenna responses in seconds where manual plotting with the MFJ-169C is time consuming. And the RigExpert AA-170 and AA-54 can be had for about the same price as the MFJ-269C. Though they have less frequency coverage, what they do, they do amazingly well. In perspective, the MFJ-269C is like a Harbor Freight screwdriver - useful but not too well built, while the RigExpert products are like a Milwaukee cordless hammer drill- well built and does a lot of useful things with minimum effort.
W8ANT Rating: 2015-07-03
Excellent unit for the money Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Bought mine new from HRO spring of 2014. Have used it extensively on every band from 1.8 mHz to 440; it is accurate, reliable and pretty rugged. I have also used a RigExpert AA54, which has better graphics but less frequency coverage. When I wanted a newer unit, I bought another MFJ, the 269CM