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Reviews For: MFJ-914

Category: Antenna Tuners/Matching Networks

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Review Summary For : MFJ-914
Reviews: 19MSRP: 59.95
Description:
1.8-30MHz Auto tuner range extender
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.mfjenterprises.com/products.php?prodid=MFJ-914
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
00194.3
M0KFO Rating: 2015-05-08
Doesn't do what it says on the tin... Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
It doesn't really work. All my other reviews for MFJ stuff get a 5, I unlike some, do like their stuff and find it works.

So, this was my first disappointment. Luckily I got it in good nick second hand for £30 posted, so it was a cheap learning experience.

It's difficult to tell what my FT-450D is doing for itself and what this unit is contributing. On my G5RV,it wouldn't do all bands and flat refused 12m, even though it is about 3.5:1. It also wasn't a case of key up, find a letter than got a good SWR and use that one, different bands required different letters of inductance, much the same way as a manual tuner does.

So in summary, it wouldn't do all bands and the ones it did do, I had to manually change it, if I'm going to have to do that, I may as well use the manual atu and have the cross meter in operation. The whole purpose of it was, I could set it and leave it, just using the internal atu, but this did not happen.

My MFJ-971 tunes all bands without much difficulty, so it is not as if I have a difficult set up or an unusual rig, I would have thought this was aimed at people with aerials like the G5RV.

Back on the market it goes, some may find it works for them, just not me, shame, it was a nice little compact unit.
N8YQX Rating: 2013-12-21
Works from 160m to 10m Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I have a 40m Carolina Windom with high SWR on 30m and 12m. With the tuner extender, I was able to bring both of these bands within the range of the IC-7410's built in tuner.

Furthermore, I was able to tune 160m, 80m, 60m, and 6m with this unit as well, although I expect limited performance on these bands.

One down side is, when I was working the unit hard on 30m with a long winded digital QSO, the unit got warm after about 30 minutes, and the SWR started to creep up. Maybe I need to add a fan to the unit.

Overall, I'm very satisfied, and rather surprised by its performance.
KB5DRJ Rating: 2013-06-09
Very Good! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I purchased this for my new FT-950's auto tuner and G5RV-JR. There were some bands that the built in tuner could not find a match. With the MFJ-914, I can tune all the bands. The bands that the FT-950's tuner can tune by itself, I just use the 'D' pass-through position. The unit appears to be well built.I also purchased the MFJ-260C dummy load to finish it out.
M6NAE Rating: 2013-04-30
WORKS WELL Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I have a kenwood ts480sat, with a half size g5rv
antenna. the problem I had. was the internal atu is set at 3.1. and would not tune 17m..15m..12..
so I purchased the MFJ-914 auto tuner extender.
simple to install. and now I can tune every band.
it was well worth buying. as before I lost a few bands.. highly recommended as I now can tune all bands on my kenwood ts480 sat...

hope this review helps..
73...M6-NAE
AE5J Rating: 2013-03-13
Simple and It Works Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I purchased the 914 to allow my auto tuner array (FT-450D, LDG Z-817, LDG-Z100 Plus) to tune their respective rigs up on 160 meters using a QSO King End-Fed wire antenna. None of these tuners could handle the antenna on 160.

I'm extremely pleased with the 914 as all of the auto tuners now load very easily. Does exactly what I wanted it to do. Sure, I could have stuck a manual tuner in line, but then I would lose the ability to use the manual tuner in other applications.

I have had good luck with MFJ products in the past and this little "pre tuner" is no exception. Solid piece of gear.
OE3SGU Rating: 2012-07-15
works fine Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
My most favourite shop had this model available with a big summer discount so I ordered one. Like all other MFJ-products I own this tuner-extender works fine. The maximum power I use is 100 Watts. Actually I am using it more as a simple matcher for my stealth antennas and it performs flawlessly. I only wish it had a second atenna input.
K2OWK Rating: 2011-03-08
Works as it should Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
This MFJ-914 works as it should. It is not a true antenna tuner, but does bring most antennas into range so that an autotuner can operate. It will not work if the VSWR is very high. It will not allow 80 meter tuning on a 40 meter dipole, but it will tune a 40 meter dipole on 20, 17, 12 and 10 meters on most frequency's within these bands. I would recommend this extender, but do not expect to much from it.
WZ3O Rating: 2009-09-23
Does what it says Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Works OK, as claimed.
G3PXV Rating: 2008-10-25
Excellent piece of kit Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
Had this tuner for about 8 months, and in that time it did exactly what it says on the label. My rig is the Icom IC-7400, and between the auto tuner and extender it has coped well with my 66ft end fed through a magnetic balun and a 40, 20, & 10 mtr vertical.

For those who don't read the 'words and music' switch position D is straight through, Tx to Ae.

I have had, and still have, several MFJ units and can honestly say I have had no problems with any of them. 73.Eric
W1JCM Rating: 2008-03-21
Works Great Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
Bought this little tuner extender with not a lot of expectations being it MFJ and poor previous experiences with their products. Was I surprised it allowed me to tune every band from top to bottom with the built in tuner in my Icom 746Pro and no longer needed my LDG AT-100Pro tuner so I moved it to my old 706MKII. Maybe I got lucky or maybe they are building these right but is does the job extremely well.

Jim
W1JCM