Manager


Manager - NA4M
Manager Notes

Reviews For: MFJ-432

Category: Voice Keyers

eMail Subscription

Registered users are allowed to subscribe to specific review topics and receive eMail notifications when new reviews are posted.
Review Summary For : MFJ-432
Reviews: 16MSRP:
Description:
Voice Keyer
Product is in production
More Info: http:// http://www.mfjenterprises.com/products.php?prodid=MFJ-432
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
00163.1
N0FW Rating: 1999-10-21
Works Great For Me!! Time Owned: unknown months.
I bought one for our contest efforts up here in North Dakota. It arrived just before the 1999 ARRL Phone test. After reading the manual, I checked to make sure that the jumpers were set correctly, connected it to 12VDC and off we went. It worked great through the whole test and still, to this day, continues to work. No feedback problems. Maybe all the appliance operators just don't understand how to make things work well with a system?
WU2M Rating: 1999-10-21
A Piece Of Junk! Time Owned: unknown months.
Well, I should have known better than to buy one but I wanted to think that MFJ would get
one thing right. Well, they didn't! It was jumpered wrong out of the box and after I set it correctly it still does not work! This should not bother me though, I have had other MFJ products that were junk. I guess I should have purchased a real keyer, NOT the MFJ !!
W8GN Rating: 1999-10-07
Well, it's not that bad..... Time Owned: unknown months.
Our radio club bought a few of these units a couple of years ago - they all worked fine once set up. A couple of them did not have the jumpers set the way they were supposed to be. I would guess that they were returns and the distributor probably didn't reset them.

I just bought a new one for CQP99 - it got here an hour before the contest started. I set it up and recorded my CQ message. There was TERRIBLE noise in the message. I found that if I disconnected the external power (coming from an ASTRON linear supply) I could get a nice quiet recording (battery powered). On play back - no problem. I am guessing there is a sensitivity to some kind of ground loop in the 432's input circuit as there is no noise when just using the mic through the 432. Irritating, but not really a disaster.

Noticed two times during 24 hours of operation where the #1 button would not respond. Power off-Power on fixed it. Again, irritating, but not really a disaster.

So, I'd say the unit is worth the asking price. I have not experienced any RF interference problems with the unit (either the club units or this one). As always, station installation quality can have a huge bearing on how peripherals like this perform.

The unit is being used in a kW environment with a Heil DX-4 and an FT-1000D/IC-756/IC-765.

If you can live with the minor problems, I'd say go ahead.....

73

Bruce R. Knox W8GN
RF Applications, Inc.
N2LH Rating: 1999-09-29
well, not bad for the price.. Time Owned: unknown months.
I bought my 432 for ARRL SS last year, 2 weeks before the contest. I figured I would like to have some time to get used to it and set it in the shack.. OK, fine on planning.. I got the unit and wouldn't work with my ts-850.. Opened up the cover and it was jumpered for something else, eventhough the manual said it would be jumpered for kenwood.. Strike 1..
It was supposed to work on a 9V battery. Nope the reply wouldn't close, Strike 2..
Never got my first 432 to work, so I sent it back, and demanded a new one, not to wait for repair.. Got the new one..
Used it in ARRL SS and the memory 1 button became intermiten. STRIKE 3..
So after the contest was over, I called for a replacement button and replaced it.. It still works ok, a little flakey, but right now, still better than nothing.
W4ASM Rating: 1999-09-27
Works fine for me Time Owned: unknown months.
I have had one of these for two years. Other than some head scratching to figure out my non-standard hook up (T4XC es Diawa SP), have had no problems in using it thru several contests. I did replace the push buttons with more robust switches having bigger buttons out of personal preference. Also added a "pulse tuner" since space for the board and switches was available.
KR1G Rating: 1999-09-27
almost dead on arrival Time Owned: unknown months.
Well, it arrived mis-jumpered. Not too hard to fix.

Then it seemed to work OK, until the contest. Unfortunately, after 3 or 4 CQs it would stop working. Turning it off for about 10 minutes would partially reset it - good for probably one CQ.

I might be willing be try a new unit, but serious quality control issues (I've heard that others have had the same problem. I returned it).