Do you have an analyzer? You should. Check out this video of what the MFJ-269c does, how it operates, and why you should have one. www.mfjenterprises.com www.gigaparts.com
One thing I've been careful about that I don't see emphasized much is NOT to turn the unit on with UHF engaged. For some reason, it fries it. That's the first thing I check before I hit power -- UHF button is out, not in. But other than that, the 269C was my first major purchase after I got licensed. I'm building my own antennas and the analyzer *really* makes life easier.
I called MFJ tech number to ask a simple question about their 948 tuner. What I got was someone with the technical knowledge of the average CBer. Incredible! MFJ is a low rent country bumpkin outfit.
The MFJ 269 CPro can go up to 520MHz but it costs a bit more. But it pays to do research, its a shame when you buy something and for some more money you could buy something that does exactly what you really wanted. I know the Australians use 477MHz so they will probably want the CPro. The MFJ 269 CPro also has the metal sides coming out a bit so the knobs don't get damaged, not sure if that's happening a lot but maybe they have been having a lot of orders for broken knobs. I wish the impedance worked on UHF. Thanks for the great demonstration. These analyzers sure do expose secrets that in the old days we never knew about. I also heard that you should short out the antenna plug from centre to shield on the Antenna coax momentarily before plugging it in to the unit because if there is a bit of energy there it can blow the unit when you plug it in.
Great detailed video!! Watching this makes me want to sell my RigExpert AA-30 and get this one! I do like the instant reading you get from the SWR and Impedance gauges! Yaesu HT's with Diamond antennas!
I've used one of these while trying to tune an antenna. Then I tried using a RigExpert AA--55 Zoom, and I've got to tell you, the Rig Expert was far more reliable and stable than the MFJ. The MFJ I was using would do weird things, such as, it would just power off during tuning (even though it was connected to AC), then it would give different readings after being powered back up (even though I'd done nothing to the antenna while waiting for the analyzer to come back on), It wouldn't give accurate readings on the cable I was using, oh, and the stupid 'tune' knob was very twitchy. If I set it to 14.000 MHz, and then turned the knob even slightly, the frequency would change by a huge amount. Too many problems, etc, etc. If you want to upgrade, get a better model of Rig Expert. There's a good reason many hams refer to MFJ as 'Mighty Fine Junk," with an emphasis on 'junk.' At this stage, if someone said "I'll give you an MFJ analyzer for free, or you can 'buy' a Rig Expert, I'd rather buy the Rig Expert than get the MFJ at no cost. Even 'free,' it's still crap.
if you tune a lot of antennas or need to constantly retune a single antenna, the mfj antenna analyzers are a major timesaver and well worth the cost. i work on a lot of boats that have vhf radios, i charge $25 to tune one antenna and paid for my mfj in less than a month and still make money with it.
Check out the Comet CAA-500 Mark 2. Very high quality build.Color meter.Japanese precision meter.Two coax connectors.N type and PL259.Can graph up to 5 readings at once on color screen.Have a good day.I switched over from the MFJ to Comet.
I think the power button has a bezel or guard around it so you don't accidentally turn it on. If they were worried about you breaking it off, why do none of the other knobs have bezels or guards around them?
Transmit Specs for Yaesu FT-10R are 144-146 Mhz. Transmit Specs for ICOM-ID-51A are 144-148 Mhz/430-450 Mhz. This comparison wasn't apples to apples in HT antennas. They differ by design for a valid reason. Transmitters and Receivers were matched to the best performance compromise offered by the HT antenna design. Multi-banding antennas do differ from single band antennas and won't interchange very well.
My MFJ-269C is showing no less than 5:1 SWR on my 75 meter dipole. It "dips" from almost full scale to 5:1 about 3.660 MHz, but it should be at least 2:1 or lower. I checked with a VOM and there is NO short between the center conductor and the shield of the coax. A visual inspection of the antenna shows shows nothing apparently amiss. I can "flatten" the SWR with a manual tuner, but evidently there is something wrong with the antenna. Does anyone have any thoughts on this? Is there a way I can use the 269C to help determine what is causing the issue?
Eric, I would see 40 ohms with a 1.2 SWR, they you could tune it to 50 ohms but the SWR would change. What is the more important reading the SWR or the Ohms?
Hi Eric Do you have any video that show how use the MFJ 259C antenna analyzer, I never used one and I got it from gigaparts and I want use in my antenna for 2 meter and 70 meter that I install last Sunday, do you can help me please. I have the ft991A I bought on gigaparts too and I not use yet because I dont know If the antenna is okay, I have the X200A. Thank you Wagner
I have one of these. so roughly it like tuning a C B opps did I say that but when you tune one of them you start with one and go to forty and 19 teen is sotra in the center. anyway I just one of these and need to learn how it works. I have two antenna that are no tune. I have gap and vertical. both give me problems so what I would like to know when end do you start checking on at the transmitter or at the antenna. my gap for example is the big one and it is off the chart the other one is a vertical and it is not tune, but won't handle more wattage than the radio puts out. I have a windom I want to put up. I have an auto tunner on one and my wish list is an ldg tuner for the 7300 hundred but thanks for the video it is a learning cur ve I have an older tuner. I just wished I knew how to use it on a radio and I'm not sure its good I had it for about fifteen years and I have never used it sorry about the book thanks .
The fact that MFJ use it on theirproduction and testing line worries me about their products. The analyser is stated only as a guide to the measured parameters - even the frequency counter is stated as being suitable only for a rough check and not an accurate measurement. and anyway I didn't think MFJ made antennas so what do they use their analyser on during production and testing?
I own one of these analyzers and I'm amazed at all it can do. It makes checking cables and tuning antennas as easy as 1,2,3...takes the guess work out.
My MFJ 259C is so drifty that it will NOT stay on any frequency I set it on, I havent been able to find a cure and MFJ will not answer their phone. I am so pissed...anyone know how to stop the drift (drifts on battery or pwr supply) Yes the pwr supply is STABLE. ANY ideas Anyone on how to get it to stop drifting and remain stable long enough to get it usable.
Why are all reasonably-priced analyzers limited to amateur radio bands? I maintain UHF/VHF antennas that operate on commercial ground-to-air and military frequencies, which this analyzer could easily cover, yet it skips right over those frequencies.
thanks, .... playing with the knobs can not tune gap 26.900 to 27.870 ... cb frequenciess are from 26.965 to 27.405 hhmmm, strange thing.... a little trap from MFJ?... they advertise " 530KHz-230MHz plus 415-470MHz HF/VHF/UHF SWR Analyzer" dissapointed.... i will sent them a email
Yes that's wierd because it will tune that, and i just tested it again on my analyzer to confirm.. MFJ doesnt care if you use it to tune CB, they sell CB antennas also..
@@xszl guess it was bad quality control, the device was defective. had to send back and week later mfj decided to send me another new unit that works fine
You can't analyse an antenna with that. It lacks phase information which is vital for creating a matching network. Get a small VNA, a tool which actually works - and will find more applications in aligning filters and measuring amplifiers.
@@HamRadioConcepts Much better! The Smith chart is what makes the difference. It is still a single port meter though, so you can't look at filters and amps. A NanoVNA does all of that, over a much wider frequency range for a quarter of the price.
Having used this analyzer, I'd have to say it's not good for much of anything, except maybe a good paper-weight. The 'tune' knob is super twitchy and unstable. You can't really 'fine-tune' with it. Also, I was getting mixed readings from it. The SWR would be near where I'd want to have it, and if the analyzer powered off, when I powered it back on, the stupid analyzer would then show different readings even if I had made no changes to the antenna. Sorry to say, but this analyzer is a piece of garbage. I wouldn't have one if it were given to me for free.
cześć jestem z Polski czy możesz mi kupić taki analizator i wysłać do Polski u nas niema takiego fajnego sprzętu odpisz na adres kuba0999@vp.pl dziękuję i pozdrawiam