[Antennas] Received my MFJ-993B "matcher" (a mini review)

[Patrick A. Thompson Sr.]

Glad you have a good result and thanks for the well written review! 
Reading over your write-up it seems I did just about the same procedure 
with my MFJ-933 (no "B" model). It looked well made. I don't have an LDG 
for comparison but I wish anyone willing to deal with the amateur market 
well.

Pat
wa4tuk

Philip wrote:
> Hi all,
> 
> Awhile back I posted a request for information about the MFJ-993B tuner, 
> asking for actual users feedback on the unit.  All I'd used in the past 
> 12+ years of operating was a manual tuner (yes, I know they're REALLY a 
> matcher, not an actual antenna tuner).
> 
> Earlier this week I ordered one and it arrived early yesterday.  First, 
> I wanted to see how natural it was to use for a "dummy".  So, without 
> reading the manual I went ahead and hooked it up, applied power (making 
> sure center pin was positive ;-) and fired it up with my TS-430 and the 
> Alpha Delta DX-EE 4 band dipole.  Applying about 10 Watts of AM carrier 
> on 40M the critter "clattered" for a moment, then indicated a good 
> match  (<1.2/1). Not changing anything else I switch through the bands, 
> 40, 20, 15 & 10 Meters (some of which DON'T have a good match on that 
> DX-EE antenna).  Each time the unit clattered for a moment, then 
> produced a good match.
> 
> Then I again stepped through the bands, each time there was a single 
> "click" and the antenna was matched as the memories recalled the 
> settings.  So far, so good.
> 
> THEN, I gave it the acid test.  I stepped through the 30, 17 and 12 
> Meter WARC bands, frequencies for which the DX-EE antenna is NOT tuned 
> at all.  In each case the "tuner" clattered a moment and then produced a 
> good match. Now, whether or not the antenna will actually radiate 
> effectively on those bands is another question (it is a "shorty" 3 
> element fan dipole with a loading coil on the 20 meter element to allow 
> operation on 40M, covers 40, 20, 15 & 10M).  But at least the radio is 
> happy and I'm somewhat QRV on the WARC bands now 8^)
> 
> Next step was to select the Butternut HF-2V vertical (75/40M) which is 
> Roof mounted over about 1200 Sq/ft of sheet-metal roof.  This antenna 
> was tuned to be resonant on 3908 and 7240KC.  It covers MOST of 40M with 
> an under 2:1 SWR, but is less than 100KC wide on 75. I cranked the 
> TS-430 down to 3525 (bottom end of my Advance class allowance) and keyed 
> the carrier.  The tuner clattered and got a good match.  I then did the 
> same for 7025KC.  Again, the usual clatter and a good match.
> 
> The 20 and 15 Meter band Inverted Vees already have a good match across 
> their respective  bands, but I checked them anyway.  The tuner matched 
> them well.  Ditto when I tested them for the 17 and 12 Meter bands.
> 
> I have NO antennas for 160M, so that band wasn't tested!
> 
> FURTHER INSPECTION OF THE TUNER:
> After making sure that everything was working well with the tuner, I 
> called MFJ to ascertain that drilling a hole in either side of the cover 
> for "under-shelf" mounting brackets wouldn't void the warranty (it 
> doesn't) I opened the unit up for inspection and bracket installation.  
> Here is what I observed.
> 
> 1.  Nice clean circuit board construction.  Internal workmanship "seems" 
> to be of very high quality, not the shoddy assembly you sometimes see 
> with MFJ.
> 
> 2.  Nice LARGE toroid and open wound coils for the tuning section, not 
> the iddy biddy ones you usually see in the bandpass filter sections of 
> transceivers.
> 
> 3.  Nice large (sealed) relays for all switching, 19 of them, again not 
> iddy biddy ones.
> 
> 4.  A nice sized two toroid Balun for balanced lines with 4 banana plug 
> connections (two for the balanced side, one for the center and one for 
> the tuner output).  Not the single toroid Balloon that my 948 has (and 
> which I don't think is TRULY balanced).
> 
> 5.  COSMETICS.  Good, but NOT great!  The cutout for the LCD window is a 
> little rough around the edges like it was cut with a dull punch, and the 
> silk-screening beneath the LCD window with the MFJ Intellituner logo and 
> SWR/PWR bargraph marking is slightly crooked, sloping up slightly from 
> left to right.  But this is nit-picking and doesn't affect operation at 
> all!  I can live with it ;-)
> 
> WHY I CHOSE THE 993B:
> There were only two tuners that I was considering, the LDG AT200 and 
> this one.  This one was 20.00 more than the LDG, but I LIKED the fact 
> that it has BOTH an analog cross needle meter AND a digital LCD 
> display.  The meter is especially useful for cutting "new" antennas and 
> I then don't need an additional power/SWR meter.  The LDG has ONLY an 
> LED bargraph.  The MFJ also has the internal Balun, with LDG you buy 
> that extra. The LDG has a 2 year warranty Vs the 1 year MFJ warranty.
> 
> Would I buy it again?  Only time will tell for sure, but at this time 
> I'd have to say an emphatic YES!
> 
> NOW, WHERE'S THAT OLD WET NOODLE I TOSSED ASIDE WHEN IT WOULDN'T LOAD UP 
> ;-)
> 
> 73 de Phil,  KO6BB
> DX begins at the noise floor!
> 
> THE BEACONEER'S LAIR:   http://www.geocities.com/ko6bb/
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> 
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