[Amps] MFJ products

[David Kirkby]

On 11 September 2012 03:15, Glen Zook <gzook at yahoo.com> wrote:
> The main problem with mfj is their quality assurance.  Way too many products come with missing hardware, extra hardware (probably from the last unit down the line which is missing hardware), poor soldering, no solder on some joints, and so on.  After these deficiencies in the unit are taken care of, the mfj equipment usually works very well, especially for the cost of the item.  If one purchases an mfj item with the understanding that it is a "semi-kit" (some final assembly required), then the purchaser should be happy.

IMHO, you are making the situation with MFJ worst. If everyone sent
back items which have hardware missing, poor solding, similar issues,
then MFJ would have some incentive to improve their quality control.

> Unfortunately, way too many newcomers to amateur radio purchase mfj items who do not have the experience to troubleshoot and repair the unit.  As such, those persons are usually unhappy or become disillusioned with amateur radio.

Which shows your actions result in disillusion to new hams. Is that a
good thing to do?

I can understand the logic of just adding a bolt here or there - I'd
do it myself if I bought their junk. But ultimately it does not do the
amateur radio community a favor.

On another issue with MFJ items, someone else mentioned in the thread
something about a coil wound with wire at least two gauges thinner
than he would have used, and several have mentioned the use of
overrated or marginally related components. A friend of mine has a 1
kW ATU they sell. He is very careful about his equipment and treats it
well. He has a linear, but it only puts out about 350 W PEP. The legal
limit here in the UK is only 400 W PEP, but I know his linear is not
capable of 400 W - or at leasat he never pushes it to 400 W. But
despite running an ATU at 35% of its maximum power rating, something
has burnt out in there. I forget what it is, but it has resulted in
him turning a shaft around on one of the tuning controls, as something
has gone wrong in there, which meant he got RF burns on the tuning
control.

Dave, G8WRB.