[Amps] MFJ products

[Carl]

Cushcraft was long on the way down before MFJ took them. When Les Cushman 
turned the helm over to his moron son and then a series of incompetent CEO's 
and then several buyouts, products were overpriced, engineering non 
existent, arrogant support and full retail + on repair parts.

I'll have to give credit to MFJ for now including a wide range of Ameritron 
components in their catalog making service and homebrew easier at reasonable 
prices.

Carl
KM1H



----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jim Brown" <jim at audiosystemsgroup.com>
To: <amps at contesting.com>
Sent: Tuesday, September 11, 2012 3:51 AM
Subject: Re: [Amps] MFJ products


> On 9/10/2012 5:46 PM, Roger (K8RI) wrote:
>> Both Cushcraft and Hy-Gain would likely be gone if not for them.
>
> They ARE gone. Like RCA, GE, Altec Lansing, only the NAME is still around, 
> purchased by someone with enough money to buy the the name or what's left 
> of the company from the bankruptcy (or before the bankruptcy).. Mighty 
> Fine Junk bought the business, and thus the legal RIGHT to use the name, 
> but the companies that BUILT those names are LONG GONE.
>
> What makes a company worthwhile is quality product and quality support. 
> You can't BUY that, you have to BUILD it.
>
> I too have looked inside MFJ amps with the Ameritron name on them, and 
> tried to patch them together long enough to run a contest from a DX 
> station.  I agree that they are crap.
>
> BTW -- WE are responsible for the bankruptcy of GOOD companies when we 
> decide that their quality products, built with Americans making a living 
> wave, are TOO EXPENSIVE, and we buy cheap junk from MFJ or China.  I don't 
> know about the rest of you, but I buy quality products from good 
> companies, even it if costs a bit (or a lot) more.  Am I a patriot? Maybe. 
> But really I'm acting in my own best interests by buying stuff that I'll 
> still be using 20 years from now (if I'm still alive).
>
> FWIW, I'm getting great use from the three Ten Tec Titans I bought used 
> between 2004 and 2006.  These US designed (around 1978) and built amps 
> aren't fancy, but their build quality is decent, they publish the 
> schematic, they're easy to work on, most parts are easy to find, and I'm 
> running them at contesting duty cycles with very good reliability.  Two 
> are in active use, one is a spare. (Hey -- I'm a serious contester. :) ) 
> And they are 30 years old!  I seriously doubt that an owner of MFJ amps 
> can tell a similar story with amps that are much newer.
>
> 73, Jim K9YC
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