[CQ-Contest] Mods to MFJ-432 Voice Keyer?

[Dennis Vernacchia]

Henry,

	Our local contest club purchased  an MFJ Model 432 about 2 or 3
years
ago and after screwing around with th eproblems you mentioned and
instaling
fixes suggested by MFJ we returned the unit to MFJ for a refund.

	We offered to fix it ourselves if MFJ supplied us a schematic.
THEY WOULD NOT, even after we suggested we sign a non-disclosure
for any propietary information.

	We were never able to solve the message playing when we 
let the Repeat mode button out, extremely annoying as, yes, it covered
up the guy who had just started calling you and if I remember correctly,
there was no RESET switch on the unit, so you had no way to stop.
	I think I remeber that the unit may have had to be on to pass
audio through it so hitting the POWER off/on button didn't help
either. Also I remember something about when either turning 
the unit on or the REPEAT function on, the unit started playing
message #1....and no way to stop it !!!

	If you are destined to keep the unit and no one sends you a
fix for the problems  mentioned above, I suggest you buy some C & K
or ALCO miniature pusbutton switches from either Mouser or Newark
Electronics. Both companies are on line.

	Lastly, you might consider their 434 unit. Originally it wouldn't
allow you to adjust  the REPEAT cycle undr 3 seconds 9WAY TOO LONG !)
but I;ve been told they supposedly fixed that time interval to be down to

0.5 Sec. 


73, Dennis N6KI		 

73,

Dennis Vernacchia N6KI

On Thu, 2 Nov 2000 20:33:21 EST K4tmc at aol.com writes:
>
>Contesters,
>
>In reviewing lessons-learned from this past weekend's CQWW, I need to 
>make 
>some mods to the MFJ-432 voice keyer.  Has anyone had any success with 
>
>replacing the 4 red message switches?  They do not always work the 
>first time 
>you push on them, and sometimes you have to push so hard that the unit 
>slides 
>across the desk.  I wonder if any of the more expensive Radio Shack 
>switches 
>(the ones that look like the ones on the MFJ-434) are any better.  
>Also, I 
>found myself using the Repeat Msg-1 switch a lot, and found that it 
>makes 
>contact when you depress it to switch off the repeat function.  This 
>was very 
>annoying, such that when someone started answering my CQ, and when I 
>depressed the switch, I started my "CQ Contest..." again.  Valuable 
>seconds 
>were lost!
>
>And, has anyone found a connector that fits the remote terminal pins 
>on the 
>back?  That way I could just leave the standard switches alone and use 
>remote 
>switches for the basic functions I need.  It would be much more 
>convenient to 
>have the few needed switches right at the keyboard. 
>
>OK, I know some of you will just say - get rid of it and get the 
>MFJ-434, or 
>something else.  However, I kind of like the package size and it fits 
>just 
>right on the shelf below the 1000MP.
>
>73 and High Rates,
>Henry Pollock - K4TMC
>
>
>--
>CQ-Contest on WWW:        http://lists.contesting.com/_cq-contest/
>Administrative requests:  cq-contest-REQUEST at contesting.com
>

________________________________________________________________
YOU'RE PAYING TOO MUCH FOR THE INTERNET!
Juno now offers FREE Internet Access!
Try it today - there's no risk!  For your FREE software, visit:
http://dl.www.juno.com/get/tagj.


--
CQ-Contest on WWW:        http://lists.contesting.com/_cq-contest/
Administrative requests:  cq-contest-REQUEST at contesting.com