[TowerTalk] antenna analyzers

[Rob Atkinson]

I've only used the MFJ 259 or isit 269?  The one that covers 160 m. up
through 70 cm with the analog SWR and R meters on the front panel.  I use it
constantly.  I'll never forget the time I had just set up a new antenna and
in my exhausted excited state near the end of the weekend I dropped the MJF
in my haste to hook it up to feedline to check out the antenna.  I was in my
basement so it fell about 4 or 5 feet and hit the concrete floor.  buttons
flew off and a corner of the cabinet dented in.  I figured it was done for
but I put the buttons back on and turned it on and it worked FB  and I still
use it.  What I like about it is it's portable and puts out a strong signal
and the analog meters make adjusting a matching network fast and easy.  It's
not a precision instrument but it's good enough for ham work.  It's one of
those things I wonder how I operated without for so many years.   The  LCD
frequency display on mine is very accurate.  I guess the two things I think
of to complain about are that it doesn't tell me if reactance is L or C and
it's a battery eater (10 AAs).   I try to minimize the use of mine on
battery power and wish changing batteries didn't involve removing the
cover.   You should check them every 6 months to make sure they aren't
leaking.

73

rob / k5uj