I'll add my endorsement of the MFJ998. Mine is located remotely in my garden shed so I never actually see it or hear it but it works as advertised. I swallowed hard before buying it but so far ( 2 months) it has not disappointed. I treat my system gently, rarely running over 500 watts from my THP HL-1.5 amp.
Don K7FJ >I will agree with the below email. > > I have a Ameritron ALS600 and an MFJ 998 autotuner. I > bought this combo for use with my former TS850. When I > purchased the K3, I continued to use the tuner, albeit with > no "rig control", as the tuner was connected to the TS850's > "tune" button with a home made interface cable (which cost > me $2, not the $60 that MFJ asks for the same thing). > > To tune when using the amp and the K3, I simply press and > hold the XMIT button, after setting my tune power to 10 > watts. The amp then makes about 40 watts and the tuner auto > tunes. Pressing XMIT again concludes the tune cycle and > away I go. I have it plugged into my secondary TS570D and > it works with the tune button there like it did with the > '850. I just implemented a $15 Radio Shack Video Switch to > switch Foot Switch, Keyer paddles and Amp Trigger between > the rigs. Works perfectly (tho I drool over the new > Microham SO2R mini box!). The amp will eventually > bandswitch using some Unified Microsystems decoders, but > this is a future "enhancement" when I have time. > > The first '998 I received had a bad relay. HRO immediately > sent me a new one, which then "burned in" powered on for > three days with no issues. It has survived unscathed since > then through many contests. > > I originally thought I would miss the "tune button on the > radio" functionality, but with my somewhat resonant antennas > (a "Carolina Windom" on 80/40 and WARC bands and an A3S on > 20/15/10) I dont miss the feature. Just make sure and > "preset" the MFJ by doing a tune cycle every 10kHz on all > the bands I operate on and let it make noise for a while. > Next time I operate there, it remembers the settings and if > your antennas have not changed, the settings just take less > than a second and one "clack" of the relays. > > Frankly, I am very pleased with the (knock on wood) > reliability and performance of the MFJ998. It has been rock > solid. I had a '993 before it and it too was rock solid. I > had an LDG AT1000 that was horrible, so YMMV. Best MFJ > devices I have ever owned. > > I will look into the new Elecraft autotuner in the P3 box. > If it implements Kenwood protocol (for my backup rig's use) > I may look into it, however, for the cost, the '998 is > pretty hard to beat for what you get and how it works! > Yeah, its kind of ugly, but it does work well. > > -lu-w4lt- > > > > Date: Wed, 16 Jun 2010 21:32:38 -0500 > From: "Bill K9YEQ" <k9...@live.com> > Subject: Re: [Elecraft] LDG > To: "'Jack Brabham'" <k...@att.net>, > <Elecraft@mailman.qth.net> > Message-ID: <blu138-ds10c04f17630a71ca39e11d9c...@phx.gbl> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" > > I hesitate to add this reply: I have had the original LDG > tuner for QRP... > I forget which model. I had to replace the firmware chip and > then things > were better. Then I changed Qrp rigs but then the tuner > didn't work so > well. I upgrade and sold that unit... it didn't match in > the same > circumstances. I gave up. I tried several LDG units > without success. I > don't own any now. I have done SGC and similar result. Not > much luck. I > have better success with MFJ... can you believe that? The > internal units in > Elecraft units are superior to all. Cable lengths, antennas > and all the > rest of the stuff we deal with I like the Elecraft tuners. > I am not happy > they haven't delved into this market more with heavier duty > stuff, but then > I have what I need for now. > > ______________________________________________________________ > Elecraft mailing list > Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft > Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm > Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net > > This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net > Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html > ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
