On 8/31/2011 6:19 PM, Owen Duffy wrote:

Is it unfair to say that buying some MFJ products is a bit like buying
an unfinished kit?

That's a pretty good assessment. I'm even willing to put up with it for
the price.

The way I figure, if I have a professional business that I need to buy
equipment, I'm going to buy top notch equipment that I can depreciate as
part of the business.

In my personal life, I have a bit tighter of a budget. So I'm willing to
tighten screws and do the final QC on the stuff. I'm going to open the
case and have a look around anyhow.

- 73 de Mike N3LI -

Well - all I can say is that when I first entered amateur radio, a ham friend of mine sold me a used (1995) MFJ 949E that he had hooked up improperly - (put 100 watts into it while it was on 30 watts and burned it up) for $50.00

My first attempt to repair it was unsuccessful, put two diodes in it and hooked it back up, meter reads backwards.

Called MFJ - got a reply that I could have bought a fully populated board for $25.00 and did not buy it. Could have bought a new meter for $25 also and did not buy it.

I called them yesterday because I finally bought a new HF radio ( Kenwood 590 ) and wanted my own tuner.
They talked to me on the phone and tried to diagnose the problem.
The thought still is that one of the diodes are no good.

Now the price is $50.00 for the board and $50.00 if you wanted to send it in, plus $15 shipping to send it back, plus the price of parts - $4.00 for two diodes.
By the time I get it fixed, I could have just went out and bought a brand new tuner.