MFJ -949C

[WX2MIG]

Just won an MFJ-949C on eBay for $100.00. Since they sell for $170.00 new, I guess I did alright.

I wasn't real impressed with the Kenwood AT-130 tuner, it's very limited in what it can do, and I'm not even sure it was doing anything at all...

With the MFJ I'll have the option of attaching both my dipoles, and if I have trouble getting the 40m antenna to tune up for 80m, I'll have the ability to change the feed line to 400 ohm ladder line.

The one thing this tuner has over the AT-130 is a much better SWR meter, plus a watt meter, the dinky little meter on the AT-130 leaves way too much doubt in my mind as to wether it's working properly....or at all.....

Does anyone else here use a 949C Versa Tuner II....?
How's it work for you......?
any tricks or special things I may need to know.....?

 

[W5LZ]

The '949C tuners do work. Their biggest limitation is power handling. MFJ's tuners are rated in Pep, not average power. So, if you plan on 100 watts CW, or AM, or FM, you'd better figure you need at least a 200 watt MFJ tuner. The '949 ought'a handle 100 watts just fine. I think the only real difference between the 'C' model and the later ones ('D' and 'E') are the voltage ratings of the capacitors used. The later models had a higher voltage rating. Doesn't sound like much, but an increase in voltage is one of the things that will happen with impedance changing/matching, a higher voltage rating is good.
Making a 40 meter antenna 'stretch' to cover 80 meters is not exactly a no "big deal". That's really a long 'stretch', and will give any tuner a work out. I don't see why the '949 wouldn't work, but it's going to be sort of 'touchy', sort of. One of the reasons that really good/versatile tuners are larger than others is that voltage rating thingy. High voltage variable capacitors are just larger than low voltage capacitors. Same for power handling abilities, larger is 'better' than smaller. A really good/versatile tuner just isn't gonna fit in your shirt pocket.
A couple of 'hints' about using tuners. Probably the best one is that the least amount of inductance used is always the best way of doing it. Use whatever is needed, but less is good.
Mark the dial positions for each band, or part of the band, when you find the 'sweet spot'. Bunch of ways of doing that, pick which ever works best for you. A piece of tape marked with the band/frequency on each dial scale works. So does cutting out an index card to slip behind the knob with the freqs/bands 'sweet spots' marked on it. Unless something really big changes, those marks will get you very close to where things ought'a be again. Or just make a chart with the positions for C1, C2, and the Inductor scale values for a particular frequency. Whatever works for you.
Ground the silly thing, it helps. Typically to the same ground point the rest of the equipment is connected to. I think you'll find that ground 'rods' are better than nothing, but not by a great deal. A good, extensive ground radial system will always be better than a ground rod(s). (They are also a Royal P.I.T.A. to put in, at least for me.)
And lastly, tuners don't 'do' miracles. There are some things none of them will tune, doesn't matter who made them, or what they are supposed to be able to do, some just ain't gonna do it. Doesn't mean that there's something wrong with the tuner. Does mean that there may be something not within reason with the antenna, sort of. Who knows, probably the wrong color of wire.
Have fun.
- 'Doc

 

[WX2MIG]

Thanks Doc...

I figure the most I plan to ask of it is to at least "try" and tune up the 75 meter voice band on my 40 meter wire, if it can get me there that's great, if it can't then no big deal....I still have everything from 40m and above to work with.

The other tasks I'm looking to achieve is getting 30 meters from my 40m wire, and 20m to 10m on my 20 meter wire....

I may attempt to get my hands on 50 foot of ladder line, and see if I can get that to work with my 40m dipole, but the biggest road block is getting it into the shack, across the ceiling, and down to the tuner without coming in contact with anything conductive. This may even be a big nut to crack since this antenna is not even close to being high enough, so the vertical portion of the ladder line probably won't be enough, and I'm not too crazy about running it across the ceiling of the garage and filling the garage with RF.
My other option / idea is to place a balun at the foot of the mast it's on, and run ladder line to the antenna, and coax into the shack.

I may also experiment with a long wire since the 949 has a connection for one. I can run a separate ground wire directly out the wall, and bury some ground radials, then run the wire around my property along my wood fence.

I don't think the power handling thing should be an issue since I only run barefoot, and the TS-130S isn't a power house radio.....

 

[W5LZ]

I don't think your garage is going to be any more filled with RF than it is now, if you do the ladder line thing. Getting inside with it can be a little 'tricky', maybe, but not really that big a problem. A window that you can put a board into (across the opening) makes for a decent entry point. So does going in under the eaves. All kinds of ways depending on your imagination.
The positioning of ladder, vertical, horizontal, or something in between isn't all that important. And as far as doing 20 on a 40 meter antenna, it shouldn't be a problem at all. 30 meters, I don't know, never played much with it. 10 meters, even harmonic, probably not too likely, but not impossible. Doing any of that with coax is a bit more 'tricky'. Deals with how the coax will handle the SWR, cuz there will be some.
I like ladder line and have played with it for some time. So, I don't really think it's all that bad, or all that difficult to deal with. That's from running into the 'catches' and finding ways around them, just experience. There definitely are differences between parallel feed lines and coax. Once you get used to those differences it's not really a problem whichever you want to use. Coax gets around a few of the qwerks that ladder line has, and then ladder line can get around a couple of the qwerks coax has. One of the 'biggies' with ladder line is that it doesn't make a lot of difference how bad a mismatch you may have, it's very unlikely that it will harm the ladder line, tuner, or radio. If you're really industrious you can make your own. You ain't seen nuthin until you've seen home made ladder line swarm on you! Can't say that for coax, and I'm sure not gonna make any. One of the benefits of using coax is that you can run it almost anywhere. Oh well, nuff'a that.
- 'Doc

 

[C2]

I have the same tuner, but without the built in load!

I have been able to tune up 100W CW on 160-10 meters with just an 80 meter, 1/2 wave wire strung up in some trees, and just a modest counterpoise/ground.

I don't know about your tuner, but I use the "ext. dummy load" port for another antenna, so I have 3 coax, 1 balanced w/4:1 balun, and 1 random wire ports for connecting various antennas.

 

[WX2MIG]

I'm kinda in the dark about random wire antennas, I assume I would connect the running wire to the one lug on the tuner, but do I need to run a separate ground, or does it work off the main (common) ground I have everything connected to......?

Also, how much wire will I need to run in order to get it to tune up for 75 meters....and is the over all length critical, or is it as the name implies....random....?

If I run this wire along my wooden fence, will I need to insulate the wire from any contact with the fence, or can I staple it direct to the wood.....?

 

[W5LZ]

The 'common' ground, may work, and it may not. Can't honestly say without know quite a bit more about that 'common' ground. Would a separate ground system help any? I have a sneaking suspicion that it probably would. How big should that ground be? I have no idea, but would bet it's gonna be one of those "the more the better" thingys.
How long a 'random' wire is best for any particular band? It should be as big/long as you can manage. After that, the efficiency, or how well it works is going to be sort of 'random'. Better on some bands, not so good on others. It's relationship to how it 'relates' to being a significant or particular portion of a wave length will matter to some extent. If whatever that significant relation type length is within the capabilities of the tuner to handle, then it'll handle that particular length of random wire on some band(s). A very nice obfuscation of "beats the @#$$ out of me", ain't it? That 'random' applies to more than just the length. So try it and see. If it works to your satisfaction, good. If not try a different random length.
Is wood a good insulator? Maybe. Just depends on how conductive it is. Nuther one'a them answers that can mean just about anything, right? Yeah, but about as close as you can get really. Lots of different kinds of wood and states of conductivity it could possibly have. So, beats me. It won't be the best there is, but it might be the best you have. Which can mean that it ain't all ~that~ bad, sort of. Dry wood is a better insulator than wet wood. After that, you're on your own.
Don't get too tied up with "what if's". Just ain't worth it. Try it and see?
- 'Doc

 

[WX2MIG]

Well I've been tooling around with this thing for a while this morning, tuned up my 40m dipole, and this MFJ is taking a little edge off it, and flattening it out a little better than it was. Had a nice long QSO with a fellow named Ted down in North Carolina on 7.230.0 Mhz, and he gave me a real good signal report.

Then I played around with the 20m dipole, took the edge off that one as well. Then I tried to tune it up on 17 meters, and it didn't seem like it wanted to, then tried it on 15 meters and was able to load it OK on that band, but 15 is kinda dead right now so there wasn't anyone I could get a signal report from.

Haven't tried 12 or 10 meters yet, and the big one......80 meters.....

The problem here is, the MFJ instruction manual tells you to switch to low power for tuning, but the Kenwood TS-130S doesn't have that option, so I have to test at full 100 watt power.........so I can only key down for real short periods of time, make some quick adjustments and let up, I do this until I get the SWR's down to a reasonably safe level, then I can talk and tune for maximum.....

One thing is for sure, this MFJ-949C is doing a hell of a lot more than the Kenwood AT-130 did, and I now have both an SWR and power meter I can read and depend on to be fairly accurate.......

 

[ajm1571]

I am using the 989c. I have a 10-80 inverted V, 20m vertical dipole and a A99 hooked up to it. I use the A99 for 10-17m, the 20m vert just for 20M an the V for 20-80m. Since the move, it is ahrd for me to tune 40m for some reason. I can do it, but not like it was at the old house. The inverted V is fed with ladder line, which each side comes off each lug on the back where it says wire antenna. You will also have to use a jumper on the other 2 lugs(I am thinking you have 4 lugs on the back like the 989c). You also have a ground lug(usually in the bottom center on the back) just for the tuner that you ground to your grounding system you use for the rest of your equipment. You HAVE to run a ground to that for the tuner to work properly. I hope that all makes some type of sense.

Allen

 

[C2]

In case you don't have it:

http://www.radioamateur.eu/schemi/TS130SE_user.pdf

It seems that the CAR knob is used to adjust the carrier level, for QRP...

I don't have the rig, but it seems you can lower the carrier level with this knob.

 

[kd3yt]

I am running a 949E into a approx 45 foot dipole fed with Radio Shack twinlead. This antenna is mounted up in the inside of my garage. It tunes well from 20 meters up. Have made contacts on 20 meters and 10 meters with it. It will tune on 40 meters but have made no contact yet. I have the materials to put a 102 foot dipole fed with 450 ohm ladderline. Will be putting this outside as soon as spring finally arrives.

73's and enjoy the new tuner.....

 

[Wire Weasel]

Just won an MFJ-949C on eBay for $100.00. Since they sell for $170.00 new, I guess I did alright.


Well good luck friend. I've used the 949's and they're okay. I would get one again if I had a need for it. Thing is the "C" model may be as old as 25 years back. I believe they're up to an "E" now. I wouldn't have paid over $50 for a C. If it hasn't been abused, it should give you good service though.

 

[WX2MIG]

It seems that the CAR knob is used to adjust the carrier level, for QRP...

I don't have the rig, but it seems you can lower the carrier level with this knob.

When all else fails...read the instructions.....:blush:

Thanks C2....

Well good luck friend. I've used the 949's and they're okay. I would get one again if I had a need for it. Thing is the "C" model may be as old as 25 years back. I believe they're up to an "E" now. I wouldn't have paid over $50 for a C. If it hasn't been abused, it should give you good service though.

Ya gotta remember WW, I'm starting from the ground floor here, the most HF work I've done prior to this was on a Uniden President HR-2510 through a Skakespeare Big Stick with 25 watts.
Everything I'm doing here I'm brand new at it, and from my perspective this MFJ-949C is a whole lot better than the Kenwood AT-130 I hooked up here before it, I never figured it was the best, but it's working for me, and since my last post here I got to easily tune up the 80m band on a coax fed 40m dipole, so it can't be that bad......
Also...I might have paid too much for this particular model, but I still saved 80 bucks over the price of a new one, and this unit is about as clean as you could possibly ask for.....

 

[hookedon6]

L@@K HERE TOO

...I might have paid too much for this particular model, but I still saved 80 bucks over the price of a new one, and this unit is about as clean as you could possibly ask for.....

i'm not a big fan of e-bay (unless i'm selling), if i'm in a buying mood , i always look here first:
Ham Radio Home Page - QTH.COM by KA9FOX! Classified swap ads for amateur radio, ham radio and more

the prices are often much better AND there is a valid call sign on the other end

949 b/c/d's are about $50-$75 and the e's are abt $95. if ya didn't get ripped on the shipping, then the $100 wasn't really too high

 

[WX2MIG]

It seems that the CAR knob is used to adjust the carrier level, for QRP...

C2......
I brought up the TS-130S owner's manual on my laptop last night, after reading the section on controls and their functions I discovered that the "CAR" only works on CW, not SSB.
Once I get my key I can lower the output power on the CW setting, key down and adjust accordingly, but til then I have to make my adjustments at full power on SSB.

What I've been doing is adjusting the 949's three settings for the loudest noise level on receive, I found by doing that I'm usually very close, then I key down and make a few final adjustments while identifying myself, and / or calling CQ...

Hookedon6......
I paid a total of $104.00, $98.00 for the unit, and $6.00 for shipping. The reason it got that high was because I let myself get into a bidding war with a couple other's that wanted it as badly as I did. Had it not been for that it probably would have only gone for $75.00.

For the most part I've had good luck with the things I've purchased on eBay, been screwed a couple of times, but that's to be expected when dealing with a world wide auction site full of cut throat scam artists like Radio-Mart....:glare:.....(who I would never buy from ayway).....