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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>I think the “mighty fine junk” phrase is over used. What MFJ does is bring some pretty advanced stuff in at a lower price. Yes, you can get better and pay for that as well. Also they have a very diverse product line. They have, by a very large margin, more products in their catalog than any other firm in the Ham industry. There are bound to be some clunkers and there are. I have also seen some complaints that are unreasonable expectations or actually not reading the specs and instructions. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>To those who denigrate MFJ, I have a question. What would our hobby be like without them? Much more boring and more expensive would be my answer.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>“If you don’t like a challenge, cell phones are the easiest radios to use”.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>W1GCF<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Geoff<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>From:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> bars [mailto:bars-bounces@w1hh.org] <b>On Behalf Of </b>Andy Wallace<br><b>Sent:</b> Friday, September 25, 2020 9:18 AM<br><b>To:</b> bruce.blain@charter.net<br><b>Cc:</b> bars@w1hh.org<br><b>Subject:</b> Re: [bars] MFJ?<o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal>Tom Walsh brought over a small MFJ antenna tuner - the 100W mobile one - for me to fix. This was shown in a previous BARS newsletter. <o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>The failure was shorting of one of the variable caps at a certain dial setting. It turned out that a design defect (sheet metal front panel poorly stiffened) or assembly mistake (stiff wiring connecting the cap terminals) caused misalignment of the plates. Reflowing the solder joint caused the cap to release the tension and recenter itself. It would be really nitpicking to say this was a junky product. Plus Tom had used it for years. <o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>My father left behind a damaged Cushcraft R7 vertical which I’d like to repair. That model isn’t around anymore but they make similar ones and I hope to call MFJ and get parts as Bruce says. <o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>Support the companies that support us, I say. <o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>Andy<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>KA1GTT<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><br>On Sep 25, 2020, at 8:48 AM, Bruce Blain <<a href="mailto:bruce.blain@charter.net">bruce.blain@charter.net</a>> wrote:<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>I’d like to chime in….</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Besides acquiring all of these failing amateur radio companies, they manage to keep supporting a lot of the old products that these companies manufactured in the past. Plastic parts for your Cushcraft antennas? No problem. Amplifier parts for your 30 year old Ameritron amplifier? No problem. And while they could charge an arm-and-a-leg for these parts, I find them quite reasonable.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>So even with the quality perception people have, those of us with older products would have a much harder time maintaining them without MFJ. I give them a lot of credit, and agree with Andy that we are lucky to have them.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Bruce, K1BG</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>From:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> bars [<a href="mailto:bars-bounces@w1hh.org">mailto:bars-bounces@w1hh.org</a>] <b>On Behalf Of </b>Andy Wallace<br><b>Sent:</b> Friday, September 25, 2020 8:12 AM<br><b>To:</b> William Smith<br><b>Cc:</b> <a href="mailto:bars@w1hh.org">bars@w1hh.org</a><br><b>Subject:</b> Re: [bars] MFJ?</span><o:p></o:p></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal>They have also acquired other companies like Hy-Gain and Cushcraft over the years so they may have better reviews factoring those companies’ successful products. <o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>But we ARE lucky to have a company selling so many ham products at all. <o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>Andy<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>KA1GTT<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><br>On Sep 25, 2020, at 7:41 AM, William Smith <<a href="mailto:w_smith@compusmiths.com">w_smith@compusmiths.com</a>> wrote:<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>Way back when, before the turn of the century <span style='font-family:"Segoe UI Symbol","sans-serif"'>😎</span> we always called MFJ "Mighty Fine Junk", as it was pretty low quality, not very durable or reliable, and very inexpensive.<o:p></o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>Now that I'm getting back into Amateur Radio, I'm noticing a lot of ads and some pretty good reviews for MFJ, did they fix their quality issues and are now considered decent quality, or did they just increase their ad budget? 🤷♂️<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>73,<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>Willie<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>N1JBJ<o:p></o:p></p><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:black'><br>William P. N. Smith<br>ComputerSmiths Consulting, Inc.</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:black'>978-600-1621</span><o:p></o:p></p></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p></div></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>_______________________________________________<br>bars mailing list<br><a href="mailto:bars@w1hh.org">bars@w1hh.org</a><br><a href="http://mail.w1hh.org/mailman/listinfo/bars_w1hh.org">http://mail.w1hh.org/mailman/listinfo/bars_w1hh.org</a><o:p></o:p></p></div><div id=DAB4FAD8-2DD7-40BB-A1B8-4E2AA1F9FDF2><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><table class=MsoNormalTable border=1 cellpadding=0 style='border:none;border-top:solid #D3D4DE 1.0pt'><tr><td width=55 style='width:41.25pt;border:none;padding:9.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'><p class=MsoNormal><a href="https://www.avast.com/sig-email?utm_medium=email&utm_source=link&utm_campaign=sig-email&utm_content=emailclient&utm_term=icon" target="_blank"><span style='border:solid windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in;text-decoration:none'><img border=0 width=46 height=29 id="_x0000_i1025" src="cid:image001.jpg@01D6932A.5D0A8B90" alt="Image removed by sender."></span></a><o:p></o:p></p></td><td width=470 style='width:352.5pt;border:none;padding:9.0pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:13.5pt'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#41424E'>Virus-free. <a href="https://www.avast.com/sig-email?utm_medium=email&utm_source=link&utm_campaign=sig-email&utm_content=emailclient&utm_term=link" target="_blank"><span style='color:#4453EA'>www.avast.com</span></a> <o:p></o:p></span></p></td></tr></table></div></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>_______________________________________________<br>bars mailing list<br><a href="mailto:bars@w1hh.org">bars@w1hh.org</a><br><a href="http://mail.w1hh.org/mailman/listinfo/bars_w1hh.org">http://mail.w1hh.org/mailman/listinfo/bars_w1hh.org</a><o:p></o:p></p></div></div></body></html>