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The MFJ 1788 loop arrives!
23 January 2014 | by  |
| Ready for inspection |
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| Capacitor |
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| Control box test |
1. Send the control box back to either MFJ or DX Engineering for repairs?
2. Ask MFJ if it's possible to make the repair myself if they were to send me the part?
I settled on option 2 as I could still use the control box until the switch arrived and not be put on hold until control box was repaired or replaced. (note: I purchased DX Engineering's last unit)
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| Stepper motor |
All was going well until the capacitor was rotating counter clockwise and it just stopped! I then rotated the capacitor in the clockwise direction and back counter clockwise and it worked just fine. After many back and forth rotations the capacitor never acted up…..maybe this was a one off. I emailed MFJ regarding the switch and they are going to mail one to me so I can do the repair. Next is to mount the antenna and see how it performs stay tuned!
12 Responses to “The MFJ 1788 loop arrives!”
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- Matt W1MST, Managing Editor
Good luck with your new antenna Mike. Good DX to you.
Well I have been a renewed ham for about 1 1/2 years. ReNewed because I let my Extra Class expire and had to retest.
Yesterday two fellow hams plus myself put up my first real antenna. By real I mean its up about 65 feet. Never have I ever been so satisfied. My first contacts were all dx. XE1/CT1/IT9/OV1/IK5/G0/VE5/YN9/F5/VE2. It was great. I know I will never be in the DXCC class, but for me it was pure pleasure.
The antenna is cut to the lower end of 40 cw. I installed a insulator in the middle and feed it with 450 ohm ladder line to a MFJ 993 intelli-tuner.
My station is small just a Kenwood TS140s,antenna as described and a keyer.
Now I feel like one of the BIG GUNS.
I had been saving for a beam and tower for some time, now my dipole is going to save me big bucks!
Thankfully I live in the country with no HOA cooties. Hate their rules and just stupid way they enforce them.
I know I sound like I am bragging, well I am a little I guess.
If you fellows ever hear me, I am on 21.030 to .060 or 14.030 to .060 slow down to 19 wpm or so and listen to me brag.
Thanks and again Mike good luck.
73,
John – KK4ITN
cw forever!
Hi Mike,
I got my MFJ loop about 5 years ago.
First thing I tried was using the AA batteries.
I put them in and heard a snap so something sparked.
I then tried the auto tune as the box has a speaker but I never ever heard it beep or buzz.
It took 2 months for MFJ to get me a copy of the schematic of the box and they sent me a fax copy so small I was not able to read a thing.
So what I do it crank my rig down to 15 watts then tune with the push button.
I always get zero SWR and worked some DX people dream of.
Read my review on E ham.
I broke every rule in the book as it’s indoors with steel all around me.
It has RF on the coax so I put on a cheap screw on it choke and that cured it.
But after 34 years I did what others are still wanting to do and I went back to song writing and playing guitars.
Sick of waiting for cycle 24 and I don’t think it’s going to happen.
The loop works well even with QRP.
GL DXing
Bob AF2Q
Good morning John and fist off welcome back to the hobby!! Sound like a great set up for sure a 65 foot tower is great and the contact seem to be just flowing into your shack. It’s great to read the excitement in your post. If you haven’t already get a blog up and going and keep us updated with posts.
Mike
Good morning Bob…..all I can say regarding MFJ is WOW! I am just going to use the wall wart that came with the unit. Great to hear you were able to work DX with the antenna being indoors and with steel all around. I have a 1:1 balun that I am going to add to the mix to avoid any RF on the coax. It’s just so hard to understand why prints would take so long to get to you and then on a fax you are not able to read too boot!
This weekend I hope to give the loop a good workout and see how it does.
Mike
Mike, sounds like typical MFJ and typical DX Engineering! Poor QC from one and great service from the other. Good luck with the new antenna and hopefully we’ll cross paths on the air someday soon, maybe even after I’ve completed “the project.”
Unfortunately as we say around here in NY. MFJ is where the quality goes out before the name goes on! Good luck with your MFJ products my friend and 73.
Another DOOB (dead out of box) MFJ product. Not only have I seen it in person, I keep reading about it over and over again as the years go by. What a shame.
Good morning K8GU, always nice to hear from you and I hope all is going well with the setup after the move. We have done that and I find it was much fast to just pack things up but when it comes to unpacking and setting up that is were the time is needed. About MFJ yes the antenna did come in not so great shape but I have had many other MFJ products that have worked right out of the box and continue to this day to give me great service. As for DX Engineering this is the first time I have dealt with them and I must say they are a class act. I got an email from them last week asking me how the service was and how I found the shipping time. They are going to get an A+ from me thats for sure.
Have a nice weekend and again nice hearing from you.
Mike
Top of the morning KE2YK, not a very good reputation among the ham community to have for sure. I will say that they keep pumping out ham radio products and they do a very good job at making money at it. As for the Magnetic loop it seems to me that MFJ is the only company that sells this product (excluding the Alexloop that is not auto tune) So he as cornered the market on that antenna. As for his other products if you compare them to other companies the quality is not there but one thing ham seem to jump at is there…..the cheap price. As they say sometimes you get what you pay for. Thanks for stopping by and taking the time to comment and I will be updating the blog as I progress with the 1788 loop.
Mike
David thanks for taking the time to give me your feedback and it’s true it is a shame and I have myself read over again about the problems fellow ham have with MFJ. Could you imagine if the company got things together and jumped up a few QC notches how that would affect their bottom line in a positive way. Having said that when I did contact MFJ about the switch that was defective they were very fast with their response and the part was at my door in less than 2 days! They has shipped it UPS which surprised me and shipped me 2 switches……maybe they are telling me it’s just a matte of time before another switch goes south.
David have a nice weekend and alway nice to have your comments.
Mike
I am considering purchasing one, now that you have had it for a while what is your review of the product.
I’ve had one of these antennas for over a year now and it’s performed extremely well. I have made contacts I though would be impossible at 100W. I have been able to out perform it by 2 S units with a (no coil) 10m 2 element buddiepole yag but this loop can’t be beat for band hopping convenience. As with most of the folks posting here I had problems with the antenna out of the box. My remote control box had issues in it did not detect the VSWR dip stop and beep. I contacted MFJ by phone and talked with a tech. In about a week I had a new control box and the antenna has been rock solid ever since. With MFJ you roll the dice as their quality control really is nil. I ordered a practice oscillator from them and it arrived broken as well. I was able to repair it but, there you go. MFJ can make some very nice products and they do stand behind what they sell but I (and many hams) wish they would take quality control far more seriously. If they focused on unflinching dedication to quality MFJ would loose their obvious and sad nick name. As far as the loop goes it’s a must buy for antenna restricted HAMs. Get it up high (18-20ft) horizontal for amazing DX performance. Low lever vertical is not bad either but you hear more noise.73 and good DX to you!