Monday 6 October 2014

MFJ-1700C antenna switch

A recent addition to the shack is the MFJ-1700C switch. This is a really useful item and compared to similar switches on the market, very affordable. Apart from the obvious advantage of being able to select between 6 antennae and 6 radios it removed the need for me to convert my LP-100A to take readings from my two rigs. The cost of converting the LP-100A to the dual coupler standard was almost twice the price of the MFJ unit!



I currently have two antennae, a dipole and a Hustler 5-BTV going in to the switch. On the radio side I have a Kenwood TS570 and a TS-850 and I use one of the antenna sockets connected to my dummy load. The 'Com' socket allows me to connect my LP-100A meter so I can always read my SWR, power out and so on with any of the 4 connection options currently available to me.

As with all MFJ products it's always a good idea to check them over before putting them into service. This item was no different. I shook the box when it arrived and sure enough there was something rattling around inside. When I opened it up all that had come loose was a nut from one of the SO-239's screws, an easy fix! I took the opportunity to check the connections and since then I've had no trouble with this now, indispensable little unit!

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