Hands on with the MFJ-849 Digital SWR/Wattmeter
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- Опубликовано: 3 фев 2025
- While I continue to build out my new shack, I have started to pick up a few new goodies. Today I wanted to take a first look at my choice for SWR and Wattmeter, which is the MFJ-849 Digital SWR and Wattmeter.
Overall I went with this model because it covers HF as well as VHF and UHF frequency ranges and I wanted an all in one meter that I could use for testing radios as well as everyday use in my station. So this one covers 1.8-60 MHz and then also covers 125-525 MHz all in one box while being capable of reading up to 200 watts of output power.
This video we take a look at what's in the box, open up the meter itself and look at what is inside, then hook it up to power and to a radio and look at the operation of it.
Overall I think this will be a good choice, and am happy to add it to my shack!
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Equipment Used in This Video:
MFJ-849 Digital SWR/Wattmeter: www.hamradio.c...
Vectronics DL-300M Dry Dummy Load: www.hamradio.c...
HF Radio - Icom IC-7300: www.hamradio.c...
VHF/UHF Radio: Yaesu FTM-100DR - No Longer In Production
Bioenno 20ah and 15ah LiFePo4 Battery:
www.hamradio.c...
www.hamradio.c...
Coax Jumper DXE-400 Max 3 Foot Jumper: www.dxengineer...
Straight Key is a refurbished J-38
Recording Equipment:
Canon 80D DSLR with Sigma 18-50 f/2.8 and Comica CVM-V30 Microphone
GoPro Hero 7 Black
So, they do not provide a power cable to power it?! Where is the "wall wart"? That meter isn't going to work out of the box without the little DC adapter. I should not have to finish building the power cable for that price. I mean I like Anderson PP's but still I want it to be ready to plug in. What size power poles did you use I got 30amp but may or may not have the little 15amp size. And it you were going to plug it in to a power strip what size DC adapter does it require, I have a 1 amp "wall wart" left over.
Many items have a seal on them and if you break tune seal you lose your warranty. While you can float the stickers and replace them, it really depends on the manufacturer's policies. Perhaps working to identify the parts on the boards. I have the crossed internal swr meter from the same manufacturer and it has a power connector as well but all it powers is the light.
I appreciate you taking it apart so i don't have to.
We are given one right that other operators don't have, and that is the right to build stuff and put it on the air. Many people choose not to. This hobby is big enough for everyone.
Nice deep dive on the meter! 73!
Thanks for watching! 73, Kevin
Thanks for the video, great overview of the meter.
Thanks for watching! -73, Kevin
Eventually I'll grab one of those. Right now I don't have the workspace at home. Great review!
Thanks for watching! I’m working on building some shelving for my desk right now to make everything fit.
Hi, come across your channel and your review of the MFJ-849 digital meter. Lots of clones of this meter out there now. It's been two years and I'm wondering .. would you (still) buy it again?
That MFJ SWR and WATT meter is just the same as the KP-O DG503 MAX it is the same meter under a different brand!
I ordered from DX today and downloaded the manual. The manual had less info than the listing I wonder if I can make the led’s dimmer at night. Should be possible. Mines on order and I have a screwdriver standing by
I don't see that I was able to adjust the LED to be dimmer, it is quite bright though so i can understand that you would want to make it brighter. You may be able to check the internals to see if you can add a resistor or something to lower the brightness of the display. I never really checked into it much. I usually keep the lights on when operating in the shack. 73 and enjoy the new meter! -WQ9F
Is it a peak reading wattmeter for ssb ? You were keying it for cw.
YEA. What he said....
It is normal not to have 1:1 SWR using dummy load (but it will be not that far from 1).
Any power loss in the measurement chain (like coax between SWR meter and antenna/dummy load) is giving results closer to 1.
Thanks for watching and for the tips, I always seem to forget about something, specially with all the connections that were being made between the radio, the meter and the dummy load. Thanks again! -73, Kevin
What do you think is better the MFJ-849 or the MFJ-826B
Great video 📹 👍 73 W7ABO
MFJ = More Fucking Junk. MFJ has most of their junk built in the jail by long-term prisoners. No quality control, either. As an aside, I bought two of these units (not from MFJ) and found the units to be accurate and robust. I have only put 200Watts through them and all works well. Very pleased with the unit. It's a KISS, so nothing too complicated to go wrong.
Thanks for watching. I haven't had any issues with this one yet, it has been working good so far, but I only run 100 watts on HF. As far as MFJ goes, I've had hit and miss in the past with them, more good than bad overall I would say but the bad ones really end up being bad! -73, Kevin
So what would you recommend vs the MFJ meter???
Don't be afraid to let the smoke out? Really? With the cost of gear, and the economy tanking, it's NOT smart to let the magic smoke out of stuff!
Agreed! Wow, that is really bad advice for newbies or anybody who want to preserve their warranty. I wonder if he will back that up with paying for a replacement unit.