In very sad news, popular ham radio products from MFJ Enterprises, a company founded over 50 years ago will no longer be in production.
Read the statement from Martin F Jue K5FLU 👉 mailchi.mp/62e24f2ccc99/a-hea...
mfjenterprises.com/
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He is an amazing grandfather, dad, uncle, brother, and rock star in the Ham Radio community. My mom (Uncle Martin's little sister) was so impressed to see someone posting a video in response to his letter today. Thank you!
That gentleman has an amazing array of good products! Sincerely, Thank him for us!!
Your Uncle Martin new Bob Heil I think it was sad of his passing from cancer. I hope someone buys your company.
Please pass on our thanks on behalf of the amateur radio community!
Love MFJ products. Is the company for sale?
I've seen about 5 or 6 KZhead channels with videos in the last couple of days talking about him and the company. As for me, I spent the last 40 years wishing I had an MFJ antenna tuner, because they were found in the shacks of everyone in the hobby I've ever considered to be an Elmer to me. MFJ is a respected name known to hams all over the world. Your uncle has helped start the careers of many, many electronics engineers and technicians. Your uncle and MFJ have been a cornerstone of the RF industry. There are fewer than a dozen people in the world I would say that about. And I knew both Doug DeMaw and Bill Hewlett.
Bummer. MFJ will be missed in the Ham Radio community, imho. It would be nice to see someone take over/buy the company to keep it afloat.
Maybe there is a possibility Ameritron and Cushcraft will emerge
I can see DX Engineering getting involved.
I have seen a lot of ham radio manufacturers go out of business in my 76 years. It makes me sad and MFJ will be missed like all the others.
I thank MFJ for making my Ameritron AL-80B, my Microphone switchbox, analyzer, voice keyer, tuners, dummy loads and more. They have provided me years of enjoyment
Please don't disparage MFJ. Martin brought so many products from back in the day and the new products the past several years. He kept so many products from companies that folded in the past. You old timers from the late 50's on, such as myself, recognize many ham accessories from companies that have been gone for many years. Because of MFJ, they continued on. This is a real blow to the ham radio community. I wish Martin the the very best and hope his company will be picked up by someone.
MFJ served a the low end of the ham market, providing low quality gear at affordable prices in a form factor that looked appropriate for a ham shack. When you buy MFJ, you know your buying a mediocre product, but it's physically suited for the application via case/format. Their main competition, being cheap Chinese brands, often omit the case entirely, or provide a build it yourself laser cut acrylic case that looks like shit. I'm sad, as I still haven't moved up to the level of buying MFJ equipment, and know there is now little entry level, barely works but works equipment to buy, which dramatically boosts the cost to entry to the HF bands, not that that cost wasn't already high enough to wait 5yrs to upgrade to General, and over a year after that to buy an HF radio, that I'm still working on building into a portable case, as I can't set up HF antenna's at home.
I couldn't have said it better myself. The only good thing is that Martin will be an OM and not an SK. Long may he operate!
It's a sad news. MFJ is a household name in the community. Hopefully, the name and the quality products can continue.
Folks who grumble and complain (half hearted) about MFJ products, but have several pieces in their shack.. Myself included! I think we're all going to miss MFJ.
I’ve been using their stuff for 30 years since I first got my license, they will be sorely missed.
My wife just told me about this and then up pops your video, you are really on top of the news especially with the time difference! I also hope someone will take over the company. I'll be at Hamvention so I'll make sure I stop by if they are there. Very sad news.
There you go Hayden, An investment! The next Dick Smith! 🤔👍👍
In addition to affecting licenced amateur operators, it will impact on the many pirate operators worldwide. Thank you for providing this sad news.
It's very sad. I have an MFJ transceiver, two antenna tuners, two antenna analyzers, three beams, various CW and other accessories and even a 'grid' dip meter. None of them have ever failed me. They provided a great service to our community.
Probably goes along with the death of the ARRL printed magazine. MFJ was a major buyer of ad pages. You have to wonder why Martin didn't try to sell it first before shuttering the doors.
He tried over a year ago, per an employee, no other confirmation found
It has been reported elsewhere that he turned down an offer from DxEngineering.
@@gerryrozema8338 Makes you wonder doesn't it? Sell it and have a few bucks for your final years or walk away with nothing more than the money in your bank account.
This is terrible news for ham radio. Especially for those of us in places like Australia where alternative product is often just not an option. I really hope somebody else steps up to take over the MFJ business. They will be missed in more ways than one. 73
Sad to see this. MFJ equipment always reminded me of something your really talented ham buddy next door neighbor might put together home-brew. All the hams in town liked the item and asked your talented buddy to make them one too. At some point the talented buddy couldn't keep up and quality suffered. He also didn't have the time to turn the item into a slick, polished product, with smooth lines, graphics, and machining, so it always looked like something he made in his garage - a little rough but it worked, generally, and served a needed purpose. Good luck to you Martin, you will be missed. Thank you for your contributions to the ham community.
So sorry to hear this. I live in MS and have a number of MFJ products that have given good service. I know a number of people tha know Martin personally and since Covid really hit them hard I sort of expected this. This will also be an economic blow to the state and the Starkville area. I wish Martin all the best. I probably need to order a couple of things now.
Very sorry to hear this.
Why doesn't Martin offer his employees to purchase the company. It would be nice after all these years for his legacy to live on. I would think the employees could put a purchase package together for MFJ & Associated companies to continue to operate and provide their fine products while continuing to develop new ones.
Not just MFJ products..
Martin manufactured Hygain, cushcraft, and Amatron as well. He manufactured the Ringo Ranger.
I had to put my Ham Radio hobby on hold for about 25 years as I was too busy raising a family. I had all my equipment carefully wrapped in bubble wrap and boxed up. When I entered retirement and set my equipment back up, I discovered that much of the equipment by large well-known brands needed to be repaired due to bad capacitors. But every piece of my MFJ equipment worked perfectly. MFJ makes tough equipment that does exactly what he advertises and more importantly, it lasts.
Maybe Heil Sound or HRO will take it over. We just lost Harbach Electronics a month ago and gladly KB1SEL (Scott) took them over. The times they are a changin' - Dylan
he would show anyone that topped by all through the factory Years later I still only could afford basic radios but I will miss them. 73 but enjoy family
I have the MFJ - 1026 Noise Cancelling Signal Enhancer, or should I say, I have more than 1 of these in use. I use the 1026 not only for eliminating local electrical noise, but also for using more than 1 antenna for diversity listening. Another fab MFJ product I have, is the MFJ - 259B SWR Analyzer, which is great for doing quick tests and adjustments on my antennas. Sorry to hear MFJ is closing down, certainly helped my Ham radio over the years!
Have never purchased anything from MFJ directly, but I have several of their products bought/gifted 3rd party. All worked as expected. Sad news.
Sad. They will be missed😢
I’ve bought some of their stuff that’s very bad. I’ve bought some of their stuff that’s pretty good. But whatever way you look at it, it’s a sad thing and they will be much missed.
Was there a ham in the world on hf that did not own an mfj tuner at some stage in the 90s? I still have mine and apart from needing to replace thevinternal light bulb it is perfect. Perhaps there are some US based investment hams?
Old Radio amateur here. I didn't even know MFJ still existed, kudos for hanging in there so long. I remember my first MFJ, it was a Packet and RTTY multi-modem I used to listen in on all sorts of digital communication with. I remember putting it into a suitcase together with a Casio PB1000 with an Serial adapter and a radio. Heh...future smartphone right there. And that was in the 80s
Sad to hear this
I've been thinking of picking up a loop antenna from them
That's life, nothing last for ever, at least he is still around.
Just glad my Elmer did not live to see this. He was a big fan.
I'll bet MFJ already has companies wanting to buy the company, time will tell.
MFJ should open-source all their hardware before shutting down.
I don't see that happening. From what I have heard they are selling the businesses. No one is going to want to buy the company if they have canceled all their patents and copyright.
@@mikesradiorepair oh, they are selling? Great! I hope they’re using a Deferred Sales Trust so they don’t lose 40% of the sale price to taxes.
I hope someone like gigaparts, dx engineering, and ham radio outlet will pick up some of the products and build and sell some of the product lines.
While my daughter attended Miss St Univ, It allowed me to visit MFJ's operation in Starkville. Not the prettiest buildings inside and out but they difinatley had a good operation going. Met Dr. Jue personally and he spent a good 15 minutes getting to know me and ragchewing. Something very rarely done with CEO/founders of companies to someone doing a plant tour. They have many talented engineers but definately under the direction of Martin. I own numerous products from MFJ and nearly all their sister companies. I will hate not being able to contact them to ask advise or get well used products reconditioned. I hope someone much younger than me purchase the comapny and keep the good theing going.
It is a shame. They are such good quality products. But they are so expensive and there are so many cheaper alternatives on the market now.
The last time I wanted to order one of those AM Transmitter and also their SCA FM decoder kits, they keep on telling me that i have to wait up to 4 to 6 weeks for them to send the order to the producton team to compile the kits together, which is a very long time for to wait. I wish that the Vectronics kit company would improve. I bought 2 books from them which were from Edward Noll back in the day during when I attended the 2004 Virginia Beach hamfest at from a closed store at Pembroke Mall and also I received as a couple of prizes was the MFJ Coffee mug that did not last forever and also I received another prize which was a MFJ Dual Clock from the WTWW Christmas radio photo contest which was a nice prize from them. I still have that dual clock.
MFJ closing is a grest loss in itself... But the more severe loss - IMHO - will be that of the antenna companies MFJ bought-up many years ago: Cushcraft and HyGain. The loss of these antenna manufacturers is going to be a severe blow to the amateur radio hobby. Perhaps some other entity will step-up and purchase those antenna divisions from the clising MFJ, and keep them going. Even better, would be if a larger manufacturer would buy-up MFJ as a whole, and keep producing their products. We can hope!
New Ham here and it didn’t take long to realize MFJ was a good product as promised. Sad to see you go. Enjoy family!! That is the most important thing we all have
MFJ will continue. Their in US factory is shutting down, so all import products will continue, as well as warranty/service service. Hopefully someone buys the company and builds it back up in a different mentality, such as happened with Palomar Engineering a while back.
Lotsa folks don't seem to like mfj, but I've never had a problem with their gear... Definitely bad news for the community.
We lumped Mighty Fine Junk in with Radio Scrap and LaughinIdiot, but we kept buying their stuff anyway. You can't beat the 949 series of tuners for the value. I've had one for decades.
MFJ was one of our nice sponsors fro the SWL contest 2023 with 2 nice gifts. I hope someone will continue the brand MFJ. I USA they are 800000 amateur radio plus SWL and also in the world Ham radio and shortwave listening is still popular. 73 de Frank SWL F14368
Ah, all good things must come to an end. Their Vectronics kits helped me to learn how to solder and build things. I hope Martin has a great and long retirement. 73
I hope they are at Dayton this year.
I've purchased many parts and equipment from them over the years and they will be missed.
Very sad indeed. I think the only viable option for the product to continue would be selling the business's and outsourcing cheap labour overseas. I think it's simply a sign of the times. Yes, time is precious and especially in your 80's. Hope he can enjoy more family time.🙏
I read the announcement as no longer manufacturing but continuing to sell and carry out warranty and non-warranty work, i.e., not going out of business, yet.
The MFJ-1026 Noise Canceling Signal Enhancer works very well. I also have the Chinese QRM Eliminator, it doesn't work as a well as the MFJ does.
Good thing about the 1026 is the switchable pre amp, which comes in useful for eliminating certain kinds of electrical noise, which you can't get rid of with it switched off. This comes about because it introduces a phase change in the noise signal.
Everything I have bought from MFJ had some fault or another right out of the box -- be that missing screws, omitted solder joints or functionality issues. However, with MFJ's reputation for lack QC I knew what to expect and I was buying on price. I knew that I would have to open and inspect for defects upon delivery. I've always found it nuts that Jue didn't tackle the QC issue and repair the MFJ brand image, but I guess he was too old and too disconnected from the day to day operations to be bothered. There was also the huge number of products in the MFJ catalog. Businesses with hundreds of SKUs can lose control of QC. Will I miss MFJ? Not sure.
As someone who has a lot of their products I am sad to see them go, however I think a lot of their problems are due poor quality control. I have had to repair every product I have from them. If I needed it cheap I would buy from them knowing I could usually fix their problems.
Nothing wrong with that, a ham SHOULD be able to resolder a joint. But NONE of my many products ever failed.
Sad news 😢
Fast becoming collectors items, a very sad day 😢
It would be nice if the employees would take over the company or a willing investor who is a licensed ham.
I hope someone or a few will be able to purchase the plant where hams can still purchase and the workers don't lose their jobs.
Home someone picks up MFJ's antenna tuner line.
Get ready for dealers to be sold out if mfj and ameritron overnight
I can only imagine somebody will but the place and continue production.....far far to popular in the ham world....yes they are people how dont like MFJ......but I have had great use from my MFJ products.....affordable kit.....not everybody can afford £1000gbp for an ATU. Thankyou Martin of MFJ for the huge service you provide to hams all around the world for many year.....please try and get the MFJ brank living on.....prefably still in the USA. Nick 2E0LPL
I have an MFJ-269 and a MFJ-259, with no fault to MFJ neither works correctly. Does anyone know if they still work on their old gear? I would love to see one or both of these work 100% again. -269 works but I broke the display, the -259 display is good but before I got it the batteries leaked all over the board. The SWR sweep is out of adjustment (I replaced the battery holder from the -269, because that was easier than moving the ribbon cable and display) Anyone reading this, have a suggestion?
The display is a standard 2x16 LCD. Swap it out.
Call them up. I had a 269 repaired about 3 months back. Seems to work fine now.
@@stargazer7644 there is like 437x10^10 connections that must be desoldered and resoldered! Calling me out and you are not wrong!😔
@@335alien335 I will call them tomorrow and see where that leads.
@@335alien335 The board the LCD is mounted on is sold as a pre-built module. Search for the part number online - MFJ doesn't make those. It's connected by a ribbon cable to the MFJ board in the unit.
😓
Wow... That's awful news, kind of a punch in the gut. I hope Martin has a long, happy retirement. I also hope that he passes the torch and sells his designs to another producer or multiple producers.
The times of change, and Ham radio is no different, MFJ did great and stood the test of time ( 52 years is a great achievement). From what I heard ( listening to the U.S on 10m) we might see manufacturing moved from the US to a cheaper option ( India/China) with a total change of marketing strategy ( online based store).
MFJ, Wellbrooke - whos next ? :( sad news. I like MFJ products, the 993b can probably tune a rusty old chair. made from wood.
With products like Ameritron, will someone take that line, and others, and continue manufacturing? Ameritron has been sold before, to MFJ!
I cannot understand the current trend of successful companys shutting down it does not make sense who is next and what about the loyal staff
If you listened, it was said Covid hit the company hard and that they haven't recovered. Which would tell me that it is no longer profitable.
Very sad, ham champs no doubt ! I will miss the OTT packaging ;-)
That's bad news. I have a bunch of MFJ equipment. Not the best, but certainly a good value. They will be missed.
Nooooooooooo!
Had some crap from MFJ stopped buying after second faulty item
I do find it hard to understand how COVID was the nail in the coffin. The COVID period resulted in an increase in ham activity/ purchasing / licensing. And we’re now well enough past it. 🤷♂️
Three years on and companies still blaming Covid. I am trying to trace my mothers family tree and guess what- long backlog due to Covid. Computer databases do not need to wear masks or isolate from their operators. No excuses!!!
Agree, I thought COVID would have created huge demand and put them out of stock and stuck with supply chain problems like everyone else. Strange explanation from MFJ.
So ham radio during covid all of sudden didn't get a huge boost? Oh well.
I am more concerned with the loss of the jobs to the people who work there. The guy could have sold the place instead of closing it down.
Believe he has tried, but no buyers
Sadly MFJ will be leaving. But I wonder who will fill that vacuum.
A Chinese company. That's what seems to be happening these days.
Twice over the past 18 months I dealt with MJF directly. Both times a disaster. Phone customer servive was borderline rude and unhelpful. Personal opionion, DX Engineering ran them out of business. Shame is they bought up all those companioes over the years that will now go down with them. Founder probably could not find competent successors. Should have sold out years ago. Another family business implodes. It's just getting started. Load up, it's going to get worse. And don't forget to vote.
MFJ is just the latest in the current list of businesses closing. Around Pittsburgh so many drugstores, grocery stores, restaurants, auto repair, bars, ice cream stores are closing because the owners are retiring and no one wants to run the business that it's crazy.
Let's go Brandon
Terrible really, they have some unique products have no other replacements.
The NanoVNA and KZhead channels showing hams how to build their own antennas, antenna tuners, baluns, and such have made life impossible for higher paying, less efficient American companies to compete. I feel sorry for the MFJ employees, but it's a very good thing for hams that they can now buy a $50 unit that will do everything from tune antennas, to tune and characterize filters, to determine input and output impedances of stages, to measure and match crystals, capacitors, inductors, and resistors. This allows them to build their own antennas and pretty much everything else they feel the desire to. All that for $50. Then they can just watch a few videos to learn the details and build just about anything they desire. A whole new world of learning, ideas, and homebrew and customized equipment has opened to all hams. No need to try to find a knowledgeable Elmer. In the USA such learning about RF has been the very reason for the creation of the Amateur Radio Service by the FCC, so it's a win-win for American hams.
Agree, a NanoVNA and TinySA blows away a shack full of purpose built gear. The old product catalogues have been disrupted! And it's not much bigger than a pack of cards!
Good. Since apparently nowadays a lot of their stuff, or at least their components, come from China, one might as well order directly from China for less. Don't get me wrong, it's a sad development, but a logical consequence of business decisions they have made.
Doesn’t surprise me. Just ordered a coax switch and had to take it apart… switch wasn’t turning all the way. After getting ball bearing back in she’s good. But unfortunately it’s made in china!
This is the result of buying cheap Chinese rubbish.
Sad to see them go, but a little shocked that he signed off with 73s, when 73 is already plural...
Great pick-up. People just don't care about the details these days.
Made From Junk is gone ? Oh tell me it's not so !!
Has he tried to sell the business? If not, why?
Yes, but no buyers I believe
@@HamRadioDX Read elsewhere that an offer from DxEngineering was turned down.
Way to go MFJ. You buy up nearly every independent low-cost ham equipment maker, then you shut them all down.
You've got it all wrong. He picked up these companies like Cushcraft and Hy Gain after they had gone bankrupt and closed down and gave them a second life.
@@spaceflight1019 From what information I can find, neither Cushcraft nor Hy-Gain was bankrupt or closed down when MFJ bought them. Cushcraft may have been heading that way, but wasn't there yet. Hy-Gain's bankruptcy was 21 years before MFJ bought them from Telex. If you have links to different information, I'd be happy to see it.
Almost all their products are kinda crappy so not so much will be missed 😅
The quality was pretty bad, sorry to say.
Happy Days ! Wouldnt have that non-quality controled crap in my shack. Too many bad experiences, and no support. The amateur community is better off qithout mfj
Communist China did thus..
Their tuners were rather good, the rest not so much... Poor quality and more often than not the gear was not worth the price. The chinese will take their place, partially they already have.
Good bye.
I think its mainly us hams thats sad about this. I find the MFJ products unattractive and I can tell you, you can be a happy ham without MFJ. The beloved analyzer looks like something 50 years old. Having saud that its alwsys sad to see someone close down (or scale down) a comoany that have been running for so long.
MFJ makes substandard products. Good riddance
Bit harsh
@@HamRadioDX no. It's true. The products are junk
It used to be a very good company. But like others that have bought their products, the last 2 items I have bought were junk pretty much from the beginning. I always thought Jue was great in beginning with quality but as he grew his company the quality suffered and that was the beginning of the end. Hopefully someone could purchase the company and turn it around. Everything is there but the quality and that wouldn't be hard to fix.
Well......POOP!
Good riddance. With the quality of their product, they’re lucky they lasted this long. I’m surprised they were not out of business along time ago. There is a reason it’s called mother effing junk.
I unfortunately ordered 3 MFJ items the past two weeks from HRO. All three items didn't function properly. I've sent two back and if I can't get the 269D Pro analyzer to work properly it's going back too. Hopefully they'll honor their warranty or refund my money.
Not so MightyFineJunk any more! Just junk! now dead junk!
Actually this doesn't surprise me a bit, most of the products that I have bought from MFJ were lightweight junk, I stopped buying from them when I returned a 32 foot antenna support pole and they desided to keep it and sell it to someone else after repair, so good, by the way Stan, enjoy your time in the unemployment line, you sell trash, and eventually your done.
This means that MFJ gear will become collectible, unfortunately most of my collection either broke or caught on fire.
I suspect their products were so bad no company worth their reputation would buy them and take on their product line. I have never bought any product from them other than hy-gain products. And those antennas had parts missing and the customer service was piss poor getting a response back. A month for parts missing from a new product. I was never a repeat cutomer.
I was, and YOU LOSE.