MFJ Kaput?!?

[W6UV]

I've heard that MFJ is stopping production and shutting down on May 17th. Anyone have any further details?

[WZ7U]

Over yonder is beating this to death. I can't imagine how it will turn out any better here without an interview with Martin. Something beyond the usual suspects and the blather would be nice.

It won't end well I'm certain. Losing MFJ, that is.

[WZ7U]

https://mailchi.mp/62e24f2ccc99/a-heavy-sad-heart?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR2jNBZJlLkNxlq62M3 zFUTwEopcOfeFXJOAnVmfwD0fOyH9W0P0MI-PlMk_aem_AX8pLKNs5EjntQWevhPql735aAB75hrVotzTfiFW_ 5Mv5nyfb9KdSC4t-hKoomqVpg-pybkS2HsqSDhquMeH9eLM

Damn it, just like Radio Shack was to the ham community.

There ya go

[W6UV]

Interesting. Was there no value in some of the pieces (Ameritron, Hygain, Cushcraft, etc.) that Jue couldn't find a buyer for some of them?

[W3WN]

With all due respect, has anyone, anywhere, confirmed the authenticity of this letter?

If it is (and I suspect it is, sad to say)... there have been rumors of MFJ being up for sale for a few years now. I’m Sure some bits and pieces will be acquired. Someone will be interested in at least some of the intellectual properties, even if they’re not currently interested in the manufacturing aspects.

Martin had a good run. Better to go out with dignity on his own terms.

[W3WN]

...it looks like that letter is also posted on the MFJ Facebook page...

[WZ7U]

Yup, a sad day for hams in general. I have to wonder if anyone will pick up the pieces to the point Martin had it at.

[KG4CGC]

That's really a shame. They made stuff that was easy to work on. I know a lot of people complained about the quality but, you could usually find the issue, visually. The more complex pieces like auto tuners were usually spot on with no issues.

We just had this discussion last Saturday at the festicle and every piece of MFJ equipment that was presented for sale sold immediately. None of us had any idea that MFJ would be kaput the very next week. I asked myself if I needed another Differential-T 3K tuner. I mean I really did ask myself. There was a Kenwood TS-570D in pristine shape and complete with original box and all accessories and paperwork for $500 that remained untouched the whole time. I would have seriously considered it were it not for my recent Gigaparts purchase.

I have wonder how this will affect prices on the used market due to the influence of the predators and vultures. I'm looking at Ebay right now but have yet to spot anything.

[kb2crk]

That's really a shame. They made stuff that was easy to work on. I know a lot of people complained about the quality but, you could usually find the issue, visually. The more complex pieces like auto tuners were usually spot on with no issues.

We just had this discussion last Saturday at the festicle and every piece of MFJ equipment that was presented for sale sold immediately. None of us had any idea that MFJ would be kaput the very next week. I asked myself if I needed another Differential-T 3K tuner. I mean I really did ask myself. There was a Kenwood TS-570D in pristine shape and complete with original box and all accessories and paperwork for $500 that remained untouched the whole time. I would have seriously considered it were it not for my recent Gigaparts purchase.

I have wonder how this will affect prices on the used market due to the influence of the predators and vultures. I'm looking at Ebay right now but have yet to spot anything.

The prices will go up and all MFJ items will be listed as extra rare and collectors item.....

I dont expect a price jump until after everything shuts down and their current inventory sells out.

[KG4CGC]

I just noticed a lack of big regulated power supplies by MFJ after scrolling through pages of stuff.

If you've been to an HRO lately, and I have, I wonder what they will stock their walls with. You know, the wall to wall pegboards with all the MFJ stuff on them.

I suspect the future of ham radio accessories is Chinese.

[kb2crk]

Just saw something interesting on eBay, Giga parts is selling the MFJ stuff for $20 to $30 over MFJ's list.

[N8YX]

I suspect the future of ham radio accessories is Chinese.

New ones, possibly. It remains to be seen what the contemporary domestic equipment gear makers (Elecraft, DZKit, Flex et al) will do to fill the gaps with regards to offerings for their individual product lines.

Vintage stuff...I've enough gear from the late 70s through the 90s that I doubt I'll ever come up short operationally. This includes amps, tuners and power supplies - though I've budgeted for a couple big linear Astrons and a couple switchers for my VHF amps at some point.

What I'm going to miss from the company are their antenna lines and related parts. If needed I can design an equivalent of a TH11DX or Hy-Tower and build it in my shop, but it was nice to have the option of a ready-made package.

[WZ7U]

The ready made antenna market is the one I think that will suffer highly, because it seems not many hams have any metal fab skills to speak of.

[PA5COR]

Or the tools to do that.
Here we have some ready antenna makers in the EU, still i see it as a loss.
Mfj 993B, Mfj 998 legal limit tuner, MFj 269 antenna analyzer...

[WZ7U]

Or the tools to do that.
Here we have some ready antenna makers in the EU, still i see it as a loss.
Mfj 993B, Mfj 998 legal limit tuner, MFj 269 antenna analyzer...

True Cor. I keep forgetting things like that are in my wheel house and I am lucky to be tooled up for such foolery. Even so, I haven't built a tubing based antenna in a long time. With the demise of mfj, it looks like my chances of doing just so are increasing.

[W3WN]

Remember when Cushcraft Corp was acquired by, I believe it was Laird, around 2007? It wasn’t too long after that they dumped the Amateur product line on MFJ. Martin got it at a relative song, as I recall... because no one else wanted it. The line was either losing $$$ or not making very much.

MFJ found a way to make it work. (Not what I’d have done, but they didn’t ask my opinion.)

With that in mind, is it any wonder that there was no serious buyer for MFJ Enterprises?

[n6hcm]

the story I'm hearing is that it had been difficult to find solid workers with the right skills. they'll still be able to sell the stuff manufactured abroad, the the locally manufactured stuff will simply fade away. it will all sort out.

[W3WN]

There’s a rumor floating around that DX Engineering made an offer a few months back for the Cushcraft and Hygain lines, and were told, in essence, “no, all or nothing.”

My source cited his (unnamed) contact at HRO.

Take this with the appropriate grain or three of salt...