MFJ-941E Versa Tuner II
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| Frequency | 1.8-30 MHz |
| TX power | 300 W (300 W PEP. Manual T-network tuner - transmit a carrier and adjust the two capacitors and the inductor switch for minimum SWR. Meter lamp runs on 12 V DC (optional adapter).) |
| Modes | SSB, CW, AM, FM, digital |
| Weight | 1.5 kg (3.3 lb) |
| rf in | SO-239 (from transmitter) |
| rf out coax1 | SO-239 (coax antenna 1) |
| rf out coax2 | SO-239 (coax antenna 2) |
| wire | 5-way binding post (random wire) |
| balanced | two 5-way binding posts (balanced line, via the built-in 4:1 balun) |
| ext dummy load | SO-239 (EXTERNAL dummy load - the 941E has no built-in load) |
| ground | binding post |
| dc | 2.1 mm jack, 12 V DC (meter lamp) |
| power req | None (passive). Meter lamp: 12 V DC via 2.1 mm jack (optional adapter). |
Estimated (unverified): Introduction year is not documented (a long-running model). Weight sources conflict (roughly 1.5 kg in one database, 2.5 kg in another); ~1.5 kg is more consistent with the small switched-inductor chassis. The 4:1 balun is described only as '4:1' - voltage vs current type is not stated by MFJ.
A solid, common first manual tuner: the 8-position switch handles two coax antennas, a random wire, balanced line, and an external dummy load, with bypass positions for each. The cross-needle meter shows forward power, reflected power, and SWR at once and doubles as an SWR meter in bypass. A built-in 4:1 balun supports ladder-line, and the air-wound switched inductor keeps losses reasonable. Tuning it by hand is a good way to learn how matching works.
Manual tuning only, and 300 W maximum (no amplifier). The switched inductor steps in twelve discrete jumps, so it matches less finely than a roller-inductor tuner like the 969, and it is HF only - no 6 m. It has no built-in dummy load (only an external-load jack). Like any T-network it can read 1:1 while wasting power as coil heat on an extreme match. MFJ build quality varies, and it is discontinued.
A capable, no-frills manual tuner that covers the antenna types most operators start with - coax dipoles, random wires, and ladder-line doublets - with a useful antenna switch and a built-in cross-needle meter. The switched inductor and HF-only coverage are its limits; the roller-inductor MFJ-969 is the step up for finer matching and 6 m, and the automatic MFJ-993B removes the hand-tuning. Now a used-market item since MFJ closed.
The MFJ-941E is a classic manual antenna tuner - the kind you adjust by hand while listening to the SWR drop. It is a T-match network: two variable capacitors flanking an inductor, which together can transform the impedance of almost any antenna to the 50 ohms the radio wants. On the 941E that inductor is a twelve-position switch, lettered A through L, so you tune by picking the nearest tap and then peaking the two capacitors. It covers 1.8 to 30 MHz at up to 300 watts.
An eight-position antenna switch is the other half of the appeal: it routes the radio to either of two coax antennas, a random wire, or a balanced (ladder-line) feed through the tuner, with matching "direct" positions that bypass the tuner for a clean coax run, plus a setting for an external dummy load. A built-in 4:1 balun feeds balanced line, and a lighted cross-needle meter reads forward power, reflected power, and SWR at once on 300- and 30-watt ranges - and keeps working as a plain SWR meter in the bypass positions.
It connects through an SO-239 from the radio, two SO-239s for the coax antennas, binding posts for wire and balanced line, an SO-239 for an external dummy load, and a ground post; the meter lamp wants 12 volts. Note it has no internal dummy load - that is its bigger sibling's feature - and, like any T-network tuner, it can show a perfect 1-to-1 while quietly burning some of your power as heat in the coil when asked to match an extreme impedance.
For a new operator it is a fine first tuner: it handles the coax dipole, the random wire, and the ladder-line doublet most people start with, and tuning it by hand teaches what matching actually does. For finer, continuous adjustment - and 6-meter coverage - the roller-inductor MFJ-969 is the step up; for hands-off tuning the automatic MFJ-993B does the work for you. Pair any of them with an analyzer like the MFJ-259C to see what the antenna is really doing. MFJ stopped manufacturing in 2024, so it is now a used-market item at around $240.