MFJ-948
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| Frequency | 1.8 - 30 MHz (160 through 10 m) |
| Bands | 160m, 80m, 40m, 30m, 20m, 17m, 15m, 12m, 10m |
| TX power | 300 W (Manual tuner rated 300 W. Matches a wide range of antennas; keep within the rating.) |
| Modes | manual T-network antenna tuner with cross-needle meter and antenna switch |
| rf input | SO-239 from the transceiver |
| antenna | Rear connectors for two coax-fed antennas (SO-239), a single wire post, and a two-wire balanced line via a built-in 4:1 balun, plus an external dummy-load position |
| switch | 8-position antenna switch to select among the antennas / balanced line / dummy load |
| meter | Lighted cross-needle SWR/power meter (30/300 W ranges, peak reading) |
| power req | The tuner is passive (no power to match); 12 V only lights the meter lamp. |
A do-it-all manual tuner at a sensible price: it matches almost any antenna - coax, wire, or balanced line through its built-in 4:1 balun - across 160-10 m, includes a cross-needle SWR/power meter so you do not need a separate one, and has an antenna switch for two coax antennas plus wire and a dummy load. Simple, rugged and widely supported.
It is a 300-watt tuner, so it is for barefoot 100-watt stations, not amplifiers, and being a manual T-match it requires you to tune by hand each band change. The 4:1 balun is not ideal for all balanced loads, accuracy is amateur-grade, and as an MFJ product availability should be checked given MFJ's 2024 wind-down.
The MFJ-948 is a classic, versatile 300 W manual antenna tuner with a built-in cross-needle meter, 4:1 balun and antenna switch - an excellent all-in-one matchbox for a 100-watt HF station using coax, wire or balanced-line antennas. Amplifier stations need a higher-power tuner; verify current MFJ stock.
The MFJ-948 is a classic manual antenna tuner - MFJ's long-running 'Versa Tuner II' - rated for 300 watts and covering all the HF bands from 160 through 10 meters. A tuner like this sits between your radio and antenna and uses adjustable capacitors and an inductor (here in a flexible 'T' configuration) to transform whatever impedance the antenna presents into the 50 ohms your transceiver wants, letting you operate with a low SWR even on antennas that are not naturally resonant.
It is unusually well equipped for the money. A built-in lighted cross-needle meter shows forward power, reflected power and SWR (on 30 and 300 watt ranges, with peak reading), so you do not need a separate meter to tune up. A heavy-duty 4:1 balun lets it feed balanced open-wire or twin-lead antennas as well as coax and single wires, and an 8-position antenna switch selects between two coax antennas, the wire/balanced line, or an external dummy load. The rear panel carries the corresponding coax, single-wire and two-wire connectors. The tuner itself needs no power to match; 12 volts only lights the meter.
The limitations are straightforward: at 300 watts it is meant for a barefoot 100-watt station, not an amplifier, and as a manual T-match you adjust it by hand whenever you change band or antenna. Its accuracy is amateur-grade, and as an MFJ product it is worth confirming availability given the company's 2024 manufacturing wind-down. It sells for around $250-270.
For amplifier-level power, a manual tuner like the Palstar AT2KD is appropriate, and for hands-off matching an automatic tuner such as the MFJ-991B takes over the tuning.