MFJ Enterprises Original

Works absolutely great! I've been able to balance everything from 160-10 meters on my 175-ft low hanging random wire with excellent current flow through the counter-poise on all bands except 160-meters. I only have a single 33-ft counter-poise and expect to be able to correct the 160-meter limitation by adding additional, longer counter-poise wires. I'm using an old MFJ manual tuner and can tune everything from 160 to 10-meters with an SWR near 1.0. I have a lot of noise at my location (typically S9 level), so reception is a problem and limits DXing, but my low-hanging random wire is transmitting great even on 160-meters. Lots of good contacts on 40- and 20-meters this spring (2015). Most of my contacts have ranged from Buffalo, NY to New Mexico, Michigan, Florida, and upper Ontario. Be patient while you're learning to tune-in the correct ground current. Keep records of your settings for each band. With my random wire I sometimes have to change settings when returning to a specific band on another day (different local weather conditions), but the previous settings always get me close. With practice I find this device VERY easy to use even with my poor antenna set-up. I first adjust my manual antenna tuner to get the lowest SWR I can find (it's usually very low even before adjusting the artificial ground). Then I move to the artificial ground device to find the proper settings. Start with the device set to maximum sensitivity. Then switch through the inductor settings checking the current flow with a brief test signal/pulse but without transmitting during the change-over/switching (this latter note is a really important precaution to prevent potential damage to the device and/or to your transceiver). When I find current flow I then send a continuous 5-watt CW tuning pulse while rotating the capacitor setting until I get maximum current flow. I usually have to re-adjust the sensitivity several times once I've gotten close to the optimal setting. Once I find the maximum current flow on the artificial ground, I re-adjust my antenna tuner to lowest SWR which usually involves slight changes in the capacitance setting (I usually get near 1.0). I then sometimes go one step-up and one step-down on my inductor setting on the artificial ground while changing the capacitance to make sure that I've selected the optimal range. Remember NOT to transmit while changing the inductor setting. I then remain at or return to the optimal setting and note the transmitter frequency, the tuner settings, and the artificial ground settings (The re-adjustment of the artificial ground is usually not necessary.). I re-check my SWR and make any necessary adjusts to my antenna tuner. (This may sound like a lot of work, but it's actually quite fast and easy with some practice.) Although I haven't tired my random wire without using the artificial ground, I can't imaging that it would be working on 80-meters using a single 33-ft counter-poise across all HF bands. (Whether it helps at 160-meters is unclear because it doesn't register currently flow.) Of course, your experience may be different, but do be patient before concluding the device doesn't work with your set-up. Operating conditions: 175-ft low-hanging random wire extending irregularly at a 12 to 6-ft height (12-gauge insulated solid copper wire) above ground power lines less than 20-ft away from antenna 33-ft counter-poise run outside 15 to 5-ft above ground Yaesu FT-450D located on second floor Rookie operator still learning how to 'turn the dials' 73