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MFJ is ceasing its on-site production

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Re: MFJ is ceasing its on-site production

#41

Post by dbcurtis »

topspin wrote: post #5
silisili wrote: post #2

For anyone confused like I was, this isn't about mailchimp shutting down, but rather a company named MFJ, which apparently makes amateur radio gear.

They offer a huge catalog of low cost equipment. Some of it is very popular and much of it is pretty niche. Quality is occasionally an issue: you buy their stuff with expectations commensurate to the price or you risk being disappointed. That is a feasible business model with hams, however. Then again, maybe not? I can't think of any one thing they make that isn't available elsewhere. Some of their bread and butter t…

> Quality is occasionally an issue

Understatement of the century. Mighty Fine Junk -- it's been a looooong time since I've wasted any money on MFJ rubbish. Life is too short.

Re: MFJ is ceasing its on-site production

#43

Post by germinator »

topspin wrote: post #31
cogman10 wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I am surprised that someone didn't want to buy them. I mean... how big is the market for ham radios? I've not really met an enthusiast that wasn't at least 10 years older than I am.

One thing to remember about ham radio is that there is a bit of natural bias in the demographic: a lot of the stuff involved requires a certain minimum amount of things that older people tend to have. Property being one of the keys. HF antennas, towers, etc. are essentially outlawed by HOAs and entirely infeasible for renters. Some of the equipment is pricey as well. You can do a lot at low cost and without property,…

Eh. It might be a part of it, but the hobby just lost its luster. It used to be this magical way to connect with friends and strangers. Now, cell phones and the internet make it a lot less magical.

Other aspects of the hobby aged poorly too. The ham community (and the regulators) were slow to embrace use cases that might have been interesting to younger people in the 21th century - say, mesh networking. Instead, the kids were supposed to follow in the footsteps of the old-timers and get excited about slow-scan TV, RTTY, and collecting QSL postcards.

Frankly, I don't know of any other hobby with a comparable amount of gatekeeping. It sucks because the increasingly idle spectrum will eventually get auctioned off for commercial use.

Re: MFJ is ceasing its on-site production

#44

Post by wrycoder »

JKCalhoun wrote: post #25
topspin wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Ham radio's time has come and gone, but I still treasure the memories of listening to him talk to people all over the world. Those people all over the world are still there. Every day. The airwaves are full. Yesterday I was handed off between a dozen Italians working contacts in the US. I have to hand it to European hams. They don't leave anything on the table at all. Some of the gear they fabricate is world class…

Is there something like Messier objects for radio? I imagine some kind of numbered, curated list of radio achievements that would be a mini-lesson on gear needed, antennae, frequencies covered, theory and what the goal is. Or maybe they're more like Scout badges. Anyway, I have drifted in and out of a fascination with radio. When I drift toward it I often find I am quickly in over my head — or rudderless.

There is a wide range. In the US, the ARRL (arrl.org) handles the majority. There are awards for “worked all states”, “worked all continents”, and so on. There are various contests every weekend. There is “Parks On The Air”. It’s called radiosport these days. You could join the ARRL and hook up with a local group for guidance - the addresses are on the website.

Re: MFJ is ceasing its on-site production

#45

Post by threeio »

jonifico wrote: post #19

It's a bit sad to make such a decision when you're almost 80. Realizing the importance of time with your family so late gives you so little time. A few years ago, I read about the regrets of dying people, and many of them related to spending more time with their families... That was one of the reasons I decided to close my company last year (after 20 years; I'm 45 now) and start over, working with just a few customer…

I’d debate that Martin likely went to work every day of his life enjoying what he did… for -decades- he got to invent, market and see an entire global ham radio market use his products… he’s one of the good guys, taking a corner of Mississippi and bringing in electronics manufacturing jobs from a niche hobby.

Are they the most reliable? Eh no.. but that’s also half the fun of ham radio… fix it yourself. Now, if I had just purchased a DOA 2kw amplifier maybe not but ;)

Re: MFJ is ceasing its on-site production

#46

Post by dbcurtis »

JKCalhoun wrote: post #25
topspin wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Ham radio's time has come and gone, but I still treasure the memories of listening to him talk to people all over the world. Those people all over the world are still there. Every day. The airwaves are full. Yesterday I was handed off between a dozen Italians working contacts in the US. I have to hand it to European hams. They don't leave anything on the table at all. Some of the gear they fabricate is world class…

Is there something like Messier objects for radio? I imagine some kind of numbered, curated list of radio achievements that would be a mini-lesson on gear needed, antennae, frequencies covered, theory and what the goal is. Or maybe they're more like Scout badges. Anyway, I have drifted in and out of a fascination with radio. When I drift toward it I often find I am quickly in over my head — or rudderless.

Countless things to go after. Some straightforward, some esoteric, some ridiculously challenging, like making contact with 100+ 1x2 degree grid squares via 1.2GHz Earth-Moon-Earth ("moonbounce") -- that will take some effort, I guarantee.

My thing is HF contesting. Scratch building antennas is also a kick.

If you are interested in radio, find a club. They will help you get oriented.

Re: MFJ is ceasing its on-site production

#47

Post by _JamesA_ »

SamPatt wrote: post #33
michaelbuckbee wrote: post #4

I'm not a Ham, but my grandfather (W8IGY) was, and I credit him for letting me know a larger, more technical community existed "out there" than what was apparent from the small rural town I grew up in the pre-internet days. Ham radio's time has come and gone, but I still treasure the memories of listening to him talk to people all over the world. MFJ shutting down is likely one of the final nails in the coffin, but I…

I'm a ham. I communicated with someone 8,000 miles away from me (Midwest US to South Africa) by bouncing radio waves off the ionosphere from an antenna I built myself using as much power as a light bulb. The hobby is definitely dying, but it still provides some awesome moments. Tons of nerds here would find it time well spent.

Incandescent or LED?

Re: MFJ is ceasing its on-site production

#48

Post by WheatMillington »

jonifico wrote: post #19

It's a bit sad to make such a decision when you're almost 80. Realizing the importance of time with your family so late gives you so little time. A few years ago, I read about the regrets of dying people, and many of them related to spending more time with their families... That was one of the reasons I decided to close my company last year (after 20 years; I'm 45 now) and start over, working with just a few customer…

You have to be in a position of extreme privilege to even make a decision like that. I'm barely getting by and yet work more than I should. I don't have the option of just working less.

Re: MFJ is ceasing its on-site production

#49

Post by _JamesA_ »

alostpuppy wrote: post #15
topspin wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Ham radio's time has come and gone, but I still treasure the memories of listening to him talk to people all over the world. Those people all over the world are still there. Every day. The airwaves are full. Yesterday I was handed off between a dozen Italians working contacts in the US. I have to hand it to European hams. They don't leave anything on the table at all. Some of the gear they fabricate is world class…

How does one get started?

If you want to get licensed I found HamStudy's[1] learning method the most efficient use of my time and was able to breeze through Technician and General class. Their "Find a Session"[2] page makes it easy and inexpensive to take the test(s) remotely too.

[1]: https://hamstudy.org

[2]: https://hamstudy.org/sessions

Re: MFJ is ceasing its on-site production

#50

Post by blaise-pabon »

johann8384 wrote: post #10
michaelbuckbee wrote: post #4

I'm not a Ham, but my grandfather (W8IGY) was, and I credit him for letting me know a larger, more technical community existed "out there" than what was apparent from the small rural town I grew up in the pre-internet days. Ham radio's time has come and gone, but I still treasure the memories of listening to him talk to people all over the world. MFJ shutting down is likely one of the final nails in the coffin, but I…

Respectfully, this isn't true at all. We just do different stuff these days. We experiment with meshes, lora, digital modes (sometimes with internet backhaul, sometimes not), and other things like that. I just built a 5w 440 repeater small enough to mount in my VTOL and fly overhead for two hours. Ham isn't dead, it just looks different than it did for our grandfathers.

100% When I went to defcon in 2013, I saw all these kids covered in piercings and ink, studying for their exams. They grew up in a wireless world, except it wasn't about DX, it was all local stuff, low power and multi protocol. The tragedy of the ARRL was being too hardware oriented and not getting on board with open source, until it was too late.
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