=  NOW 35 WPM  =  TEXT IS FROM SEPTEMBER 2021 QST  PAGE 46 =

MFJ 261 DRY DUMMY LOAD REVIEWED BY JIM BOGARD, KY4L THE MFJ 261 IS A SMALL,
INEXPENSIVE 50 O DUMMY LOAD WITH IMPRESSIVELY FLAT SWR RESPONSE OVER A VERY
WIDE FREQUENCY RANGE.  THE MFJ 261 IS AIR COOLED WITH A FINNED ALUMINUM
HEATSINK.  ITS POWER RATINGS ARE 100 W PEAK 30 SECONDS MAXIMUM, FOLLOWED BY
5 MINUTES OFF, AND 15 W AVERAGE CONTINUOUS DUTY.  IT CONNECTS DIRECTLY TO
YOUR TRANSCEIVER WITH A PL 259 UHF CONNECTOR, AND SO IT REQUIRES NO PATCH
CABLE.  MFJ SPECIFIES THIS DEVICE TO PRESENT AN SWR LESS THAN 1R15 1 FROM
DC TO 500 MHZ, AND WITH DIMENSIONS OF 1 5/8 INCHES ROUND BY 3 INCHES LONG,
YOU CAN CARRY IT IN YOUR POCKET.  I MEASURED THE SWR CURVE OF MY MFJ 261
WITH A RIGOL DSA815 TG SPECTRUM ANALYZER, EQUIPPED WITH A VB1032 VSWR
BRIDGE.  WHILE THE MFJ 261 DOES NOT QUITE MEET THE MANUFACTURERS SPECS, IT
STILL HAS LOW SWR UP TO 500 MHZ.  THE SWR MEASURES LESS THAN 1R15 1 IN THE
160 METER THROUGH 6 METER AMATEUR BANDS, AS SHOWN IN FIGURE 6.  THE SWR
EXCEEDS 1R15 1 IN THE 1R25 METER AND 70 CENTIMETER BANDS, BUT IS STILL VERY
USABLE AT AROUND 1R5 1 SEE FIGURE 7.  THE MFJ 261 DUMMY LOAD ON WHICH THESE
MEASUREMENTS WERE MADE IS ACTUALLY THE SECOND I HAVE OWNED.  THE CONNECTOR
BECAME SEPARATED FROM THE LOAD IN THE FIRST ONE.  IT STILL SEEMS TO WORK
AFTER BEING FORCE FIT BACK TOGETHER, BUT THE ATTACHMENT OF CENTER PIN TO
LOAD IS COMPROMISED, SO I GOT THE SECOND UNIT.  THE LATER DESIGN APPEARS
=  END OF 35 WPM TEXT  =  QST DE W1AW  <