Follow Up To MFJ Ameritron Amplifier AL-811 Instructions Video & Potential For Product Reviews
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- Опубліковано 11 вер 2024
- Jim discusses some of the comments that were made by others as a result of the video about the errors in the Ameritron Instructions for the AL 811H. Jim talks about doing reviews of MFJ products. He also discusses the importance of supporting manufacturers and vendors of amateur radio products.
Hello Jim, as a software engineer and author of the supporting documentation I had to learn over time the importance of being very precise when creating manuals as well as being consistent. Proof reading is absolutely essential, and also approaching documentation from the viewpoint of a person who has no idea what's going on. I've also learned the benefit of coming back and reading the documentation again on a later date for even better objectivity. Often times documentation is written by someone who is taking for granted that the person already has a certain understanding which is a no-no. If prerequisite knowledge is expected or assumed, a good document will identify and present references regarding that knowledge at or near the beginning of the documentation. I also feel that every acronym should be defined in a document the first time it's used. As far as I'm concerned, all of your criticisms of that documentation are justified.
Regarding your insights and contributions to Ham radio, I just wanted to add that I always appreciate your insights. Thanks again for your contribution.
Hi Jim,
I had an exceptional prior boss that held several degrees and other important credentials. In order:
1. An early 1970's Journalism degree, back when journalism was real.
2. A BS in nuclear physics.
3. He was an O5 Commander in Hyman G. Rickover's nuclear navy.
4. He successfully ran and managed multinational corporations.
He shared with me the hardest thing he ever did in life was his personal interview with Admiral Rickover - Rickover personally interviewed every single new officer. Rickover saw him as an "outsider" because of his journalism degree. However, my friend won him over when he explained if he could not communicate properly, he could not successfully lead men - the Journalism degree was to learn to communicate. My friend was accepted into Rickover's nuclear navy and spend several successful years on nuclear submarines.
My friend always said the key to success is communications. He was absolutely correct, and I have attempted to take that important life lesson forward. There is so much garbage published but by those who should know better recently by training, and it seems to be accepted. The communications course I had to take as part of my 1973 EE degree has long been dropped by academia.
I applaud your attempt to address this and wish you success!
Best Regards,
Steve K9SJK
Hi Jim I listen to you quite often I am K1emw I am 85 years old gym I’ve been a ham often on for about 50 years and I appreciate everything you do for the hobby I am picking up an amplifier on the 811 tomorrow and I hope I’m able to sell your job properly so keep up the good work God bless
Jim hope yall had a good Christmas . I totally agree with your thoughts and picking the operators manual apart . Let's face it if we are paying over $1000 for anything I want to be able to understand the ins and out of the equipment or for anything I buy for that matter . Have a great day .
Jim, your comments were spot on. I am considering purchasing this particular amplifier and during my research, I downloaded the manual to review the operation procedures. I found the same thing you did and was not completely clear on the proper operation of this amplifier. Fortunately, I found someone in our club with this amplifier and was able, with his help, better understand it's operation. I did get a laugh when I looked at his copy of the instruction manual with the same markups you discussed. By the way, your video was very helpful and I will be purchasing this amp soon. 73, K4UVX
I write, proof-read, and edit for a living, and I thought all your criticisms were reasonable. The cost of producing understandable manuals and instructions is a minuscule part of a production process, and companies which produce junk manuals deserve criticism however good their product is. I'd still buy an Ameritron amp. In a previous age - when people built "exciters" as part of a station assembled from separates, perhaps - when people were more familiar with loading and tuning valve gear, the poor quality of the manual would have mattered less. These days, manufacturers shouldn't assume users have previous experience of the process. Anybody who thought your comments were an attack on a particular supplier is just looking for an excuse to take offence and have a row. 73 and keep up the good work.
Hi Jim! Very nice follow up. The Ameritron manual did need correction and consistency. I still love MFJ and would love to own an 811 amp someday! But, being a new ham, I would appreciate clear and concise instructions. Thank you and 73!
I agree with you. We as Hams need to be thankful for those companies and support them and also give constructive feedback. It would be a very different situation without them especially now. 73’s AJ4PL
Jim, I just want to say I appreciate that you are willing to suffer the slings and arrows to drive up the level of quality / attention to detail.
We have become far too willing to accept inferior quality and lack of "attention to detail". The least expensive activity in the entire supply chain is proofreading what you write. How we have become so complacent on this really pretty trivial step in the process is beyond me.
I can appreciate that they are (in some cases) translating from someone who doesn't use English as their first language. However, there are no shortage of enthusiasts and Amateur Operators who would be willing to sit on the phone for 30 mins, understand the intention of the Engineer and write a revised, quality instruction manual for little or no cost.
So, I don't think it's appropriate to throw daggers at you for being critical maybe even a little anal retentive about it. Fact remains you're almost as likely for getting heck on the QRZ forum for asking for help as you are for criticizing the poor quality of the manual. You just can't win. Or as my Grandmother would say "There's an a$$ for every seat."
Lastly, the vendor; check that "most vendors", would have zero problem denying a warranty claim for misuse or not properly operating the equipment; even in spite of the manual not being clear. We have every right to ask for reasonable levels of quality control in the documentation.
Morning Jim, being that we come from construction and inspection back ground, once we find a mistake we start picking apart...73's from Ohio..NX8T JIM
While were nitpicking, proper is 73 not "73's". Would you say best regards's?
Indeed! We all make mistakes. You typed "were" instead of we're. Sometimes it is fun to learn where we made a mistake(s) in a presentation. Thanks to you Allan and to Jim! 73, Jim Heath W6LG in Rocklin CA
@@ham-radio I hate it when that happens, even worse when being critical of someone else. Always look forward to your videos. Best regards.
Hi Jim, I have a 811-HD with 572 tubes and you are very correct. The tune up procedure is awful, I tune it the way you described and it works wonderful. Sometimes things just get overlooked and we need to correct the mistakes. Wonderful explanation of how to properly tune the amp. Thanks.
Thanks Jim!, I own one of the AL-811H and agree the instructions will confuse, especially a first time amp user. Thought your comments in this follow up are right on point. I look forward to your future videos. 73
You are very kind person. I hope to be more like you as I get older. 73 Jim.
Hi Jim! Glad to see more videos from you again! I thought the previous video was fine. If a product is being sold on the market, I’d expect the instruction manual to be a correct as possible and as clear as possible. I hope the product reviews work out! I’d love to see those! Thanks for all you do and I hope to catch you on 20 meters soon! 73, KA8GPM
Thank you, Jim.
I rewrote many instruction sets in my own language, having "bled red" all over a copy of the original instructions.
I also asked my laboratory technicians, students, chemists, biologists, professors and others with whom I worked to write the instructions in their own words. This improves analytical procedures, chemical analyses, etc.
When doing USEPA, FDA, DOD research, etc., precision, accuracy and consistency are expected. On going communication is critical.
Being a nit picker is a necessary part of the program. Lives, time and money are needlessly wasted otherwise. Thousands of research papers have been grossly flawed because of flawed methodology or mistakes in instructions.
Again, thank you.
N0QFT
Hi Jim. Thanks for the video and all the knowledge you share with the community. I didn't see it as nitpicking at all. For the manufacturer to not proof read the manual is unacceptable. An occasional typo happens, but this was not the case. I have the AL-811H. The amplifier is great. The manual terrible. Producing a quality product also includes a quality manual. In fact, the primary reason I searched and watched this video is because I'm never sure if I'm tuning my Ameritron correctly even after months of ownership and multiple re-reads. This hasn't really been an issue with other equipment I own. Anyway, thanks again for the knowledge sharing and "elmering".
Brad and others, you are very welcome. I was given a lot of help early in my ham radio days and I am trying to share some of that advice and information with others. The guys that helped me are all gone. Their willingness to teach is what I am trying to do on UA-cam. Maybe that is not such a great explanation but you probably understand what I am trying to say. Take care Brad & 73, Jim
I find that in present day society a good command of the language both written and spoken is declining sharply. It is hard enough for a new Ham to understand how some equipment works let alone if the instructions are nearly impossible to understand. That being said, I do value MFJ and other companies that provide our equipment and hope that your video might inspire these companies to do better proof reading so we will all benefit.
Try asking someone who is 10 to 25 to tell time on a clock face.
Then tell me about decline.
All is going according to plan
LONG LIVE GOOGLE AUTO COMPLETE !
Hi Jim,
Looking forward to potential equipment reviews.
I have the MFJ-1026 and is very happy with it. It works good if you have single source noise to get rid of, but if you have multiple noise sources from different locations, then it can only cancel out one of them.
Thanks and Happy New Year.
Great video as always. I own an 811H and my manual is written poorly I watched the video Tom did on the tunning before I used it. My guess was a lot of that manual was cut and pasted with out editing have a great new year
Hi Jim. Long time viewer, but rarely ever comment. Always enjoy your videos. Glad you are doing well & hope you have been having a Merry Christmas.
Your points are well taken Jim. My profession with the phone company for the last number of years before I retired, was to write MOP's (Methods of Procedure) for various pieces of digital equipment that require software loads. It is imperative that they are written 'idiot-proof', otherwise there can be significant customer impact. So I fully concur with your 'nitpicking' especially when Hams are paying a significant dollar for an amplifier, it's only fair and reasonable that the Instructions be accurate. Take care and stay safe.
I found the instructions confusing as well. I bought an AL-811 recently but haven't used an amplifier for about 40 years now. I found their instructions contrary to what I used in the past and assumed I was remembering incorrectly. Your method is how I recall in the past. I started out with tube equipment, and this is the same general process used for tube transmitters. Thank you for clarifying this.
OUTSTANDING, Yep, I have a 7300 and an AL-811, very nice Jim!
Excellent call out and justification. You are so right on point about the impact MFJ has had on the HAM community and world economy at large.
Absolutely correct. MFJ has contributed mightily to the continuing health of amateur radio in America and around the world. However, no company gets a pass based on its history. When the quality of product fails, including the quality of critical documentation, people should communicate that to the company. In fact, better that they communicate vocally than communicate by taking their business elsewhere.
Thanks for saying, firmly and respectfully, what needs to be said.
73!
Thank you very much. I do appreciate it. 73, Jim
@@ham-radio So glad to see a post from you. Have been a bit concerned. Hope you and yours are well! 73
It is fair to notify the manufacturer of deficiencies you identify and give them a chance to respond prior to showcasing them. That is QST's policy for product reviews.
Hello Dr.
Nice to hear from you.
I received nice gift from the ARRL and a very kind note from the CEO because of my UA-cam videos. Needless to say, I was very happy to get both. The new CEO is a great improvement at headquarters.
I hope that things will be better next year for all. Thank you again, 73 Jim
Jim, you were correct and I greatly appreciated your previous review. There is no excuse for poorly written documentation. Vendors that do not spend the time to create quality documentation, makes you wonder how much quality went into the product itself. I have several pieces of gear where I had to find the answers on UA-cam, because people like yourself, create quality videos. Vendors will never improve if they are not "called on the carpet". That is how products get better, through continuous improvement. I find it impossible to believe that the vendor have not had multiple complaints--which they apparently ignored. It was only because of your review that (hopefully) will get them to create improved documentation. Sometimes you only learn by having someone point out what mistakes you have made. GREAT WORK!
Chip
KD9OQI
Don't feel that you have to apologize to those or for those that think that is alright to misuse words
Jim, perhaps you were referring to the MFJ 1026. In that regard you need 2 antennas equal, If you have a lesser antenna on the RX side even with the preamp on you will not get the shift you may need to deal with the cancellation you are looking for. Thank you for all you do, KM6SIL 73
Hi, Jim. I agree with you on some of the instructions for ham equipment and other items. Alan KZ6B
A great video, enjoy them all!
Jim, good commentary. On MFJ I went through their entire line marketed just under the MFJ logo the other day and couldn't believe it. I have been a ham since 1992 and half the stuff listed I did know even existed. Who knew there were 3 to 4 different versions of the artificial ground. I can tell you at least the one version of the noise cancelling device works. There is a video of it here on UA-cam. You ought to check it out. Absolutely amazing.
The other thing I will comment on is there prices. I stumbled upon MFJ's common mode choke. I was looking on the My antennas site where I got my EFHW and they want over 80.00. MFJ is 38.00 list price. MFJ's isn't pretty in that the inclousur is made of PVC plumbing parts gorrilla style, but hay. I just wish Quality Control was better.
I agree. Some products seem to miss a review before being put into a box for shipment. Take care Bill & 73, Jim Heath W6LG
I agree we have an obligation to keep a company in business (talking primarily about MFJ) but they also have an obligation to stay in business. 3 strikes with MFJ.... I won't go back.
I think you should offer to redline the manuals as well, we all could benefit that greatly. Your channel and followers and MFJ all would win. !!!
It may be my OCD but for the prices you pay for these equipments I'd be nitpicking the instructions as well. That's why I used w8ji's instructions...last thing anyone wants is to see there money go up in smoke.
Nice job! You are correct. If it wasn't for MFJ there would be a lot fewer devices out there!!!! They have carried on a number of product lines and company's that would be extinct if not for them. God bless I hope all is going well!
Thank you! 73, Jim W6LG
You are the best! I always learn something. Thanks.
don't apologize if you are correct. Keep up the good work.
Thanks for the video. (BTW- Editing pencils are blue. Not red.) 73 from one nit picker to another! :)
Mfj products are always out of stock here in the uk , well the main ones , auto antenna tuners , antenna analizers ect ect , i think they need a bigger factory or employ more folk to keep the stocks up .They make some great products and Usa folks are lucky because of the cheap prices you get to pay compaired to Europe .Any way Jim keep up the good work always learning from your videos Happy New Year from a freezing cold Scotland .
And Jim… prophetic about MFJ or what? Lol! You were right that we will have a huge whole in the communications equipment arena! Kudo’s
Hi Jim, Excellent follow-up commentary. You could very well be embarking on new career. Martin may put you on the clock rewriting MFJ product manuals! hi hi. Doing some product reviews would be beneficial and in scope of your UA-cam channel theme. Thanks again for all you do. 73, Bob W7KD
Where do I begin? Yes, the directions leave a lot to be desired. However, I have heard so many different ways to supposedly tune your radio, or your amplifier that are so complicated as to be worthless. Now, modern radios don't even have to be tuned. I think after reading Ameritron's directions, it boils down to one thing. Start with their settings, and tune for maximum power output at the drive power you're going to use. That's it. No dip the plate current, nothing else. Max power out. But, do NOT over drive an amplifier! Don't exceed the maximum plate and grid currents suggested. That's all there is to it.
I agree 150% I think constructive criticism is how you improve and no one is perfect. I do own a ameritron 811H and a ar1500 and also worked on a few of their tuners. Thanks for the Vids Jim stay Safe Happy New Years KC3ONO
Lets see, I bought a Astron Linear power supply, junked out after 1 year, bought a new kenwood TMV71a junk out of the box, my 991a got sent back for warrantee work, my ftdx1200 got sent back for warrantee, the face light in my Diamond sx-600 lasted a month, my MFJ 269c analyzer is very touchy since new with glitchy pots. My point is its not just MFJ, its all of them can produce and pump out turds. It is frustrating to buy anything and have issues. I want quality and its hard to find sometimes.
@@lysippus First need to say I am not a radio technician so I will keep things simple. My unit is a 35m. Under normal loads after a while ( could be 2 hours, could be 20 min ) the supply will click off. The gauges stay lit, gauges go to zero. It will do it when the radio is transmitting, and most often do it when receiving. If I turn it off then back on it will work again for a while. I tried it on a different ac plug same thing. I checked voltage stability in my house ac and it was stable at 121 to 122 volts. The output was always stable at 13.8. I even tested it on a few 12 volt lights in the garage on a different sub panel. Same thing, with about 10 amps it just clicks off over time. I even put rated load on the supply 23 amps continuous and it will hold steady, then at random click off. I bought a Alinco power supply and have had no trouble for 4 years. I have read it could be the crow bar circuit, or the regulator board,,,, I don't know. Sucks as I thought the astron was the best, which they may be, and I just got a turd.
Very well done.
Great video, thanks.
Hi Jim,
I was very interested in this part 2 on the AL 811.
As I stated in my last comment on your part 1, I've had both models of 811, ( A & H ), and I totally agree with you on the very poor written instruction manual.
As near as I can tell the 811 came out in the late 80's or the early 90's.
My rhetorical question is: why hasn't MFJ come out with, after all of these years, a better written instructions for that amplifier?
If they were truly interested in customer service they would have improved those instructions.
Those are my thoughts, thanks.
K7EMU
Jim, I've been an engineer all of my adult life. I was a university professor for 14 years. I have reviewed hundreds of documents over my career. One of the greatest services an engineer can provide to another engineer is a thorough and critical review of an engineering document, which includes reports, drawings, specifications and O&M manuals.
I'm not in the market for an amplifier at this time, so I watched about half of your video in which your frustration with the quality of the manual was evident and justified. It was poorly written and a perfect setup to either have a non-linear linear amplifier or a set of "busted" tubes. So your criticism of the manual was reasonable. I will have to go back and watch the video for your instructions on tuning the amplifier because I am now curious.
My graduate school advisor once told me "The principal product of an engineer is a report. That product should be professional." By extension this also refers to the other documents an engineer might produce. I passed this value on to the engineers I taught and mentored over the years. I'm sure it stuck to some of them and not others.
That manual was abhorrent and I would be very frustrated to purchase a new piece of equipment and then have to use that manual to set it up. I would be particularly frustrated if I was unfamiliar with the type of equipment (as I am) and did not have experience to fall back on.
interesting
I'm lucky if I can get a peer review. Companies do not see the value in documentation. As long as there is a document a check box gets ticked off the project list. It becomes a theatrics. XYZ has posted XYZ for review.... no feedback. It gets brought up on a project call and en-mass everybody says it looks good. Granted for some disciplined engineers the review is a bit of a formality, but for others it sets a precedent that says it is some silly antiquated time waste.
there are exceptions to this !
it is readily apparent that "software engineers" should not ever be reviewing anything written by other "software engineers" especially when it pertains to user interfaces.
Great follow up, hope you are well. I’m anxiously awaiting your next video. Bill K7VIA
Again, thanks again Jim.
Jim, just a heads up, I find myself always turning my audio to max for your videos. I have excellent hearing, but I venture a guess your primary demographic does not. Might want to increase the volume level when capturing? 73
MFJ won't update there 811 amplifier manual, I understand you want money to do it for them, you could help us by redoing the manual and posting it on your website, or we could pay for a copy?
Happy New Year!!!
I understand your position, but I'm in the camp of "we could do better"... not "we are doing an amazing job" We could be so much further ahead. On your last vid, I started thinking you were just being a typical "cranky OM", but honestly, that was one page of the manual and it wasn't even consistent with itself from paragraph to paragraph - they could do better, even if it was a PDF download - and this amp is still being sold new today. Yaesu just released a brand new transceiver at the end of 2020 that uses a 21 year old display connector - their excuse is that there are licensing fees on the (more proper) connector. This isn't a bargain basement radio, this is almost $2k. Ham Radio is stuck in the stone ages and it needs a shot in the arm. We should be leaders/cutting edge... but there is more modern technology in a $25 smart phone than in some of these "flagship" radios. I love the hobby, but I want to see growth! Keep up the good work Jim!
Yes, as I commented to Rick Via, it is very sad indeed. Thank for your help. I am really pleased with the number of guys who have taken the time to write thoughtful and constructive advise. That all is much appreciated. 73, Jim
The easier and clearer you make things for your customer, the more the customer likes the product. Hams tend to make things super complicated. DSTAR, DMR and FUSION - The company that makes it easy wins. That's why people pay more for a no tune up amp.
Hi Jim how you feeling ok Jim I just bought linear amplifier from mfj xpa 125b let me know if it's a good unit Jim and have a Happy New year 2021 and good health
When I was involved with the hiring process, if you did not have at least a 2 year college degree, I would not hire you as a technician. Literacy is important!
You shouldn't be made to feel the slightest guilt over wanting something to be right. It should be right.
MFJ divides opinion, and quite often, makes us angry. I have had really great MFJ products, and utterly, utterly, terrible ones. It is the nature of things, with MFJ. You can't be sure of how good it is going to be. I could complain endlessly. But, the truth is, that when I wanted a QRO capable roller inductor AMU, there is one obvious choice, if you aren't scandalously rich. MFJ are what they are.
Thank you sir
Well done, Jim
de AC3LZ
Quality is quality and to have such a poorly written document live for so long is unacceptable. Ameritron could hire a professional technical writer to clean up those manuals and in one week change the entire image of the company. The only way to describe the low quality of the AL-811 manual is the company doesn't care or else they would fix the problem.
Hi jim love your videos liked you so much i stole some of your callsign mine is 2i0wlg
Has anyone re-drawn an actual schematic of the AL-811(H)?
I don't know of one. I could do it but at this time I am busy with doctor's appointments. I had two today and two tomorrow. Another way to look at that amp would be to draw blocks. You might have a
Tune input
tube
pi network
power supply
meter circuit
That would be a good start. 73, Jim
I love hf Amps
our club has called MFJ Mighty Fine Junk. Their quality control is non existent. Nit picking is absolutely acceptable. When I pay that much for any product I expect it to be right.
Mostly F------- Junk for the R rated version. There's a reason those acronyms are out there.
A great video. You have nothing to apologize about. It sounds like the manual was written in China. I see this kind of poor English with many many Amazon products. One company had such poor English I contacted them and we made a small business arrangement where I rewrote their Amazon text of their products.
VA7BCL Courtney in western Canada 🎛️
Personally I think you did fine. That NIT picking needs to be done by the MAKER and put out a BETTER instruction manual. They make good gear , service, manuals, clear instructions should go along with with ALL HAM GEAR. I find it shameful that they put out such a substandard directions. It reminded me of translation from chinese to english, Yet they are American Made Products. Hopefully they will ACT on this and CORRECT the Problem with all of their Gear.
BUSH & Trump Inauguration speech in slow motion. "BACKWARDS talk", ALMOST LIKE SHADE, says what they HAVE done to us and what they WILL do to us.Myron C Fagan explains well.
MFJ may well be a good company, (I don't know them) but you would think three or four people wrote that manual and none of them bothered to read what the other had written! It was certainly never proof read, some of it was written as If it was someone in his 90s and bits written by someone fresh from collage! Any company worth their salt and wants to keep their customers owes it to them to make sure any instructions as written to be clear and well written. I don't know who wrote them, but I found it confusing, if I did and your friend did other will have to. I hope this is a one off for MFJ, Chinese have written clearer instructions and they tend just to be poor English not confusing in that it is calling things different names. I hear their equipment mentioned all the time, I hope these instructions are a one off. However, they should get them re-written as a matter of urgency.
I doubt you friend is new to Ham Radio, but imagine someone new to it getting instructions like that, getting it wrong, the equipment not lasting long! They would not go back to the manufacturer for something else.
A manufacturer needs to have clear instructions for their equipment. MFJ are not the only manufacturer not to have clear instructions, others make the same mistake, they are not all involved in Ham Radio, it is almost like some manufacturers think you know most of it and they make the mistake of not giving the instructions to someone that has not used their equipment to follow the instructions to install and use it. If I were manufacturing anything I would give it to someone that had never seen it before and ask them to follow instructions to install and use it. If two people can follow instructions and use it then you can safely say that 99% of people will be able to do exactly that.
That was the poorest instructions I have ever seen.
It may not be a reflection on MFJ quality of their equipment, but they want to look over all their instructions.
Jim I love all your videos. Thank you and I hope you had a lovely Christmas. Best Wishes for 2021. Well I would like to think 2021 couldn't be any worse than this year!! Best Wishes to you Sir and please feel free to check out my young channel here by clicking on my user name. A lot more has yet to come.
If a company produces an instruction manual, it should be comprehensive and grammatically correct. I see spelling errors and grammar mistakes in magazines and newspapers much more now than in the past. We are witnessing the degradation of the english language. Keep your red pencil sharp!!