MFJ-993B IntelliTuner
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| Frequency | 1.8-30 MHz (160-10 m) |
| Bands | 160m, 80m, 60m, 40m, 30m, 20m, 17m, 15m, 12m, 10m |
| Power | An antenna tuner (it matches impedance, it does not amplify). Dual power handling: 300 watts SSB/CW to match 6-1600 ohms, or a 150-watt setting to match an extra-wide 6-3200 ohms. An amateur license is required to transmit through it. |
| Modes | Antenna tuner (all HF modes) |
| Year | 2008 |
| rf input | SO-239 transmitter input (50 ohm) from the radio |
| antenna | Two SO-239 antenna outputs with a built-in 2-antenna switch (coax-fed antennas) |
| balanced | Binding posts for a balanced line (through the internal 4:1 current balun) or a random wire, plus a ground post |
| control | Radio-interface jack for automatic tuning with many Icom/Yaesu/Kenwood/Alinco rigs (MFJ-5124 cables) and a remote-control port (MFJ-993RC) |
| dc in | 12-15 VDC at 1 A (or 110 VAC with the optional MFJ-1316 adapter) |
| power req | 12-15 VDC at 1 A, or 110 VAC with the optional MFJ-1316 adapter. |
A fast, capable automatic tuner that handles coax, balanced line and random wire, with a wide matching range (6-1600 ohms at 300 W, or 6-3200 ohms at 150 W). It learns and instantly recalls thousands of frequency/antenna settings, has a built-in 2-antenna switch and 4:1 balun, and shows everything on cross-needle and digital meters plus a backlit LCD. It can auto-tune directly with many Icom, Yaesu and Kenwood radios.
MFJ ceased manufacturing in 2024, so it is end-of-life even where stock remains. It is a 300-watt (150-watt on the wide setting) tuner, not for legal-limit amplifiers, the radio-interface and remote-control options cost extra, and its relays click audibly while tuning. The connectors are legacy SO-239 and binding posts rather than anything modern.
The MFJ-993B IntelliTuner is a fast, full-featured automatic antenna tuner for 1.8-30 MHz that matches almost any antenna, coax, ladder line or wire, and remembers thousands of settings so re-tuning is instant. With a built-in 2-antenna switch, 4:1 balun, dual power range and cross-needle plus digital metering, it suits a 100-watt HF station that wants set-and-forget tuning; just note MFJ stopped manufacturing in 2024, so it is now an end-of-line purchase, and it is not rated for legal-limit power.
The MFJ-993B IntelliTuner is an automatic antenna tuner for the HF bands (1.8-30 MHz). A tuner does not boost power; it matches the impedance your antenna presents to the 50 ohms your radio wants, so the radio sees a low SWR. The 993B does this automatically and fast: when you transmit, it measures the antenna, snaps in the right combination of inductance and capacitance, and fine-tunes for minimum SWR, usually in well under a second.
Its signature feature is dual power. You can select a 300-watt SSB/CW level that matches 6 to 1600 ohms, or a 150-watt level that matches an extra-wide 6 to 3200 ohms, useful for difficult wire antennas. Inside is an efficient L-network with 256 inductor and 256 capacitor steps on heavy-duty relays, a built-in switch for two antennas, and a 4:1 current balun for balanced (ladder-line) antennas. It also learns: over 20,000 non-volatile memories store the settings for each frequency and antenna, so the next time you return, tuning is instant.
You read it on a lighted cross-needle and digital SWR/wattmeter, with an audio SWR tone and a backlit LCD that shows SWR, forward and reflected power, frequency, antenna and the L/C values. Connections are an SO-239 transmitter input, two SO-239 antenna jacks, and binding posts for a balanced line or a random wire, plus a radio-interface jack that lets many Icom, Yaesu and Kenwood radios trigger tuning automatically, and a remote-control port. It runs on 12-15 volts at 1 amp (or mains with the MFJ-1316 adapter) and measures about 10 by 2.75 by 9 inches.
It is a 100-watt-class station tuner; MFJ stopped manufacturing in 2024, so it is now an end-of-line item. For built-in or QRP alternatives, the Elecraft KAT500 is a 500-watt automatic tuner and the tiny Elecraft T1 is a QRP autotuner.