Many thanks to SWLing Post contributors, Eric McFadden and Mike Agner, who share the following announcement from MFJ:
MFJ to sell Eton Shortwave Receivers!
Elite 750
A 360-degree rotating AM antenna enhances the radio’s ability to pull in weak AM signals. You can listen to AM, FM , SW, LW, SSB and aircraft band frequencies, and you can program in up to 100 of your favorites for each band.
Elite Executive
It receives every radio wavelength—AM(MW), FM with RDS, LW, and Shortwave (SW)—at home or abroad. Plus, it also receives VHF aircraft band, Single Sideband (SSB) and includes a PLL tuner.
Elite Field
The Etón Elite Field receives most every radio wavelength—AM (MW), FM, and Shortwave (SW)—at home or abroad. It’s easy to set the station spacing and frequency so your stations come in loud and clear wherever you are. And with Bluetooth®, you can stream your own music or favorite podcast.
Eton Traveler AM/FM/Shortwave Radio with World Time and Auto tuning storage, 500 memory stations, automatic or manual tuning. FM with Radio Data System.
Eton Mini AM/FM/Shortwave radio with digital tuner and display which shows frequency, time, and alarm activation, automatic frequency up/down scanning.
Eton Leather Custom Satchel for the Eton Field AM/FM/Shortwave Radio.
So today, Aug 26th, I got a second email.from MFJ for a “sale” on Eton receivers. It doesn’t say clearance, but offers two receivers at slightly cheaper prices, “limited quantities”.
This is only two months after they added Eton to the.line, makes me wonder if they decided to drop it.
Considering the poor reliability of my Eton made radio, I’d say this is a match made in heaven.
I am not a fan of most Eton radios, but from MFJ’s perspective, why not? It is just another radio product line to offer. Also it is not like these Et/on radios are going to internally compete with the MFJ-8100K or Vec receiver kits. Rather different demographics there.
Product quality aside, MFJ routinely adds new and updated products.
https://mfjenterprises.com/collections/new-products
I buy and actively use MFJ products, though often stated, I suggest taking at least a quick look at connections and soldering joints if possible before using.
Why sell Eton? My guess would be that MFJ is simply looking to make some money, based on their “list” prices for their radios. You can pay less almost everywhere else.
Would be a lot cooler if they had been introducing the eton satellite elite that was mentioned before covid hit…
Well, I like the Eton radios that I have tried, and even own the E-10 portable, but yeah, why sell a brand that can be had by several retailers already? Unless, they can offer a really killer deal on them. Other-wise, I don´t get it either. Pure speculation here, but they may be trying to ween off their on-site fabrication crew, for pre-made foreign gear. Now, MFJ does offer the ability to repair what we buy from them, without endangering the warranty. Unfortunately, due to quality issues with MFJ, this has become pretty much a neccessity, as in the case where I have recently bought the MFJ-259D ANT Analyzer, with a dead Impedence Meter, due to an over-soldered joint. Just sayin´…
I don’t understand their business model over that last few years.
Reselling more & more of other companies stuff
Chronic inventory issues
Stagnant product offerings
Known defects and quality control issues that still plague them even after multiple decades of being called “Mississippi’s Finest Junk”
I suspect that like most small businesses, the founder gave over the reigns to a family member or relative through marriage, who is now happy to squander what goodwill still exists.
I can see it now. We’ll get an article on here in the near future where the current owner will cry up a storm about how painful it is to see the company go out of business.
What other company are they selling things from?
MFJ is fifty years old next year. It started with an audio filter kit. Yet somehow it became big enough, and successful enough, to buy up a bunch of US based ham radio companies.
Hy-Gain, Cushcraft, Mirage, Ameritron, and Vectronics. Those aren’t other companies, MFJ owns them.
If they cut back on manufacturing, they’d have little to sell but Eton.
It would seem MFJ is content to sell everyone else’s stuff these days rather than their own, which I am told is perpetually out of stock by 2 different ham radio stores. Unless there was some sort of price break, I would much rather order from a supplier I know and trust than dealing with MFJ directly when even their dealers can’t deal with them.