Greetings! I just purchased a used TT Model 238 tuner in great shape. I
have also owned a 989C back when I used Kenwood gear. In my opinion, the
238 is a better tuner as far as capacity. I notice that I have a great deal
more combinations with the 238 than with the 989C. I did modify the 238 by
replacing the stock small knobs with slightly larger knobs with metal
inserts. I like the idea of metal over plastic for shaft contact. There
are two minor problems I have with the 238. If you want to read the meter
face, you must have a source of 12 volts to iluminate the meter and dial
face. Illumination is accomplished with three light bulbs behind the panel.
This can be troublesome if you are using the tuner in a low current QRP
setup on batteries. A partial solution is to install a switch on the back
panel to turn off the lights when they are no longer needed after the tuning
process. I think the 238 has better quality components that will handle
higher voltages over the MFJ (even though it is rated at 2 kw versus 3 kw).
The capacitors have slightly wider spacing and larger plates. Don't get me
wrong, the 989 is a great tuner as well. But I prefer the 238 both
asthetically and for the versatility of its network. Very 73, Rob WS7U
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