06/05/2020
Subject: BD-35, Review
From: "W8GXR Scott Tengen"
Date: Thu, June 4, 2020 5:15 pm
BD-35, DUAL BAND 144/440 HT AMP, 45/35W OUT
Many new HAM’s start off with a HT to get on the air with this great hobby. While a HT is an excellent choice for new hams, they may want to go mobile or be able to “hit” repeaters farther from their home location (QTH). The MFJ Mirage DB-35 is the answer you are looking for!
Out of the box:
You will find a very solidly constructed amplifier that is ready to go with just the application of power, an external antenna and of course your HT!
Getting on the air:
You will need a power supply for your home QTH or direct connection to the battery in your car. The power supply should be capable of 10 AMPS as the unit can draw up to 7 AMPS at full power. An outdoor or trunk mount antenna is next on the list followed by a jumper cable that will run from your HT to the input of your amplifier. MFJ has all the cables you need and your local ham dealer (Candy store) will be able to help you with the selection as well.
Performance and flexibility:
WOW, is all I have to say here in the performance category! The unit can automatically detect whether you are transmitting on 2M or 70CM with no switch or worry whatsoever on your part. It will boost your 5-watt signal to 45 watts out on 2M and 35 watts out on 70cm allowing you to make farther contacts with less noise and a solid 5x9 copy for the receiving station. Many HT’s also allow you to reduce power which in turns extend battery life, with battery life in mind you can reduce your power to 2 watts and still have 20 times the power output you had with the HT alone. As a bonus you will also find that you can use the amp with D*STAR and Yaesu System Fusion! (sorry DMR will not work due to how DMR transmits)
Conclusion:
A recommend solution for to add power to your HT on the road, in the shack or other portable use. It works so well I have one at home and in my car so I can move take my HT everywhere I go!