13.8v Power Supply for mobile units in house

[jazzboypro]

Just buy an Astron RS35M and be done with it. Probably the last power supply you will have to buy.

 

[tweiss3]

This thread made me text a friend that has a wonderful bench/shack, and now I'm looking at SEC-100BRM power supplies and other applicable accessories to go with it........

 

[GadgetGeek]

Do you really want to depend on a $28 power supply? I wouldn't. If you want a reasonably priced power supply that will serve you well for years and allow some room for expansion, I recommend the Alinco DM-330MVT power supply. I have one that has run every day since 2011 with absolutely no issues and it powers more than one radio.

Mine is 7 years and still going. It's on twelve+ hours a day. Super quiet and no rf hash.

 

[ka3aaa]

id go with the astron all the way runs non-stop 25-7-365=-20 years strong.

 

[k6cpo]

Hmmm, from a $30 power supply to a $180 power supply. That's quite the budget jump for something intended to be used largely for testing purposes or for short periods of time.

If I had unlimited funds sure I'd buy the best of the best. On the other hand, perhaps there's a large cost savings in buying something without the fancy packaging/switch/power cord which are all things I can do myself with stuff I have laying around and if it doesn't work for more than a year.....big deal it was $28.

That being said - if it's just not suited for this type of application, that's a different story. I have an old tripp-lite linear power supply but it's only 3A and is missing all the screws for the cover and is nearly as old as me. LOL

There's a trade-off when you buy cheaply. Lack of warranty, no repair services, the possibility the power supply malfunctions and destroys your radio, etc. There's also the life span of the supply. Say it fails after two years, so you go out and buy another one and it fails after a couple of years, and so on. By the time you buy six of them, you've equaled the price of the Alinco. That's also a span of 12 years, just as long as my Alinco has run with no signs of failing any time soon. There's also the issue of location of manufacture. while the Chinese are perfectly capable of producing a quality product if they want, they continue to produce low quality, cheap products because they know Americans look at price above all.

The choice is yours.

 

[dwhit29689]

Some great suggestions here. Varying prices. I'm using an older RV converter. I bought a new one that has more voltage options and am using the older 2000 model 40 amp converter to power three radios. Son in Denver does the same. Pal of mine in IL uses old desktop PC power supply. It was free. They're everywhere. Many options. All safe & effective.

 

[MUTNAV]

Maybe an MFJ power supply, haven't used one, but they look reasonable, although I hear MFJ has questionable quality on some products...

SEC-4225MV, SWITCHING PS,25A , 12VDC, AV MTR, ADJ. LED LIGHT

SEC Products are factory refurbished (Fully Functional and Tested with possible light cosmetic defects) SEC Products come with a 1 year SERVICE warranty SEC products are AS IS As such SEC products are REFUNDABLE FOR 30 DAYS AT OUR DISCRETION!!! MFJs, MFJ-4225MV Voltage Switching Power Supplies...

mfjenterprises.com

Thanks
Joel

 

[merlin]

Several years back, I came across some HP server PSUs. Since then, it is all I use.
A simple mod to turn them on, and another mod to increase voltage to 13.8 volts.
The 450 watt will run nearly all 100 watt class mobile amature radios. (38 amp)
They can fit in many external speaker enclosures.

Lot of 2 HP DPS-460EB 12V Power Supply HSTNS-PD14 Proliant 460W 499250-101 | eBay

See condition above for more details. Receive only what is pictured/listed.

www.ebay.com

A 750 watt has been running my whole bench for 4 years with zero issues.
Running an XG-100M as we speak.
Hey, just a note with these: No detectable RFI EMI and pumping 110 watt
with antenna 6' away has no effect on the supply while it shuts down my 4 amp
bench supply.

 

[merlin]

I've always preferred linear power supplies due them being "RF" quiet, but I've been told switching power supplies are improving now. In addition to that if you want a bench type power supply to feed several devices make sure it has crowbar protection.

Crowbar Circuit

Crowbar (circuit) - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

The HP PSUs I totally trust. Never seen a bit of emissions from them and like the 460 watt will simply shut down at 38 amp +. Any voltage change from min to max would be resistance in the load power line.
Only downside is stock, they are 12 volt and adjust only about 5%. a mod to get them say 13.5 volt is needed.
A simple resistor jumper.
Grab one, they are cheap and Yoube's how to turn them on and mod them to higher voltage.
The output caps are rated 16 volt so I wouldn't exceed that. a short crobars a shutdown and a power line cycle to reset. They can be paralleled but yet another simple mod for series.
Try one, you will be impressed.

 

[N4KVE]

That’s what I’m using right now. Made by Nortel, they’re 45 amps continuous, & a couple of resistors get them to 13.8. And yes, while they’re made in China, they’re designed to power servers, & run 24/7. I bought one at a Hamfest in Marietta, took it home, installed it, & was so impressed, I ordered another from the seller. They were brand new, still in the box, & not expensive. Here’s a link.

http://wj9jrg.ddns.net/zmonitor/files/astecnortec.pdf

 

[merlin]

I have been buying them in 2 lot off feebay. a half dozen 460 watt and 750 watt with a few 1100 watt.
Certainly worth the price and work.
Yea, made in China but in HPs plant and specs.

 

[Deeptow]

Has anyone used a power supply like this one?

For right now I just need something simple that can run for example a small 2 meter mobile radio shack unit, or perhaps a few scanners.

I was thinking I could mount this under my desk (reviews say the fan is noisy) and then run a line up to a small power distribution block with anderson power poles on it. That way I can easily plug and unplug various things I may want to test or use.

I'm assuming it doesn't come with a power cord but I have plenty of old computer power cords I can snip the end off and wire on. Anyone have thoughts or experience with these?

PS - I know there's risk of some RFI on this as compared to a better unit.....but it's also less than a quarter of the cost.

I have purchased and used the power supply you linked to. I have one now in my go-kit, and our local ARES group uses them. They are a true bargain in my opinion, they are stable and I've never had a noise problem with them. There is a green "On" light next to the contact strip, and a small potentiometer there for adjusting the 12 volt output voltage. The only thing to be careful of is the 120 volt hookup-despite the plastic shield over the contacts, it would be possible for a small child if he/she tried hard enough to poke something in there and get seriously hurt. That's a remote possibility, however. You could mount one in a box-that's what I did-then work out your own connection scheme. Otherwise, get a Samlex SEC 1223. Great supply.

 

[AZMONITOR]

I utilize the Astron RS35A and VS35M power supplies and they have worked very well over the years. The RS35A had the on/off switch fail after 18 years of usage so I telephoned the manufacturer and they sent me a new switch free of charge. That is great customer service. The RS35A is now 31 years old and still works great. The newer one, the VS35M has dual meters on it and has been working fine for ten years with no issues. They appear to be quality made products and I highly recommend the Astron line.

 

[ladn]

I have an Alinco that I use for my HF radio and for portable/field day simply because my decades-old Astron is so darn heavy. I'm happy with both, but I trust the Astron to be far more reliable in the long run.

I've also played experimented with repurposed computer power supplies for scanner and low power VHF/UHF. Not something I'd use long term, but they were quiet and filled a need.

 

[SA4MDN]

Might be of help