Kenwood: Need a wall outlet power solution for Kenwood TM-261A
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brownalan
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The spec sheet says it draws less than 600 milliamps @ 13.8 volts for receive. (11 amps on transmit).
I guess the question is that - the power cords which would come with it is an positive and negative power cable. I want to convert this over to something which I can plug into either a 2 pong or 3 pong outlet. Upon checking the out the manual, it mentions the need for an regulated power supply. However upon research, they can be quite a bit expensive.
Since I am only receiving and not transmitting, is there any cheap convertor or adapter which I can simply can just plug it in an household power outlet?
Since I am only receiving and not transmitting, is there any cheap convertor or adapter which I can simply can just plug it in an household power outlet?
mmckenna
I ♥ Ø
For RX only, you'd want a regulated power supply that puts out around 13.8 volts DC and can supply at least 1 amp.
The trick is, you want something that's quiet. Some of the cheap wall-wart type power supplies can make a lot of noise that might interfere with reception. You could try messing around with old computer power supplies and see if you get something that's quite.
Or, depending on what your budget is, you could get something like this and be generally assured it'll perform well with a VHF radio:
If you ever plan on adding more radios, or using them for transmitting, it would make sense to buy a larger power supply now and get it over with.
The trick is, you want something that's quiet. Some of the cheap wall-wart type power supplies can make a lot of noise that might interfere with reception. You could try messing around with old computer power supplies and see if you get something that's quite.
Or, depending on what your budget is, you could get something like this and be generally assured it'll perform well with a VHF radio:
If you ever plan on adding more radios, or using them for transmitting, it would make sense to buy a larger power supply now and get it over with.
N4KVE
Member
What is the definition of “cheap”? At a Hamfest in February I picked up a 25 amp DuraComm LP-25 power supply for $20. It came from a SK. Is that cheap enough, or are you looking for a 50 cent wall wart?
Ideally upwards to $10 but generally upwards to $25.
N4KVE
Member
Well this was what I got for $20. It will power your radio, & allow you to transmit if you were licensed to do so. And it’s 10 times better than any Pyramid which in my experience is total junk.
DuraComm Desktop Power Supply LPX-25 25Amp
Desktop Power Supply LPX-25 is the next generation of our popular and reliable LP desktop power supply. 90-264 VAC input and RoHS compliant
duracomm.com
DuraComm Desktop Power Supply LPX-14N 11Amp
Desktop Power Supply LPX-14N is low profile power supply with SAE power cord for Motorola and other radios.
duracomm.com
mmckenna
I ♥ Ø
Yeah, $25 ain't much. And Pyramid are not top of the line.
Kind of a low budget to get something decent. You might have to experiment with some different cheap power supplies until you find one that is quiet. Usually wall warts are designed for powering something that has some filters inside, or something that doesn't require filtering. You could start trying some old 12v computer power supplies. There are even some 12v supplies that are designed for running LED's, but not promise they'll be quiet enough.
Kind of a low budget to get something decent. You might have to experiment with some different cheap power supplies until you find one that is quiet. Usually wall warts are designed for powering something that has some filters inside, or something that doesn't require filtering. You could start trying some old 12v computer power supplies. There are even some 12v supplies that are designed for running LED's, but not promise they'll be quiet enough.
N4KVE
Member
Heck, at Shelby 2 years ago I got 2 of these for $50 each. The versions I got were older models that each had 2 cooling fans. There are great PS deals out there, you just have to look.
duracomm.com
DPS-75 - DuraComm
The DPS-75 power Converter/Battery Charger converts nominal 108-132 AC voltage to 13.4 DC voltage for both DC load operation and 12V battery charging. As a power supply, the units tightly controlled regulation allows the user to operate a nominal 12VDC load up to 75 amps. As a battery charger...
duracomm.com
NC1
Member
Since you are only going to use it for receiving, this may do the trick ($7.89) as far as cost is concerned:
AC 110V/220V to DC 12V 5A 60W Switching Power Supply Driver For LED Strip Light 696277875795 | eBay
Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for AC 110V/220V to DC 12V 5A 60W Switching Power Supply Driver For LED Strip Light at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!
www.ebay.com
N4KVE
Member
Since they’re for strip lights, who knows how well they are filtered?Since you are only going to use it for receiving, this may do the trick ($7.89) as far as cost is concerned:
AC 110V/220V to DC 12V 5A 60W Switching Power Supply Driver For LED Strip Light 696277875795 | eBay
Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for AC 110V/220V to DC 12V 5A 60W Switching Power Supply Driver For LED Strip Light at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!www.ebay.com
NC1
Member
How do we know how well anything is filtered that isn't over $50?
I have a 12v wall wart that I got for $3 at a garage sale that really seems to have some decent filtering, and I use it all the time for a receiver.
For a few bucks it was worth a try and it worked out better than I imagined. Just because it's cheap does not necessarily mean the worst, especially if you have no first hand experience with it. Experimentation is part of the radio hobby and we can't be afraid of making mistakes or making a decision based on optimism.
N4KVE
Member
Except when experimentation lets the magic smoke out of the device. Many cheap wall warts that are rated at 12 volts actually put out 18 with no load. But at the rated draw, the voltage then drops to 12 volts.
Buy once, cry once...
Can I use something like this?
It would require you to use that white adapter from the round plug to the bare leads of the radio power cable! Very hard to tell from the Amazon pic but I really doubt the wires are going to fit in that adapter! While you’ll only be receiving the wires are a fairly large gauge to handle transmit amperage..,
mmckenna
I ♥ Ø
On paper it should work. The LED strip adapter might work fine for connecting to the power leads on the radio, but it might be too small for the wires to fit inside.
"On paper it should work" means that the specifications match what your radio will do in RECEIVE ONLY. What we can't tell is how noisy the power supply is. Some of these cheap switching mode power supplies can cause a lot of RF interference. Having that interference source connected directly to the radio is going to be a pain to resolve.
Buyer beware.
Quite honestly I would not trust such a wimpy power supply. Invest in a proper power supply now and be prepared for future needs.
NC1
Member
I bought it at a garage sale.
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