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Power Supplies
- Thread starter billdean
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I've had good luck with Astron. Mine is a VS-35, 35amp linear supply, about 20 years old. Adjustable voltage w/ analog meter, plus a second meter for amps. The updated version is the VS-35M-AP.
Before the Astron, I had a Pyramid 25 amp supply which gave good service.
www.astroncorp.com
Before the Astron, I had a Pyramid 25 amp supply which gave good service.
Linear Variable Power Supplies | Astron Corporation
www.astroncorp.com
mmckenna
I ♥ Ø
I bought an Astron switching supply for use in our dispatch center back in the late 1990's to power a few mobile radios.
It ran nonstop until 2013. In 2013, I unplugged it, brought it home, plugged it back in and used it to power a mobile radio until June of this year. That's over 25 years of service. Only maintenance I ever did to it was blow the dust out once in 2013.
You can buy cheaper, or you can buy once and it'll last you a lifetime.
It ran nonstop until 2013. In 2013, I unplugged it, brought it home, plugged it back in and used it to power a mobile radio until June of this year. That's over 25 years of service. Only maintenance I ever did to it was blow the dust out once in 2013.
You can buy cheaper, or you can buy once and it'll last you a lifetime.
wjm1129
Member
The Megawatt power supplies are good and are pretty much rfi free.
Can't go wrong with an Astron.
kg4ehv
Member
Another vote for Astron.
Chronic
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Linear supplies are very durable like has been stated , but sometimes produce a buzzing noise from the transformer and also generate a fair amount of heat that can be a issue in a small shack area. Most modern switching supplies that are made and designed for the communication field are built pretty well and have low RF noise.
prcguy
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Astron, best warranty and after warranty repair of any PS mfr.
3 of my 4 power supplies are Astron as well. The 4th is a Pyramid. All 4 are the more expensive Linear Regulated versions. Switching supplies while cheaper give off too much stray RF and introduce noise on the HF band. I had a 30amp JetStream switching supply that made so much noise that i had a constant S9 when using it. It was fine with other bands like 2 meter and 70cm however.
Pyramid is another good brand. (was?) Mine lasted for about 8 years, but was used and quite old when I got it. I think it was a 25A linear supply, and had dual analog meters.
I think Astron's switching supplies are fine when it comes to RFI/EMI. However, I agree, linear/regulated is the way to go. I have HF equipment also and the bands are noisy enough here already.
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Thanks everyone. I was contemplating putting a base station in my toy hauler. I spend 6 months a year in it down in Arizona. I was wondering how I might supply the power to a mobile radio in my trailer. It would probably be cheaper just to run wires from my solar system to a dedicated 12v outlet instead of powering it off my inverter. I was thinking dual purpose too. When not in my 5er it would go in my house the rest of the year. Still thinking on how I might want to set up one mobile base station in my house and my 5er.
niceguy71
Active Member
I'm a cheap skate... I bought one off amazon for $99 bucks... my cheap power supply I bought it because it had a cigarette socket in it and a pretty green light and was small enough to sit on my little shelf.... I knew nothing about them back then.
after I bought it, I learned a little about them... I didn't know how much interference the cheap ones can produce..... my
Btech RPS-30M 30 amp power supply has worked fine and doesn't seem to make any RF noise...
many people say it's hit or miss with the power supply I bought some are terrible some are just ok.... so I got really lucky....
I take a EcoFlow battery back up unit and connect it to my 5555 N II sometimes instead of my Btech power supply to see if there is a difference... never see or hear any difference... I have also tried just using a car battery... again luckily no difference.
I do a lot of handheld CB testing and I like to have the cigarette lighter plug.. it always measures 13.8 volts on my Craftsman multi meters
I said I think I see a base station in your future BillDean... are you looking into it?
I think this video was my first week of having my base station... I was able to talk to 22 countries the first month I had my base station ... it was incredible... I still smile when I can talk to Europe on channel 37 or 38 LSB using the CB band.. it was a real blast!
and as everyone said.. that Anytone 5555 N II is one fantastic radio!!!!
after I bought it, I learned a little about them... I didn't know how much interference the cheap ones can produce..... my
Btech RPS-30M 30 amp power supply has worked fine and doesn't seem to make any RF noise...
many people say it's hit or miss with the power supply I bought some are terrible some are just ok.... so I got really lucky....
I take a EcoFlow battery back up unit and connect it to my 5555 N II sometimes instead of my Btech power supply to see if there is a difference... never see or hear any difference... I have also tried just using a car battery... again luckily no difference.
I do a lot of handheld CB testing and I like to have the cigarette lighter plug.. it always measures 13.8 volts on my Craftsman multi meters
I said I think I see a base station in your future BillDean... are you looking into it?
I think this video was my first week of having my base station... I was able to talk to 22 countries the first month I had my base station ... it was incredible... I still smile when I can talk to Europe on channel 37 or 38 LSB using the CB band.. it was a real blast!
and as everyone said.. that Anytone 5555 N II is one fantastic radio!!!!
niceguy71
Active Member
the solar battery back up things work awesome for radios... you can charge it with solar or plug it into the grid and charge it up in one hour... once charged it will run a 5555 N II for a VERY LONG TIME!!!!!
and in a power outage you can use it to watch TV all day long, or run the refrigerator so you don't have to keep your propane or gasoline generator going all the time... my EcoFlow Delta 2 Max can run my HUGE 14 CU FT Chest freezer and 21CU FT refrigerator for 20 hours ,,, my smaller EcoFlow Delta 2 can run my Cpap machine and a pedestal fan for 8 to 10 hours... then I can recharge it in less than an hour on my generator and I can watch TV all day with it!
all the solar battery units have a 12 volt cigarette plugs in them that you could use..... it's clean power and it kills two birds with one stone.
I’ve got a 50 amp linear Astron power supply that has been powering radios continuously since 1982 without failure.
mmckenna
I ♥ Ø
Some solar charge controllers can be RF noisy. I'd try it first before making it permanent.
On the other hand, going from 12 volts DC to 120 volts AC, then back to 12 volts DC is not 100% efficient.
Yes. It will go with me to Arizona first to be used in my 5th wheel. I did buy a President Washington radio the other day. Just waiting for it to be shipped to me.
Yes that is for sure. I run 2 Morningstar 60 amp MPPT Charge Controller on my solar set up. I have 1400 watts of solar panels on the roof. The controllers are commercial grade with no fans running. They have worked well keeping the batteries charged for the PLC when I worked on the North Slope of Alaska. I will try them out on my radio soon. They have never gave me any problems with other electronic equipment.
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