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Astron power supply trouble

Cheech

Cheech

Active Member
Apr 6, 2005
716
6
28
35
Medina county Ohio
Ok here is the deal I just got a new radio(Cobra 200) and it seems my power supply is not working right? The power supply is a Astron RS-35A. The problem is when I run the radio and the radio only on high power on side band it will drop the voltage to 9.3 volts :? The radio is only doing about 100 watts on side band so something is up with the power supply. A friend sugested the regulation circuit is messing up on but I realy dont know. Anyway any help would be great!!!!!!Thanks
 

Hey Cheech , man ! I truly do not like to be the barer of what might be bad news ? ....you used that power supply for your TS 350 correct ? In my personal opinion that his putting the pedel to the metel with your power supply, amp being 2 x 2879s .....I hear guys all the time talking about how they use there boxes with what I would conceder smaller size power supplies. That's pushing it in my opinion. I do believe to be on the safe side that 10 amps per 100 watts pep is a good ballpark number when it comes to amps and power supplies ......you only get (or supposed to get) 25 amps continuous out of your 35 amp Astron. I think you might understand what IM getting at here ? Good possibility your Astron has had a few to many rounds in the ring ? Damned good power supplies ain't cheap !! but I sure have seen guys trash them left and right over the years for running to damned much on them in the first place. You can never have to many amps .....just not enough. I hear guys on this forum talk about running TS 500s on 50 amp power supplies .....that really seems like there pushing the issue !! ....but there dime and there time. Good luck to you Cheech ,I hope it ain't noth'in but a little problem for you here. And Congrats !! on your new radio. Switch Kit
 
Power drop is at the power supply. Never realy pushed that 350 to hard with that power supply for that simple fact it was to much. Mostly ran it low side but I think that may have been to much over time. Being long winded probly had alot to do with it as well. Loooks like I will be in the market for a new power supply :(
 
Normally if you are using sideband and the power supply isn't putting out enough amps, surging fast enough, droping volts with modulation etc etc, you will sound garbled on ssb

Is the voltage dropping with modulation? How is it on AM with good size carrier? Did you clip the meter right at the power output of the supply-- same place the radio is hooked to?

Just trying to figure out when the supply volts start to drop-- at any amperage or at high amps or with big modulation etc etc
 
I checked the voltage at the power supply and its 13.8 high power(30 watts) on AM has no affect on the power supply. Side ban is difrent pushing about 100 watts PEP When I modulate the voltage falls like crazy. I have no ameter so Im not sure what the radio is pulling I just know its has to be less than 20 amps becouse thats what its fused for. The manual also says about 15-16 amps at 100 watts PEP on SSB.
 
theres a 60 amper Tripp Lite for sale in the Swap Shop for 100.00 bucks.Talking Tall is a good guy , buying used ones are kind of scary , what did whom ever run through there's ? I wouldn't even know how to test one of those for accuracy ?
 
turns out the power supply is fine :shock: i put the radio on a power supply with meters and it was pushing 20 amps no problem on SSB. Just cant figure out why the power supply can handle an amp and not the radio?
 
or you are getting RF back into the supply
Click to expand...

I think Geekster has a good idea,it does sound as if there is stray RF getting into the supply, is the case of your power supply grounded? It should have a lug on it somewere to hook a ground.
Every item at my home station is grounded, radio, power supply, tuner, amp, lowpass, even the wattmeter has a ground on it.
Make sure all of your coax/jumpers are good/tight.
SWR good?
Maybe a snap-on choke or 2 wound around the power cord were it hooks into the supply.
some things to try.

73
Jeff
 
I had something similar like this happen to me on a power supply once. Turns out it was just the negative terminal lug was loose on the inside of the amp. If you wiggled the wires just a little, it was barely contacting and would cause all kinds of wierd "problems"
 
Hey Cheech ? Man !! you ever feel like your being pulled on from both ends ? )-: Don't feel to bad dude , I think my own bench power supply has about had it )-: I just hate buying used ones from others , especially from folks i don't know , we just never know what those folks used on them and if they beat the thing to a close death or not ? But I think a brand new Astron is worth the money if one was to go that route. pain in the old dairy air sometimes )-: you get a nice new radio and Mr Power supply decides to take a crap on you ....Hey Cheech ? You do know what C.B. stands for right ? CONSTINT BUYING !!!! )-: ........I've heard CRY BABIES as well ,but we won't go there. Good Luck to you on your PS dude. It will surely be greater Later. Peace (Switch Kit)
 

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