Copper Talk » Open Forum » Archived Messages » 2002 » 09/01/2002 to 09/30/2002 » Astron power supplies. « Previous Next »

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Hoosier Cardina
Posted on Thursday, August 22, 2002 - 10:59 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)
Well its time for me to retire my old circa 1975 yaseu power supply! EW!:-( But id like to find out if the Astrons are as good as i hear. Are they filterd and regulated well (my old one is getting tired and seems lately to add a "humm" to my radios receiver end) and does Astron make at least a 45 to 50 amper? I also hear the ones with the meters are the ones to sat away from as the meters i hear are prone to failure.
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ss8541
Posted on Friday, August 23, 2002 - 12:08 am:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)
the astrons are very good. that is all that the company i work for will sale. astrons are all i use for my personal use also(i have 4). i have had no problems with the meter equiped astrons(compared to any other meter equiped devices).

since your power supply is 27ys old, i would say that the caps are dried out, and need replacing. i have an old motorola p.supply for repairs now that is performing very similar to yours. the poly caps have crystalized, but to be safe i am replacing all the caps(5).
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BIG FOOT
Posted on Friday, August 23, 2002 - 12:49 am:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)
..once had an ASTRON 35 amp power supply with NO meters for over 4 years... quiet..never got warm to the touch..reliable..it was always on 24 / 7 and I never had 15 seconds of problems out of it...no input about the meters or variable setting available on some models..mine cost $175 plus tax in 1994 and was worth every penny ( wish some times I had it back )...GOOD luck on your wishes..some one may know of a way to eliminate your HMMM in your current model......BIG FOOT
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Kirk
Posted on Friday, August 23, 2002 - 8:54 am:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)
I'd just add one more positive comment about Astron. They are worth the money for sure. Always reliable and consistent. We use them in the commercial world whenever we need a 13v +/- supply. Great quality!
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Taz
Posted on Friday, August 23, 2002 - 9:36 am:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)
i have a 20 amp got it for 90
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Hoosier Cardina
Posted on Friday, August 23, 2002 - 12:08 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)
Ill check around im sure ill find what i need.
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Monk
Posted on Friday, August 23, 2002 - 12:48 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)
Check out the bigger hamfests. I went to Seaside Or. this year and they had brand new Astron 70 ampers for $230.00

Monk
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BIG FOOT
Posted on Friday, August 23, 2002 - 2:46 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)
...Huntsville Hamfest last weekend had a SALES area of nothing but ASTRON power supplies, at great buys but I did not get a card or catalog from them...the 35 amp with no meters was $110.00. but no one was ever "manning the booth".....BIG FOOT
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Hoosier Cardina
Posted on Friday, August 23, 2002 - 7:11 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)
I just need a good clean powerful supllier for my "big radios" and a few of my toys.... Ill wait a few weeks to regain some cashflow. I had to get my car worked on after it went south this week. LOL!
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bruce
Posted on Friday, August 23, 2002 - 9:30 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)
I run one good supply no problems over 5 years
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Hoosier Cardina
Posted on Monday, August 26, 2002 - 12:25 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)
Finally ordered a astron supplier today. I ended up ordering the biggest one they make the 70A. Hopefully this will cure my radio humm problems so now i can retire my 1970s power supply!!!! :-)
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bruce
Posted on Monday, August 26, 2002 - 6:28 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)
Hoosier I like mine no problems works great! i have a 20 amp and it runs almost 24/7/365 you should be very happy with yours
bruce
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Taz
Posted on Monday, August 26, 2002 - 10:47 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)
I have a 20 amp and its awesome. That 70 amp is going to be heavey!
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Hoosier Cardina
Posted on Tuesday, August 27, 2002 - 2:30 am:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)
Yeah! 45 lbs!! :-) But its what i wanted.
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2600
Posted on Wednesday, August 28, 2002 - 1:21 am:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)
Yeah, Astron is a legitimate commercial-quality brand sold with expensive business radios like Motorola and such. They always include overvoltage protection and current limit protection. They are rated ICAS (Intermittent Commercial and Amateur Service), which usually means one minute keyed for two minutes on receive. An Astron will NOT jump the output voltage and fry a radio if it fails. The crowbar will shut it down and save the radio/amplifier, even if you run it hard enough to break it down. Not every other power supply out there can make that claim.
73
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Hoosier Cardinal
Posted on Wednesday, August 28, 2002 - 1:05 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)
Thats great to hear! I knew a guy that had a pyramid supply that blew and took out all of his mobiles he had hooked to it. Thats why ill NEVER buy a pyramid.....
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bruce
Posted on Wednesday, August 28, 2002 - 7:50 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)
Hoosier We use them at the jail to power base radios never had one fail except fot lighting hits and that was our fault. I use them never had a failure and both of mine are 5 years old i trust them with over $2000 in ham gear every time i power this desk up. Now be smart and FUSE each radio independly of the supply never trust any suply to shut down if a problem happend in your set I got a regency HR-6 that was given to me because the owner wired it to a 30 amp and it shorted FRIED everything to the on off switch.
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Hoosier Cardinal
Posted on Wednesday, September 04, 2002 - 1:39 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)
Well I got my Astron 70a today. WOW what a monster! It weights at 45 lbs! But built solid as a brick you-know-what! Great quality! Too bad Coppers doesnt sell them..
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bruce
Posted on Thursday, September 05, 2002 - 12:34 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)
Hooser enjoy mine has given many good years of service one saftey point 70 amps is very dangerous FUSE everything and get a VERY good surge protector and it will be around for a long time!
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Hoosier Cardinal
Posted on Thursday, September 05, 2002 - 11:33 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)
Well yeah, i fused everything. Im no new comer to radios ya know! LOL. Problem is the didnt give me an owners manual for the supplier though..... Just a schematic and a catalogue..
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bruce
Posted on Friday, September 06, 2002 - 4:29 am:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)
Hooser you would be amazed how many people DON't Fuse things " its a regulated suply " i hear when they bring me a pile of charcoel that was a radio.
And it sounds so harmless its 12 volts! yes but 12 v * 70 amps is 800 watts and THAT will fry things.
Bruce
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Hoosier Cardinal
Posted on Friday, September 06, 2002 - 3:28 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)
But Bruce you will be amazed at how many people do not use common sense!! Especially in regards to CB operators....
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Taz
Posted on Friday, September 06, 2002 - 4:12 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)
HAHAHA
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bruce
Posted on Friday, September 06, 2002 - 6:09 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)
Hossier i can honestly tell you STUPITY in not limited to cbers Remember one of the last people KILLED puting up a antenna!
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bruce
Posted on Friday, September 06, 2002 - 6:14 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)
OOPS on my last post it should have read

WAS A HAM IN KENTUCKY!
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ss8541
Posted on Friday, September 06, 2002 - 8:45 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)
well, i have a astron 50 that i have tricked out to do close to 70amps. never turned any radio/amp into a pile of charcoal. if there is a dead short, it will do one of two things; 1) -quickly- blow the short or 2) -quickly- fold back power as soon as it senses the short(if the short can withstand the very quick 70amp burst). same with the 35, 25, and 10 that i have.

if in doubt of what i say, look at 2600's post. he has been a radio tech for a long time, and i am only a motorola dealer tech. infact i sometimes test radios like this(don't tell the motorola radio support center) for where the short is. if it doesn't completely kill the supply(i sometimes raise current level to the point that the voltage isn't completely pulled down) and then feel for the hot spot. when i find it, i find my problem area(of course voltage is added after the internal fuse).

but bruce is right about fusing the radio. always do that. i may be around less than i was b4(working on other projects, that i hope will help all here and elsewhere) but i am not gone.
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Brer Rabbit
Posted on Friday, September 06, 2002 - 11:28 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)
I have an Astron 50 amp rack mount with meters. I have had excellent luck with my supply. I used to do alot of testing and my supply only failed once. $1.27 later I was back in business again. For linear testing I wouldn't use any other supply. The 50 amp units with or without meters also have the ability to parallel two supplies together to offer 80-90 amps.
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Hell458
Posted on Friday, September 06, 2002 - 11:36 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)
i have astron rs 50a ,i connected superstar 3900 and texas star 350 hdv .it blinks out .thats running it on low side.i even raise dc to 15v. and still blinks out.does anyone know what it can be ? i like to know how to modify it to 70amp .thank you for all your help.
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Hoosier Cardinal
Posted on Saturday, September 07, 2002 - 1:09 am:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)
What about running 2 70 amper together? That would equal 140 amps!! Enough to drive a DX 1600!
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ss8541
Posted on Thursday, September 12, 2002 - 10:36 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)
2600, the ICAS standard is the 'old school' standard. the 'new school' standard is ICS(intermittent communication service). almost all power supplies go by this now(including astron). it is 5min on and 5min off. not sure how this compares to the older ICAS of 1min on 2min off(maybe you or someone else knows). just thought i would let you and the others know this.

as far as increasing the current potential, decrease the resistor value of r3. you will see that there is 2 r3 spots on the board. one is usually a 1.6k-2.2k, and the other usually has no resistor. i think that i have added a 2.2-3k to this spot to increase the current output. but this must be used for pep current. you must realize that the transformer and passive trans can only do so much b4 the heat build up will cause them to self destruct. a fan is a nice idea when this mod is performed.
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HoosierCardinal
Posted on Friday, September 13, 2002 - 2:36 am:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)
Well ive decied NOT to go this route aas it will be too costly in the long run. 250.00 each for the 70s ampers and about 600.00 for the sweet 16. Thats ummm, $1100.00!!!! Nahh! TMM!(too much money)

Ill keep my Astron 70 i got to power my rigs that i have and forego another route instead of the 1600..
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bruce
Posted on Friday, September 13, 2002 - 7:45 am:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)
ICAS was mainly for TUBES but your right it was used for a lot of things CCS was if you wanted it to last Then there was always the MY WAY people we all know them we use to say back in my 2 meter AM days you know that final tube it being run MY WAY when you could see the WHITE HOT GRID GLOWING THROUGH THE RED HOT PLATE.