[Elecraft] K-Line Addition - DC Power Supply (Suggestion)

[Ron D'Eau Claire]

I guess it depends upon which Astron model you are working with. I've worked
with a great many RS and RM Astron supplies in Ham and Commercial systems
over the years and have never encountered one that made more than a very,
very quiet hum. 

I'm not sure what you mean about the regulator not being "quiet". The LM723
is a simple linear I.C.; no switching noise and no acoustical noise. 

The popular RS and RM series have both automatic over-voltage and
over-current shut-down that protects both the power supply and any equipment
connected to it. 

In decades of use working with a great number of Astron supplies - many of
which are in 24/7 service operating commercial equipment - I've yet to see a
regulator failure - or any Astron failure for that matter. I'm not
suggesting that they won't fail, but I've yet to see it happen in,
conservatively, tens of thousands of operating hours.

My station Astron resides on a shelf out of the way under the operating
table so having a matching appearance with the rest of the K-line is not an
issue for me.  

73, Ron AC7AC



-----Original Message-----


Being linear regulators, the Astron supplies are probably pretty RF quiet,
but for what they cost they are big and can be acoustically noisy (I have
heard several buzzing transformers), not to mention containing antiquated
circuitry.  LM723 regulators are not the quietest nor most stable linear reg
ICs available these days, and have limited regulation bandwidth in stable
implementations.  Considering these factors i have been reticent to buy one.

I bet Elecraft can outdo what is available in a pretty little matching
package.

Howie - WA4PSC