20 Best Ham Radio Power Supply (2023 Updated)

Great product here. I’m really happy with it’s performanceb screw-type connection terminals that ensure compatibility with a wide range of devices, equipments and components. Used for component and device equipment testing, operation and performance built-in electronic overload and short circuit protection to ensure safety of the operator and any connected electrical devices.

Has rugged and durable housing construction safe for tabletop or desktop placement.

So far after one week, this Power Supply has produced a steady voltage of 13. 78 – 13. 79 , I have had a steady 0. 30 – 10. 35 amp (3. 5 – 136. 7 W) draw on the unit with no problems. Looking to increase the amp draw to at least 22.

5 amps in the next few weeks. The unit is quiet (no noise), the cooling fan has yet to come on in a room temp of 76 degrees F. Time will tell. The manufactures Website will not let one register their purchase, this is disturbing if support is needed and a registration card was not included in the packaging, something to be concerned about.

I did send email to all available addresses on the web site to register this product with no response after a week. Will keep trying.

The PSV-300 is what I ordered and what I got. All you have to do is connect your wires and plug into 115 or 230 ac. The power supply does all the work for you while keeping itself cool with the built in fan.

It will cut itself off if the fan can not keep it cool enough. Right after I bought mine it went on sail for less than $100 dollars. Oh well. If you do not know what you are doing get help hooking it up so you do not damage anything.

The 30 amps is what I needed for mobile radio and amplifier. You may need less. I would recommend Pyramid to anyone. Their products last forever.

When I tried to use the supply the very first time the pos. thumb screw fell apart. The brass insert pulled out of the thumb screw. I voided the warranty by removing the cover and installing quality power output jacks.

My first test of the power supply was to hook a automotive head light to it to see if it could handle it and shine brightly. It shut down and would not put out any power. It sees the light as a short circuit and stops the output.

Next I hooked it to a 100 watt ham radio transceiver and loaded it up to 50 watts. (That takes about 10 amps ) It held the load solid for 15 seconds. That is sufficient for ham radio work. Its a nice looking supply and is no doubt able to handle audio and other types of higher resistance loads but its no good for testing auto head lights—–I dont regret buying it because I will be using it for radio work.

I think next time I will buy a tripp lite supply.

Pyramid has been around for a very long time and even though a lot of their stuff is junk, these 12 volt power supplies are very well built and have been providing myself consistently reliable, robust service.

I have purchased several over the years and will continue to do so as dollar for dollar, you can not beat the overall performance and reliability of these reasonably priced work-horse. They are great for bench work, but I especially love them for CCTV / Alarm System long term power applications.

For example, you can power 32+ CCTV cameras, a crapload of infrared illuminators and 6 lapse recorders off of a pair of PS-14’s, and if done right,. it will last for decades!.

Well constructed, cabinet is vented to assist with cooling of components. The power supply is protected by a fuse. The On off switch is illuminated when in the on position. DC terminals are color coded and allow for use of “banana plugs” or for wrapping a wire around the terminal and tightening the terminal.

Have not had the opportunity to check the DC with a “scope” to determine if any ripple exists.

The Pyramid PS14KX power supply is just what I need—12 volts at 12 amperes. Actually, 13. 8 volts at 12 amperes. The 13. 8 volts insures the device I am running receives all the power it requires. The power supply features temperature and overload protection— valuable insurance against fire.

A word of caution: the heat sinks located on the back of the unit get very warm (which is normal), so be sure to keep heat sensitive objects away from the back. Also, there are ventilation holes all over the chassis box.

Don’t cover the unit with anything which might block this ventilation, as that could cause overheating, and it could shut down. This unit is more a utility power supply, and does not offer elegance—but it suits my application perfectly.

One more note: There are two power terminals with black and red nuts to attach the power output cord, so you may need to purchase an adapter to connect it to the device you are running. Make sure you get the polarity correct!.

I bought this for a 12V CB in my house. When using the power supply there is a noticeable hum coming from my CB. It’s worse when I transmit. I’ve never had this problem so I’m thinking it’s the power supply.

I went out in my Jeep and talked to my wife over it and I can not hear the hum in the transmissions so I’m going to go ahead and keep it. Not sure I would recommend.

Unit failed after two weeks by delivering low voltage. I tried power cycling it, but when I put a digital volt meter across the output terminals, I watched the voltage slowly drop below 9 VDC, even though it’s supposed to put out 13.

4.

Very nice power supply. I highly recommend getting one of these if you need an inexpensive, but very good power supply. Doesn’t have an “onboard” meter, but I have ordered a DC volt meter to monitor the output voltage.

Still isn’t a “negative” aspect though, as it does seem to maintain the proper voltage as viewed with my DC/AC voltmeter. It does incorporate a “voltage output” adjustment screw so that you can adjust the output DC voltage if needed.

It also has an “onboard” cooling fan that is VERY QUIET when running. This is a very professional piece of electronic hardware that is built like a tank!!!! GET ONE !!!! I really like mine !!!!.

I purchased this same supply from this vendor 3 years ago and it has worked flawlessly to power amateur radio equipment. My only minor complaint was the cooling fan was a bit loud. Once the voltage was set, I never had to touch the supply again.

So jump ahead 3 years and I decided to buy another (identical) 30 Amp supply, just to have a backup – plus the vendor noted new ones use a temperature controlled ball bearing fan and are quieter. Well he was absolutely correct – the new power supply is almost totally silent.

The old (completely reliable) supply has now been relegated to backup status. Highly recommended. Easily set to 13. 8 Volts (or whatever you wish +/- several volts) with an accessible potentiometer.

Outstanding add-on to my solar project! Helps maintain battery charge on deep cycle batteries on cloudy days and nights. I didn’t realize how tough this little power supply is. I purchased it to help maintain the batteries and instead it charges the batteries and runs my inverter at night! I don’t have a high amp demand at night so it is an outstanding addition! I am probably going to buy another just to have as a spare!.

Better build quality than Mighty Mite. Fan much quieter. Amp meter is good idea. No RFI to speak of. Why MFJ can’t accommodate Pomona twin banana plugs is baffling. The banana spec. jacks are a 16th of an inch too far apart, requiring down stream modifications.

As banana jacks are the sole way to deliver 30 Amps they should accommodate the real deal, genuine Pomona twin jacks and plugs.

I purchased to power an accessory needing 12Vdc and low amps but wanted it to serve as a back-up supply for the other radio gear. My only negative comment is I wish the front Volt Adj knob was push-pull so if you accidentally bump the knob it doesn’t change your output voltage.

It has a 13. 8 Vdc detent but any other setting is open game for an “oops”. Regardless, I should have bought this long ago as it would have saved me countless hours trying to reduce fan noise in my other top name SPS’s.

This unit is less than half the size of the others with 1/4 of the fan noise. and no detectable RFI. It meets the “whisper” quiet definition and doesn’t need to be buried behind/underneath the operating desk.

Quality “surprisingly” very good and at a great price point, I would buy this again.

This is my 2nd (for a new radio setup). The MFJ-4230 has stood the test of time 5 years and going strong. I’ve used these for powering everything from breadboarding Arduino projects to Ham Transceivers.

Compact powerful little unit.

My Yaesu FP-1030A power supply for eight years has energized one or another HF rig for me, and currently supplies both my main and standby rigs (not at once) through an MFJ power extender. The fan can be a little loud at times, but I wear cans and the environment where I sit is louder than anything this thing does.

It never varies; I believe the reports of extremely low ripple. I never get RFI from it, nor does it blink even when my computer monitor does when I hit a KW on 20m. An external meter confirms that this workhorse cranks out the whole 13.

8V even today. My rigs pull about 16-17 A at 100W, so I’ve never approached its limits. Its specs rival or exceed those of rival models in a more elite range, and its got all the bells (multiple tie points, meters, cig.

lighter jack). If you don’t like its unlit meters, get one of those workshop LED headlamps; the panels reflect right back at you. The Yaesu FP-1030A is hands down the best ham radio power supply value in its amperage range.

My 40 amp switching power supply gave up after approximately 2 years. I had decided to make the switch back to a linear power supply but dealer/ distributor stock was pretty lean. Well, the good folks at DX Engineering came through with a great product with a predictable lead time.

I ordered the Yaesu which arrived in about a week. First impressions were convenient front panel connections, large voltage and current meters and a clean front panel appearance. Once connected to my rig and powered up I noticed very low fan noise.

So far this power supply has exceeded my expectations and at a reasonable price for a linear supply. I expect to be a happy user for many years to come. Thanks DX Engineering!.

I’m new at Hamming so I can’t give a technical review but this power supply seems to do quietly what’s expected of it. Seems quite heavy and very well constructed. Seems like a fine power supply. No regrets so far after several months.

At this point I’m very pleased with this Yaesu power supply and my Yaesu FTdx 10 transceiver, although I expect a rather steep learning curve before my user proficiency will be achieved. Just what I was looking for, something to keep my mind occupied during retirement.

Very nice switching power supply for ham radio use. Simple, rugged, easy to use (it’s a power supply), nice meters. The fan is a bit loud, NOT obnoxiously so, it doesn’t bother me, but it distracts some people.

I’ve read a good fix is to cut out the holes over the fan in the cover, and put a big mesh screen over it, the sound is from the air rushing through the holes. I just keep mine on the floor and use a 6′ power cable, I don’t notice it when operating.

Nice piece of gear, I recommend.

As I said. Absolutely clean power. Eliminated injected RF noise on transmitter. Adjustable voltage for many purposes. Be prepared, the LED lighted meters are VERY BRIGHT. Had to shade mine so as not to affect sleep.

The MFJ-4225 is a great little package for powering up your 50W mobile rig. For it’s small size, it sure delivers a punch. This product is a welcome edition to my ham shack.

I have a DJ ART Pre turntable Pre-amp and found some random post online that said get a 12V DC power supply for the ART Pre and it will improve sound quality. Since everything you read on the internet is the truth -haha- I ordered this unit along with the necessary connection adapters.

Sure enough, the sound was improved noticeably. I switched between this and the standard wall wart dozens of times and to my ears the difference was very obvious on track after track. I’d be using the standard wall wart and the reaction was “well, this sounds fine” but then switch back to this power supply and it was like “Oh.

yeah, this is WAY better”. Everything was just kicked up a notch, particularly with the overall dynamics/punchiness/sense of power in the presentation. Not only that, I’d been experiencing a lot of RF and/or electrical interference – with this unit, all that noise was gone.

Not entirely sure how, but it was extremely nice side benefit as I’d been banging my head against the wall of how to get that stopped and I hadn’t got this power supply to address that issue, but what a pleasant surprise that it did.

Bear in mind, this is really an industrial/hobbyist, not a consumer, piece of kit, no instructions. But it’s really not too difficult if you have a degree of basic familiarity with electrical wiring, stereo components, building PCs etc.

Extremely effective low cost upgrade for my use case!.

I bought this as a bench supply so I could test and modify effects pedals without having to mess with wall warts. I’ve had it only a couple of hours, but I’ve tested it with a Tech21 Sansamp BDDI and an Eden WDTI.

No problems whatsoever. Both units run completely hum-free even with the units set at high gain. However, neither the BDDI nor the WTDI draws more than 100 mA, so these results are preliminary. If subsequent use on units that draw more current produces hum, I’ll come back and report it.

Voltages are spot on. There is a generic (i. e. not blindingly bright) red LED on the unit to show when it’s on. The companion connector/cable kit (120-537) works fine. As others have already said, the socket the plugs attach to is crazy tight, so you will have to open up the mating connectors with a scribe or something similarly needle-like.

Even then the connectors don’t fully seat, but that’s okay, because when you’ve got them mated, even partially, the connection is very solid and tight. The power supply’s output posts DO unscrew to accept spade lugs, and the ones on the 120-537 kit match up perfectly.

Therefore you will not need banana plugs to make the kit work. The two-wire AC cord seems to be heavy duty and able to withstand some scuffing. Fuse is a 5mm x 20mm 1A at 250V. Nice unit. Based on my experience so far, i.

e. low-current use, I’d replace it if it broke.

Great little inexpensive power supply. Used it to upgrade the cheap walwart for my Arcam irdac. Believe it or not it made a huge difference. Tighter ,deeper bass,smoother highs and more punch and PRAT

So far this seems like a good power supply. I have only used it for a couple of weeks, but it works well. I have done some 100-watt FT-8 with my radio, which draws the full amount of current that the radio is rated at, a little over 20 amps.

The power supply coasted through that FT-8 operating period just fine without even needing to turn on its internal fan. I guess the heat sink on the top of the unit does the job. If I ever need another power supply, I will definitely buy this one again.

It looks nice too. By the way, I checked the voltmeter on the front of the unit, and it is spot on compared to an expensive Fluke voltmeter. I also like the fact that the fuse in on the outside of the unit.

So, if it ever needs replacement, I don’t have to open up the unit. Many other brands of power supplies have their fuse on the inside.

I bought this in store from another supplier. I was in need of a new power supply for my FTDX101D as the one I had been using was showing signs of fatigue. I have been using it now for a few weeks daily and am very happy with it! It runs my radio with no problems at all.

I also have my yaesu FTM100 fusion radio hooked up to it. There is ZERO need to use the “noise offset” to remove unwanted interference from the power supply because there simply Isn’t any to remove! It’s small and light weight compared to my old pyramid 52amp power supply and barely takes up any space at all on my desk.

I would highly recommend buying one if you are looking for something with a small footfrint that will easily run your rig! I put off buying a new one for a long time and after buying this, I wish I had gotten it sooner! I will add photos later!.

Wow, a brand new apparently functioning power supply. I’m providing this review because these stupid sites always ask for feedback, even if it’s totally irrelevant for a new purchase by a new ham. The power supply looks great! It lights up upon being powered on! So far so good.

Highly recommended if the entire life of this power supply is as good as the first 10 minutes. Too soon to rate price/value or quality (beyond initial appearances) but since DX Engineering wants feedback, take it for what it’s worth.

I use my product to power my pellet stove in the event that the power goes out. I like the fact that you can add batteries to increase the amount of time you are on battery power. I wasn’t happy that the manual does not show the proper trip switches for my product.

Because the product can be used for multiple uses, the instructions are a little bit lacking. Tripp Lite is also the only recommended product for my stove.

Tripp Lite power supplies are of decent quality. They used to be US-made, but now are produced in China. However, the quality is still good, and they work well. Tripp Lite also manufactures UPS systems, as well as other power conditioning equipment.

I have owned & used several different PR-series models over the years, and currently use the PR-40 to power my amateur radio gear. It works well, and has stable voltage regulation over its operating range, and operates very quietly (no RF noise).

It is a simple supply, with no metering or other unnecessary frills. Flip the switch on, and it works. They do run a bit warm (but not HOT!) when on, even with no load, but not a big deal. Although it’s called a “40 amp” power supply, in reality it is rated for ~35 amps “continuous” output, with 40 amps being the peak output for short durations.

It is a Quiet Power supply, however when I do hear the fan it sounds as if the Armature is out of round. Could be the fan blades themselves are bent, or out of calibration. I feel that over time this will become problematic.

As a Machinist, I know that even being out even. 005 inch over time will wobble and wear further out of round. Also Since switching to this power supply I get a Backwards swing on AM on any radio, antenna, with any meter I check it with.

I was told by Several Radio suppliers that they have heard this complaint before. It is entirely possible that My power supply is by itself defective the model is still a good model. I am switching back to the 4035 model.

I used it for the first time to work on cb radios. It was easy to use. Great product. Work as expected. I love it!!!!!

This power supply works great and is much lighter than my older one is. You can hear a little fan noise when it is shut off, but DO NOT HEAR ANY NOISE WHILE IT IS RUNNING. does what it s supposed to do.

Good value. Primary use was for ham radio equipment. This design of power supply is prone to generate noise on HF frequencies and this one does generate some noise. I need to spend some time mitigating that issue.

Once done, this will be a great power supply for amateur radio use.

Bought it to power an old style police/fire light bar at a restaurant that does a lot of police/fire department retirement parties and other celebrations. Before, we had to hook up to a battery or power pack and use them sparingly because of the current draw.

Now we can just plug in and let the lights rotate for the entire event.

I needed a small and light weight power supply for a Ham Radio project. When I received this power supply I did some testing and it passed all my tests. I have used the Mean Well power supplies in the past that is why I ordered one again.

Drives my Icon ic 718 Ok and my IC 701 better. It is quiet and does not overheat, at 20 amps anyway. The voltage was set slightly low at the preset knob detent and I have to bump it up slightly. You must be sure that there is a tight connection to the output terminals of the power supply or you will not get the full output.

I did not find instructions describing how to install the Anderson Power Pole connectors. I suggest you watch Yuotube before installing them, So far I am very happy with the unit. And it is soooo small.

Nice, compact little package. This is the model with two sets of powerpole connectors on the back, which is very useful if that’s how you connect your equipment. It also has the regular connectors on the front.

This thing is rated for way more than my equipment can draw, so it does the job nicely. I haven’t been able to detect any noise on the HF amateur bands with this silent switching power supply. This has a cooling fan, but I never hear it – my rig’s fans (FT-891) come on way before this needs to cool itself.

This power supply surpassed my expectations. Rated at 30 amps for short time, it easily handles 25 amps continuous. I use if for several software defined radios and do not experience any problems with RF switching noise.

I have two of them- one is in the go box due to its light weight. One has been in use for 2 years daily with no problems. 1/3 the weight and size of a linear power supply, and smaller than most of the similarly rated switchers.

Highly recommend.

Second one of these. Great for amateur radio. They only funny thing is that the latest one says Pyle and not Pyramid, but it seems to be the same unit.

I have two of these units. I use them to power my two amateur radios (Kenwood TS-570d & ICOM 2300). Both are quiet, fan Is silent really and power is always ready to go. Remember always turn on the power supply first and the radio a minute later, turn off the radio first then shut down the power supply.

Remember to look at your power requirements before purchasing.

1) This is NOT a 20 Amp constant power supply, but it appears to handle the load just fine. My radio is supposed to draw 20 Amps at 65w, but the meter says 12 Amp at this load on TX, so everything seems to be okay.

2) The fan is very loud. VERY loud. Plan on keeping this PS at a good distance so it doesn’t drive you crazy. 3) It appears to come with a light for the meter, but mine does not illuminate. It’s probably in there, but obviously broke in shipping.

All the bubble packaging was popped in the shipping box upon receipt. Overall, if you’re looking for an affordable 20 Amp PS, this will do the trick, but you get what you pay for. I went for the Pyramid brand, because I liked the 5 Amp PS I use with a CB radio in my shack, and it has been very reliable.

I’ve had this unit for a month now and just got around to firing it up. I pretty much knew what to expect since I have another one just like it. This one did not disappoint. I applied a load to it and it performed like a champ.

I would recommend one of these to anyone looking for a decent and reliable power supply. I have one running a radio and an amplifier and it has been just fine for the past few years. So if your on the fence, just buy it.

Easy to setup. Powering my RM Italy. Doing the job. Fan is alittle noisy. But I can deal with it.

I needed a 10 amp constant, 12 amp surge power supply for a truckers fridge that I needed to bring inside. First – have found that it’s hard to find much variety in these devices. These “Pyramid” power supplies are a bit more common.

The value came in getting it at almost half the normal prices (of other stores) by getting it from Walmart. This particular one did not have the cigarette lighter type plug in, I did not need this. There are simply two screw down posts for the DC wires.

I plugged it in and it’s quiet and cool. One more plug for Walmart, the shipping was free and it was rapidly delivered.

This supply performs quite well and has very little RF radiation. The only thing I do not like about it is its running temperature. Running my Drake receiver with less than a 2 amp load makes this supply run really hot! The transistor on the backside is too hot to touch.

This observation does not bode well for longevity.

I purchased this Alinco DM-30T to replace a failed second hand Alinco DM-330MV switching power supply that was probably 15 yrs old. This new power supply works great. The power supply output is quiet, it generates no noise on the HF bands.

Voltage output is exactly 13. 8v and does not vary under full load. The fan is also very quiet. Some other reviews say the fan is noisy, but this one is very quiet, you only hear it purring away if it’s in a dead quiet room and you are right next to the power supply.

I have owned 3 other Alinco power supplies 2 that were purchused new and the 15 yr old one second hand one that recently failed and I have been pleased with all of them. I am very pleased with my purchase.

It’s a good value for the money.

The unit is functioning fine when set to 13. 8 volt. However, should you need 14. 5 volts out for an AGM Battery the adjustment is all but impossible. The fidelity of the pot becomes so sensitive it is almost unusable.

If you want this unit for anything other the plain 13. 8 output, look elsewhere as this is not worth the frustration. I was told by the Rep that my Specs were too specific. HUH??? The reported Spec is variable voltage from 9 to 15V.

not 9 to 14 and a crap shoot from 14 to 15. Very unhappy with being told their specification was too tight. when in fact their functionality is disfunctional.

Have only had my license a little over a year. Up until now I have only relied on handhelds. This was my first power supply I purchased to power a 2m TM-281 in my office (purchased at the same time).

So far I have left it on the hard set 13. 8v settings so I havent messed with voltage adjustment or noise offset because I have needed neither of them. The power supply runs great. The only issue I have is there is a very slight high pitched ringing coming from the unit.

I am not sure if its the fan or that is just a characteristic of a power supply sitting right up on a desk where its in earshot. I do however usually have computers or fans running in my office anyways so the ringing is hidden very easily.