Switching power supplies aren't noisy anymore, I have one in my go kit and 
one running my home station. I'm sure some out there are noisy but the 
astron ones and samlex aren't, I can say that. Some like mfj ones as well, I 
only had one experience with an MFJ one and it was so bad it had a filter in 
it and I was tuning the radio with one hand and the filter controls with the 
other, but that had a 2 prong plug, was about 15 feet from the antenna and 
both combined may or may not have been the problem. I know my samlex 
wouldn't do that though I've done a lot worse, maybe they improved on it 
though I'd doubt it knowing mfj. The switching power supplies are lighter, 
smaller, a lot easier on the electric bill, run cooler, and if they break 
you aren't likely to fix them though for the price throw it out and get a 
new one. The linear ones, are big, heavy, can often be pushed past rated 
amperage for a few seconds, if constantly on do show up on the electric 
bill, can be fixed often quite easily if need be and over all last for ever. 
I've never killed a switching power supply but the one running my station is 
only about 3 years old, it's been running the whole time though because my 
packet station runs 24/7 and is on it as is my HF station. I can't complain 
about it, you do hear the fan when it comes on but that's not all that often 
and I just keep it under the desk way in back, I can't hear it.
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Dshawn Pearson" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Saturday, May 25, 2013 4:59 PM
Subject: power supplies(pros, and cons)


> Hello List:
>
> Apart from the fact that they're 2 basic types of power supplies(linear, =
> and "switching), I know very little about their relative =
> merits/shortcomings except that the latter type seem to be much less =
> expensive, smaller, but perhaps at the price of a little more noise.  It =
> seems that many people on this list use an Astron supply providing from =
> 25-30 amps.
>
> I could use a primmer/tutorial on supplies, and the practical reasons =
> for  preferring one type over the other.
>
> 73,
>
>
>
> David S. Pearson-wa4dsp