I've heard that a lot of times, since I have a packet station running 24/7, 
my power supply never shuts off but I know many who've plugged them in to 
power strips, just never shut them off, because of switch problems. It 
happens.
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "colin McDonald" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Tuesday, March 08, 2011 12:05 AM
Subject: Re: another astron power supply story


> yeh, just jumper around the switch or just splice the wires right around 
> the
> switch...it'll go forever that way until something else more important 
> blows
> hi.
> I never use the switch here...PS stays on all the time.
> 73
> Colin, V A6BKX
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Steve Forst" <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Monday, March 07, 2011 7:30 PM
> Subject: Re: another astron power supply story
>
>
>> Lou,
>>
>> I remember reading something like this a number of years ago.  The guy
>> who had the problem claimed it was related to the fact that it is a
>> lighted switch, but who knows.
>>
>> Nice to have a spare supply on hand.
>>
>> 73, Steve KW3A
>>
>> On 3/7/2011 8:58 PM, Lou Kolb wrote:
>>> As long as we're discussing power supply issues, i've just had an
>>> experience
>>> I never expected.  My RM-35 from Astron failed and, oddly, the problem
>>> seemed to be in the switch.  You'd think it would be somewhere farther
>>> along
>>> in the circuit.  I was on cw and started to hear an odd sound every time
>>> the
>>> transmitter in the k3 keyed.  Like an arcing but different in that it
>>> wasn't
>>> a snappy sound.  At first, I thought it was the rig but then the
>>> transformer
>>> in the supply started to jump occasionally, as it does when you first
>>> turn
>>> the supply on.  When I started to smell smoke right after that, I 
>>> hastily
>>> signed and reached up to turn off the supply but the switch wouldn't
>>> throw.
>>> it moved a bit but was actually fused in place.  Later, when I came back
>>> down to the shack it had cooled down and was very firmly fused in place.
>>> I
>>> had another, older Astron on the shelf so I hooked it up and was back on
>>> the
>>> air the next night.  I haven't taken the cover off of the stricken 
>>> supply
>>> yet but it oughta be interesting.  It's not a complicated device so I
>>> expect
>>> to be able to fix it.  Anyone else have a similar experience?  Lou
>>> WA3MIX
>>>