Thread: Astron RS-70M
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Old 07-10-2008, 11:51 AM   #2
w7wv
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Location: SE AZ
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I have had to 20 and 50 series amps from them and never a problem.
I don't have them anymore as I am getting ready for full time but if I remember right the 50 had two sets of terminals.
Make sure you are using the right ones and not exceeding any sustained ratings for them.
These are some notes I found on eHam about it. Note the last one.

KC4CP Rating: 5/5 Jul 30, 2006 21:02 Send this review to a friend
The BIG BOY! Time owned: more than 12 months
Now this thing is a "REAL" Power Supply! It will run everything in your shack ... and then some.

I have used my RS 70 to power my Ameritron ALS-500 amplifier. It works like a charm (it is important to use large guage wire & as short a run as possible). I know others who run the Ten Tec Hercules using this power supply.

It is big, it is heavy, it is powerful! I have owned two. After 10 years of service ... Zero problems to report! Enough said.

W5ZZQ Rating: 5/5 Aug 8, 2005 10:11 Send this review to a friend
Best made Time owned: more than 12 months
JUST THE BEST POWER SUPPLY OUT THERE. GREAT!

KA5ROW Rating: 4/5 Jul 12, 2005 22:07 Send this review to a friend
Good Heavy Duty Power Supply Time owned: more than 12 months
This is a good heavy duty power supply, but I am a little disappointed with its overrated specs.
And the Q/A department
I however, do not think its fair to rate this the RS-70 A or M as a 70 amp power supply. They should be rated as a 57 amp power supply. With intermittent 70 amp peaks. I don't know if you could use the P/S with a amplifier that pulled 60 or 65 amps on SSB peeks. I would think after a short time something would give out.
I use the P/S to power a TE-System 1452G 400 watt amplifier. On FM pulls about 52 amps. SSB Intermittent peeks to 52 amps. The P/S gets very hot, so hot you can not put your hand on the base of the P/S. The fan has kicked on only one time that I can remember. I sure the thermal control was not working. So I by passed it, now the fan runs all the time and the P/S is much cooler. All of my other P/S the fan runs all the time.
I called Astron got someone who could not speak English very well, and I could not get a clear answer as to why the cooling fan never ran. I don't think he really knew enough English to understand me and the point I tried to get across.
A 2nd issue was when I got the P/S one of the insulators between a regulator and heat sink was hanging by one end. It was an easy fix but a very obvious Q/A problem.
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