Ask Dave 17 delves into the mysteries of powering your amateur radio station. It covers both linear and switch-mode supplies. Also discussed are voltage drops in power cords, using 12v batteries to power your rig, and other topics. The Ham Radio Answers YouTube channel includes training videos for the Technician, General, and Amateur Extra class licenses, as well as the Ask Dave series. Be sure to subscribe on YouTube! All of these videos are also available on this website: just click on the correct category found in the right hand column of this web page.
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Yes, connecting direct to the battery is considered best practice.
I have an older yeasu 757 gx11 and I wanted to know how to use it as a mobile rig. Can I connect the power cables directly to my car battery? I don’t want to damage the radio.
No harm. The important thing is the voltage. The current rating of the power supply is the maximum it can produce. Most of the time it produces considerably less. So go ahead and get the bigger 13.8 vdc supply.
Hi Dave,
Is there harm in using a higher amperage power supply (25A or 30A) for a mobile rig? Eventually I’ll likely get a HF base station which will require that higher amperage, but want to start out with a mobile transceiver functioning as my home station. I’m just wondering if I can purchase the higher amperage power supply at the beginning instead of 10A, or if that will harm the mobile rig.
Thanks for all this great info!
-Nye (Just re-passed Tech about a week ago, working on General)