Power Supply Question

[wayward]

Hey guys, I'm trying to set up my first base station, and I have a question about power supply. I have a Midland 1001z radio. I was wondering if I wired the radio to a 12V DC power plug and then attatched it to something like this:

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Would this be a good idea? Thanks

Dylan

[Foxhunter]

Hi Wayward first Iet me say WELCOME to the CBRT and you found a great place to ask questions on everyone's favorite subject here. To try and help, I made a small correction to the web URL you pasted so that it would link correctly, it wasn't working. The power supply you linked to is indeed 5.8A @12V and has the handy accessory plug adapter (which is always convenient). At first look it appears it would be acceptable for powering a typical CB like the Midland 1000Z you are intending on using it for.

My only concerns would be if the unit is "radio friendly" or not, meaning whether it will be electrically "noise-free" or not. I see it is listed for powering small TV's etc, but not all DC power supplies provide noise-free operation for communications radios (trust me I know!). The website didn't mention whether the power supply is a switched-mode "switching" type power supply or a small linear type, and if known would be an important clue possibly.

Also many "12V" power supplies intended for CB radios are actually 13.8V, so if the power supply you linked to is indeed actually and really only 12V, you'd be powering the radio at almost 2V lower than normal voltage. Well it's a start and a few things to think about. Be sure and look over some of the CB radio AC/DC power supplies offered by the CBRT Sponsors, most of them carry them and are specifically designed for CB use and won't introduce electrical noise into the system. Hope it helps! Also, lets see what anyone else has to offer or say about the power supply you're asking about, someone might have something else to point out and consider.

Foxhunter 351 NJ

[Jaywalker]

The one you've shown will probably not have the noise filters required to give a clean receive and transmit on a radio - like it's been said, best get one made for CB radio use and get the biggest one you can afford - you never know where the hobby will take you and a good power supply is the foundation of a good CB station!

Buy from one of the Sponsor's CB shops and you can't go wrong

Personally I'd go for a good old-fashioned 13.8V Regulated Power Supply over a Switch Mode one - maybe that's because I'm old though!

Cheers
Gary

[wayward]

Thanks for the information and the warm welcome. I'm going to take a look around the sponsors websites to see what I can come up with for a "radio friendly" power supply.

Thanks again,

Dylan