Astron
| Astron | |
|---|---|
| Type | Private, family-owned company |
| Full name | Astron Corporation |
| Founded | 1976 |
| Headquarters | Irvine, California |
| Amateur radio | |
| Known for | 13.8-volt DC power supplies for radio equipment |
| Product lines | RS, VS and RM linear supplies; SS switching supplies; 28-volt supplies; DC-to-DC converters |
| Status | Active |
| Website | astroncorp.com |
Astron, formally Astron Corporation, is an American manufacturer of DC power supplies for radio equipment, based in Irvine, California. Founded in 1976, the family-owned company is best known among hams for its heavy linear supplies, which convert household AC power to the 13.8 volts used by most HF transceivers and mobile radios. It also makes lighter switching supplies, 28-volt supplies and DC-to-DC converters. Its products are used in commercial radio systems run by businesses, fire and police departments and trucking companies, as well as in amateur stations.
History
Astron began making linear power supplies in 1976. In 1980 it added DC-to-DC converters, which run 12-volt equipment from higher-voltage DC systems, with a heavy-duty line accepting inputs from 24 to 72 volts. A later isolated version, in which the output is not connected to the input, was designed mainly for electric forklifts and for vehicles with positive-ground electrical systems. In 1996 the company introduced its first switching power supplies, which are smaller, lighter and more efficient than its linear designs.
The company describes itself as family owned and operated. It says its linear supplies are made in the United States, and it sells its products worldwide through dealers and distributors.
Over the decades Astron supplies became a familiar sight in ham shacks and in repeater and commercial radio installations. Many older units remain in service, and schematics and repair notes for them are widely shared among hams and repeater builders.
Products
Astron model numbers combine a series prefix with a current rating, as in RS-35A. The number is the supply's intermittent rating rather than its continuous one (see the tip below).
- Linear desktop supplies (RS series). These use a heavy transformer and a regulator circuit to produce a steady, electrically quiet output. Ratings run from a few amps to 70 amps intermittent. Every model has crowbar overvoltage protection, a circuit that shorts the output and blows a fuse if the regulator fails, so a fault cannot send excess voltage into the radio. They also have foldback current limiting, which cuts the output current back sharply when the supply is overloaded or shorted. The output is set at 13.8 volts and can be adjusted internally from 11 to 15 volts. Models with an M in the name, such as the RS-35M, add backlit voltmeters and ammeters, and models ending in -AP have Anderson Powerpole output connectors.
- Variable supplies (VS series). These have an output adjustable from 2 to 15 volts, which is handy on the workbench. The available current falls at lower voltages.
- Rack-mount supplies (RM series). These are linear supplies built to mount in equipment racks, as in repeater and commercial installations. Like several RS models, they are also offered in battery-backup versions, marked -BB.
- Switching supplies (SS series). These are lighter and more compact than the linear models, with ratings up to 40 amps continuous. They include filtering against electrical interference, and the -AP versions add Powerpole connectors and USB charging ports. See Radio frequency interference for how switching supplies can affect receivers.
- Other products. Astron also makes 28-volt supplies, DC-to-DC converters and a battery backup module.
In the hobby today
Astron supplies are sold new through amateur radio dealers and turn up often on the used market and at hamfests. Linear models are heavy and run warm, and switching models are lighter and more efficient. Hams choose between them based on weight, efficiency and how quiet the supply is on the bands. Both types are common in fixed stations. The battery-backup versions keep equipment running from a battery when AC power fails, which suits stations used for emergency communications.