Except for handheld transceivers (HTs), most modern ham radio gear uses 12V DC power.  You may find vintage radios and more recent designs that require AC main power, but the VHF/UHF mobile radios and the latest HF transceivers run off of 12-13.5VDC.   Nearly all of the modern all-band transceivers use 12VDC power as well so that they can be operated mobile or portable.

If you want to install a mobile radio in your home instead of your vehicle (an excellent idea, by the way, if you don’t have an all-band rig) you will need a DC power supply for it.  Same goes for the latest HF transceivers; they require 12VDC power but don’t often include the power supply.  Additionally, many radio accessories require 12V nominal power.

Examples of ham gear DC power supplies.

The 50W mobile radios and 100W transceivers need a lot of current at 12V to operate at full output power.  Sizing a DC power supply for these plus accessories isn’t quite as straightforward as it would seem.

For one, you cannot simply take radio output power and divide by 12V to get amperes. Continue reading →