Manager


Manager - NA4M
Manager Notes

Reviews For: Samlex SEC-1223

Category: Power Supplies

eMail Subscription

Registered users are allowed to subscribe to specific review topics and receive eMail notifications when new reviews are posted.
Review Summary For : Samlex SEC-1223
Reviews: 157MSRP: 129.99
Description:
Switching Power Supply

Helpful RFI reduction mod by ZL2DF: http://www.n0ss.net/samlex_1223_rfi_mods_from_zl2df.pdf
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.samlexamerica.com
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
001574.4
K1YPB Rating: 2011-04-05
A very good Power Supply Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I have had mine since 2004 when I got my TS-2000. Mine is the OEM version manufactured for Kenwood. These are very good, well made power supplies. Rock solid and quiet. So good in fact it inspired me to buy the Samlex 1235-M version (which has higher output and volt and current meters). I use my 1223 supply now as a back up supply for the shack and for my portable operations (a FT-817 and Tokyo High Power 45 watt amp). The nice feature of these supplies are they have a small foot print, so they can be up where the equipment is, and they have their power connection on the back panel, which enhances their use in a permanent installation. If you are looking for a good small power supply that is well made and does the job, consider this one as one of your choices.
K0KZO Rating: 2011-04-05
Excellent Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Mine has been on 24/7 for almost seven years now and it powers one HF and one VHF rig. I just ordered the 12amp version to power a new 2 meter station I'm installing. Excellent supplies.
W0KIE Rating: 2011-04-04
Epic Fail Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I occasionally use the Samlex 1223 power supply for SSB transmit but mostly it powers receive mode listening on a Yeasu FT 897. I don't hear any power supply hash in receive. The power supply is about 4 years old, maybe 5. Today tuned up for a minute or so with some PSK 31 key down transmitting running around 25 to 30 watts and drawing maybe 10 amps at most. That's when the power supply did an epic fail with several capacitors exploding leaving white goo on the circuit board. The Samex 1223 was good while it lasted. The moral of the story is don't let capacitors go bad with only light use. Just to be on the safe side I suggest you buy the 30 amp model instead of the 20.
W7RUE Rating: 2011-02-06
Great Power Supply Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I've had one of these for two years and it keeps giving me great service.
N0AZZ Rating: 2011-02-06
5 STAR Time Owned: more than 12 months.
In use here for almost 5 yrs now never turned it off and never had a problem with it. I have checked for any RF on HF/6/2/440 using a FT-847 2/440 all mode,IC-2820 VHF/UHF/D-STAR and for HF/6m a FTDX-5000MP I do run a Samlex 1235m at the same time also.
I think I should show some RFI but the closest antenna for any band is 90' except for a 6m FM vertical for some repeater (linked) work.
OZ1DB Rating: 2011-01-04
Small efficient PSU Samlex 1223 CE Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Since 4 years I have used this small compact PSU with pleasure, but in my summer holiday 2009 I found several noisy carriers in the 80 and 40m band. Distance between antenna and PSU was 3 meter!
Afterwards I found a good solution of the problem: two 1.5 uF polyester capacitors from each output terminal to chassis (ground).
You can see ”how I did” at www.oz1db.dk
W5TTW Rating: 2010-12-23
YAESU FP-1023 Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Mine is branded as the YAESU FP-1023. From a technical perspective, anything that needs to be said has already been articulated in the preceding reviews.

I use it to power my YAESU FT450 & 857D. I'm satisfied.
KX7P Rating: 2010-12-03
GOOD COMPACT PSU Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I've had my Samlex 1223 since 2004. I use it when I take my Yaesu FT-897D on portable operations. I've never experienced any problems and have not noticed any RFI issues like others have experience.

I believe it's a good quality, compact, lightweight and fairly priced no frills PSU.
KC9YZR Rating: 2010-08-30
Comparing The Samlex 1223 Switching PS To Other Power Supplies Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I have had the Samlex 1223 Switching Power Supply connected to an Icom IC-718 for about 5 years and it's almost never been turned off, so that the Icom IC-718 wouldn't lose the frequencies that are in the memories, and so it wouldn't lose the menu settings, etc., when I turn the Icom off.

No problems with it so far, and it runs silently, and I like it very much, except for the terrible RFI that I get all over from it.

I get anywhere from a S-5 to a S-9 noise level all over the HF frequencies, especially on 75 Meters, like a S-8 on 3913 kHz or so, a S-8.5 on 3933.5 or so, s-9 on 3942 kHz or so, etc., and the "whistle" or interference sometimes will move up and down a little bit in frequency, and it's the power supply, because when I turn the power supply off, the noise disappears for a couple of seconds before the rig's power goes off, plus when I connect either an Astron or a Pyramid power supply to the Icom IC-718 there isn't any noise on those frequencies.

I also get the RFI on my public service scanner, like when listening to 2 Meters, as on 144.000 mHz for example, I get a full-scale reading on the interference from the Sec 1223, and on the police frequencies, and even some interference from the Sec 1223 on the FRS frequencies,and it will even interfere with my radio-controlled clock, that will reset itself to the WWV signal, but the signal is blocked by the Sec 1223 if I have it within about six feet or so of the clock, but once I turn the Sec 1223 off, then the clock locks back into the signal, or if I move the Samlex 1223 further away from the radio-controlled clock, the clock also will lock into the WWV signal.

I have tried 8 of those RF chokes from Radio Shack, the ones that you wrap the cable or cords around and through, and can "stack" them, or connect them together in one long chain, both with the power cord wrapped around them and the Icom's power cables wrapped around and through them, I have tried the bleeder resister mod inside of the Sec 1223, which helped to some degree, to slightly decrease the noise level, by maybe 1 s-unit or so, I have placed ferrite beads on the power leads near the power supply's power binding posts, I have grounded the Sec 1223's case to the station ground, which also helped to some degree, to reduce the noise level, but the noise is still bad on some of the frequencies, or near enough to some of the frequencies that I like to listen to, to cause interference.

I used to operate as a Ham from 1986, until 2000, when due to the way I was treated by a bunch of Hams, I had decided to stop being a Ham, but my best friend is still a Ham, and he has been trying to get me back into Ham Radio, so I may give it a second chance, since I have been out of it for about 10 years now, but I am a SWL right now.

As far as the Pyramid and Astron power supplies go, I like them also, but the power transistors, or diodes, the Mospec 2N3055's, back in the heat sink, keep dying on me and I keep having to replace them every year or so, and when using the Astron or Pyramid power supplies, they do create quite a bit of heat, given off from the heat sink, whereas I haven't really noticed much heat given off of the Samlex 1223 .

The meter on the Pyramid PS-21KX has stopped working also and the indicator needle sits at the bottom of the meter, so it doesn't or won't give the approximate power draw, or current draw, either.

In any case, I like the Samlex 1223, except for the RF noise, if it wasn't for that, I'd give the Samlex a great review.

Have a Great Day,
Bernard
K7OED Rating: 2010-08-08
Rock Steady Time Owned: more than 12 months.
For the first five years she was used for many Field Day and special events and never complained about generator power or high temperatures. She spent the last 5 years turned on almost constantly keeping my shack battery charged through an Anderson SuperPowergate. Gave flawless operation throughout this 10 year period - no hash or other noise complaints at all.
Sadly, she gave up the ghost last night during an Arizona monsoon thunderstorm (had my computers and TV's unplugged - but the power supply was only turned off and not unplugged).
This was a great unit - I had no hesitation about buying another one (just ordered from AES for delivery by Wednesday).