all
Bands
Frequencyn/a
PowerVariable 2-15 VDC, externally adjustable, with volt/amp meters. At 13.8 V: 25 A continuous / 35 A ICS (15 A cont at 10 V, 7 A at 5 V). Linear; 105-125 VAC input; 13.8 VDC +/-0.05 V output, externally adjustable 2-15 V; ripple <5 mV p-p (full load, low line); load regulation 0.08%; 77% efficiency; fold-back current limiting + crowbar overvoltage protection on all models; -10 to 55 C
Modesn/a
Weight13.15 kg (29 lb)
Connectors
dc out1/4-20 screw terminals (PowerPoles on -AP)
ac in3-conductor cord (105-125 VAC)
metersfront-panel volt + amp
power req105-125 VAC in; 2-15 VDC out (externally adjustable)
The popular variable linear Astron with meters: front-panel adjustable 2-15 VDC, volt + amp meters At 13.8 V: 25 A continuous / 35 A ICS (15 A at 10 V, 7 A at 5 V) - comfortably powers any 100 W radio Crowbar overvoltage + fold-back current limiting; ripple <5 mV p-p; no switching hash 5 x 11 x 11 in, 29 lb; 1/4-20 screw terminals; AGC 8 A fuse; not fan-cooled; PowerPoles on -AP The variable/metered counterpart to the fixed RS-35 - a bench supply and a station supply in one Made in Irvine, California; current production
Strengths

The variable, metered version of Astron's most popular current class: adjustable 2-15 volts with volt and amp meters, 25 amps continuous at 13.8 V, silent linear regulation, and the crowbar safety net. It powers any 100-watt radio and doubles as a proper variable bench supply.

Weaknesses

Current derates at lower voltages (15 A at 10 V, 7 A at 5 V); it is heavy (29 lb) and linear-inefficient, and it costs more than the fixed RS-35M for the variable feature. Stud terminals unless you get the -AP.

Verdict

The do-it-all variable linear Astron: 25 A continuous, adjustable 2-15 V, metered, and crowbar-protected - a station supply and a bench supply together. Get the fixed RS-35M instead if you never vary the voltage; the VS-50M is the high-current step up.

The Astron VS-35M is the variable, metered version of Astron's most popular power-supply class. It pairs the proven 25-amp-continuous (35-amp ICS) linear chassis with two things the fixed RS-35M does not have together: front-panel voltage adjustment across 2 to 15 volts, and volt and amp meters to monitor it. That makes it a genuine variable bench supply as well as a station supply - at 13.8 volts it powers any 100-watt radio with headroom, and it can be dialed down for testing (with current derating to 15 amps at 10 volts, 7 amps at 5 volts).

It is the usual conservative Astron linear underneath: ripple under five millivolts, no switching oscillator, and the fold-back-plus-crowbar protection that turns a regulator failure into a blown fuse. It weighs 29 pounds in a 5-by-11-by-11-inch chassis with screw terminals, and the -AP variant adds Anderson PowerPole outputs.

You pay a little more and carry a couple more pounds than the fixed RS-35M for the variable-and-metered capability; the current derates as you lower the voltage, so it is not a high-current supply down low. For a shack-and-bench combination that wants silence, meters, adjustability, and the crowbar safety net, it is exactly the right tool. The VS-50M is the high-current step up. Made in Irvine, California; current.