Power supply...

[K9CCH]

I'd take Fred up on the Astron offer. I have several, and they are pretty much bomb proof. But if one should ever go TU on you, they are a cinch to fix.

Price is going to be key... I'm pretty much on a non-existent budget.

[K7SGJ]

Price is going to be key... I'm pretty much on a non-existent budget.

I hope it works out for you. One other thing to consider; some switching power supplies can generate a fair amount of noise do to the nature of the design. I think most of the ones designed to power radio equipment is pretty well filtered and suppressed. Also, at VHF/UHF, and especially FM, it may not be as much of a consideration as it would be at HF frequencies, and other modes. I have no knowledge about the one you were looking at, but maybe someone else has some direct knowledge they can pass along. You might even see if there are any equipment reviews, you might try to Google it or try Eham. The Astron is not a switching type supply, and that problem is non-existent. Just something to be aware of, and it might even be a non-issue. Just a heads up for you.