Tripp Lite PSUs are heavy because they are linear type, the transformer steps down the 60Hz mains voltage to about 24VAC, then it's rectified and goes through pass transistors in a 12VDC regulator circuit. Your new one is a switching supply that operates at a much higher frequency so the transformer needs less iron and is lighter. Right, a well designed supply is quiet even at HF. My Biscuit supply weighed a ton, you would pop a gasket trying to lift it being mostly Heavy Metal, a Lead Zeppelin, not L.E.D. Zeppelin.
Cookie Cranium had every right to be cocky about mobile installations, he had years of experience under his belt with CB, HF, and VHF rigs. The reason why the truck system went nuts was because electronic dash instruments and engine computers were very RF sensitive when they first came out. It soon became moot when companies forbade connecting anything to the wiring thanks to illegal CB installations getting companies heavy fines from the FCC. Thanks to Field Engineers inspecting and busting at weigh stations, and busting truck stop sales of illegal CB gear and golden screwdrivers illegally monkeying with frequency determining elements and power output circuits hearing truckers at the bottom of 10M complaining about the "beepers" became a thing of the past.
I'm not too keen on cig lighter plugs, they don't make good contact and anything more than an HT causes them to overheat and often melt. A mag mount on the car roof is fine as long as there's a 5/8 wave antenna on it, but you'll soon find out that 5W doesn't cut the muster unless you're pretty close in or you're on a WW (wide wide) repeater. Things get worse using that sort of setup at home, don't forget you'll be highly directional favoring the direction the window faces. Also a metal sill or railing severely distorts the pattern with major lobes following the direction of the metal and they're blocked by the building wall. You'll need some power and/or pretty fair altitude to help overcome such shortcomings, I had a rather lengthy conversation with Gordon West about it when he visited New York and put on his blazing pickle demonstration at a Metropuke meeting. I wish I could remember the window antenna he was using at his Manhattan hotel room, a gamma match fed folding aluminium square that put out one hell of a signal fed by his HT. Your building isn't nearly as high, but you'd likely do pretty good feeding one with 50W. Maybe somebody reading this can help me with this one? Maybe get those Disraeli Gears turning...........
L.E.D. Zeppelin.jpg