SMAKN® Waterproof DC DC Module Converter Review

When I tried this converter, I was impressed with its waterproof feature that made it perfect for my project on my garage. It was easy to install, and its stable output is the best feature. However, the size can be an issue for some people with limited space for installation. Overall, it's a great product for automotive projects.

I give this unit 3 stars because it works as advertised in terms of AC input voltage regulation up to 13.8V. However, I do not recommend it for powering radio amateurs. While another reviewer found it to work well in a ham radio application, I found it extremely noisy and unfit for purpose. Last night when running my Elecraft KX2 with this unit it only detected a few signals barely exceeding the noise level on 20 and 40m but when I pulled this regulator out of circuit I found that the same…

I used this to power an Elecraft KX3 radio with a 12 volt AGM battery as the radio will not produce full output when running on less than 13 volts is operated. I'm also planning to use it with a LiPo, which might otherwise exceed the radio's maximum supply voltage, but haven't tried it in that mode yet. I'm only taking half the current the converter can supply, so I haven't increased its power, but the converter doesn't even feel warm. I've used a much cheaper (around $10) boost buck converter…