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I'm mostly sure this will be ok, but I'd like to confirm.

I have a switching power supply (can't remember the model right now, but it's for ham use, 13.8V/30A) and I'd like to power both the FT-857D as well as the power/SWR meter from it.

Is there any reason I shouldn't do this?

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This should not be a problem at all. It is commonly done this way. Hopefully the switching supply has been designed for ham radio use. If not, you may find some "birdies" on your receiver which are remnants of the switching frequency of the supply getting into your receiver and potentially interfering with desired signals or simply causing annoying tones (thus "birdies").

A good safety practice is to have a low amperage (~1 amp) fuse on the outlet of the power supply to which the SWR meter positive wire is connected. This prevents overheating the wires and risking a fire in the event of a short circuit somewhere downstream.

Your transceiver power cable probably already has in-line fuses to protect it.

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  • $\begingroup$ Thanks for the info! The PSU is a loaner, a Proxel 832NFAR, and seems to have also a "noise offset" knob (which I don't yet know what it does). Waiting for the coax cables to arrive so I can power everything up :). $\endgroup$
    – Rimio
    Apr 17, 2018 at 10:15
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    $\begingroup$ @Rimio Most likely the knob shifts the switching frequency of the supply which in turn shifts the harmonic birdies. Have fun with the new station! $\endgroup$
    – Glenn W9IQ
    Apr 17, 2018 at 10:25
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No issues at all. My entire shack is powered from a single 70A 12V power supply. That includes multiple radios, swr meters, lights, tuners, antenna switches and anything else that needs 12V. I use RigRunner power distribution panels that allow me to fuse each item independently.

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