Need REGULATED power supply for GOTO mount?

[csb]

I've just ordered the HEQ5 Pro mount with SkyScan and the guy at Andrews Comm told me that I need to use a regulated power supply - this is to protect the electronics from power spikes.

I had a look in IIS forums and no-one seems concerned about using regulated or not. I noted some do have regulated power (eg PowerTank).

I have a rechargeable JumpStart pack but it doesn't tell me if it's regulated or not - couldn't find that info on the Net or dealers' sites either, so I think it probably is not.

I will get a rechargeable regulated power supply but I don't really want to pay the price of the Celestron PowerTank - >$200.

Anyone have some suggestions.

Also, does anyone ensure that they have a regulated power supply. (I already have a 240v plugin adapter that is regulated).

[[1ponders]]

I always use a regulated supply.

Powertech MP-3017 regulated Power supply 12 V 2 amp. $59.00 :thumbsup:
http://www.andrewscom.com.au/site-content-section-09.htm

I also use a Powertech MP-3079 12 A one but Andrews have a 20 A one (MP3078) for $99 which seems a bargain to me especially seeing as I bought mine from another shop and paid considerably more for it from memory.

[OneOfOne]

The Celestron Power Tank is not "regulated", neither are the jump start batteries. Normally "regulated" would refer to power provided by the 240v mains, if it is not properly regulated any power spikes in the mains may be passed through to the output and onto your scope. Any of the battery supplies should only produce spikes if you had a large motor or other large equipment that is plugged in and turned it on...the transients from the startup may cause a spike. I am sure if you would disconnect your scope if you were about to try to start your car! Silly if you didn't.

[davewaldo]

As far as I know all batteries are regulated. They give a nice stable current.

When someone speaks of a regulated power supply they are usually referring to a 240V AC converter / transformer which will supply 12V of regulated power. Not all of these power supplies are regulated so thats where you need to be careful.

Jaycar sells 12V 3A regulated power supplies quite cheap.

I have a HEQ5 and I've recently purchased a 12V 33ah deep cycle AGM battery which I plan to build a box for. It cost $160 from Battery World. It is a bit expensive but it is a true deep cycle battery and should last many years. AGM batteries are similar to Gel batteries in that they don't leak, but they are less fussy with charging and usually last longer. The problem with ordinary Sealed Lead Acid batteries (like those in power tanks & Jump starters) is that these batteries are made to be used a little at a time and kept on trickle charge. Deep cycling these batteries can cause them to fail within a year or less. If you leave them discharged they can last only months.

So I figured the extra cost was easily worth it rather than having to replace one in the near future.

Hope this helps.

Dave.

[Terry B]

I just use a 12v marine battery with a charger connected to it. The battery acts as a "regulator" and solves the problem of the high drain during slews that cause some regulated supplies to not deliver enough amps.

[g__day]

I use mains regulated for the mount and mains un-regulated for focusers and cameras. I use a UPS to line condition and protect all this gear and reduce noise on the line, and run even serial connections between the hand controller and PC through specialist surge protectors - like the kind petrol stations use to protect bowsers from lightning strikes.

A regulated PSU or transformer is generally only $20 - $30 more than a un-regulated one if you shop around (especially at Jaycar).

[Zuts]

Hi,

If you are away from a mains then a simple jump starter pack or gel battery will do. Get the biggest amp hour one you can find. If you are connected to a mains power supply then get a regulated power supply.

Paul

[Starkler]

A 12A/h or larger gel cell and a charging power supply will give you more than enough capacity for a night, and the flexibility to use your mount anywhere without being tied to a mains outlet.

[seeker372011]

i have used a jump starter for three years and it works just fine

no regulator needed, DC is clean as people have pointed out

[Kokatha man]

Craig - as someone who spent many years as a tech;much of it with power supplies and lighting/power plants with deep cycle storage/back-up, as well as more conventional (auto etc) lead-acid battery/electrical systems; let me sift the wheat from the (fair amount of) chaff flying around re your requirements!

Andrews edict is to protect both them and you from claims/liabilities arising from overly-high voltages applied to the HEQ5 Pro (of which I own one) as well as giving you some commonsensical warning/advice.
As someone has pointed out, voltage regulation in the above context, commonly refers to power supplies that convert (supply) 12 volt DC from 240 volt AC (mains) supply.There are other applications but these do not concern your mount or these matters.
A re-chargeable battery (and this is most commonly a lead-acid type, whether it be standard/auto, deep-cycle or Gell cell etc) will, when fully charged, maintain a stable output voltage more than sufficient for your needs - unless the mount load, ie current drain (amps) versus battery capacity (amp hours) is incompatible.
In this situation your battery will discharge very quickly and its' output voltage will drop - not good for the battery or your wants but causing no harm to the mount motors.
Operating the mount via a battery whilst said battery is "on charge" via a charger can be quite permissible if (a) the battery charger/power supply is a well-regulated type or (b) the charger etc is a trickle charge (low current output) device and your battery has a reasonable capacity. (amp hourage)
This is because, as one person said, batteries in themselves act as regulating devices for any additional power fed to them via chargers etc.
Regulator devices (IC chips) can be placed across the battery outlet to supply the mount lead and plug. These are simple, inexpensive and small devices that will provide good protection for the mount. (available at Jaycar etc)
Also, as someone pointed out; if you are running your mount from the car's battery it would be unwise to start the car (and thus its' charging system) whilst operating the mount for above reasons.
A "jumpstarter" battery pack of suitable capacity is most probably the most cost effective, convenient device for your needs (I and many others use these units without any problems for said purpose) as it should, if a suitable capacity one is chosen, adequately run the mount for a full night's useage before needing recharging.
They are easy to cart around, display their terminal voltage and employ a trickle charge accessory that whilst best not used during operation is unlikely to cause problems if one does. They have a light (which I've made a snap-on red acrylic cover for) and a positive tip 12 volt take-off that can be plugged into the HEQ5 Pro (though it's best to use the mounts right angle plug) and also have at the other end of the cable which takes the 12 volt power from the jumpstarter unit, a cigarette type plug that doubles as a charger for the jumpstarter when a car is your only source for recharging it.
You can also jumpstart your car with them!Cheers, Darryl.

[Karls48]

Hi Craig. Daryl (Kokatha man) is correct in his explanations about usage of rechargeable batteries to power your mount. Except this “Regulator devices (IC chips) can be placed across the battery outlet to supply the mount lead and plug. These are simple, inexpensive and small devices that will provide good protection for the mount. (available at Jaycar etc) “
The common regulator IC from Jacar or DS is LM7812. It will not work in this application, as it needs about 6Volts difference between input and output. Which you simply don’t have on 13.8V battery.
There are Low Dropout Voltage regulators available that require only about 0.5 Volt difference between input and the output. Still they are not really feasible to use to regulate voltage from 13.8V battery to 12V unless you are going to use very large capacity battery. Problem is that your mount will most likely operate quite happily on 11V from battery without any regulator; but it will shut down at 12.5V of battery voltage with the regulator attached. Therefore considerably shortening the time that the battery cans power the mount.

[csb]

Thanks all for your very helpful and informative responses.

Also explains why I couldn't find anything on the Net for 'rechargeable regulated power supply' except 240v packs.

And I have more freedom to choose.

IIS is a fantastic place :thumbsup:

Thanks again.

[[1ponders]]

We aim to please Craig. ;) :D

[Garyh]

Hi Craig, if running your setup of 240v why not pick up a ATX pc power supply? plenty of amps (mine maxs at 12amps) in the 12v line to run everything and cheap as well.
Runs everything on my setup with no problems :) and for $40
cheers Gary

[Kokatha man]

Thanks for that Karl - I should mention 2 things here: I haven't used any*, or looked at a Jaycar or any other retail catalogue re VR's for quite some time viz specifics; and the suggestion of using said device was meant to be considered as an adjunct to a poorly regulated charger left across the battery.

*In fact, the last time I used VR's in this sort of situation would have been over 20 years ago! I was faced with an unregulated DC supply - one of the ancient 4-blade Dunlite wind generators, the so-called 750W units, that could wind up to way over 40 odd volts, and that even with 500 aH cells, resulted in nearly 42 volts at the terminals, even under loads.

The user wanted to run his sound system turntable (at the time a quite reasonable one) from a 32V - 240V invertor (square wave, and depending on voltage applied, variable output frequency!) and as the winds rose and abated, his turntable accelerated and slowed down in sync, creating interesting vinyls!

With stuff-all to work with I used the particular VR I had with me across the DC supply and, problem solved - that poor little fella was working at the extremes of its' limitations (or beyond) but when I came through that way again some 3 years later, there it was, still keeping this audiophile's system functioning fine!!!

Cheers, Darryl.

[AstralTraveller]

This discussion is very timely as I'm about to buy a battery/battery pack of some kind.

My first battery pack lasted only a couple of years and I'm not too happy about that. I accept that I didn't treat it well - it was discharged too deep too often, not always kept charged and charged with a cheap charger. So I plan to do things right the second time. I will get ample capacity and use a good trickle charger. The thing that I'm now wondering about is whether an AGM or marine battery is necessary or will a standard gel cell do.

I know in the end it will be a value judgment but I'd like to hear as many points of view and share as many experiences as possible before parting with the $$$.

Oh yes, and I'd like to stir up the ant's nest :P.

thanks,
David

[Zuts]

Hi,

You can buy a battery 15 amp hour jumper pack these days for around 50 bucks. They arent high quality but if they last two years at that price who cares.

If you double the price you will get a better quality unit but I am not sure at double the price it is worth it. You could buy one cheapy and then another after that one failed, you get at least a years warranty so are guaranteed at least two years from your two cheap packs .........

Thats a buck a week, worst case scenario.

A different slant
Paul

[montewilson]

If you have no choice get a battery and follow the advice given which seems to based on plenty of experience.

If you have access to mains get a Jaycar power supply. I use a few of them in my set up and they are great. Get one that will do not only the mount but any other equipment you will add to it later. Consider a 10A.

Also that ATX power supply is a great option but you need the older ATX units for this idea to work the newer ones are a bit more complex and not as easy to use.

[Ian Robinson]

You could consider building your own if handy with a soldering iron and electronics.

Plenty of designs in good textbooks.

You can design one yourself easily enough and get any level of ripple required.

[Bassnut]

umm, I had 3 different powertec linear supplies from Jaycar in a row that overheated to hell (2 blew up) at less than the rated current. If you read the fine print, most are for "intermittent testing use" (one was for less than a minite). If you buy one, double or triple the rating you need, then they work well.

[shane shaw]

I have a meade 12" classic and was wondering what I need to buy and where I can get it, to be able to connect direct from the mains power to my scope........

Many thanks

[Starless]

Astra Traveller,
Call me.
I can source your requirements
for batteries at wholesale though work.
Can also advise on chargers as a result
of a couple of years research into solar
power systems.
Be warned there is a critical mas of BS
available on the subject.

[Kokatha man]

Hi Starless: just wondering why you haven't posted your own "critical mas (sic) of BS" on the subject to AstralTraveller in this open forum - it might help other people as well; which after all, is part of the whole philosophy behind IIS!

Myself and a number of other folks on this forum have stated their own professional qualifications/expertise re this subject: not that this detracts from the imortance/relevance of electrical/electronics hobbyists' contributions in any way!

It's just that open postings on the forum allow others to scrutinise and respond in a fair and objective manner to anyone's inputs (as Karl, for instance, has on mine on occassions.)

Certainly couldn't take more effort than a pm or email to an individual, and has the potential to be of wider benefit. As for the battery sourcing, you and me are in Adelaide and AT's in Wollongong: but if your sources extend interstate I'm sure others could also benefit.

Finally, putting your "research" and other appraisals/understandings up front, and able to be scrutinised, might actually help you brother: there is "a critical mass of BS" out there that only hands on, and significant practical experience can quantify; notwithstanding whether I (or anyone else) possesses specific professional qualifications.

Cheers, Darryl.

[Fox]

Ha! I'll second that, a very timely post. I have an LXD75 and was using a 12V/7AmpHr battery, it has only lasted about 2 years - I think I discharged it too much. Anyway, with recently adding a dew heater, 7AH is not enough, so I have been searching for some type of powertank. Dick Smith and Tandy have nothing really to suit unless I just get a jumper box. Should I just settle for a 12Amp/Hr sealed lead acid from JayCar and be done with it... ??? Fox

[Kokatha man]

Holy mackerel Fox - jist read dis flamin thread, or any of half a dozen contemporary/recent ones on IIS re power supplies.

Not to be too rude though; go to a flamin auto shop and get one of their jumpstart "powerpacks" - get one of at least 17Ah (preferably greater capacity) and choose a dandy little coloured number that tickles your fancy!!!!!

Cheers, Darryl.

[shane shaw]

it's ok if you know what you are doing but it is far more complex then just going to an auto shop. Plug the wrong thing into the scope and heh presto fry circuit board and $1000's to replace.

[Kokatha man]

No, it's not really Shane - but you will note that I advised Fox to read the other posts/threads on this subject (of which I've personally responded umpteenth times to basically the same questions.)

Fox has a mount that runs off a 12 volt DC supply: the two main considerations for him to take into account are (1) what is the current drain (in amps) of his mount and hence the size of the powerpack (ie capacity to deliver specific current over time - determined by the product's stated amp-hourage rating) and (2) the standard male take-off plug (that seems to come with every unit I've examined) being a "positive tip" type (presuming the Meade uses this polarity configuration.)

My comments were also a bit tongue in cheek; but all this (and much more) is available in current and recent threads to anyone, beginners included, to digest.

Cheers, Darryl.

[shane shaw]

hey Darryl no probs mate, I was just adding my 5 cents. Do you now if this mount is the ame as the Meade ? and if so do I need to same as what has been talked about here. I had an e-mail from a friend and he advised me to get a


You can run the scope from mains by using a 15V or 18 V Notebook PC adapter, needs at least 25 Watt, most adapters can supply aropund 70 W.
The Dick Smith M9698 works fine for me.


have a good one and thanks for the info mate.

[Dennis]

Just a warning for those newbie’s with Vixen gear – their tip is Centre –ve and outer +ve.

I use a Brother labeller to type and fix labels onto my mains adapters, stating the equipment it is to be used on, V, A and whether its centre +ve or –ve. Too easy to make mistakes in the dark, or under the feeble light of a dim red torch.

It seems that not all equipment is reverse polarity protected, which is a barbaric practice for modern astronomy gear.

Cheers

Dennis

[Kokatha man]

Hi Shane - not sure what mount you're referring to - there seems to be a bit missing in your post.

If the mount you're referring to is a Meade (as in your signature) then I can only repeat what I've said to Fox. If you use a battery with too little capacity (amp hour rating) you are, with any prolonged useage during any one night, effectively deep-cycling the battery; and as such the SLA (sealed lead acid) battery in the powerpack will have a more limited lifetime.

Reading your other thread, it seems your Meade employs a 12volt DC to 18 volt DC convertor to operate the mount: you state there "When the scope is on the Amps peak either at full or 1 less then full." - you will need to be a bit more specific here Shane: where is the amp meter in the circuit - is it part of the mount or have you placed one in series with any of the leads - and what exactly are the values (number of amps) showing?

As others have suggested, the battery powerpack could well be at fault; but you will also need to ascertain the convertor's functionability. A multimeter should determine if the output of the convertor to the Meade mount is 18 volts, but only an amp meter in line with one of the leads from the convertor to the mount will determine if it is delivering the required current; that or setting up a dummy load for the convertor to test it. (presuming the meter you mentioned doesn't do this!)

Another option (and I stress here, because I am not familiar with this particular mount's voltage and current requirements; to make absolute certain of what the mount requires) is to power the mount with a regulated 18 volt DC supply that can deliver the current required and see if that operates the mount as intended.

If the problem presents on two different batteries then I would be looking at the convertor - that or (shudder) the mount: presuming all the connections are fine.

Cheers, Darryl.

[Kokatha man]

And take heed of Dennis's post!!!

[UniPol]

I have been using a Powertech 12V/4 amp switchmode power supply (MP-3240) for a couple of years now and it has performed flawlessly. It powered my 10" LX200 GPS, EQ6 and HEQ5 mounts with ease.

I also bought a Celestron Powertank17 at the SPSP three years ago and it hasn't missed a beat. It also ran the mounts mentioned. You know when the voltage drops on the Powertank because the LX200 starts to do silly things and the red LED on the EQ6/HEQ5 mounts start to blink when slewing. I know the Powertank wasn't cheap but it has been used to light up my house in a few blackouts, listen to the radio at the same time and use the siren to scare off the possums. The red light is too bright for star parties but a bit of red cellophane placed over it seems to work well.

Cheers,

Steve B

[shane shaw]

thaks darryl the manual states each bar on the ammeter represents 0.1 ampere(100 milli-amperes) of current draw. there are 10 led bars so does this mean 1 amp .

In additiaon to the battery I have now it shows that there is 50% charged and I haven't even touched it since last night. ?I think the battery has had it.

thanks

[Fox]

Kokatha, Shane etc. thanks for the info, no offence taken at all btw, I am just learning about different battery designs and their do's and don'ts. Yes, I have a Meade LXD75, Autostar and (now) Kendrick dew heater. I agree that the LXD75 is probably drawing about 1 amp, possibly 1.5 slewing, and the 3-inch Kendrick is another 0.7 amps or so. Yeah, I am in effect deep cycling my 7AH SLA in one session, which is not good. So I am after maybe 12AH or even 18 AH now, and I like the idea of a 'dedicated' powertank or jumper purely for the convenience (and gimmicks) of an all-in-one box. If I get a 12V jump starter - is connection directly to the jumper leads OK? Thanks, Fox.

[Zuts]

Hi,

Jump starters are usefull coz in a pinch they also start the car. Another option is a Jaycar deep cycle gel battery. I have one to power my SBIG. It's a lot smaller than the jumper pack but still weighty. I have a 26 amp hour one that cost me around 100 AUD. You would also need to obtain a cigarette lighter plug as well.

Paul

[Kokatha man]

So the mount's ammeter reads 1 amp draw: not a very high current drain - and if you're saying the battery was fully charged up and not used, and has dropped to 50% charge overnight, then the battery's kaput, I would say! From where/what are you reading that the battery now is only 50% charged?

Try a set of jumper leads from the car battery if you can, just make sure the polarity from them to the convertor is absolutely correct! If this enables the mount/scope to function ok, then almost certainly your battery is the culprit!

[Kokatha man]

Fox - a jumpstarter/powerpack from an automotive place will have a cigarette lighter socket on the side of the unit: it will also come with a lead with a ciggy plug on one end and a standard plug that should fit into your scope mount (at least it does for the HEQ5 Pro.)

As said before, just as long as your Meade mount runs off 12 volts and the central tip of the plug that goes into the mount is the correct polarity. All the jumpstarter/powerpacks I've looked at have a positve polarity centre tip, which conforms with the HEQ5 requirements. Just check these things re your Meade requirements.

This lead with the ciggy plug and mount plug doubles as a recharger for the powerpack when you've only got your car to recharge from (ie for when there's no mains around.) If the Meade requires a negative tip plug on the mount you can convert them with a simple electrical alteration - getting a new plug from Dick Smiths etc. Get at least a 17 Ah powerpack.

[shane shaw]

1 last question. I am going to Dick Smiths today to pick up a power supply.

The battery pack I had that is no good has a charger and I was wondering after reading the specs if this could be used ?

model:wja - DC 12v 500
input: 240v AC 50Hz
output: 12v DC 500mA

now not being electrically minded I read this and think that it outputs 12v or 500 milli amps ? is this styrong enough or not enough and can I use it or wy can't i use it

thanks guys

[Kokatha man]

Shane - this LED bar ammeter, is this on your mount or the powerpack? You need to know how much current (amps or milliamps: 1amp = 1000mA) as well as what voltage your mount requires.

So if the mount operates off 12 volts and draws (requires) 1 amp then you'll need a REGULATED 240 VAC (ie mains supply) to 12 volts DC power supply capable of supplying at least 1 amp at the output - preferably 1.5 to 2 amps. Even more if you're thinking of running other gear off the power supply. If your mount requires 2 amps to run then you'd be looking at something that delivers 3 or 4 amps at 12 volts output.

Voltage output (DC of course) sufficient current capability (in amps) and REGULATED OUTPUT are your criteria!

Cheers, Darryl.

[Kokatha man]

And of course the correct plug tip polarity of the plug from the power supply to your mount: ie, is it a positive polarity tip or a negative polarity tip that is required for your mount?

[Kokatha man]

And no - this powerpack chareger unit would in all probability be a basic trickle charger (unregulated and unfiltered) that would not be able to deliver the current required! (500mA = 0.5 Amp)

[Fox]

Hi Kokatha, Shane...
well, I have actually measured my amps as I remembered I had old car amp/volt/ohm/timing analyser meter. The LXD75 mount only draws 0.5 even at max slewing, but the 3inch Kendrick dew heater draws 1 amp by itself! Anyway, no wonder 7Ah ain't cutting it.

There is a "MotorPro 5 in 1" jumper station at Kmart on special for $99 (I am pretty sure its 18Ah although it's not written anywhere on the box or inside), has two 12V cig outlets, and it looks much prettier than the $99 Projecta equivalent. I am tempted to get the MotorPro, although for only $65 I can get a plain 18Ah SL acid battery from Jaycar...

Can you usually open up (without tearing apart all that plastic) these jumper stations to change the SLA battery yourself if needed?

Cheers
Fox

[Kokatha man]

Hi Fox - if you go that way I can't see why you'd feel the need to "open it up to charge it some other way."

All the auto ones Ive looked at have a mains trickle charger, and a cigarette plug unit that allows you to charge from your car when in a remote location.

This car charger also double as a 12 volt take off to power equipment: the tip polarity is important to consider - for the HEQ5 Pro this plug is the correct polarity and will plug directly into the mount socket; I don't use it because the mount's own plug is just as useable with the jumstarter unit and has a 90 degree fitting.

Just check the Meade's needs and get one as said: at least 17Ah but from my experience the next size up (24Ah?) covers more possibities. To me they are more portable/easy than a plain battery, as well as having a few more features.

Cheers, Darryl.

[Fox]

Thanks Kokatha! My power requirements are meagre really, I'm not that big into equipment: an LXD75 for my Genesis and now a dew heater added, that's all. I agree the all-in-one jumper with handle and built-in features is much more convenient than lugging around a battery brick.

Sorry, I did not make myself very clear at all - the reason I ask about opening up the case is that eventually the battery will go, albeit say in 5 years or so if I look after it. So, are these jumper power stations generally user-serviceable wrt to changing the SLA battery if required? (maybe making a mountain out of a molehill, I know, heck what do you expect for a $100 'chinese clone plastic-entombed' battery...!) :D Fox

[Kokatha man]

Nah Fox - that about sums these things up! The cost of replacement with a complete new unit is nearly allways cheaper than trying to salvage parts.

The main thing to remember in order to maximize the life of these SLA units is to not drain the battery too much between charges: this is why it is better getting one with significantly greater capacity than you actually need (as in amp-hours, Ah, or as is sometimes stated on auto jumpstarters "900 amps" or "1200 amps" - being, I presume, the CCA rating: "cranking amp capacity".)

Having this greater capacity means the battery isn't normally discharged so much over the course of (say) 1 night's obbing; but it is still best practice to recharge the unit after every full night's useage; or to at least put it on charge (with its' trickle charger) once a week/fortnight.

This is because these types of batteries much prefer to "float" near the fully-charged state rather than be "deep-cycled" for maximum life/performance.

Five years might be at the optomistic end of life for an SLA regularly used; but it is possible, and I know of several that have been looked after as above that are 3 plus years old and still performing.

Cheers, Darryl.

[Fox]

Thanks for all the info Kokatha. One last thing I will check on the 5 in 1 MotorPro jumper is that it definitely has a floating trickle charger; from web-research I've done on identical (but rebranded) versions, it sounds that once charged you must disconnect to avoid over-charging (ie. no trickle charge function) - otherwise I will just get an SLA battery and use my own 12V (Powertech) trickle unit.

[Kokatha man]

Fox - "floating" refers to having a battery at or near fully charged constantly: but in these devices I am certainly not advocating keeping the unit constantly on the unit's trickle charger! All these units have trickle chargers, but these batteries cannot stand this constant charging treatment - I am just advising you to top-up/recharge after use; but then only till the "fully charged" indicator goes on.....

Trickle charging is often used to describe a charger that only delivers a small/low current output relative to the batteries capacity, and whilst some are left on constantly this is not to be done with these babies: apart from cooking the SLA inside, you would get voltage regulation issues with your mount's motors/circuitry!

Cheers, Darryl.

[Fox]

Thanks for clarifying my mis-termilogy and misinterpretations, again!

The Powertech charger I have says that it automatically switches over to trickle charging (its LED flashes when this occurs) when the battery is fully charged - which sounds good I guess. Are you saying that even the 5 in 1 MotorPro power station will likely be the same as well? (I have yet to suss out the "English" instruction sheet included in a MotorPro box, not that I'm expecting a well of enlightening information from such....!) ;)

[Kokatha man]

Fox - what I'm saying is that the auto mart "jumpstarter/powerpacks" have a trickle charger that is used to recharge the battery after use. It is not intended to be left on (ie charging) whilst you are using the powerpack for 3 reasons:

(1) it kinda defeats the purpose of these devices - it's intended to power 12 volt devices (in our cases scope mounts etc) in remote locations or where the use of a mains powered, regulated 12 volt DC supplies are inconvenient, or unavailable, or just not desired for whatever reasons etc.

(2) trickle chargers can still over-charge the (relatively) small SLA's in powerpacks and therefore the battery could be cooked (ie ***ed) if it is left on once the battery is fully charged.

(3) besides the above, once the battery inside the device (ie the SLA) is fully charged; leaving the trickle charger on could easily cause the terminal/output voltage of the powerpack to be too high for the safe operation of the mount and its' internal circuitry etc - resulting in potential *%#@*! to said mount.

I have no specific knowledge about your Powertech charger unit (I presume it is a battery charger!): if it is a regulated output charger system that switches/reduces to a trickle (low current) charge when the battery being charged reaches fully charged (by sensing the voltage) one would need to know at what terminal voltage this occurs. 12 volt batteries' terminal voltages can rise to as high as 15.6 volts when fully charged with some chargers (2.6 volts per cell: (6 x 2.6 volts = 15.6) Whatever its' suitability is for the intended task, point (1) above still applies and depending on what I have just said, also (possibly) points (2) & (3)

Cheers, Darryl.

[Zuts]

It's quite simple really

(1) Charge the battery with the supplied charger.
(2) Plug it into the mount for a nights viewing pleasure.
(3) Do not leave the battery connected to the mains while viewing.
(4) After viewing, plug it into the mains for an overnight topup.
(5) if you dont use the battery for a week see (4)

Paul

[Kokatha man]

Sure Zuts, but Fox doesn't want the abridged version! Besides, it helps keep up my keyboard skills; as well as finding out just how many ways I can describe to him the skinning of a cat.....

[Zuts]

Sorry, I just couldn't help myself,......... :)

Paul

[Fox]

Thanks for all that, yes, I understand to only charge after use, which I have always done. Although I did not understand the potential for still cooking the battery if left on trickle charge for too prolonged times. Fox!

[shane shaw]

Have a new power supply for the lx 200 now. I haven’t tried it as yet because we haven’t had good weather but I am told by a reliable sourse this will work fine to connect to the mains

TARGUS
75W AC POWER NOTEBOOK ADAPTOR
AC INPUT 100-240 V 50-60HZ
DC OUTPUT 15V 5A UP TO 75 WATTS CONTINOUS


Anyone used this ?


Could not get hold of the 18v setup but a friend has advised em he has used this with his lx200 and had no probs.

Am I right in assuming that as long as you don exceede the voltage of the unit 18v that being under is no probs as long as it supplys the right amount of amps.

thanks

[Fox]

Well after all this debate, I think I have turned 180 deg and will just go for a 18AH SLA battery; the MotorPro has lots of gadgetry, but it’s quite big and heavy to boot, whereas I can put an 18AH SLA into a cooler bag.

On another note, I saw some very interesting figures on Volts vs. ‘charge’ with all those 12V SLA EXIDE batts in Kmart:

11.70 V ~ 0%
12.05 V ~ 25%
12.40 V ~ 50%
12.75 V ~ 75%
13.10 V ~ 100%

I really didn’t know that these small differences in volt values on these type of batteries are apparently quite significant. Fox