Power tech not powering ASIAIR!

[MarkInSpace]

Any idea why a 7.5a power tech 12v supply can power my mount, but not my ASIAIR?
https://www.bintel.com.au/product/powertech-12vdc-7-5a/
When I plug it into the ASIAIR, the power light does not come on

[iborg]

Hi Mark


Do you have a different power supply to test the ASIAIR?



Do you have a multimeter? I would suggest checking the voltage output with nothing connected, and while under load.


With nothing connected, the voltage might be a bit high, and this could be normal.


Underload, the voltage should be correct, but, if too low, there is a problem.


I think I have the same unit, and could check mine Monday for a comparison.


Philip

[Startrek]

What mount do you have ?
Most mounts require stable 12V 3A some require a 12V 5A power supply
ASIAIR requires a dedicated 12V 5A power adapter

Switch your mount off and see if the ASIAIR powers up by itself ? ( or does the ASIAIR need the mount powered to work ?? I don’t use these ASI thingys )

You may need a second Powertech 12V 5A or 7.5A ?

I run 3 x 7.5A Powertech at each of my sites

1 for mount , 1 for cameras and 1 for dew control

Power is paramount with Astro , more capacity the better , 12V DC equipment is fussy , unlike mains

Cheers

[Dave882]

Is the ASIAIR new or is this the first time you’ve turned it on? Make sure the SD card is in its slot properly. Also check a different cable. Otherwise it may be an issue with the ASIAIR.

The 7.5A should make it power up fine assuming everything connected right. It is strongly advised that you use a separate power source to power the mount, but this is only to prevent dropouts or issues while slewing. It won’t prevent it starting up.

[MarkInSpace]

Thanks for all the comments - I have continued testing and have found something interesting I believe this is a problem of 2.1mm jacks vs 2.5mm.

The CEM70 requires 2.5mm plugs, the ASIAir requires 2.1mm plugs.

Last night I confirmed I can power the ASIAir and the camera from the 12V outputs on the CEM70 - is there a need to have more than the 1 x 7.5A supply?

[The_bluester]

You would normally expect to get away with just the one supply if you are using the 2.1mm jacks on the back of the CEM70 saddle via the CEM70 power input. It is just not the best practice. Some gear is sensitive to noise and a slewing mount can upset it, most will be fine.

Just be aware if you make up cables that the run of the mill 2.1 and 2.5mm connectors you can buy (And the pre made cables from places like Jaycar) usually have a solid centre conductor in the plug (It is just a tube effectively) where better quality connectors have spring contacts instead. The spring contacts make much more reliable connections than the solid ones.