Portable 12V Li-ion Rechargeable Battery Pack

[MortonH]

Anyone know if these would be suitable for powering a dew heater, cooling fan, mount, etc? Seems like a low-cost alternative to a lead acid battery, but can't find any Australian sellers so no idea of quality/safety.

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Portable-12V-Li-ion-Rechargeable-Battery-Pack-4800mAh-/330531007275

Regards

Morton

[scagman]

Hi Morton,

The battery wouldnt last very long as it is only 4800mAhs = 4.8Ahs

It would probable only last an hour or two.

[jenchris]

Li ion batteries are pretty expensive compared to lead acid
They are admittedly lighter but I don't think the balance is what you would call effective.

[MortonH]

True, so probably not great for powering a mount, but thinking it might be suitable for running the cooling fan on my 7" Mak-Cass for 20-30 minutes to get it ready for observing.

[Greenswale]

Morton, Its not just the battery, its also the charger! LiFe batteries need a specific charger that should include the capabiilty to balance the charge to individual cells.

Have a look here: http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__216__408__Battery_Chargers_Acc_-Battery_Chargers.html This is an overseas site that offers excellent prices, but sometimes misses out on quality. It will give you an idea of what is about.

If you want to stay local, model aircraft suppliers are the place to look. I play with model aircraft, and use LiPo batteries (cousins to LiFe) in them. When the batteries fatigue, they get use on fans and heaters etc.

There is another issue - Li batteries have been known to explode or ignite if handled incorrectly!

[DavidTrap]

+1 on the explosion bit - google it yourself - lots of videos on YouTube.

More appropriate when high energy density and low weight is required - hence their use in model aviation.

DT

[MortonH]

So where can I get a simple battery pack like the ones that come with Guan Sheng Dobs to power the fan? I need one to power the cooling fan on my new Mak-Cass.

[Kal]

Hobbyking (http://www.hobbyking.com) sell lots of batteries of all types, very cheap too. I've seen people buy off them on model plane forums as well as electric bicycle forums. I use a 42V 10ah li-ion battery on my electric bike and it hasn't exploded yet ;)

[DavidTrap]

Treated with respect they're usually fine, but they can be dangerous, especially if you use the wrong charger.

DT

[Marke]

Are you using a dew heater ? Most of the better ones now have 2 12v outputs on them , I use this to power the fans on the RC10 now.

[MortonH]

I don't have a dew heater, but that's interesting info. Thanks.

[big_dav_2001]

Have a look on amazon.com, I just picked up a 12aH Celestron Powertank for a bit under $60. Works well powering my fan and ArgoNavis. Not sure if you'd power a mount and heater for long with it, but they do make a 17aH version which claims to be able to power them. Worthwhile taking a look.

Davin