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Car battery for NEQ6
I've seen a few older forums where people say the Celestron Powertanks aren't worth the silly prices they charge when a cheap car battery does the job perfectly well and actually lasts a lot longer.
I stayed a few nights at an amazing dark site last week (photos attached) and realised that though the skies where I live are far better than what you get in Sydney, there's still a significant benefit to a properly dark site... so am considering a portable battery now. I saw a 30AH battery in Kmart today for $66 and figured it would probably do the job..?
Re keeping it charged, I expect a simple trickle charger will do the trick but I don't know how "smart" they are - is it possible to over-charge the battery and damage it if you don't use it often (I have mains power in my back yard which is where I'll be 95% of the time)?
Re adapters, how exactly do I connect a car battery to the mount? I expect I'll need to make my own, yeah?
Re running a laptop off said battery, is that an option? Also, how long would I get running laptop & mount off a 30AH battery? (I have no ideal what sort of current a laptop draws when guiding.)
Any guidance would be appreciated!
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