Quote:
Originally Posted by SteveInNZ
My strategy is to take a Lithium battery pack in carry-on and buy a gel starter pack from KMart when we get there.
Power pack manufacturers can be quite generous with their specs and it may not behave out in the desert or in the cold or with sudden current demands.
Steve
|
Thanks Steve, I have the exact thought process, that's why I choose the CEM26 over the CEM40. Good idea to buy a battery in destination country as you suggested.
Now, what I am still not fully understand is
CEM25 tech specs mentions 12V DC(9 ~ 15V), 1.5Amp as the power requirement. Whereas
CEM40 and
CEM26 specs both just say 12V DC, 5A. Although they actually say it only draws less than 1A when slewing. So like you said, if iOptron specifies 5A to make it easier for them on paper then I suppose in theory using a 3A power supply shouldn't be an issue.
Although I'm not sure if say the voltage drops to 10V, will the mount be damaged. Seriously I find it hard to believe that an electronic equipment manufacturer doesn't account for input voltage tolerance, but who knows.
Quote:
Originally Posted by AdamJL
OP mentioned airline compatibility and portability as a must. a Gel cell also weighs way too much compared to modern lithium tech.
@OP, in that list I'd choose the first one as it's apparently regulated 12V DC but as you mention, the amperage could be an issue.
My EQ6-R draws 1Ah or thereabouts when not slewing.
|
Thanks @AdamJL, yes, portability is key. Airlines will only allow batteries up to 100Wh to be carried without special permit.
Biggest problem with Celestron is finding stock in Australia.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rerouter
They are rarer these days, but look into external laptop batteries, e.g. BP160 and the various clones, the charge balancer / maintenance in these units is surprisingly well built
|
Brilliant idea.
As you said, it's hard to find these days, but I wonder how a laptop external battery differs from those laptop charger powerbanks like
this one? Internally, aren't they both just a series of lithium cells?