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I tend to measure stuff so that I know what I'm going to get.
My CEM25 draws 0.4A while tracking and a max of 0.8A slewing both axis. I bought this mount specifically for international travel and have taken it to the US (from New Zealand) a couple of times. My strategy is to take a Lithium battery pack in carry-on and buy a gel starter pack from KMart when we get there. They're cheap over there and then we donate it to Goodwill when we're done.
That way, I know that as soon as we land, I have enough power with me to image with a DSLR for an evening and don't have to rush to find a KMart. Once I have the starter pack, I have enough power to run a cooled camera and dew strips or to do multiple nights without worrying about recharging.
My Li power pack is labelled as 4.5Ah @ 12V but when I burn tested it, it would last just over 5 hours @ 0.4A. It was a few years old by that stage.
The 5A requirement from iOptron is for a mains power supply. Power pack manufacturers can be quite generous with their specs and while a 2A supply for example, may supply 2A at room temperature for a short time, it may not behave out in the desert or in the cold or with sudden current demands. As power problems are difficult to diagnose, it's prudent for a company like iOptron to specify an over-rated supply as the cost difference is small but the implication is large.
Steve
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