As a person with an electricity knowledge deficit disorder I am seeking advice...
No, I have not joined the "driven" set and do not expect to soon...my scopes will remain "push to"...
However, I am hoping to get my family out camping sometime this summer...the only drawback is that I have sleep apnea and therefore use a CPAP (constant positive air pressure) machine to keep me breathing at night (and stop my snoring)...as such I have been confined to a life of sleeping near electricity.
I am not much of a "bushman" anyway and so I have never given camping much thought...however, it recently occured to me that many of you on this forum carry power to make your machines go whirr and click and that that same capability could offer me the ability to "sleep remote" if you will...
So what I am looking for is a method that would allow me to be remote (with my CPAP) for 2-3 nights...hopefully powering my machine at night with some kind of portable power pack...
My machine will run off a direct battery 12 volts (with a cigarette lighter attachment)...the owner's manual says DC Power consumption 12 VDC, 3.0 A max (I do not use it at full power setting...I'm about 50% if that makes a difference)
Unfortunately, because the above information means nothing to me...I am not sure where to even begin in understanding what my power requirements are...
Any help/suggestions as to explaining my power needs and recommendations as to how to solve them would be appreciated...while I want to be frugal, it is my ability to breath in my sleep that I am trying to maintain while traveling remotely so "dependability and quality" are pretty important to me...that is simply another way of saying I want to make sure that there is a reputable manufacturer involved that my "widow" can sue when the system "fails" (HA HA)
Thanks!
Last edited by wavelandscott; 17-12-2005 at 03:33 PM.
Reason: spelling
So basicly this means it will draw max 3 amp an hour.....so when you go hunting for a battery or battery pack just devide the hours needed.
So a 12 volt 30 amp hour battery will last 10 hours...longer at a lower setting...like you said you run it at 50%.
Going by these calculations you would be better of looking for a large 12V car battery and connect a cigarette lighter attachment then going for battery packs which will cost you to much and not have enough amps or only enough for 1 night.
Paul {rumples riot} might chime in because he has one , the Waceo company make portable power supplies , expensive but better then the normal powertanks available and safer then lugging around a big car battery .
FWIW......... see attached.
Wavelands, You'll need a big battery or as suggested, a petrol Alternator/power supply.
HTH> L.
ps. or a very looong extension cable.
Always over estimate so use the full rating 12V at 3.0A.
This mean you will need:
3 nights x 10 hours = 30 amp hours.
A 30 amp hour (30AH) battery might last for the three nights. The 30AH rating for sealed lead acid batteries is based on a total of 30AH used in 20 hours. You are using yours in 30 hours so you will get about 32-35 amp hours out of the same battery.
But usually the rule is that you never draw the battery down to lower than 20% remaining power. The most you should draw it down to is 50% remaining in normal use. If the battery goes completely flat a few times then it is stuffed.
So a 40AH sealed lead acid battery would be the best choice.
If you are going to use a car battery, don't put it in the tent because of the fumes (sulfuric acid). Also car batterys are rated differently. Reserve Capacity (RC) is the amount of time it takes to draw the battery down to 10V at a constant drain of 25 amps. Times the RC value by .4167 to convert it to amp hours.
just gets a 120AH deep cycle battery and be done with it, then get another one for the laptop (45AH), and one for the imager(5AH), and one for good luck and you will end up with something simmilar to what I have, oh and two 15watt solar panels with regulators to recharge them.
3 amp's at 10 hour a night for 3 nights is 90 amps.....???????
Your 30 amp's is equilivant to 1 amp hour drain.
Buggger. That's what happens when you can't get the words out quick enough.
3A x 10 hours per night x 3 nights = 90AH
I've been using this smilie a lot lately.
I also just thought of the one thing that I forgot that will make it nearly impossible to get a big enough battery to do all three nights. Temperature.
The average temp overnight where the camp site is will determine the amount of charge the battery has. For every degree below 25C the battery capacity (for SLA or Wet) drops 1%. So at 10C the battery only stores 85% of it's rating.
yes STu have trolly, but at SPSP where you don't have access to 240v until the next day and then you have to fight for a outlet to put your recharger. had to go this way, my LX200 sucks the juice, even on 12 volts as the meade wants 18 throught the 12-18 powerpac. Next year will be a little different, but then I have made up for it by getting more 12 volt devices like a ST4 etc. I alos found out I am better off supplying the digital camera from a battry external to the one in the camra, and then you have a backup.
Hi All,
Bunnings often have a reasonably lightweight 2 stroke generator for around $100.00.
Thrifty link hardware have a special at the moment on an 850 watt,2 stroke generator,for $169.00,
These things have an inbuilt 12 battery charger,so I would suggest a 12 battery AND the generator.
This way if the generator is a little too loud at night,you can recharge the battery during the day,and use the generator for lighting,etc at night.
850 watts is way more than enough to run your machine,in fact you could run a couple of lights,a small fridge,and a little tv,all at once.
Regards.
John
Hi All,
Bunnings often have a reasonably lightweight 2 stroke generator for around $100.00.
Thrifty link hardware have a special at the moment on an 850 watt,2 stroke generator,for $169.00,
These things have an inbuilt 12 battery charger,so I would suggest a 12 battery AND the generator.
This way if the generator is a little too loud at night,you can recharge the battery during the day,and use the generator for lighting,etc at night.
850 watts is way more than enough to run your machine,in fact you could run a couple of lights,a small fridge,and a little tv,all at once.
Regards.
John
had thought that one through too, generally if you were by yourself it wouldn't be a problem, but at star parties and astrofests they frown upon these life saving implements! I bought one earlier this year for a bargin price of 69 dollars from kmart, only to have tpo return it after being told by the spsp organisers that I couldn't use it on the property at all
Thanks for the advice...it is starting to make some sense...now to digest it a bit and then try to apply it...
In summary and to check my understanding...I need to get either a "huge" battery and a team of people to help move it...or get a battery/powertank in excess of 40 A/hrs and which will need the ability to recharge it during the day...
Any suggestions about where to shop for such gear?
Waeco produces gell batteries that can be charged during the day and discharged at night. They are pretty beefy and would suit your needs. It will only take 10 hours to charge and so you can do this during the day. You would need something like a smaller generator and the battery. That way the noise of the geny will not keep everyone awake at night.
I would try contacting Waeco and see what advice they have. Be sure to tell them what you want the battery for and how long it is going to be used.
L.
) = 35AH,
