Power for an EQ6 Pro Mount

[Heath (Heater)]

Hi all,

I know this topic has been covered before and I have gone through all of the threads. There appears to be a number of different options to power the EQ6 mount with pros and cons for all alternatives.

I have identified two options and would be interested in any advice to whether these two options are:
a) suitable for basic functionality
b) Provide enough power for a nights workload
c) also strong enough to eventually accommodate other accessories such as a ccd camera/autoguider/laptop & dew heater?

Option 1: http://www.supercheapauto.com.au/onl...168229#details

Option 2: http://www.supercheapauto.com.au/onl...215740#details

Any help would be greatly appreciated .

Cheers H

[peter_4059 (Peter)]

Heath,

I've used something like the basic jump starter successfully with my EQ6 before however I tend to use a 240/12V converter and mains power these days. Those jump starters don't like to be left for any length of time without charging up and I doubt the 17Ahr battery will be sufficient to drive the mount, dew heaters and a cooled CCD for any period of time.

Hope this helps!

Peter

[NorthernLight (Max)]

Heath,

to power the EQ6 I use one 1200A (24A/h) jumpstarter - works all night long
for the laptop (and guidecam) I use a second one of those. This also prevents ground loops.
Those 1200A jump starters are all the same. I got one from Autobarn in Melbourne and another one from supercheap in Auckland and even though they are branded differently, the power tank is the same.
Not sure about your links as they are both broken.
If you have mains available - get a transformer. Bintel convinced me getting one and I haven´t regreted it. You may pay the same as for a battery. But since I do most imaging from the backyard batteries only get used for the odd field trip (that needs so much more careful planning in advance+cloud uncertainty that I can´t be bothered most of the time).
Hope that helps!

Cheers

[Heath (Heater)]

Originally Posted by peter_4059

Heath,

I've used something like the basic jump starter successfully with my EQ6 before however I tend to use a 240/12V converter and mains power these days. Those jump starters don't like to be left for any length of time without charging up and I doubt the 17Ahr battery will be sufficient to drive the mount, dew heaters and a cooled CCD for any period of time.

Hope this helps!

Peter

Originally Posted by NorthernLight

Heath,

to power the EQ6 I use one 1200A (24A/h) jumpstarter - works all night long
for the laptop (and guidecam) I use a second one of those. This also prevents ground loops.
Those 1200A jump starters are all the same. I got one from Autobarn in Melbourne and another one from supercheap in Auckland and even though they are branded differently, the power tank is the same.
Not sure about your links as they are both broken.
If you have mains available - get a transformer. Bintel convinced me getting one and I haven´t regreted it. You may pay the same as for a battery. But since I do most imaging from the backyard batteries only get used for the odd field trip (that needs so much more careful planning in advance+cloud uncertainty that I can´t be bothered most of the time).
Hope that helps!

Cheers

Thanks Peter and NorthernLight,

Do you know whether you can run the 240v mains to the jump starter so as to supply charge whilst it is in use? I was thinking I could possibly have the best of both worlds with a unit I could use whilst connected to the mains and still take it out in the field on occasions. I understand that trips to the field wont happen too often, but given I live in light polluted metro melbourne I will try to get to some better locations on weekends etc.

Cheers H

[mswhin63 (Malcolm)]

In most cases EQ mount motors do not need a hefty power supply, most cases hefty power is only requred for operating computers and heaters and possibly some other high powered devices.

[AdrianF (Adrian)]

Heath my repco bought jumpstarter will not allow charging while in use.
Using an EQ6 Pro and a Canon 350D the battery will allow me to go 8-10 hours without a problem

Adrian

[mswhin63 (Malcolm)]

Jump starter battery pack have a special charger due to the application so charging while operating can cause some damage to the equipment. There are quite a few chargers that cannot be used while charging.

[Heath (Heater)]

Thanks for your advice. I have ended up getting a 240V to 12v converter plug and a 12v 100AH deep cycle sealed lead battery. Should be more than enough to sort me out for now and for future additions.
By the way, the deep cycle batteries on ebay are pretty good on price compared to retail. Worth checking out. For adapters, Jaycar were excellent.

Cheers H