14" Skywatcher GoTo - missing parts?

[stevejack (Steve)]

Hi All,

Just brought home a 14" Skywatcher Go-To

Everything is put together except I have no way to power it... The manual and everything I've read online says that this scope comes with a battery holder that you fill with 8 D-cell batteries.

I have no such holder - unless I'm completely blind and missing something.
All I have is the handset controller, the cables, and a cigarette lighter power plug. No battery pack.

Can anyone else with the same or similar (10" / 12") model give me some insight? Am I just missing this part altogether?

Cheers

[astronut (John)]

Steve,
Check with the retailer first.
Tell them of your problem, I'm sure they'll come to the party.

[TheAstroGuy (Shane Ross)]

Steve,

These babies run off Wall power or 12 Volt Batteries, the cigarette Lighter lead is all you'd need and a Deep cycle battery or Super Cheap Auto Power pack to run the Scope.

It is safer to use the 12volt Lead supplied with a good battery because it's clean 12 Volt power and without a regulated power adapter you can sometimes spike these things with unfriendly electricity.

Also I'd assume most viewing would be done away from power sources so most people have Deep Cycle batteries or Jumpstart power packs for power.

Kind Regards

Shane

[stevejack (Steve)]

Thanks guys.
I'll take a look at the supercheap auto pack you recommended. Should the cigarette lighter basically plug straight in to the power pack?

There is also one at Dick Smith:
http://dicksmith.com.au/product/Q175...y-13-8v-dc-23a

I wonder if this would be fine as well?
For now it will just run the Scope but eventually I might want to add more stuff.

I thought the scope came with a battery pack so I was intending to use that - after a little more reading it seems like the power pack just isn't included

Cheers for the help!

[stevejack (Steve)]

All sorted. I shot down to DSE in my lunch break but the unit they had didn't look very heavy duty. It had a big warning about being suitable for testing only and I don't know enough about them to be sure it was suitable.

So I popped in to Battery world, they hooked me up with a 12v battery and a female cigarette lighter lead. I can plug in the lead that came with the scope and run it from that, then recharge in the morning.

So for anyone else considering this scope - be aware you need to sort out a power source first otherwise you won't be able to tinker the night you set it up

Now... just to get rid of these clouds...

[TheAstroGuy (Shane Ross)]

Steve,

Glad you got it sorted Good old DSE always handy, I guess it's like opening a christmas pressie when your little and your parents forgot the batteries for the "Best toy in the world" and then you find out it takes weird never seen before camera type batteries that is like searching for the holy grail of batteries on a day where nothing is open!!

Kind Regards

Shane

[stevejack (Steve)]

Spot on, it makes the heart sink

It's too cloudy to see anything anyway but I still want to power up the handset and check it all out.

The only other problem - after putting it together inside last night and showing my partner, she asked how I was going to get it out the door..... I didn't think about that :\

[DavidU (Dave)]

Originally Posted by stevejack

The only other problem - after putting it together inside last night and showing my partner, she asked how I was going to get it out the door..... I didn't think about that :\