Question about Celestron Powertank

Hi all,

I have an ETX-105 and am looking for an external powersupply for it. I
need to power the scope and if possible a laptop.

I've seen the Celestron Powertank and it looks like it will fit my
needs. Does the powertank have enough juice for both the laptop and the
scope?

Are there any other portable power solutions that would work but not
cost an arm and a leg?

If I get a car battery, how do I hook up the scope and laptop to it?

Thanks

Craig

"EXT_Astro_Boy" wrote in message
. net...
Hi all,

I have an ETX-105 and am looking for an external powersupply for it. I
need to power the scope and if possible a laptop.

I've seen the Celestron Powertank and it looks like it will fit my
needs. Does the powertank have enough juice for both the laptop and the
scope?

Are there any other portable power solutions that would work but not
cost an arm and a leg?

If I get a car battery, how do I hook up the scope and laptop to it?

Thanks

Craig

I use a 400w inverter that I bought from a drugstore chain. Plugs into the
12 v utility socket in the truck. Run a power cable out to the scope and
have plenty of 120v available. They're really cheap--like $30-$35. The
laptop draws such a small amount of current, the smaller inverters are all
you need.

Etok



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"EXT_Astro_Boy" wrote in message
. net...
Hi all,

I have an ETX-105 and am looking for an external powersupply for it. I
need to power the scope and if possible a laptop.

I've seen the Celestron Powertank and it looks like it will fit my
needs. Does the powertank have enough juice for both the laptop and the
scope?

Are there any other portable power solutions that would work but not
cost an arm and a leg?

If I get a car battery, how do I hook up the scope and laptop to it?

Thanks

Craig

I use a 400w inverter that I bought from a drugstore chain. Plugs into the
12 v utility socket in the truck. Run a power cable out to the scope and
have plenty of 120v available. They're really cheap--like $30-$35. The
laptop draws such a small amount of current, the smaller inverters are all
you need.

Etok



__________________________________________________ ____________________
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If you go to a Sam's Club or a Costco, look for a deep cycle marine battery
in the auto department. The battery will last years if you take care of it
and the cost is only $49. I mounted mine on an old airport tote with wheels
and it serves me very well.

Al


"EXT_Astro_Boy" wrote in message
. net...
Hi all,

I have an ETX-105 and am looking for an external powersupply for it. I
need to power the scope and if possible a laptop.

I've seen the Celestron Powertank and it looks like it will fit my
needs. Does the powertank have enough juice for both the laptop and the
scope?

Are there any other portable power solutions that would work but not
cost an arm and a leg?

If I get a car battery, how do I hook up the scope and laptop to it?

Thanks

Craig

If you go to a Sam's Club or a Costco, look for a deep cycle marine battery
in the auto department. The battery will last years if you take care of it
and the cost is only $49. I mounted mine on an old airport tote with wheels
and it serves me very well.

Al


"EXT_Astro_Boy" wrote in message
. net...
Hi all,

I have an ETX-105 and am looking for an external powersupply for it. I
need to power the scope and if possible a laptop.

I've seen the Celestron Powertank and it looks like it will fit my
needs. Does the powertank have enough juice for both the laptop and the
scope?

Are there any other portable power solutions that would work but not
cost an arm and a leg?

If I get a car battery, how do I hook up the scope and laptop to it?

Thanks

Craig

On Thu, 11 Sep 2003 23:14:12 GMT, EXT_Astro_Boy
wrote:

Hi all,

I have an ETX-105 and am looking for an external powersupply for it. I
need to power the scope and if possible a laptop.

I've seen the Celestron Powertank and it looks like it will fit my
needs. Does the powertank have enough juice for both the laptop and the
scope?

Well, how much power does your laptop need? The Power Tank is
basically a 12 volt, 7 amp-hour sealed lead acid battery in a
convenient case, with a 120 volt charger, two 12 volt sockets,
battery low indicator, battery fully charged indicator, and two
built-in lamps, one very high power and the other lower power with a
removable red filter. The low power lamp can be set to flash on and
off. The ETX-125EC takes 0.5 amps, at 12 volts, so it can
theoretically run from the Power Tank for 14 hours. You will need an
auto/airplane adapter for your laptop and that should have the current
consumption printed on it. From that you can calculate the time that
the battery in the Power Tank will last.

Are there any other portable power solutions that would work but not
cost an arm and a leg?

You can buy 12 volt 7 amp-hour sealed lead acid batteries on the Web
for about $10 to $15. A small charger will cost about another $10 and
then you need to add the cost of the sockets and some sort of
packaging. I was going to go that way, but decided it was worth the
few extra $ to get the Power Tank as a pre-packaged solution.

If I get a car battery, how do I hook up the scope and laptop to it?

Well, if you don't know this perhaps you shouldn't try to do it :-) A
car battery is much heavier than the Power Tank and is normal lead
acid, not sealed lead acid. All you need to do is get a cable with the
proper connector for the scope (at radio Shack for example) and then
wire it to the battery WITH THE PROPER POLARITY. The center cylinder
of the connector for the scope goes to the positive side of the
battery and the outer cylinder goes to the negative terminal. If you
get the polarity wrong you will probably burn out the electronics in
the scope. (I have not tried reversed polarity so I can't promise that
they will burn out.) It would be useful to add a fuse in the line,
perhaps 1 amp. And you will need a charger for the battery.


--
Vic Roberts

On Thu, 11 Sep 2003 23:14:12 GMT, EXT_Astro_Boy
wrote:

Hi all,

I have an ETX-105 and am looking for an external powersupply for it. I
need to power the scope and if possible a laptop.

I've seen the Celestron Powertank and it looks like it will fit my
needs. Does the powertank have enough juice for both the laptop and the
scope?

Well, how much power does your laptop need? The Power Tank is
basically a 12 volt, 7 amp-hour sealed lead acid battery in a
convenient case, with a 120 volt charger, two 12 volt sockets,
battery low indicator, battery fully charged indicator, and two
built-in lamps, one very high power and the other lower power with a
removable red filter. The low power lamp can be set to flash on and
off. The ETX-125EC takes 0.5 amps, at 12 volts, so it can
theoretically run from the Power Tank for 14 hours. You will need an
auto/airplane adapter for your laptop and that should have the current
consumption printed on it. From that you can calculate the time that
the battery in the Power Tank will last.

Are there any other portable power solutions that would work but not
cost an arm and a leg?

You can buy 12 volt 7 amp-hour sealed lead acid batteries on the Web
for about $10 to $15. A small charger will cost about another $10 and
then you need to add the cost of the sockets and some sort of
packaging. I was going to go that way, but decided it was worth the
few extra $ to get the Power Tank as a pre-packaged solution.

If I get a car battery, how do I hook up the scope and laptop to it?

Well, if you don't know this perhaps you shouldn't try to do it :-) A
car battery is much heavier than the Power Tank and is normal lead
acid, not sealed lead acid. All you need to do is get a cable with the
proper connector for the scope (at radio Shack for example) and then
wire it to the battery WITH THE PROPER POLARITY. The center cylinder
of the connector for the scope goes to the positive side of the
battery and the outer cylinder goes to the negative terminal. If you
get the polarity wrong you will probably burn out the electronics in
the scope. (I have not tried reversed polarity so I can't promise that
they will burn out.) It would be useful to add a fuse in the line,
perhaps 1 amp. And you will need a charger for the battery.


--
Vic Roberts

Won't that run down the battery in the car? What about a laptop?

Craig

In article ,
says...

"EXT_Astro_Boy" wrote in message
. net...
Hi all,

I have an ETX-105 and am looking for an external powersupply for it. I
need to power the scope and if possible a laptop.

I've seen the Celestron Powertank and it looks like it will fit my
needs. Does the powertank have enough juice for both the laptop and the
scope?

Are there any other portable power solutions that would work but not
cost an arm and a leg?

If I get a car battery, how do I hook up the scope and laptop to it?

Thanks

Craig

I use a 400w inverter that I bought from a drugstore chain. Plugs into the
12 v utility socket in the truck. Run a power cable out to the scope and
have plenty of 120v available. They're really cheap--like $30-$35. The
laptop draws such a small amount of current, the smaller inverters are all
you need.

Etok



__________________________________________________ ____________________
Posted Via Uncensored-News.Com - FAST UNLIMITED DOWNLOAD - http://www.uncensored-news.com
The Worlds Uncensored News Source

Won't that run down the battery in the car? What about a laptop?

Craig

In article ,
says...

"EXT_Astro_Boy" wrote in message
. net...
Hi all,

I have an ETX-105 and am looking for an external powersupply for it. I
need to power the scope and if possible a laptop.

I've seen the Celestron Powertank and it looks like it will fit my
needs. Does the powertank have enough juice for both the laptop and the
scope?

Are there any other portable power solutions that would work but not
cost an arm and a leg?

If I get a car battery, how do I hook up the scope and laptop to it?

Thanks

Craig

I use a 400w inverter that I bought from a drugstore chain. Plugs into the
12 v utility socket in the truck. Run a power cable out to the scope and
have plenty of 120v available. They're really cheap--like $30-$35. The
laptop draws such a small amount of current, the smaller inverters are all
you need.

Etok



__________________________________________________ ____________________
Posted Via Uncensored-News.Com - FAST UNLIMITED DOWNLOAD - http://www.uncensored-news.com
The Worlds Uncensored News Source

"EXT_Astro_Boy" wrote in message
. net...
Won't that run down the battery in the car? What about a laptop?

Craig

With a total draw of laptop and scope at 5 amps @ 12 V, my car battery will
run an 8 hour observing session with no worries. More like 12 hours, and the
nights just aren't that long in the mid latitudes.
This link explains battery capacity better than I can.

http://www.pacificpowerbatteries.com...Q/carfaq7.html

Regards,
Etok



__________________________________________________ ____________________
Posted Via Uncensored-News.Com - FAST UNLIMITED DOWNLOAD - http://www.uncensored-news.com
The Worlds Uncensored News Source