I'm looking for a powerbank that will power my scope and all it's kit all night? - Forums

I'm looking for a powerbank that will keep my kit going all night. Everything will just require 12V, so not looking for mains. My kit includes:

* A mini-PC that typically uses 12W
* ASI-1600mm Pro
* ASI filter wheel fed from ASI-1600MM USB hub
* ZWO EAF 5V USB fed from ASI-1600MM Pro USB hub
* ZWO ASI 290mm guide camera
* HEQ5 Pro mount

What would you suggest?

Jackery Portable Power Station Explorer 300, 293Wh Backup Lithium Battery, 110V/300W Pure Sine Wave AC Outlet,Lynn K.

Lynn K:
Jackery Portable Power Station Explorer 300, 293Wh Backup Lithium Battery, 110V/300W Pure Sine Wave AC Outlet,Lynn K.

The Jackery Explorer comes in different sizes up to 1000W - maybe there is a bigger one I don't know about. I own the 240Wh version and can confirm that it's very reliable. You should measure the power consumption of your gear and then choose the appropriate version. You should consider additional power consumers like guide camera and dew heaters in case you intend to use them in the future.

Clear skies
Wolfgang

I recently purchased a Bluetti EB70 power station after my no name units failed to provide a constant 12v for more than a few hours. The EB70 has 716 Wh of capacity which is more than enough to power my rig for a full overnight session (SW EQ6-R mount, ASIAir, camera and guide camera, two dew heaters and controller, autofocusser)… I just finished a 10 hour session and it still has 40% capacity remaining. It is powered by LiFePO battery which maintains the constant 12v and apparently can be recharged 2500 times at 80% which is much more than what normal lithium batteries can achieve, so I'm expecting this unit to serve me for many years to come.

I have the Jackery 1000. It will power everything all night and your laptop. It will probably even power a kettle so you can make tea

I use two Baldr 330 watt power stations. They produce 288Wh each. I use one for the mount the other for camera, computer, etc. They easily power my setup all night…

1 grand for a power station? I'd rather strap a couple of deep discharge lead-gel batteries and get a new camera in the bargain…

andrea tasselli:
1 grand for a power station? I'd rather strap a couple of deep discharge lead-gel batteries and get a new camera in the bargain...

That's what I paid in AUD for my Bluetti. It was a big decision to pay that much but I figured that it was worth it considering:

1. The total cost of what I've already spent on the rest of my AP gear...why skimp on a vital piece of equipment?

2. The more expensive LiFePO batteries give a constant voltage which means my gear won't be at risk of undervoltage damage.

3. I can easily get a full night of imaging using one compact portable unit with lots to spare - one less thing to worry about.

I built my own using a 50 Ahr lifepo battery and a marine 12 volt panel. All available on Amazon. Put the battery in a plastic case with handle.

Battery:

https://www.amazon.com/Ampere-Time-Phosphate-Trolling-Sweepers/dp/B08K7MKRF7/ref=mp_s_a_1_8?crid=20AW46DVQTWS8&keywords=50+amp+hr+lifepo4&qid=1651628006&sprefix=50+amp+hr+life%2Caps%2C79&sr=8-8

Also DIY, 50Ah as mentioned in the post above will bring you through the whole night, I opted for 22Ah batteries because they are cheaper and easier to carry arround.
Then I screwed the car power adapter on top to make setup/teardown a little bit easier. I also like the fact that gel batteries are completely sealed.

I get about 5-6 hrs of use with similar equipment.

Michael

I had the Bluitt, and for no reason it stopped working. Support is none existing, phone calls to support go to voice mail that is full. Emails to support are not answered.

AS they refuse to honor the warranty, i was forced to buy a new power supply. I am happy I did, the design is better, and it has an app you can use to turn on or off the power to the sections. It also allows you to see how much each port is using. EF ECOFLOW Portable Power Station DELTA mini, 882Wh.

It runs my EQ6r, mini-pc 19W, 2 heaters, 8w each, camera 10 w. Under this load, I get about 18 hours.

Another vote for the DIY route. For $129 I got a 100AH deep cycle AGM battery. Powers laptop, NUC, two mounts, multiple cameras, filter wheels, motorized focusers, dew straps, LED strip lighting in the warm room, etc., for three nights (during the short summer nights) without recharging. Nowadays, it easily hooks up to the solar panel to recharge while I sleep.

I seem to have an issue with 12 V round plugs pulling out of their sockets (sometimes my fault, sometimes it's the gremlins) so I also use screw connectors on everything. Some people use PowerPole connectors for the same reason. Screws are cheaper.

Arnie

I'd use a 12v deep discharge battery typically used for trolling motors.

I Agree with the folks suggesting a deep-cycle battery. I use a single 50Ah AGM battery to drive my G11 mount, ASI2600 CCD, dew strips, and laptop for an entire evening with no problems. If I need it for more than one night I have a 100W solar panel to fully recharge it the next day. Much more cost effective than any power tank thing!

I have an almost identical set up. I have used this very successfully and in warm weather get around 6 hours. https://www.onbuy.com/gb/beaudens-portable-power-station-166wh-solar-power-generator~c3342~p14046852/ For cold weather I bought a second due to the reduced efficiency in freezing temperatures and split the devices across the two batteries. I have had up to 8 hours this way. I also keep the batteries each in their own insulated sandwich box to minimise the effect of the cold. Recharge times are around 3-4 hours and they have the bonus of being able to recharge mobiles and even power a laptop (though I'm not sure if you can output AC and DC simultaneously). Being LiFePo there are no hassles with keeping them trickle charged when not in use. They are reasonably small and quite light. I've been really pleased and impressed with them especially as they have delivered clean power with no spikes or dropouts.

I use this and really like it, asiair with typical stuff, I bought it inb 2021 for $300 so look around this is way jacked up price on amazon

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0899GZ3WR/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I use a 1000 watt Yeti to power my MYT, QHY600, OAG, dew heater and a small laptop. That uses about 60% of the battery on a warm shortish summer night. On cold, long winter nights it might be fully used. The laptop is pretty efficient but but a NUK would be better.

Kevin

2 6V golf-cart batteries (240 A-h) in series (12V) and a pure sine wave invertor. It'll run you most of the week.

I'll throw in my vote for the Jackery 1000 as well.

Patrcik

One thought here for DIY: AGM batteries are heavy and cannot be discharged as fully as LiFe. A 100 Ah AGM is close to a 50 Ah LiFe in actual usable charge. The LiFe lifespan is about 2x more and it sustains many more charge cycles.

Drew Landman:
One thought here for DIY: AGM batteries are heavy and cannot be discharged as fully as LiFe. A 100 Ah AGM is close to a 50 Ah LiFe in actual usable charge. The LiFe lifespan is about 2x more and it sustains many more charge cycles.

I agree 110%! I wish I had known about LiFe batteries when I was outfitting my observatory. Those 110 Ah beasts are REALLY heavy to transport back and forth at the end of the season.

If you're doing it yourself, then I would suggest this project of battery / counterweight for the mount. I think they made the plans for 3D printed pieces available. To be checked...
It is in French but pictures and plans speak for themselves.

https://www.webastro.net/forums/topic/185745-projet-collaboratif-r%C3%A9aliser-un-contrepoids-batterie/