Recommendations for portable power banks - Forums

Topic starter

Mar 22, 2023

Hi guys,

I'm looking to invest in a portable power bank for astro trips but I'm unsure which one to get.

Ideally, I don't want to spend a fortune (I get the irony of that in his hobby), but equally, I want something that will last. The main reason for the high costs of some units is the amount of juice they have and this is what I'm unsure about - I don't know how much I'll need!

I run a HEQ5 Pro, ASI 533MC Pro, ASI290MM, ASI Air Plus and 2 dew straps.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance,
Kieran

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Brian Boyle

Mar 22, 2023 · Edited: Mar 22, 2023

Hi Kieran

You might this forum useful, posted last week

https://www.astrobin.com/forum/c/astrophotography/equipment/powerstation-will-this-be-enough/

CS

Brian

Daniel Renner

Mar 22, 2023 · Edited: Mar 22, 2023

I created the post linked above and I have changed my mind about buying an Ecoflow river, just because of the cost.

My plan is to buy a Marine battery and a battery box and make my own power station for a fraction of the price of finished power stations like Ecoflow, jackery, etc.

I calculated that I need around 500 Wh to run my rig for a whole night and a 500Wh power station will cost around 5-700 USD, but a DIY battery will cost maybe 200usd and it will have double capacity.

Here is a battery box that you just plug in the battery to:
https://www.amazon.com/Newport-Vessels-Trolling-Battery-Center/dp/B01AE2TG7G/ref=sr_1_fkmr3_2?keywords=batterybox&sr=8-2-fkmr3
And you just need to buy a AGM marine battery (deep cycle battery)
AGM batteries are very heavy but if you have the money you can buy a lithium battery that is very light with high capacity but it costs maybe double of a AGM battery.

Here is what Im going to buy:
https://www.biltema.se/bil---mc/fordonsbatterier/fritidsbatterier/fritidsbatteri-marin-12-v-73-ah--2000045909
https://www.biltema.se/bat/elutrustning/batteriboxar/batteribox-med-elektronik-2000043657

Kieran Gunessee

Topic starter

Mar 22, 2023

Brian Boyle:
Hi Kieran

You might this forum useful, posted last week

https://www.astrobin.com/forum/c/astrophotography/equipment/powerstation-will-this-be-enough/

CS

Brian

Hi Brian,

Thanks for pointing this out, I didn't realise there was already a post about this!

Clear skies,
Kieran

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Kieran Gunessee

Topic starter

Mar 22, 2023

Daniel Renner:
I created the post linked above and I have changed my mind about buying an Ecoflow river, just because of the cost.

My plan is to buy a Marine battery and a battery box and make my own power station for a fraction of the price of finished power stations like Ecoflow, jackery, etc.

I calculated that I need around 500 Wh to run my rig for a whole night and a 500Wh power station will cost around 5-700 USD, but a DIY battery will cost maybe 200usd and it will have double capacity.

Here is a battery box that you just plug in the battery to:
https://www.amazon.com/Newport-Vessels-Trolling-Battery-Center/dp/B01AE2TG7G/ref=sr_1_fkmr3_2?keywords=batterybox&sr=8-2-fkmr3
And you just need to buy a AGM marine battery (deep cycle battery)
AGM batteries are very heavy but if you have the money you can buy a lithium battery that is very light with high capacity but it costs maybe double of a AGM battery.

Here is what Im going to buy:
https://www.biltema.se/bil---mc/fordonsbatterier/fritidsbatterier/fritidsbatteri-marin-12-v-73-ah--2000045909
https://www.biltema.se/bat/elutrustning/batteriboxar/batteribox-med-elektronik-2000043657

Hi Daniel,

That's really helpful, thank you. A DIY option never crossed my mind so it's definitely something to think about, especially cost-wise. I'll have to see what's available over here in the UK but your recommendations have given me something to start with.

Clear skies,
Kieran

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Jesse Priolo

Mar 23, 2023

There's some upfront overhead in getting the tools to build your own, but it's worth it IMO. Still probably cheaper overall than a commercial powerbank, and once you've made one, you know you can make another if your needs ever change in the future. I'm not a DIY guy generally, but managed to build out a couple 12v batteries, one AGM deep cycle and another LiFePO4 that handle all my needs for running two simultaneous imaging rigs in the field.

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Brian Boerma

Mar 27, 2023

I recommend purchasing the Jackery 500 or other Jackery products. I know these portable units are expensive, however, there are what I would consider critical benefits over making your own power source.

The great benefit the Jackery series provides is the inlcusion of a sensor that provides a continues steady current with no drops or surges. This is important to have when doing guided long exposure astro-imaging because drops or surges can interfere with guiding. Also, mounts like the EQ6-R Pro have delicate computer boards and are senestative to drops/surges in power. There have been many owners who have built thier own portable power supply only to have fried thier mount's circuit board due to surges/drops.

Hope this information is useful.

Just a note: I have no financial affiliation with the Jackery company.

Kind regards,

Brian

Helpful

Stuart Taylor

Mar 28, 2023 · Edited: Mar 28, 2023

Brian Boerma:
I recommend purchasing the Jackery 500 or other Jackery products. I know these portable units are expensive, however, there are what I would consider critical benefits over making your own power source.

The great benefit the Jackery series provides is the inlcusion of a sensor that provides a continues steady current with no drops or surges. This is important to have when doing guided long exposure astro-imaging because drops or surges can interfere with guiding. Also, mounts like the EQ6-R Pro have delicate computer boards and are senestative to drops/surges in power. There have been many owners who have built thier own portable power supply only to have fried thier mount's circuit board due to surges/drops.

Hope this information is useful.

Just a note: I have no financial affiliation with the Jackery company.

Kind regards,

Brian

+1 for Jackery. I have the Explorer 1000 and it's fantastic. It powers all my stuff (mount, dew heater, cameras, autofocuser, miniPC etc) all night and I never have to worry about it running out on me.

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