Leisure battery or Tracer?

[ianpwilliams]

I'm finally about to get started in imaging. I've got an HEQ5 Pro mount and a Canon D1100 camera, and I'm about to buy a 130PDS OTA, coma corrector, bhatinov mask, and t adaptor. I'll be starting with unguided imaging to begin with, so no guide scope/cam or laptop yet.

Which just leaves the issue of the battery (I can't go mains powered because I'm in a second floor flat and a communal garden), which I brought up in another thread earlier, but which didn't really go anywhere.

So it looks like it's either a leisure battery (heavy and cheap), or a Tracer battery (light and expensive).

Firstly I could do with knowing what Ah I would need for a few hours worth of guided imaging (HEQ5, guide cam, laptop?), so that I wouldn't need to upgrade the battery later.

Secondly I could do with knowing how complicated it would be to set up and use a leisure battery in a battery box, should I choose that option for the battery.

Thanks for the help.

[uhb1966]

How about dew straps? They also pull some juice ...

[uhb1966]

The laptop will take care of itself :-)

[uhb1966]

I guess you mount pulls about 1 amp, 12v 12ah when not slewing...

[uhb1966]

Your cam... maybe 3ah... depends, of course, on the type of cam

[uhb1966]

I have to leave the rest to people with more knowledge :-)

[Scott]

Personally I went for a 110ah leisure battery. You'll be surprised How quickly the current adds up. I know you said that you're not guiding as yet but I bet you will eventually. Everything may not berunning at max all the time but you want to be ready for when it does. add into the mix sub zero temps making batteries less effiscient? Someone  on here rescently said "buy once but buy smart" wise words

[Uplooker]

As per auspom, go for a minimum of 75Ahr, you will not regret it, and certainly go for the lead acid rather than ye Tracer.

Ian

[ianpwilliams]

Maybe 60Ah might be enough (with a battery box)?

http://www.leisurebatteryshop.co.uk/Varta-60Ah-Leisure-Battery

I'm hoping to be able to keep the weight down if possible, because there will be trips up and down the stairs.

[Tinker1947]

A leisure battery won't be so cheap after to factor in a proper charger, i use a 14Ah Tracer on a GoTo Dob, i get around 16 hours then there's only 1 green light on so its recharged, the bigger Tracer's would siut you better, there light enough thats the flexiable case supplied has a slot for a belt to strap it round my waist.....the Tracers come complete, charger, power lead, car charger lead, carrying case, plus there very light weight...

This one would suit you, not a lot mare expensive than a leisure plus charger...

http://www.firstlightoptics.com/batteries-powerpacks/tracer-12v-22ah-lithium-polymer-battery-pack.html

[Tinker1947]

As per auspom, go for a minimum of 75Ahr, you will not regret it, and certainly go for the lead acid rather than ye Tracer.

Ian

20+ Kg up and down 2 flights of stairs......

[ianpwilliams]

Yeah I did look at them. And it's true that there would be extra cost with a leisure battery, including a charter, battery box etc. it's just that the only adequate Tracer would be the 22Ah one you linked to, the most expensive, at £209. But I suppose the leisure setup could be as much as £150+. And the Tracer is so small and lightweight by comparison.

[DRT]

I bought the 22Ah Tracer a few months ago. I must admit I hovered over the "Pay now" button for a few days and it went in and out of my basket on the RVO website at least three times before I bit the bullet but I have to say it is one of the best investments I have made in this hobby. I don't image but I do sometimes spend many hours with my CPC1100 (+ dew band) slewing around the sky and it just doesn't get anywhere near being drained. It is light, smaller than a house brick and can sit on the eyepice holder of the tripod so it and the wire never get in the way.

Go for it - you won't regret it.

[Tinker1947]

A story from the ( 45 Years ago) old days, finish night work pop in the Bourough Market for a pint in the Globe, then somebody would buy a bag of spuds to carry to platform 2 London Bridge Station, nobody managed to get the bag to the station platform, the incline got them all, so many bags of spuds thrown to the ground split open and rolled done the tunnel to the station concourse, trust me what seems easy won't be half a dozen steps and your be knackered......have you thought about a 12 volt lead out of a window and drop down to the mount,,,,,???

[ianpwilliams]

I already have the power supply that came with the (secondhand) HEQ5 Pro mount, so presumably I would just need an extremely long extension for it, and more power supplies gor later when guiding. The thing is, it's a big garden, and the concrete slabs (which would be preferable to the grass) are right at the far end, and there has to be a limit as up how far you can extend. Although the target object would decide where the mount would go.

I'll consider the logistics of the PSU option tomorrow in the daylight, but the Tracer is really tempting!

[lensman57]

I'm finally about to get started in imaging. I've got an HEQ5 Pro mount and a Canon D1100 camera, and I'm about to buy a 130PDS OTA, coma corrector, bhatinov mask, and t adaptor. I'll be starting with unguided imaging to begin with, so no guide scope/cam or laptop yet.

Which just leaves the issue of the battery (I can't go mains powered because I'm in a second floor flat and a communal garden), which I brought up in another thread earlier, but which didn't really go anywhere.

So it looks like it's either a leisure battery (heavy and cheap), or a Tracer battery (light and expensive).

Firstly I could do with knowing what Ah I would need for a few hours worth of guided imaging (HEQ5, guide cam, laptop?), so that I wouldn't need to upgrade the battery later.

Secondly I could do with knowing how complicated it would be to set up and use a leisure battery in a battery box, should I choose that option for the battery.

Thanks for the help.

Do your back a favour and go with the tracer.

A.G

[ianpwilliams]

Yeah it's either the Tracer or mains power.

The layout of the communal garden is as follows - it's a huge garden, maybe 50ft long by 30ft wide. Technically there is a patch for each of the six flats (although I could use the mount anywhere), and my patch is in the far left corner. There are six paving slabs in my area which I've moved together to form a platform, albeit an uneven one, because the whole garden is on a slant, but I'll still be able to adjust the HEQ5 legs to make it level. There is also a large tree in each of the far corners of the garden. So although the ideal situation would be to use the mount in my patch, that would only work if the target object wasn't in the southwest, and blocked by the tree. And I can't imagine that I could extend the 12v all that way.

With mains power I'm not sure how far I could extend the 12v cable. I've seen 5m ones online - is that the longest I could go? I'm on the second floor, so having that hanging down from the window, 5m might be enough if the mount was next to the house. But that could only be done if the target object wasn't blocked by the house itself (ie anything to the East).

So it seems to me that it would have to be mains if by the house and battery if in my patch, or just the battery wherever I am. But I also wonder if the 22Ah of the Tracer would be enough to use in the future for a few hours of guided imaging, such as the mount, guide cam etc?

[DRT]

Ian,

You don't need to extend the 12V cable at all. Buy one of these. You will then be able to deliver 240V at up to 13A to any part of the garden and connect a number of 12A power packs to it directly under your EQ5.

The big problem you have is that you are on the second floor so getting the plug through the window would be a major hassle. If it were me that would be a major deterent to setting up at all.

Go with your heart and enjoy the convenience of the Tracer. Not only would it be better in the garden it would also give you portability and would allow you to take your set-up to dark sites and star parties.

That said, you could also hire an electrician to run a cable from your house down the side of the garden to your plot and put a power outlet (in a lockable, waterproof box) on the fence or wall right next to where you set-up the scope. My guess is that would be as expensive as a Tracer.

Best of luck whatever you decide.

Derek

[hippie]

I'm considering power supply for my EQ5 mount,  After reviewing many options I think although expensive the  22 Ah Tracer battery will outlast the leisure battery in the long term & will work out cheaper!, As it should not need replacing  unlike lead acid battery's  which have limited life span in comparison?.   Plus consider the weight issue of carrying a lead/acid up & down stairs, ( none of us are getting any younger  !).

[ianpwilliams]

I like the electrician idea, having a permanent installation, but I'm not sure if I could do that being a tenant.

I'm pretty much set on the Tracer now. As it happens I'm unfortunately returning the 200P Dob I bought, so the refund from that means that I'll only need to spend an extra £165 to get the imaging setup I want, which is:

130PDS OTA

130mm f5 Bhatinov mask

Cheshire collimation eyepiece

Collimation cap

Coma corrector 0.9

DSLR-M48 adaptor

Tracer 22Ah battery

I already have an HEQ5 Pro and a Canon 1100D, so I think I should be set with all of the above.