A Portable VIDEO Setup

[Macavity]

Re. another thread, really? But I have been pondering a low-power (push-to!) "grab and go" VIDEO setup. I go to local astronomy group meetings... Nothing "hardcore" - Frankly we only meet for a couple of hours or so! <G> But some folks do bring their telescopes along...

But most people don't want to carry a large scope / mount... AND power source, to meetings? Small scopes don't show a heck of a lot either. <G> But with a 1/2" chip, you get almost a degree of sky, with (say) an 80mm (3 inch) F5 scope. In theory, at full integration, down to Mag +14! Not quite enough for galaxies (easily) but certainly capable of showing globular clusters... and more.

My Watec 120N+ Cam needs 12V @ 180mA. A lightweight, pocket-sized, 12V Gel Battery? Maybe a 5-12V voltage up-converter powered from a USB socket??? A standard video dongle etc. Might just get a basic "1/2hr demo" out of the integral battery of a Laptop / Notebook?

[johnno]

Hi, I think I would go for the small sealed gel battery, 3 to 7 amp easily should last you for a couple of hrs session, and if you can park your car next to the setup use a car jumper pack thats if you got one of them, thats what I use. I've never tried powering from the laptop. At our meetings we are lucky we have a large carpark and park the cars all around the edge of it and setup next to the car.

thats the beauty of these cams for these type of sessions everyone can look in on the laptop or monitor at the same time instead of queuing up to have a look down a eye piece.

[shirva]

Hi guys ..that's the type if set up I'm working on myself. ..eq3/2 pro ..eqtooth. .laptop..eqmod. ..ed80 and electric focusser. .Samsung scb2000. ..transit van battery to a central hub running mount ..camera. ..and small monitor. ..Davy...photo of my rig on modded camera post...

[shirva]

Bigger capacity the better...safety wise gel battery...wallet wise a car battery...jump pack batteries in the cheap jump packs are junk...try a golf cart battery in my opinion...me personally I would run laptop on its own power and if its a go to mount run it seperate along with camera and a monitor much better system. .keep all power wires as short as possible to the consumer unit as well helps...Davy

[Phil Fargaze]

For going portable I have a car battery which I mounted in a box with wired in 12v sockets. That does the mount, camera and laptop just fine.

The Watec supply is a regulated 12v plug which would avoid any damage to the camera.

I have used a portable CRT television as a monitor before, that was with a 12v inverter to give me 240v, either plugged into the car or portable battery.

Although all this might not be as lightweight as you were thinking of, it does work well and it gives enough power for quite a few hours.

[shirva]

Hi Phil what did you use to regulate the camera. ..Davy

[Phil Fargaze]

Hi Phil what did you use to regulate the camera. ..Davy

It`s a vehicle 1A DC/DC converter found here http://www.pic-osd.com/

Although thinking about it, I must have used the camera straight from the battery with a normal 12v plug before in the past with no problems.

[shirva]

That's what I do...I thought oh oh I've made a boo boo n going to blow the dolly partons out of it...cheers Phil

[Macavity]

Having another look at weights and things. Definitely a gel battery for me! Quite reasonably priced too...

I'd need a stiff drink (cycle clips!) before running around with e.g. my Deep Cycle obsy. battery @ 40lbwt.

Randomly: I run my Watec off a 12V -> 15V, Laptop etc. up-converter... Followed by a homebrew 7812 voltage stabiliser. I probably have run it happily off 14V(?) - But now they've stopped making this camera (I'm financially unable to replace it - a.k.a. Skint!) I don't want to "blow it up" either...

[Macavity]

.double post.