Lithium Battery info required

[alfingido]

I have been looking around for a Lithium battery to power a dew heater for my scope. I have seen the Tracer batteries, but they seem expensive for a battery with just a 300 charge life cycle.

Any recommendations for a make with a longer life? It just has to power a dew heater controller and maybe my LX90 for 2 or 3 hours at a time and be small enough to attach to the tripod

Allan

[alan potts]

Heavier but why not use the normal power tank 17 A/h when the batteries go they are cheaper to replace, I have just changed mine after a stupid mistake of leaving it out in a Bulgarian winter, you must keep them topped up.

These Lithium ones are a bit on the dear side and thanks for letting me know they only run 300 times.

Alan

[alfingido]

The 300 cycle life was from Tracers own website, I notice that isn't stated anywhere else.

I already have a large power tank battery, but I have a Celestron Evo 6 that has its own inbuilt battery and its nice to be able to carry it outside with zero extra cabling and set it up quickly. I also want to take this with us in the motorhome so having a spare small battery to power a dew controller on nights like last night would be ideal. It keeps the payload down on the van, it already weighs 4 tons, any weight I can save would be a bonus.......

Allan

[Alien 13]

I have never been a fan of lithium batteries since i witnessed a PP3 sized one going bang in a piece of avionics gear, the whole unit hit the factory roof and put a dent in a support girder, the tracers however do look fine but I would be very wary of any cheap offerings.

If your tripod has a support tray I would personally go for something like a 12v 12ah mobility scooter battery or similar and plonk it on that.

Alan

[Davey-T]

These Lithium ones are a bit on the dear side and thanks for letting me know they only run 300 times.

Alan

My Tracer battery is quoted as at least 1500 cycles  maintaining full output.

Dave

[alfingido]

That'll be one of the LifePo4 batteries, a bit too heavy for what i was wanting, but 1500 cycles is good.