Two separate power sources ???

[Skipper Billy]

I read somewhere that it is wise and can avoid potential problems to use two separate power supplies for an imaging rig.

My understanding was that the devices that turn on and off like dew bands can disrupt the clean power supply to the mount causing tracking issues.

So I was all set to use a small (22ah) battery for the mount and a larger 50+ ah battery for everything else.

But thinking about my rig I have the mount which makes sense to have a clean power supply for, whereas almost everything else is on and off - The guide camera, dew bands, electronic focuser, the power supply for the laptop etc.

So wouldn't it make sense to run the mount and the CCD camera off one battery and everything else off another or could the CCD power requirements disrupt the mounts power supply  ??? (Its a SXVF H9C ) - draws about 1 amp.

Or is it all an old wives tale ???     

[Tinker1947]

i use 3.....Mount on its own, dew heaters, camera and other bits spread between the other 2......

[pete_l]

Or is it all an old wives tale ???     

Very difficult to tell. I suspect that there are very many people who run all their equipment off a single supply and never have any sort of problem, whatsoever. OTOH there are probably some who have experienced undiagnosed problems that have mysteriously disappeared when a whole load of changes, including changing power supplies, have been made.

If you do decide to power things from different power supplies, I'd suggest taking time to avoid earth loops as they can lead to strange goings-on and due to the nature of induced currents can make delicate and sensitive equipment act in peculiar and noise-inducing ways.

[Skipper Billy]

Thanks folks all noted - particularly about ground loops - they are the bane of my other hobby - model aircraft with complex electronics operating at different voltages from a common power supply and all within close proximity to each other and RF noisy objects like GoPro cameras etc !!!