Inexpensive (i.e. cheap) power supply

[Relpet]

I'm lucky enough to do most of my observing from our yard in deepest France where I am close to a domestic power point and where I also have a Celestron 17a power tank.  For occasional use in deepest Surrey - which means a drive to a dark site to escape the LP from Gatwick, Guildford, Dorking, Horsham etc - I need something to power an EQ3-2 mount.  Would this be any good please?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Maypole-12v-3-1-Portable-1600cc-Car-Battery-Booster-Jump-Starter-Power-Pack-/320645098035?hash=item4aa7efea33

If not any other suggestions under £50 appreciated.

[JonC]

Yep that will work, I use this one  from Halfords

http://www.halfords.com/workshop-tools/garage-equipment/battery-chargers-jump-starters/phaze-4-in-1-jump-starter

 

has the same sized battery as your Celestron powertank.

[jambouk]

It will work if it has the appropriate connector. Why not use your existing power tank? "Tank" is a bit of a misnomer I think though

 

[Geoff Lister]

Quote

 

If you are driving, could you use a lead from the car's 12V/cigar lighter socket?

[D Wright]

1 hour ago, Geoff Lister said:

If you are driving, could you use a lead from the car's 12V/cigar lighter socket?

I power my mount and dew heaters from the cigarette lighter socket in the car. It works fine but make sure you have your booster pack with you. I went to my local astronomy club public observing session and ran everything for 6 hours with no problems, then after packing up the car wouldn't start. Luckily there was someone to give me a lift home. I had to go back for the car the next morning and it was 30 miles from home. I now have a booster pack from Halfords and never go out without it.

[Louis D]

I'm a little confused why you would want to use the 10Ah Maypole unit instead of your 17Ah Celestron Power Tank.  Could you explain your reasoning?  Is the Celestron stuck in France?  I'd go for the Phaze unit JonC recommended because it has a 17Ah battery like your CPT.

Another option would be to get a deep cycle marine battery with 10x the capacity of the above units.  You'd have to invest in a stand-alone charger as well.  However, you'd only have to charge it 1/10th as often.

[Relpet]

19 hours ago, JonC said:

Yep that will work, I use this one  from Halfords

http://www.halfords.com/workshop-tools/garage-equipment/battery-chargers-jump-starters/phaze-4-in-1-jump-starter

 

has the same sized battery as your Celestron powertank.

Drove past Halfords today  Never thought to drop in.  Would rather buy something like this over the counter and that looks the business.  Many thanks.

[Relpet]

19 hours ago, jambouk said:

It will work if it has the appropriate connector. Why not use your existing power tank? "Tank" is a bit of a misnomer I think though

 

Existing "tank" is 600 miles and a cross-channel ferry away.  Lame excuse I know.

[Relpet]

5 hours ago, Geoff Lister said:

If you are driving, could you use a lead from the car's 12V/cigar lighter socket?

I think the next response from D Wright answers your question.  Belt and braces come to mind.

[Relpet]

2 hours ago, Louis D said:

I'm a little confused why you would want to use the 10Ah Maypole unit instead of your 17Ah Celestron Power Tank.  Could you explain your reasoning?  Is the Celestron stuck in France?  I'd go for the Phaze unit JonC recommended because it has a 17Ah battery like your CPT.

Another option would be to get a deep cycle marine battery with 10x the capacity of the above units.  You'd have to invest in a stand-alone charger as well.  However, you'd only have to charge it 1/10th as often.

Knowing as much as I do, (pretty well zilch),  about portable power supplies is what had me running to the forum for advice.  I've never been let down yet and your observation is valued.  It is, indeed, a four-hour ferry and twelve hours on the road from where I am at present.

[Geoff Lister]

I have seen the Halfords-style car jump-start power packs in a French hypermarket (Carrefour, on the northern outskirts of Montpellier). I have just done a quick internet search, and Feu Vert (similar chain to Halfords) do one of these packs, for cars up to 1.4 litres, retailing at €44.99

Regards,

Geoff

[Relpet]

2 hours ago, Geoff Lister said:

I have seen the Halfords-style car jump-start power packs in a French hypermarket (Carrefour, on the northern outskirts of Montpellier). I have just done a quick internet search, and Feu Vert (similar chain to Halfords) do one of these packs, for cars up to 1.4 litres, retailing at €44.99

Regards,

Geoff

Thanks for the tip, Geoff, but I've just picked one up from my local Halfords.  After a recent eye operation I'm stuck in England until I get the all-clear, probably late March.  So if we do get a clear sky in southern England  some time in the next 30-40 days I'm off chocks and ready to go.

In passing, I needed a couple of M4 bolts to attach a new red dot finder.  Homebase is closest.  Forget it.  Pre-packaged items with a choice of about 12 different roofing bolts.  Toolstation or Screwfix would sell me a packet or box if I knew what size I wanted.  I got what I wanted in an old-fashioned hardware store in Horsham for 40p.

 Any French DIY shop stocks an extraordinarily wide range of screws, nuts, bolts, washers which you can mix and match and buy by the maximum you can cram into a given size plastic bag at a fixed price per bag so if you are not sure of the size you can try before you buy or suck it and see when you get home with the selection you picked.  Their economy may be in ruins, their politics are mystifying and the cost of the civil service is eye-watering but sometimes the French do get it right.