Do unused Celestron powertanks "die" ?

[Daithi]

Hi !

Newbie here and first post, go easy ?!!

I'm possibly going to buy Celestron  7 amp hour powertank second-hand. The seller says  it has only been used a few times but not in 3 or 4 years and has been lying  in a spare room.

The questions are: will it have deteriorated to the point of being useless? Is there a way to test physically the battery before i make a purchase? 

Any advise greatly appreciated ?

[LukeSkywatcher]

14 minutes ago, Daithi said:

Hi !

Newbie here and first post, go easy ?!!

I'm possibly going to buy Celestron  7 amp hour powertank second-hand. The seller says  it has only been used a few times but not in 3 or 4 years and has been lying  in a spare room.

The questions are: will it have deteriorated to the point of being useless? Is there a way to test physically the battery before i make a purchase? 

Any advise greatly appreciated ?

I have had two Celestron 7Ah. If it hasnt been used or charged in  3 or 4 yrs...........forget it. It will be as dead as the DoDo.

Same rule applies to any power tank, you have to maintain them even if not used...............or else they dry up and die.

Ive now got a Skywatcher 17 ah. It has AM/FM radio on it, red light/white torch and a siren (if im ever assaulted by pesky hedgehogs)

[adyj1]

As is also detailed in this post;

 

Ady

[cletrac1922]

Daithi

Firstly welcome from land down under

I just use a car jump start unit, get from any auto spares outlet

Have run my ED80 on EQ5 for 3 or 4 days at star festivals, and not an issued

Mine has dual 12 volt outlet, and can charge my Android phone at same time, as use SynScan Wi-Fi adaptor and APP to control my EQ5

John

 

[Stu]

Yep, recommendation is to charge every 3 months or so, so even if it works it will likely be very compromised. Look elsewhere  

[Cosmic Geoff]

A replacement 7AH sealed lead acid battery costs £20 to £30.  This will probably put you off buying a neglected used power tank.

[Carbon Brush]

Any power bank/tank product that contains a lead acid battery has a limited life.

Ignoring top up charge for a few months is a sure way to kill the battery.

[Daithi]

Many thanks for all the advice you guys, I'm so glad I found this great site, you are all sound out! ( that's an Irish term for very nice? )

And you've saved me a few Euro so I go buy some useful stargazing equipment!