Power pack advise

[AstroTiger]

Hiya

Happy new year all, hope you had a good one.

Without going into too much detail. It would make you laugh

I need a power pack which will service the following

My Laptop

The drives to my phenix refractor (they use the now b****red 12 volt power pack (hence the catalyst for the need)

And my Astrozap

i have a trio cigar light adapter. Does anyone have any ideas on whats best?

All help appreciated.

Thanks

AT

[PhillyDee]

Really need to find out the power draw on the laptop, even so, it may be better to go for a leisure battery as I dont think a 12v jump-start power pack will cut it. tbh.

[Kai]

Most of the Jump packs are only around 20 amp hour , imo a leisure battery will br a better choice.

[astro_dt]

Most of the Jump packs are only around 20 amp hour , imo a leisure battery will br a better choice.

My jump pack runs an ETX125 for nights on end without recharging. Add a laptop power inverter and it's less than one nights usage per charge!

Cheers

Danny

[AstroTiger]

well cheers so far

any links? :-)

[astro_dt]

any links?

Here's an example http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=49038&doy=6m1&C=SO&U=strat15

But shop around, there are cheaper ones without the compressor

Cheers

Danny

[MikeP]

AstroTiger,

The jump start type power packs will not run your laptop for long enough for it to be worthwhile.

I use a car laptop adapter designed to be used with my Dell laptop and a 12 volt supply. The laptop uses 90 watts, which at 12 volts is a draw of 7.5 amps. The power packs recommended are typically about 17amp hours, so about 2 hours worth in theory or more like 1 hour in practice and that is before you start adding the mount and the Astrozap.

If you connect an inverter and then plug in your normal laptop PSU, you'll do even worse.

Buy a BIG leisure battery. This is the one recommended to me by another member http://www.tayna.co.uk/L110-Premium-Numax-Deep-Cycle-Leisure-Battery-P2100.html - I'll be putting in an order for it very soon.

Mike

[AstroTiger]

hmmm, perhaps the solution is to get a replacement power pack for the motors.

The jack broke off the end over xmas :-(

Perhaps the best thing is to get the replacment battery cell. I have a 12V powerpack that manages the laptop and the Astrozap

Thanks for all your advise

AT

[astro_dt]

hmmm, perhaps the solution is to get a replacement power pack for the motors.

The jack broke off the end over xmas

AT

Not familiar with these, are they repairable? Jack plugs are a lot cheaper than batteries!

Cheers

Danny

[AstroTiger]

issue solved

Called Alan at Skys The limit, he is sending me a new one FOC

And the much need focal extender tube. For the princely sum of a fiver.

I have a smaller power cube which i think should run the laptop and the astrozaps

That is to say i know it will power the laptop since i have done so with it before. Need to see if it will power the astrozaps as well.

But i am starting to feel that a researve power pack might also be the order of the day.

In case anyone is now confused as to why i wanted a power pack when i already had one? Well there is an extension cable that MIGHT have fit from my power pack to the drive motors (that is to say i lost the cable)

But hopefully now all should be ok.

Will keep you all informed as to how it goes.

Thanks again

AT

[James]

Really need to find out the power draw on the laptop, even so, it may be better to go for a leisure battery as I dont think a 12v jump-start power pack will cut it. tbh.

Mine chews up about 5 AH so a standard 17AH will power it for about 2 hours before getting so depleted that damage occurs.

AT - Have a look at the power adaptor for your laptop - it may have something like mine and say 3.65A @ 18V or something similar.

James

[Merlin66]

I'm not impressed by Power Packs or heavy luggable batteries! I've used them frequently in the past and now find a set ( I have four) of 20Ah gel cells to be a better solution. Throw in a PROPER electronic charger and you have the flexibilty to use one, two, or three depending on the load. I use one for the scope (Lx200 or HEQ5Pro) with a 12v to 16v car transformer, a similar set up for the laptop ( set to 18V) and the third for the "extras" ie camera/ dew bands.

Easier to move around and charge.

My 2c