How do i power an ASUS laptop

[Nikemri]

Hi all,

I have a very expensive Windows 10 ASUS laptop. I discovered astro photography in February this year. I’am now at the point where guiding has become essential. I’am looking to go out and about with my Jnr rig but cannot find a way of powering my 19 volt ASUS laptop as the power banks all seem to be 12 volts. Can anyone help other than saying i need a new laptop 🤣

[Budgie1]

How long does the laptop battery last on a normal astorphotography session and could you buy a larger capacity battery for it?

If you think this may be a long term hobby, another alternative is the ZWO ASIAir which runs off 12 volts and does image plans, guiding, platesolving, image storage + (if you have them fitted) electronic focusing and filter wheel control. It's also made to be outside and will fit onto your mount, so you don't need to worry about finding somewhere to shelter the laptop from dew etc.

There, I managed to suggest you spend more money without mentioning a new laptop!  😂

[Gfamily]

There are adapters that will take a 12v input and output 19v. With car cigarette lighter plugs.

 

[Clarkey]

I got one of these to extend the life of my laptop:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=19v+laptop+portable+power+bank&crid=20JG5BAWVAMV2&sprefix=19v+lap%2Caps%2C185&ref=nb_sb_ss_ts-doa-p_3_7

Gives me about twice the battery life and can be used for other thing's too.

[Carbon Brush]

Agree with @Budgie1

Really the options boil down to...

Option 1. Spending circa on £100 on an external power supply box, of unknown performance, with associated 'spaghetti' of additional wiring.
More kit to drag outside every time. More plugs to inadvertently pull out mid session, etc.

Option 2. Or buy a ZWO asiair. Cost depending on the features you want.
The 'basic' model is around £100 used. The 'pro' is about £200 or so used.
The new 'plus' is just under £300 - if you can buy it.

Of course asiair does  not offer a screen at the scope. But the imaging rig becomes much easier to handle.
You can sit comfortably indoors with the expensive laptop.
Generally speaking, laptops are not intended to be used outside, sub zero or with the risk of dew.

In my work, I have often used laptops in 'less than ideal' conditions. That being cold factories, outdoors, falling off tables, etc.
You just have to accept the risk that the device life may not be as long as that of a deskbound user.

Just my thoughts. Offered free and without any obligation, or guarantee of quality or validity.😀

David.

[PhilPassmore]

If you are a bit of a diyer, a 'boost' converter is a cheap simple option. It's what I use for the kids in the campervan. A bare board with a several amp capacity is easy to find, and dirt cheap if you are ok buying from somewhere like AliExpress. 

[Shimrod]

13 hours ago, Nikemri said:

Hi all,

I have a very expensive Windows 10 ASUS laptop. I discovered astro photography in February this year. I’am now at the point where guiding has become essential. I’am looking to go out and about with my Jnr rig but cannot find a way of powering my 19 volt ASUS laptop as the power banks all seem to be 12 volts. Can anyone help other than saying i need a new laptop 🤣

Does your laptop use a USB-C connection for charging? I use a £30 powerbank to extend the battery in my laptop. It might take a bit of comparing, but you can find 20mAh+ batteries at this price point which will output 19v on the USB-C port. I can't give you a link to my exact powerbank as it is no longer available.

The ZWO asiair is great if you want to buy into the whole ZWO ecosystem, but if you already have an electronic focuser/filter wheel or other brand camera (excluding DSLR), then it can get quite expensive to replace everything. Astroberry and Stellarmate are alternatives in this regard although I have no experience of any of these devices.

Edit: Here's one on Amazon for £33 (via a voucher) that will output 20v and would be suitable for charging/powering a laptop  Powerbank

Edited October 3, 2021 by Shimrod

[Carbon Brush]

A caution when looking at powerbank type products.

I'm not picking on the model listed in the earlier post. It is a common problem with powerbanks sold on Amazon.
They often quote a capacity that is for a single 3.6V cell.
It would be more honest to quote a watt-hours capacity allowing the user to have an idea of amps and hours at higher voltage.
Then there are conversion losses when outputting different voltages.
In other words, providing actual amps and hours at 19V (or whatever voltage) is deliberately hidden from the user.

If you need to return an item that 'does not do what it says on the tin' you often have problems.
A carrier may be happy to accept a parcel containing a lithium battery, presumed to be working and installed at the factory and deliver to you.
But when you the individual want to return a package containing a potentially faulty lithium battery, or you may have been inside meddling, many carriers will refuse this.
Don't forget the person at the counter, on the phone, or on the web, often does not understand the technical details - they just refuse the item.

I once had a big argument with Amazon on a lithium return. In the end I won. But they wanted to give me standard parcel money for a dangerous item that nobody would touch! I told them to arrange a carrier.
All I'm saying is that when you buy something containing lithium cells, check the returns situation before parting with your money.

HTH, David.

 

Edited October 3, 2021 by Carbon Brush
Typos and the like.

[skybadger]

I have an. Off the shelf powerbank which came with  a 19v output and recharges my laptop 2-3 times before flat. It's one of the ones that double as car starters. 

It's currently used to power my onstep for about 6 hours continuous alt az tracking. 

I agree with not going down the asiair route if you want flexibility and compatibility. It depends on how flexible you can be. 

[Clarkey]

6 hours ago, Carbon Brush said:

I'm not picking on the model listed in the earlier post. It is a common problem with powerbanks sold on Amazon.
They often quote a capacity that is for a single 3.6V cell.
It would be more honest to quote a watt-hours capacity allowing the user to have an idea of amps and hours at higher voltage.
Then there are conversion losses when outputting different voltages.
In other words, providing actual amps and hours at 19V (or whatever voltage) is deliberately hidden from the user.

I agree that determining the exact output is difficult and often hidden as you say. However, the Kristonia one I got did double the usable time of my laptop which gave me 8 hours total. So for me it was fine. It claims 185Wh which I suspect is a tad optimistic, but hey, it works for me.