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Asiair Pro power source question


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I know this topic comes up frequently but my elderly brain is even too ancient to understand electrical power sufficiently. 

The Asiair Pro power is being distributed as follows

12v port connected to ASI533mc pro colour camera, I think this will power the TEC cooling and ZWO dew heater.

USB3 x2 ports will power the camera chip and the supplied USB memory stick, the USB2 x2 ports will power the mini travel router and connect to the mount via EQDIR cable. The mount will have a separate 12v power source. 

The power sources I'm looking at is :

Celestron 6.1 Ah Powertank Lithium LT | First Light Optics 

or

Celestron Lithium 7.2 Ah LiFePO4 Powertank | First Light Optics

I think this

Celestron Lithium 13.2 Ah LiFePO4 Powertank Pro | First Light Optics

may be overkill just to power the Asiair Pro, but then what do I know!

Thanks for looking.

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With lithium LT I do the following:

Lt 12v out to 12v in of asiair pro,

1 usb 3 to 183mm pro,

1 usb 3 to 290mm mini,

1 usb 2 to eqdir cable to azgti rj12 port,

1 usb 2 to WiFi extender,

1 12v out from asiair to azgti 12v in,

1 12v out from asiair to 183mm pro 12v in cooling.

I've also tried the above swapping the azgti with a gem28 minus the eqdir cable but haven't done a long term test.

Edited by Elp
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If you assume the heater and cooler draw about an amp each (depending on settings) a 6 amp hour battery will only give you 3 hours run time. This does not include power for the pc or other kit. I would suggest the larger power supply is the least you want for imaging, if not more. Obviously it depends on the duration of your imaging sessions and the setting you are using.

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Thanks for the replies, I've just read that the Asi533mc TEC cooling draws 0.7A and deeper digging reveals that they say the dew heater is not required for that camera as the heat from the casing will warm the chip.

My average session is unlikely to exceed 3 hours.

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Here is another option;

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/batteries-powerpacks/powapacs-atom-pro-26ah.html

I ordered mine a few weeks ago now, and at that time it was cheaper than the Celestron 13.2 ah at £239.

They must have cottoned on that they were selling another power bank, with double the capacity, for less money, and have since bumped it up in price by at least £60.

But even still, for an extra £60 you are jumping from 13.2 Ah to 26 Ah

Im using it to run an EQ6 r Pro at the moment and it doesn't touch the sides! Will soon add an ASIair Plus guide cam, will let you know how it fares :) 

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41 minutes ago, Iem1 said:

Here is another option;

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/batteries-powerpacks/powapacs-atom-pro-26ah.html

I ordered mine a few weeks ago now, and at that time it was cheaper than the Celestron 13.2 ah at £239.

They must have cottoned on that they were selling another power bank, with double the capacity, for less money, and have since bumped it up in price by at least £60.

....

I seriously doubt FLO would do that, more likely with rising prices, shipping costs etc the cost to FLO has increased.

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If you have access to mains power (i.e. you're imaging from home) then there are other options. If you'll be out in a field somewhere, then fair enough going for a battery!

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48 minutes ago, StevieDvd said:

I seriously doubt FLO would do that, more likely with rising prices, shipping costs etc the cost to FLO has increased.

Oh undoubtedly, twas just a jest! :D

 

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41 minutes ago, Lee_P said:

If you have access to mains power (i.e. you're imaging from home) then there are other options. If you'll be out in a field somewhere, then fair enough going for a battery!

You make a good point. I suppose I'd like the flexibility of both options but I don't really like the idea of cables trailing around the garden. I'm currently looking at the Jackery 240 although the notion of something so big to power something so small is starting to look a bit absurd but then I realise that I'm powering a small computer that's beavering away doing its own thing as well as powering external devices.

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The other thing to consider is if you need or want to add any other kit. For example you might need a new heater for the scope or lens. Also, come the winter when it is dark for longer you might want longer imaging sessions.

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I dont recommend the smaller Celestron power pack (the 7.2 amp one).

It can only supply power via 12v DC or the USB port, so no accessories like dew heaters off USB power at the same time. It also has some "smart" features like shutting off power if power consumption is too low, or too high. I found that it was not in fact enough to run an equatorial mount and during go-to it shut off instantly so its not really useful for much. The 12v output is also not regulated, or at least not that well, and will drop below 12v before power runs out. Build quality is also poor with the plastic covers just breaking off after one use. Terrible product and hilariously expensive!

The jackery sounds reasonable and future proof however. I have a similar product from another brand (ecoflow river 300) and its been flawless.

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12 minutes ago, ONIKKINEN said:

I dont recommend the smaller Celestron power pack (the 7.2 amp one).

It can only supply power via 12v DC or the USB port, so no accessories like dew heaters off USB power at the same time. It also has some "smart" features like shutting off power if power consumption is too low, or too high. I found that it was not in fact enough to run an equatorial mount and during go-to it shut off instantly so its not really useful for much. The 12v output is also not regulated, or at least not that well, and will drop below 12v before power runs out. Build quality is also poor with the plastic covers just breaking off after one use. Terrible product and hilariously expensive!

The jackery sounds reasonable and future proof however. I have a similar product from another brand (ecoflow river 300) and its been flawless.

Thanks, my mind is pretty much made up about something like the Jackery, I'll investigate the one you mention.

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4 hours ago, LaurenceT said:

You make a good point. I suppose I'd like the flexibility of both options but I don't really like the idea of cables trailing around the garden. I'm currently looking at the Jackery 240 although the notion of something so big to power something so small is starting to look a bit absurd but then I realise that I'm powering a small computer that's beavering away doing its own thing as well as powering external devices.

For an example of a mains-powered set-up, check the section "Mount: Orion Sirius EQ-G on a pier" on my website here. (I plan to do a proper write up how I power everything when there's time). I have one cable trailing to a mains socket, set up when I'm imaging, and everything else lives permanently in a waterproof box. It's good, but not portable.

DSC_8176.thumb.jpg.a0d43ac2426f01ba4cb74ab4771e1037.jpg

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1 hour ago, Lee_P said:

For an example of a mains-powered set-up, check the section "Mount: Orion Sirius EQ-G on a pier" on my website here. (I plan to do a proper write up how I power everything when there's time). I have one cable trailing to a mains socket, set up when I'm imaging, and everything else lives permanently in a waterproof box. It's good, but not portable.

DSC_8176.thumb.jpg.a0d43ac2426f01ba4cb74ab4771e1037.jpg

That looks like a very economical and effective home based solution, where did you source the splitter?

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9 hours ago, LaurenceT said:

In that photo of the setup there is a white plug in extension lead socket, what's that for?

That was for a WiFi extender I used for my ASIAIR PRO. I don't use that anymore as I have an ASIAIR Plus. 

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