ETX-70 Alternative power supply

[fredman]

Hi all, 

I haven't posted in yeeaars.

Last weekend I brought my dad's Meade ETX-70 and I was thinking about converting the AA battery pack into something else, like connected to a powerbank. Yesterday I found out that one of the connections got corroded (the batteries were there since my dad bought it - 7 years ago), not the one in the photo and one of the wires got loose.

 

Is there anybody here who has made the same modification, or does anyone know a good step by step tutorial. I've never soldered anything but I am willing to do it if the tutorial explains it well on how to do it.

 

Thank you for the support

[Dr_Ju_ju]

Without measuring, the connector looks to be a standard PP3, and are easily available e.g. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/401780792142?epid=16046178828 If you didn't want to take things apart, you could simple cut off the old connector & join red to red & black to black.

As for the battery holder, you may be able to 'recover' it, by lightly scrubbing with a wire brush....   

and obviously replace the batteries !! 

[fredman]

If I do that bit of join a red to red and black to black but to an usb cable, can I get it to work connected to a power bank?

[Dr_Ju_ju]

No, USB cables come in different 'varieties' e.g. USB 2/3 and are usually limited to 5v etc., and power tanks usually come with vehicle cigarette lighter plugs/sockets that connect to 12 batteries.

I don't know the Mead ETX-70, but your picture appears to show that the holder has at least 4, 1.5v batteries, if using standard AA 1.5v batteries ?? which, when connected in series, would give you 6v, so you need to look for something that will give you that voltage.

[fozzybear]

the ETX 70 Holds 6 AA batteries = 9V, So either get a replacement battery holder from the Bay if unable to ressurect the old one. Other Idea is to use a buck Converter to go from 12 to 9V 

[fredman]

Well I had a USB cable laying around I cut it and used the USB A side to connect it to a Power bank and the scope came to live but it didn't have the strength to move the motors as it was always getting an error message.

I ordered an 8 AA battery pack from a local electronics store for 1.40$ and I just have to connect to existing wires.

The actual battery holder that my ETX has is 6 making a 9V, so I am stepping up to 12V.