Power to a skywatcher heq 5 pro mount

[amateur-astro]

Hello all and merry Christmas 🎅. 

I've had an skywatcher heq 5 pro delivered yesterday, for the moment I would like to power it direct from my house but unsure how to do this safe so i don't damage the mount etc.

In the future I'd also be looking for a portable battery set up. 

I know I need a 12v supply but is there anything I can use. Ie a extension lead  from the house to some sort of regulator to drop it to 12v to my mount. I'm looking at a telescope but I'd be using a dslr dew straps and asiar plus. For the time being.

 

Any help would be greatly appreciated. 

 

Regards astro 

[Stefan73]

If you've got a few things to power then the Nevada Power supply is pretty good and what I use to power everything (ASI2600 or DSLR, mount, Raspberry PI, etc).

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/batteries-powerpacks/nevada-psw-30-25-30a-switch-mode-power-supply.html

You can use the cigarette socket to power everything via suitable splitters and adapters, then if you want to use a battery these usually have a cigarette socket too so you can just swap. 

Beware of cheap power supplies.

[amateur-astro]

I will have a look at now, and yes I don't mind investing a little into the power source because as I've grown into this hobby I've quickly realised cheap is never really an option and I don't want to cause any damage to Amy circuits etc.

 

[bosun21]

The Nevada PSU is designed for indoor use only so be aware of this if you decide to use it outside. I use a waterproof extension lead and a large clear pvc(Tupperware) box with lid to place my Nevada and extension plug socket inside. You can’t be too careful when using 240v outside in the damp dew filled grass.

[teoria_del_big_bang]

THIS THREAD is asking basically the same question s may be worth looking at 🙂 

Steve

[Steve Ward]

Just pay close attention to which tip you employ from a PSU that comes with multiple tips , correct polarity  is ESSENTIAL to prevent blowing the board.

Double check with a multimeter before use and then tape the tip securely in place to prevent expensive slip-ups .

[malc-c]

There is very little protection on the HEQ5 motor board so heed Steve's advice on checking the polarity of whatever power supply you use.  Same goes for any interlink cable between a computer and mount should you go down that road.  There have been may boards blown by using the wrong adapters.

There is two ways to power the mount.  Use an indoor PSU and run low voltage out to the mount.  Or run an external mains extension cable to the mount and plug everything in to it at the scope.  Each has it issues.  I would suggest for safety you look into using a decent bench power supply in the house and running low voltage to the mount, which is a lot safer.  The main issue with this is voltage drop if the cable run is long, but with a bench power supply you can increase the output to around 14-16v so that you get around 13v at the socket.  (HEQ5's are rated at 12-16v and actually do better on around 13v rather than 12).  Make sure the supply is rated for at least 3amps.  The mount will draw around 2amps with both motors slewing and having a little headroom helps.