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How to hook up power outdoors?

Paul Riley

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Paul Riley

Paul Riley

Posted
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Hello all :)

As I am new to the 'craft' I went and bought myself my first pair of binocs the other day,the Adler Kosmos 15 x 70 .Now what I am thinking is,I would sometime like to take my car and my laptop with me whenever I go out on my first stargazing session with the binocs,just in case I decide to query online anything I may see.Ideally I want to hook my laptop up to a power supply so that I have hours of juice for the night ahead.

Can someone tell me the standard procedure for aqquiring power outdoors (is there a minimum voltage requirement?) for your equipment and a recommended product for me to be looking at?

Many thanks.

Paul.

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Moonshane

Moonshane

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a lot of people use power packs eg Green Witch Celestron 12v 7Ah Power Tank not sure about laptops but I assume that people use them for that too??

I just use a mains transformer at home and cigar lighter / batteries for my fans in the field. the beauty of a dob!

I am also buying a PDA for £30 off ebay and some free software will prevent the need for a laptop.

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Paul Riley

Paul Riley

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I almost forgot,do you know of a decent tripod that could be mounted to the Adler Kosmos 15 x 70 ? as from what I read in the product description they could be quite cumbersome during prolonged periods of viewing manually with your hands.

Thanks again :)

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Paul Riley

Paul Riley

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I almost forgot,do you know of a decent tripod that could be mounted to the Adler Kosmos 15 x 70 ? as from what I read in the product description they could be quite cumbersome during prolonged periods of viewing manually with your hands.

Thanks again :)

By the way,the PDA you are thinking about sounds useful,good idea!

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Moonshane

Moonshane

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By the way,the PDA you are thinking about sounds useful,good idea!

I do prefer minimal if I can get away with it. less to forget in the dark! don't forget a red sheet of acetate or similar to maintain night vision on your laptop etc. and a red torch for books if you take them.

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Steve C

Steve C

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The PDA idea is spot on, they can be really cheap to pick up nowadays due to the fact they're a bit outdated.

However, mine uses Windows 5 Mobile, runs planetarium software & connects to t'internet. Add the fact its small, hand held & the batttery lasts ages & charges through the cigar output in my car on its own little holder.

Job done

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astropete

astropete

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re taking mains power (220/230volts) out side. simple answer dont. faulty or wet conditions will kill if you make contact with them. if you must take 230 volt power out doors, make sure you have a 30 mili amp RCD in the circuit, the RCD to be rated at not more than 6 amps, with a 3 amp fuse if you use a plug and extension lead. the best and safest way is to use as has been said a portable power (12v dc) tank. remember the weather can change to rain within seconds so be safe and enjoy your new hobbie its a fantastic one. (electrician now for over 30 years)

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brantuk

brantuk

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Considering how long the sky is dark for (max 12 hrs in mid winter), I would think a netbook with a 9hr battery life would probably cover most any session your likely to have in the UK.

Alternatively - a leisure battery and an inverter (as used in caravans) could be used to plug a laptop in. For telescope power most people use a field powerpack (typically 7ah or 17ah) that can be had quite cheaply at Maplins. :)

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davew

davew

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And one more thing.......

If you can " Pull " the laptop / netbook battery, you use far less power because you're not trying to use and charge at the same time.

The PDA idea of Shane's is very good. I've used one but it won't last all night. It's very old however !

Just to let you know, I can't hold a pair of 15 x 70s. Tried and failed.

Dave.

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Paul Riley

Paul Riley

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Just to let you know, I can't hold a pair of 15 x 70s. Tried and failed.

Dave.

Wow! are they really THAT heavy? :)

I think they are rated at 3lbs,still thats 3 bags of sugar you are holding,possibly for hours.

Cheers.

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MikeWilson

MikeWilson

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I have that 3in1 jumpstarter and it works well. It will power my HEQ5 for the majority of an imaging session although I'm finding it starts to cut out after 4-5 hours.

Therefore I'm going to B&Q this weekend and getting an outdoor lighting box. It's a weatherproof box designed for powering Christmas lights outdoors. It comes with an RCD, power extension cable and a waterproof enclosure. Combined with a 240v to 12v cigarette cable adaptor I will be able to power my mount from the mains, safely, for £30.

While I'm at home of course. If I find a decent dark site I'll be running off the battery again.

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Moonshane

Moonshane

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Whilst I bow to the obviously superior knowledge of the sparks on here, assuming you have adequate circuit breakers etc at home and disconnect from the dry end I still cannot see the dangers of a mains connection with eg a bucket over it. I don't bother with the bucket as I just cool the mirrors and then switch to 6v (4x AAs) for battery powered fans after that for convenience. that said, I don't use a lot of power of course.

I have used a 240v generator in lashing rain to light a number of MV lamps when moth trapping; maybe I'm just a maverick fool. :eek:

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astropete

astropete

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hi moonshane, please be carefull with mains voltage, it can and will kill at any given time and without warning. the current iee 17th editition of electrical standards state that any out door socket (how ever fed must be rcd protected) how can i put this, concider a bulldog clip placed on a sensitive part of the body (thats the fault current flowing through you) would you like the clip to stay on for 5 seconds or 0.04 seconds (5 seconds is for a fuse to blow 0.04 seconds is for a rcd to trip) thats how rcds as suplementry protection can save lives. imo 230v is a killer and so please be safe.

peter.

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Moonshane

Moonshane

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I agree with you Peter and all our circuits are indeed current re the regs and protected by RCDs after having been replaced about a year or so ago.

BUT I do feel that as long as you take suitable precautions, bucket remove the plug from the external socket first etc then there's nothing to fear really. I thank you for your expertise though it's appreciate matey :eek: (please read no sarcasm into these comments as I mean them).

one thing I confess to not being sure of is whether or not you can get a 'kick' from a mains to 12v DC transformer? i.e. from the transformer end not the plug mains end. I know that car batteries can certainly create large sparks and burn metal if they get shorted. maybe this is the case even with the 'battery starter packs' that people use too?

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