How can I power my astronomy setup when away from home?
BBC Sky at Night Magazine's Scope Doctor Steve Richards solves your practical astronomy ailments.
Published:
How do I power my astronomy setup while away from home?
Steve says: “Modern astronomical equipment requires copious amounts of power. While operating Go-To mounts, dew heaters, cameras and focusers from home with mains power supplies is straightforward, you’ll need a suitable portable power source when operating away from home.
Astronomy ‘PowerTanks’ containing lead acid gel batteries in elegant housings and, more recently, Lithium Iron Phosphate (LiFePO4) battery packs are off-the-shelf solutions from astronomy shops.
However, if you have a prodigious requirement for power then an excellent DIY solution is to use a leisure battery as these have huge reserves of power and are very reasonably priced for their capacity.”
Email your astronomy queries to Steve at scopedoctor@skyatnightmagazine.com and they could get answered in a future issue of BBC Sky at Night Magazine.
Authors
Steve Richards is a DIY astronomy expert and author of Making Every Photon Count: A Beginner’s Guide to Deep Sky Astrophotography.
