Post by Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe on Sept 8, 2005 13:49:44 GMT -6
Powering a Celestron's Tracking Motors
Our pal Hiram, (electriceye), desires to enable his tracking system on the Screaming Orange 8" Classic Celestron scope. But he needs some advice on what he should do. He has already purchased the power pack, I think from radio shack, but is stumped on the adapter to connect it to his scope.
Here is what Chicago Astronomer Steve recommends:
Hiram,
Is your celestron powered by 110 volt AC or 9 volt battery? If I remember, it's 110VAC. That being the case, you need a 12VDC to 110VAC "inverter" They have a cigarette lighter plug and cord attached to a box with a 110 AC outlet on it. You can plug that into your car's lighter jack and run a conventional AC extension cord out to your scope. As long as your car battery is in good shape, that should be fine for a few hours. The scope pulls not much more current than an electric clock.
If you want to get further from your car, you need one of the "power tank" battery boxes sold at Radio Shack, some outdoor stores and possibly hardware stores. This is a 12VDC battery in a box with a couple of cigarette lighter jacks and usually a light of some kind (white light is good for packing up at the end of the evening). As Joe says, these are cheaper locally than from telescope stores. These are recharged from 110 AC during the day with the included "wall wart" AC adapter. You should be able to run your scope all night form one of these. Some of these may even be available with a 110VAC inverter built in! That would be ideal for you...one box to deal with instead of two.
-Steve Cosgrove
PS, If you want to get the Rigel LED finderscope ($38) that Joe has, check out www.scopetronix.com/ and click on finder scopes and sights on the left side. Better than the telrad, and a better buy. Gonna get me one soon. I just wish it had a right angle accessory for those straight up shots. I bring along a gardener's foam kneeling pad ($2 at Ace) for that. Concrete is hard on the knees!
Is your celestron powered by 110 volt AC or 9 volt battery? If I remember, it's 110VAC. That being the case, you need a 12VDC to 110VAC "inverter" They have a cigarette lighter plug and cord attached to a box with a 110 AC outlet on it. You can plug that into your car's lighter jack and run a conventional AC extension cord out to your scope. As long as your car battery is in good shape, that should be fine for a few hours. The scope pulls not much more current than an electric clock.
If you want to get further from your car, you need one of the "power tank" battery boxes sold at Radio Shack, some outdoor stores and possibly hardware stores. This is a 12VDC battery in a box with a couple of cigarette lighter jacks and usually a light of some kind (white light is good for packing up at the end of the evening). As Joe says, these are cheaper locally than from telescope stores. These are recharged from 110 AC during the day with the included "wall wart" AC adapter. You should be able to run your scope all night form one of these. Some of these may even be available with a 110VAC inverter built in! That would be ideal for you...one box to deal with instead of two.
-Steve Cosgrove
PS, If you want to get the Rigel LED finderscope ($38) that Joe has, check out www.scopetronix.com/ and click on finder scopes and sights on the left side. Better than the telrad, and a better buy. Gonna get me one soon. I just wish it had a right angle accessory for those straight up shots. I bring along a gardener's foam kneeling pad ($2 at Ace) for that. Concrete is hard on the knees!
I know Members Oscar and Bill utilize similar set-ups...and perhaps others can kick in their knowledge to get a fellow astronomer on his way...
