Take your telescope anywhere with this portable rechargeable power supply.
Not only useful for setting up and powering your scope, this model can also be useful as an emergency roadside accessory, as it includes an emergency light, and for camping holidays.
Average Rating (13 Reviews): | |
Ambiguous charging lights Tuesday, 25 August 2020 | Matthew
I have probably killed this battery within a month. When I first got it I did a long charge (16 hours) and on subsequent charges looked at the green charged light for guidance. It goes from off to dim to bright. I assumed when it was bright green it was fully charged. But only getting 2 hours of use on a HEQ5 Pro I decided to buy a voltage meter and check the voltage.
The green fully charged light is at full brightness at just 12.4v - this is NOT fully charged. Although the 'ready to use' light comes on it isn't ready to use. I've left it charging for many hours now and it won't go above 13.2v and quickly plummets when in use or taken off the charger.
My tip is to save your money and buy something Lithium. Lead acid is an ancient battery technology that really isn't suitable for this type of use, combined with the useless charging lights it will quickly become a slightly toxic door stop.
Response:
It sounds like this may be faulty - please get in touch with us to discuss.
Power Tank 7.2Ah SLA Battery Wednesday, 3 June 2020 | Tony
This device is quite basic and will fulfil many users' needs. It is clearly marked with the instruction to keep it charged and to regularly recharge even when not using the pack - DO NOT INGORE THIS!
I bought a second hand SkyWatcher 10" Dob and the seller "threw in" this power tank. After owning it for a while, the battery discharged and wouldn't accept a new charge using the supplied mains charger. Determined not to be defeated, I opened up the unit and removed the battery to attempt a full recovery on a smart charger - and it worked! How long for, I do not know but investigating the output from the Power Tank mains charger, I discovered it was only delivering 12.04 Volts whilst it should deliver between 13.8 and 14.4V for effective charging.
If you have one of these Power Tanks with the Sealed Lead Acid battery, I would recommend using a "smart" charger which, due to the internal wiring, you can connect to the Positive and Negative output posts recessed on the back of the casing. There is no need to dismantle your unit! A "smart" charger may cost you £20-£30 but it will certainly extend the life of your SLA batteried Power Tank. Of course the real solution is to accept the additional cost up front and buy a Lithium Battery unit in the first place!
Great power tank for the price. Monday, 1 June 2020 | Damir
I've bought this together with my telescope and am impressed with quality and portability. It does everything i need it to do. Many thanks to Martin and team at FLO for help and support. Regards, Dee.
Punches above its weight! Monday, 13 April 2020 | Philip
Compact, packed full of features and highly versatile. Still on its original factory charge after three nights observing.
If you need a cheaper alternative to far more expensive compact new power supplies, this is a great solution.
The 7AH rating is more than enough to power a Meade LX90 8 inch ACF SCT throughout extended observing sessions and has been quite outstanding so far.
As usual, great customer service from Anne and the team.
Ordered, dispatched without any delay and received in perfect condition within the expected time frame...great job FLO!
Monday, 3 February 2020 | John
So far I've only used this to power my HEQ5 and it's done that job just fine. I've dropped a star because the instructions are rubbish and the LED indicators are ambiguous, ie the fully charged light immediately lights up when charging when it obviously is not. Otherwise a good unit for the price.
Thursday, 1 August 2019 | Christine
I already owned one of these bought about 9 years ago. I hadn't used it for a few years because I temporarily lost interest in astronomy and unfortunately the battery will not charge again. This is normal with lead/acid cells and because of the age of the old one would probably have needed replacement by now anyway. Looking forward to some clear skies as the evenings start to draw in.
Power pack for celestron telescope Monday, 20 May 2019 | Reg
Very good purchase. Instructions very clear. Will make time on astronomy much better
Excellent Service Again From FLO Friday, 22 March 2019 | Peter
Excellent service from First Light Optics yet again! Super quick delivery and everything in perfect working order.
Really useful power supply Tuesday, 5 June 2018 | John
This power supply is much more useful than I expected. Not only does it have car power point sockets and usb ports, but it has terminals to connect wires to.
The light is quite powerful, and the red light is useful for preserving night vision, as well as an emergency warning light.
It can be charged either by the supplied mains adapter or from a car power point.
Monday, 23 April 2018 | William
Excellent item saves me buying batterys to power my SE 6 and a really powerfull spotlight.
Read all 13 customer reviews...