What power supply do you use to power your rig?

[thesti2]

Hi,
I am new to this, and I found out that the mount, some astro cameras require power to operate. Therefore, what power supply/power tank/power bank do you use to power your setup?

If the power supply will depend on the equipments, let's consider what power supply will you use to power the following setup:
setup 1:
- Sky Adventurer GTi
- ASI 533MC Pro
- ASI 120mm mini guide camera


setup 2:
- Sky Adventurer GTi
- ASI 533MC Pro
- ASI 120mm mini guide camera
- ASIAir

Thank you.

[bernardchew]

I use the power station (below) which I bought on Aliexpress.

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005005051822455.html

It costs S$300 for 300Wh of energy, and is able to supply power at 220 VAC (pure sine wave), 12V DC as well as various 5V USB-A and 5-20V USB-C. This is more than enough for a couple of nights of imaging, including powering of ASIAir and dew heaters. It uses LiFPO batteries, which is a lot more durable than Li-Ion polymer or the older lead acid batteries.

[thesti2]

I use the power station (below) which I bought on Aliexpress.

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005005051822455.html

It costs S$300 for 300Wh of energy, and is able to supply power at 220 VAC (pure sine wave), 12V DC as well as various 5V USB-A and 5-20V USB-C. This is more than enough for a couple of nights of imaging, including powering of ASIAir and dew heaters. It uses LiFPO batteries, which is a lot more durable than Li-Ion polymer or the older lead acid batteries.

thank you, i am a layman in electricity, do you know what cable need to be used to connect a zwo camera to this power station? I see both have the zwo camera and the power station have DC socket. Does it need a DC male to male cable?

Thanks

[bernardchew]

The power station comes with a cigarette lighter to DC5.5/2.1mm plug, which is the type of plug that goes into the zwo 533mc pro. The power station also has two other DC 5.5/2.1mm sockets that you could use to power your mount and ASIAir. But if you do get an ASIAir, it does come with the DC power cables to connect to the power station DC sockets. Moreover the ASIAir also acts as a power hub with DC power sockets where you can connect your ZWO cameras, EAF, dew heaters etc.

Eg of cigarette lighter to dc5521 plug is here https://www.lazada.sg/products/new-12v- ... 23476.html.

Cheers.

[joachim.ong]

Looking around for LiFePO4 batteries preferably from local vendor for safety... probably don't need such a large capacity either. Any suggestions?

[bernardchew]

If you want fuss-free solution, best to get the 12V DC battery from our local astro vendors like Astro Scientific or McGill. However, if you’re more adventurous, you can check out shops in Sim Lim Towers (not Sim Lim Square). However, these may not be wired with the right connectors and you may need to solder them yourself. For me, I get my spare LiFePO4 batteries off Aliexpress. Stores such as this one https://kanavano.aliexpress.com/store/4607035. It shouldn’t take more than a few weeks for delivery. Good luck.

[thesti2]

The power station comes with a cigarette lighter to DC5.5/2.1mm plug, which is the type of plug that goes into the zwo 533mc pro. The power station also has two other DC 5.5/2.1mm sockets that you could use to power your mount and ASIAir. But if you do get an ASIAir, it does come with the DC power cables to connect to the power station DC sockets. Moreover the ASIAir also acts as a power hub with DC power sockets where you can connect your ZWO cameras, EAF, dew heaters etc.

Eg of cigarette lighter to dc5521 plug is here https://www.lazada.sg/products/new-12v- ... 23476.html.

Cheers.

I bought the same power station as this one, it does come with the cigarette lighter cable. For the other DC cable, is it like this one?
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005005590279925.html

Btw, does usually a mount comes with that charging cable? Or should we buy the cable ourselves. Just in case you know. Thanks

[thesti2]

btw, I found this battery as well:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005005705161158.html

I read the spec, it does says 12v output with max 5A. seems legit, cheap and more portable.
Anyone has experience with this kind of battery?

[bernardchew]

[quote=thesti2 post_id=139875 time=1694013211 user_id=64262]

I bought the same power station as this one, it does come with the cigarette lighter cable. For the other DC cable, is it like this one?
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005005590279925.html

Btw, does usually a mount comes with that charging cable? Or should we buy the cable ourselves. Just in case you know. Thanks
[/quote]

The plug dimensions are correct (5.5m x.1mm) so it will fit to the astro device (camera, mount etc). The concern is whether the cable is thick enough to carry the 3-5A needed for cooled cameras or some mini PCs. But for mounts and uncooled cameras, should be fine.

[bernardchew]

[quote=thesti2 post_id=139876 time=1694014074 user_id=64262]
btw, I found this battery as well:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005005705161158.html

I read the spec, it does says 12v output with max 5A. seems legit, cheap and more portable.
Anyone has experience with this kind of battery?
[/quote]

I would be wary of super cheap batteries because they are unlikely to be up to spec on the Ah (capacity). The ad mentions that the product weighs 300g. There’s no way a 12V 20Ah Li-Ion battery weighs so little. It should be at least 1kg.