Celestron Power Tank
by Celestron
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List Price: Our Price: $54.95 You Save: $35.00 (39%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $52.84 (click here) Category: Digital Camera See more product details |
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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Celestron Power Tank
Customer Review: excellent
Summary: 5 Stars
I use this with my NexStar 6SE. I don't know how one can use the telescope without this. Simply 'a must'.
Customer Review: Useful and Reliable
Summary: 4 Stars
I have used the 7ah model for about two years to power my telescope. On a full charge, I can get through a night's observing easily. I typically observe for about four or five hours. I use the flashlight with its red cover to check the area where I have been observing before I leave to make sure I am not leaving anything behind. The flashlight is bright enough to let me check the area just by sweeping the light back and forth. I rarely use the spotlight, but on the few occasions when I have needed it, it really came through. One time I was running an outreach program called Stars and Music. The musician was to play for an hour from sunset to dark. Unfortunately, the musician had forgotten to bring a light for the music stand. Since the performance was taking place outside under a ramada, I propped the Power Tank on a vent above a grill, pointed it up toward the ramada, and turned on the spot. It provided enough reflected light to get the musician through the whole performance. Of course, the unit was drained by the end of the performance, but when it came time for the Stars portion of the event, I simply took the power cord from the unit and plugged it into the cigarette lighter of my car to power the telescope.
Another feature of this unit that serves me well is the 3v outlet. I fashioned a red-LED desk lamp to use on my observing table, and I just plug the light cord into the 3v outlet on the Power Tank. So I have power for my telescope and power for the lamp from one convenient source. The Power Tank also has 6v and 9v outlets in addition to the two 12v sockets.
I never had any trouble with the charger, but I did manage to lose it. Rather than buying a new one, I took the 12v adapter from a cordless drill and now use it to recharge my Power Tank. It works perfectly. I have, though, had problems with the power cord that plugs into the 12v socket on the unit. Twice it has failed. The problem was finally resolved when I took the plug apart and replaced the nipple (which had fallen out) on the end of the plug with a screw and washer. Problem solved.
Other than that minor annoyance, I have been pleased with the Power Tank and anticipate getting another couple of year's use from it. The four-star rating is a result of the poorly designed and unreliable plug on the power cord.
Customer Review: Not too shabby
Summary: 4 Stars
I read some reviews on this from Amazon after I had ordered it and I got worried. However, after using it for a week now, I can say it's fine. It's a decent tank. If you can find it for around $50 like I did, jump on it. Most of the reviews talk about receiving bad units that failed right out of the box or after a single charge. Mine worked flawlessly and has taken two charges. It still can last several hours off a single charge. All in all, a decent pickup for not a lot of cash. It sure beats buying 50 batteries. Although, I would recommend you keep some batteries in your scope in case you are a klutz (like me!) and accidentally pull the cord out. The batteries saved myself from having to realign the scope.
To sum that up, it's a pretty good deal. It's priced similarly to other power tanks and works just fine. I'd recommend this to anyone who is in need of an external power supply for their scope.
Customer Review: Essential gadget for large electronic Telescopes
Summary: 4 Stars
I used my Power Tank (17Amp version) for a whole year. After many months of bad weather, I stored it away with my Telescope. Six months of unattended storage were enough to kill the battery. I should had read the manual before putting it away for so long. These tanks need to be recharged at least once a month in order to preserve the cell inside. These power tanks contain a sealed dry 12Volt battery cell inside. One can probably replace it, but it in my case, the cost for the 17amp version is roughly $40 plus the risk of installation. I decided to get a new Power Tank 7Amp version because it is more than enough for my Telescope (Meade LX200GPS). In conclusion, the power tank is a must have for large 12Vdc telescopes, but one must take very good care of charging it at least once a month in order to get maximum lifetime of the product.Customer Review: Decent power for field use
Summary: 4 Stars
This battery unit has been usefull to me in the field as long as I don't use a dew zapper for too long (more that 4 hours).I live in Montreal where it gets pretty cold in the winter (typical viewing session this winter was below zero F.) Using a dew zapper to keep the corrector lens of my Mak clear of frost will drain the unit in about 4 hours
If I use a dew shield and only use the zapper occasionally, I can use it all night but some nights, the humidity gets so high that the dew zapper needs to be on almost continuously, and this is where it is slightly underpowered for a full night of use. And since my telescope drive is also connected to it, I've had to shut down on some nights prematurely.
All in all, a pretty good unit