Hi guys,
Here is a monster power pack that I put together using Radio shack, "Batteries R us" and Wall mart. This is a 100 amp deep cycle batters, with a common cheap plastic battery box. I installed six plug in type adapters all which I have fused. I took a battery tester and modified it to a switch so it would not be on all the time and serves me well in terms of providing me with the battery status. What you not see in the below photo is that on the back side of the battery box is bolted a 1.5 battery maintenance charger which I use to keep the battery healthy. This monster will run my laptop, STV video, SBIG 402 camera, my robotic telescope, my JMI smart focus, video monitor e.t.c. for the better part of a week with out needing a charge at all. The down side is that it all weighs a lot and it is not the sort of thing you want to carry very far unless you have a dolly. I put this entire thing together for well over half of what the commercial jobs cell for like Kendrick's. I do my dark sky stuff with my pick up and large camper which gives me AC via the generator as well as access to solar power for charging. You can easily put this unite in the back of your car for use at a dark site. It isn't much but power I got coming out my ears. There is no fear of running out and I have on many occasions let friends use a double plug in connector to run their stuff as well. I have learned especially when sharing this unite with others that once in a while some sort of isolator is needed to deal with unwanted interference. See below for photo:
Dan
Here is a monster power pack that I put together using Radio shack, "Batteries R us" and Wall mart. This is a 100 amp deep cycle batters, with a common cheap plastic battery box. I installed six plug in type adapters all which I have fused. I took a battery tester and modified it to a switch so it would not be on all the time and serves me well in terms of providing me with the battery status. What you not see in the below photo is that on the back side of the battery box is bolted a 1.5 battery maintenance charger which I use to keep the battery healthy. This monster will run my laptop, STV video, SBIG 402 camera, my robotic telescope, my JMI smart focus, video monitor e.t.c. for the better part of a week with out needing a charge at all. The down side is that it all weighs a lot and it is not the sort of thing you want to carry very far unless you have a dolly. I put this entire thing together for well over half of what the commercial jobs cell for like Kendrick's. I do my dark sky stuff with my pick up and large camper which gives me AC via the generator as well as access to solar power for charging. You can easily put this unite in the back of your car for use at a dark site. It isn't much but power I got coming out my ears. There is no fear of running out and I have on many occasions let friends use a double plug in connector to run their stuff as well. I have learned especially when sharing this unite with others that once in a while some sort of isolator is needed to deal with unwanted interference. See below for photo:
Dan
Attached Image:
Danny Halstead
Moderator APM Forum
