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cavefrog
Carpal Tunnel
   
Reged: 11/11/08
Loc: loozyanna
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portable power supply losses
#3105911 - 05/15/09 01:05 AM
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My lx200 mount uses 18v. my power supply (battery) is only 12v. so therefore I have to use the battery, supplying an inverter, supplying a 110v ac power supply putting out the required 18v. I know I have something in the neighborhood of 40% losses each time the power goes through a(n) inversion/conversion. so the losses are pretty significant. anyone know of another way to do this ,so that I can have lower losses and make better use of the power besides making rising updrafts? 
Theo
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jrcrilly
Refractor wienie no more
   
Reged: 04/30/03
Loc: NE Ohio
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Re: portable power supply losses
[Re: cavefrog]
#3105915 - 05/15/09 01:10 AM
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I know I have something in the neighborhood of 40% losses each time the power goes through a(n) inversion/conversion. so the losses are pretty significant.
That sounds very pessimistic. If both the upconverter and the downconverter are switchers, the efficiency of each is probably above 90%. If you want to do it in one hop, though, there are readily-available laptop car converters that'll deliver 18VDC from a 12V source.
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Lane
Post Laureate
Reged: 11/19/07
Loc: Frisco, Texas
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Re: portable power supply losses
[Re: jrcrilly]
#3106035 - 05/15/09 04:24 AM
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When I owned my meade LX200 it came with a battery connection that went from the 12v battery to the 18v plug on the mount. There was just this small box in the line that did the conversion and it never heated up that I can recall. I am surprised your mount did not come with one. The 110v power adapter was a option I had to buy separately for my scope.
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jrcrilly
Refractor wienie no more
   
Reged: 04/30/03
Loc: NE Ohio
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Re: portable power supply losses
[Re: Lane]
#3106162 - 05/15/09 07:30 AM
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When I owned my meade LX200 it came with a battery connection that went from the 12v battery to the 18v plug on the mount. There was just this small box in the line that did the conversion and it never heated up that I can recall. I am surprised your mount did not come with one. The 110v power adapter was a option I had to buy separately for my scope.
When new, those models were shipped with an AC supply and the 12-18V inverter you mention was an option.
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cavefrog
Carpal Tunnel
   
Reged: 11/11/08
Loc: loozyanna
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Re: portable power supply losses
[Re: jrcrilly]
#3107810 - 05/16/09 01:23 AM
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allright ...thanks....I have never seen a converter that plugged into 12v and del 18, and I have owned, and modified a lot of electronic equipment. that dont mean much though,one cannot know it all. I guess I will try at radio shack (generally useless place) or autozone? I can guess that ordering a 12v power supply converter from meade would be expensive. I bought my lx200 preowned and only got the 110v power supply with it. Thanks again.
Theo
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Lane
Post Laureate
Reged: 11/19/07
Loc: Frisco, Texas
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Re: portable power supply losses
[Re: jrcrilly]
#3107856 - 05/16/09 01:52 AM Attachment (23 downloads)
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Quote:
When I owned my meade LX200 it came with a battery connection that went from the 12v battery to the 18v plug on the mount. There was just this small box in the line that did the conversion and it never heated up that I can recall. I am surprised your mount did not come with one. The 110v power adapter was a option I had to buy separately for my scope.
When new, those models were shipped with an AC supply and the 12-18V inverter you mention was an option.
I probably have it backwards, I ordered everything including the battery at the same time so am really not sure which was included and which was the accessory. But I think I used the AC power supply maybe 2 times, a battery was just much more convenient for me at that time.
Edited by Lane (05/16/09 02:02 AM)
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