Celestron Power Tank

by Celestron

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 12 x 10 x 6 inches ; 8 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 11 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• ASIN: B00008Y0U5
• Item model number: 18774
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (38 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank:
  • #36 in Camera & Photo > Accessories > Telescope Accessories
• Date first available at Amazon.com: June 17, 2003

Product Description

Power Tank features the following: 7-amp hour Two 12V output cigarette lighter ports 3V,6V and 9V outputs for accessories Built-in flashlight with red filter cap 800,000 candle power Halogen emergency spotlight Booster terminal on rear side Built-in Circuit Breaker for safety Cigarette lighter adapter included AC adapter included

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

40 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Essential gadget for large electronic Telescopes, January 1, 2006

By 

Max Leiva - See all my reviews

This review is from: Celestron Power Tank (Electronics)

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.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Decent power for field use, April 13, 2004

By 

Denis Rivest (Montreal, Quebec,Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Celestron Power Tank (Electronics)

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

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Charger hard to repair, April 18, 2006

By 

Alexander Petrov - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Celestron Power Tank (Electronics)

I have a 7 Ah unit and have been using it for years. Not bad for what it is -- after all, deep down it's just a 12V lead-acid battery. But one fine day it just stopped charging. At first I thought the battery was dead and so I went to Radio Shack and bought a new one for $15. It isn't hard to replace and all the lights lit up and everything, but still no charging. Then I did what I should have done in the first place -- measured the output voltage of the 15V power adapter. No voltage to speak of. Then I tried to repair the adapter itself but it turned out that one needs a screwdriver with a triangular tip to open the protective cover of this thing!! No hardware store in my area (and I checked quite a few) had such an outlandish screwdriver. For that matter, I couldn't find a replacement either. It is hard to find a 15V adapter; most power supplies out there are 6, 9, or 12 volts. In summary, I'm left with a functional main unit and no easy way to charge it up. So, buyer beware: if something stops working you may well have to buy a brand new one.