worldly herald
Hi all,
I recently got a second hand HEQ5 that has been tuned by darkframeoptics 👯
The mount was primarily used for travel, but I am going to be mostly using it in my back yard so I'm in the market for a power supply.
The dark frame certificate / information about the mount says "power for sky-watcher mounts has proven optimal at 13.8v and your mount may not run at its best if using 12v"
I doubt I'll be doing anything on really cold nights, I'm in Scotland so it does dip below zero but -10C is rare. This FLO product warns about the dangers of not using power regulation in colder outdoor environments, but it's a 12v supply and that means I'll be sub-optimal: https://www.firstlightoptics.com/power-accessories/lynx-astro-12v-dc-5amp-low-noise-mains-power-supply.html
It looks like ham radios also like 13.8v power supplies, and I'd imagine they have pretty tight operating windows for power regulation. However, they are quite expensive so I'd only be willing to get something like this if I knew it was for sure going to work, and I'm unsure how rugged they'd be in the cold https://www.amazon.co.uk/Benchtop-Converter-Amplifiers-Communication-Equipment/dp/B0D2NDXJ5S
I could always get a step-up, but if I'm buying something I may as well just get the power supply I want in the first place https://www.amazon.co.uk/EBILUN-Converter-Voltage-Changer-Regulator/dp/B07HCC79Z1 although this does open up the possibility of splitting a 5A 12v power supply to the mount (draws up to 1.9A when on 13.8V, it takes 2.5A when on 12v) and camera (can use up to 2A but realistically 1A or less in my climate).
I've got a https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0CXPMJJMF which is not really regulated to the standards expected of a HAM radio, it'd do the job here.
Anybody have any wisdom to share on this topic?
I'd also like to get some more information or studies, about why darkframe would recommend 13.8v instead of 12v for this mount, with tracking stats.
