I have an STF8300C camera that was provided with a transformer to convert 110V AC to 12V DC. I occasionally do astronomy at sites that have no access to 110V AC current. In that circumstance, I provide power to my mount (an Astro-Physics MACH-1) with a 12V astronomy battery purchased from Kendrick Astro Instruments. The control box on my MACH-1 mount has an output port that delivers 12V DC. Can I safely power my STF8300C camera from the 12V DC output port on the control box while my mount is powered from the Kendrick battery?
The camera works on 9V to 14V DC at 3A. This is a fair bit of power. If your battery can supply that current then it will work. You might want to check the amp-hour (Ah) rating of the battery. At full cooler power the camera will draw up to 3A. That means a 3 Ah battery will last one hour. If you have the 18 Ah Kendrick battery then it should last about six hours. Of course if you have other things plugged into it, then it won't last as long. Note that if you run the cooler at lower power (higher temperature) then it will take less power and will last longer.
Hi Doug Thank you for your response. The Kendrick battery I use to power my mount has 33 Ah of storage capacity, so at least enough power for several subs of one target in addition to driving the mount. Bob
We do have an adapter cable available for 12V battery operation. It provides lighter plug and battery clip options: http://diffractionlimited.com/product/12vdc-battery-cable/ Alternatively you can build your own adapter cable.
My experience is that sealed lead-acid or AGM batteries should be derated 50% on the AH (e.g. you'll get 16AH out of a 33AH) if you want to continue to reuse/recharge it and not have the voltage drop to low. That may seem a bit much, but it will extend the life of the battery.
