PowerTank 12

Well, it looks like a tank anyway. I camp out a lot. As such I've grown to appreciate having a power box available for the times I'm plop-camping (or "glamping"). I used to take a jump box with me, but I always felt a little funny (and inefficient) about something with attached jumper cables. Enter the Celestron Power Tank. Yes, it's intended to support the use of a telescope. But it can do oh so much more. For instance, there are two cigarette lighter plugs (I'm old enough where I can call them that). Plug in a suitable power inverter and you have a power outlet you can use to, say, inflate an air mattress. Two USB ports lets you charge your stuff. And there is a mack daddy spotlight on it. So it works. And as there are a two terminals on the back, with jumper cables I could theoretically use jumper cables with this. I also appreciate the off/on/charge switch...it makes it very clear what I'm doing, and it enables me to keep the unit plugged in without charging it. This is important as the instructions tell you to charge it regularly when in storage. Much easier to flip a switch while it's already plugged in, instead of unraveling a charging cable (after you spend twenty minutes looking for it) and plugging it in. The light is quite bright and can angle down. I really kind of wish it angled in all directions though, as I was using this as a tent light (and thus pointed straight up) but it kept tipping. Charging this at first use is unclear - on one hand (the printed directions) you're told to charge it for 14-16 hours out of the box, but on the unit itself you're told to charge it for 24 hours. You are then cautioned against overcharging it lest explosive gasses are generated and it explodes or something. Your takeaway - this is a easy to use and solid performer for times when you need a versatile power box. It's not overly heavy as jump boxes tend to be, it has a clever on/off/charge switch, and the light is plenty powerful for normal use. This is a winner.

This is my second Celestron Power Tank. I had my original for about 15 years until recently it fell off a high shelf in the garage and, well, stopped working. Purchased this new one like my original and it appears to be like the original. A suggestion to extend longevity with this is to use a good charger instead of the power supply and internal charger that comes with it - it can easily over-charge the battery and render the Power Tank dead, and you'd have to replace the big battery. I highly recommend the "Battery Tender 12 Volt Junior Automatic Battery Charger" for this. It will keep the battery properly charged and never over-charge it. I think the reason most people may have issues with this tank is over-charging, or letting the battery go dead, which then ruins the battery also. I learned about the Battery Tender 12 Volt Junior Automatic Battery Charger long ago with my original and it lasted a very long time with zero issues. If you do use a Tender Junior charger be sure to leave the tank power switch in the off position (not chg and connect to the rear red and black battery terminals only. The Power Tank itself is well built and I use it to run a Celestron 8se, and a small 12V fan to reduce possible condensation that I point at a camera and lens on a SkyTracker mount I usually setup near my telescope. I use a dew shield for the telescope and 12V fan for the SkyTracker camera. I usually can get two full nights running both with the tank. And using the Tender Junior charger, the tank charges in much less time. I covered the main spotlight on the tank with tail-light red tape so it only shines red light. Works great.I highly recommend this product.

Reliable. Has lasted 10 years so far. Works great out in the field.

I have used these power tanks for my portable CGX for some years now. It has generally been reliable but like any device has it's pros and cons. I highly recommend this unit provided you make a few changes in how it's used. In looking at the pros and cons it looks like I think the design sucks. There are some features I don't like but with the workaround I suggest they mostly disappear. I really do like the unit a lot and given the modifications I made it makes the unit highly reliable Pros: 1. Easy to use with typical 12v cigarette lighter type plug. 2. WIll power the telescope for at least two nights . 3. The flashlights come in handy at times. 4. With an inverter I have been able to use this to power a hair dryer (anti-dew) or even a mixer at campsite. Cons: 1. It's heavy but for a 17 AH battery that's just a given for the capacity. 2. Do not under any circumstances allow the battery charge to get too low. Once that happens it's dead- the charger will not work. In order to re-charge then you will have to hook up another battery to the back terminals and let it sit until it has stored enough charge to use the charger again. This is really an inexcusable design fault. 3. The power connections are not connected directly to the battery terminals but are connected via a relay. This means that if you make the mistake of letting the charge get too low the main switch will not work at all. 3. The charger that comes with the power tank is worthless. Batteries generally have three different rates- high rate for the initial charge up to 90 %, a finishing rate for the last 10 %, and a trickle rate to keep it charged. The charger that came with the unit does not operate that way but is a continuous charger. This will greatly reduce the practical lifetime of the battery. The case is not designed to be opened so consider the unit un-repairable. The proper workaround for this is to buy a proper battery tender. Then you will need to add cable connections to the back terminals. I have added two cables to those terminals. One is the typical 12 v Automotive cigarette type light. The other is a second cable I can connect to my battery tender. Since the back terminals are directly connected to the battery the problems with the battery getting too low disappear. In the field I connect a solar battery charger to the cigarette lighter cable and charge it that way. If you use the power tank this way almost all the negatives disappear. As in all cabling make sure to have an in-line fuse connected. 5. Celestron does not build these themselves but have another firm brand them for Celestron. I have seen several that came from the factory with quality issues. The main one is the back terminals were loose. The bolts holding the terminals together are located inside the casing and is inaccessible. I was able to tighten them but there was obviously no electrical rated loktite used to prevent connections from working loose. 6. The lights are pretty flimsy and won't take abuse. Nevertheless they are quite useful. 7. Do not use the tank for anything but running the telescope. Laptops or dew heater just pull too much power and you will not get more than a few hours. In this case it's not a flaw but just the nature of the beast.

Purchased to power a Nexstar 8 SE, this item is highly versatile. Not only does it power the telescope, it also offers a variety of other uses. As advertised, it has two flashlights. One big LED spotlight and a smaller light with a red cap aimed at preserving night vision. There are 2 twelve volt cigarette lighter receptacles and two 5v USB ports to recharge smart phones. Be advised however that there are no 3, 6 and 9 volt receptacles. These have been replaced by the USB ports. The tank can also be used to boost a weak car battery, a definite plus if the need arises. All in all, a very useful item for astronomy and a wide range of other uses. Highly recommanded

Es una bateria portatil excelente no solo para uso con telescopios motorizados, se puede usar por si sola para ir de campamento, su versatilidad es excelente.

Super pratique pour utiliser un telescope en pleine campagne, la batterie dure longtemps, équipé d'une grosse lampe et d'une plus petite rouge pour éviter de d'éblouir. 2 prises allume cigare ainsi que des port Usb pour recharger smartphone ou tablette. On peux même l'utiliser pour démarrer la voiture en cas de problème ( câble non fourni et je n'ai pas essayé). Le câble d'alimentation pour le telescope est fournis contrairement à ce que certains racontent, il est rangé à l'arrière dans une trappe pas très visible. J'en suis extrêmement content.

Great product, great support from company

I buy it to use it with my telescope setup and it just consumed all the power in less than 1 hour at full charge Really useless and not worth it