iOptron Lithium Ion Power Bank (12V) - 8449

This power bank is clearly a third-party-supplied device, promoted by iOptron but identical in appearance to one branded 'talent cell' sold on Amazon. But the iOptron-approved one sold at TC has a 7800 mAH power rating, higher than the Amazon 6300 mAH unit, and that makes the minor price difference false economy.

The HAZ31 mount comes with a power source that plugs into an AC outlet, with a wire trailing back to the mount. A wire that lies on the ground. In the dark. Since a trip wire hooked to your expensive telescope while people mill around in utter blackness is sub-optimal, your sure do want one of these battery packs. Believe it.

The power bank has a good design and build quality, but not so impressive as the HAZ31 mount itself, which looks and feels like something from Germany rather than China. So the idea of slapping the power bank onto the mount with a sticky-backed Velcro patch was unacceptable. That's like putting a hat with earholes on a racehorse. The solution turned out to be to acquire a black anodized project box just the right size, and machine it to accommodate the power bank. The HAZ31 mount just happens to have a 3/8-16 threaded hole in it with no specified function at all — not mentioned either in the manuals or online. But it turns out to be useful because a standard 3/8 camera tripod adapter can be used there to attach the project box/powerbank where it won't get its cable hookups tangled as the mount slews. This leaves an adequate gap for the cable connections between powerbank and mount. The result is neat and orderly. A more compact powerbank would be even nicer, but in case you have to make a warranty claim at some point, it makes sense to deny the company an excuse to give you static about an off-brand power source. Recommendation: If you buy a HAZ31 or other iOptron mount that wants 12VDC, buy this too. (Note: the HAZ31 will be reviewed separately when I have a chance to use it. After winter.) I am a certified authentic purchaser of this from Telescopes Canada - davidsilburt.com