Battery power source

[Ivor]

How to manage to keep the battery from losing maximum charge?

I've estimated I'll need 6A ph on a cold night (mount, camera, dew heaters and a bit of laptop) with 110ah do you only do one night on it?

I thought you shouldn't take a normal battery below 50% discharge.

[The Thing]

I have an extra large battery in the laptop which will run for nearly 4 hours with a power profile that keeps that laptop on, reduces processor to minimum when not needed, has the dimmest screen setting (off after 2 mins inactivity). Also the USB hub is powered by a 12v to 5v converter I made so that the USB doesn't drain the laptop running all the gadgets (about 1A).

[mickw]

A leisure battery at about 85Ah should power all kit including laptop for 14 to 17 hours assuming 5 to 6 amp load.

That should keep you going even for a imaging session in the winter, assuming 8pm to 3am with a 50% usage.

Bung it on charge when you pack up and you'll be ready to go the following night - Unless of course you're in the UK in which case all talk of imaging is irrelevant 

[Ivor]

Thanks for the advice.

Regarding our monthly DSC I'm planning on going in October what is the power situation, do you run off mains or battery and charge up during the day?

[mickw]

October ?
But you'll miss out on all the good weather 

Battery or mains ? - yes and yes, personally I normally use mains for the laptop and battery for the rest and sometimes I remember to charge the battery during the day