Celestron PowerTank Lithium LT

Power your telescope on the go with the PowerTank Lithium LT, Celestron's most compact and lightweight lithium-ion power pack. It won't take long for this handy device to become a vital component of your telescope accessory kit, camping gear, emergency kit, and more.

Stable Power Designed for Telescopes

Made with Lithium Nickel Manganese Cobalt Oxide [LiNiMnCoO2] or NMC technology, the PowerTank Lithium LT provides a constant charge for extended periods while requiring less maintenance compared to a conventional sealed lead-acid battery.

Expressly designed for astronomers by astronomers with regards to the unique requirements of computerized telescopes, the PowerTank Lithium LT is not like other lithium-ion power packs in the same price range.

Telescope electronics are extremely sensitive to voltage. Powering a telescope using less than ideal voltage puts unnecessary burden on the motors with heavier payloads and can even cause glitches in the electronics. With the PowerTank Lithium LT, a built-in voltage regulator makes sure that at least 11.8 volts is delivered for the majority of the battery's life, until the battery is depleted and shuts off.

You may see competitors claim that their batteries hold enough watt-hours of electricity to power your telescope for hours. The technology in these batteries was originally developed to power much lower-voltage electronics, such as home CPAP machines. Although the voltage actually being delivered starts off at 12V, it diminishes rapidly, impacting your telescope’s performance and becoming functionally useless within about 2-3 hours.

Celestron’s telescope engineers worked hand-in-hand with battery suppliers on the PowerTank Lithium LT to make sure that it does not experience this dropoff in performance. The built-in voltage regulator ensures a stable 12V output, regardless of the amount of charge left in the battery. This keeps your telescope’s electronics safe and performing their best, so you can focus on astronomy.

The PowerTank Lithium LT uses batteries with NMC chemistry while most typical batteries found on the market today use Lithium Cobalt Oxide. NMC batteries offer several more advantages including having a longer shelf life, three times the number of charge cycles compared to LiCoO2 chemistry, overcharge and over-discharge protection, and the ability to withstand temperatures as high as 100ºF (60ºC) greater to minimize the chance of them experiencing thermal runaway.

Compared to a lead-acid battery, the PowerTank Lithium LT is smaller, lighter, more efficient, and better for the environment. It offers better performance, a longer lifespan, and safer operation than other low-cost lithium-ion battery chemistries. Features include automatic shut-off, reverse polarity protection, charging/discharging protection, overcurrent protection, and short circuit protection.

Use in the Field

An exceptionally portable form factor allows the power pack to be taken with you just about anywhere from remote dark sky locations to distant campgrounds. The unit secures to a tripod leg using included 2" strap so that it isn't in the way while it's busy powering your telescope. Other than the power cable need to charge your telescope, no additional cables are required.

If you need to power your telescope and charge electronic devices simultaneously, the PowerTank Lithium LT features two output ports: one 12V DC port for the telescope and one fast-charging 2.1A USB charging port for smartphones and tablets. This USB port can also support any accessories that require 5V USB power.

Travel with PowerTank

Take the PowerTank Lithium LT with you on your next vacation. At 73.3 watt-hours, it meets current FAA regulations (160 Wh) for transportation in your carry-on baggage. Please check in advance with your airline to verify they do not have stricter policies. Do not place PowerTank Lithium LT in your checked baggage.

PowerTank Lithium LT Compatibility List

• Advanced VX
• Astro-Fi
• CG-5 (with CG-5 Aux. splitter)
• CGE
• NexStar SE
• CGEM II
• CGEM, CGEM DX
• LCM
• CPC, CPC DX
• NexStar GT (2015 and newer models with Aux. splitter)
• SkyProdigy
• NexStar SLT