mapping power

Inspired by "accessory map" diagrams made by Canon, showing lenses, batteries, grips, etc., I made a map for telescope equipment and accessories.

I've been thinking about this for a long time. And it really came to the surface when I delivered my powering your gear presentation back in August 2012. How does one power all their "consumers" of electricity? It requires a degree of planning. More so, if one is going to do some work in the field, where power can only be provided by batteries.

This may also prove useful to the new amateur, just getting started. For it shows what one must consider. And maybe what additional accessories will be required. Scary.

Started this diagram months ago. Initially sketched on paper. Without a grand vision. Finally implemented in Visio. Unfortunately, there are no "direct" shapes in Visio for astronomy's specialised equipment so I elected to use basic flowchart symbols. Then, in a moment of clarity, redeployed the diagram in a swimlane chart.

This is a first draft. Regarding terms:

• adapter - refers to a power supply, transformer, wall-wart, which steps down from the mains AC voltage (120 or 220), as well as converts to DC, where applicable
• PC PSU - a personal computer power supply unit; a cheap DIY way to get 5VDC and 12VDC
• CLA - cigarette lighter adapter

Note: some devices may support different power inputs which may not be shown here. For example, an electronic focuser may work on USB power from a computer, or take power from a wall adapter, or work with a CLA adapter.

Also note that "data" connections are not shown in this diagram. The focus is power. Including data lines may unnecessarily complicate this illustration. That said, it is worth bearing in mind. A typical visual or imaging setup may require even more wires! But then, some devices may be powered by USB data lines, eliminating the need for an external power source.