Celestron PowerTank Lithium — image 1
Celestron

Celestron PowerTank Lithium

84 Wh · 12 V lithium

A safe, rechargeable 12 V battery that runs a GoTo mount for a full night, no more dead AA packs or a car battery in the field.

87/ 100
Polaris Score
#1 of 6 portable power packs we recommend
From$99.95
Where to buy
Affiliate link — we earn a commission, you pay the same. We rank on fit, not payout.
What problem does this solve?

A GoTo mount is only as good as the power feeding it.

Computerised mounts brown out the moment their voltage sags, alignment drifts, slews stall, and the hand controller resets mid-session. AA battery trays and cheap jump-packs sag exactly when the mount draws hardest, so a "full" pack still fails an hour in.

A lithium power tank holds a steady 12 V across its whole charge, then drops off a cliff only when genuinely empty. You get predictable, all-night power in a pack that weighs a fraction of the sealed-lead-acid bricks it replaces.

You need one if
You need one if you run a GoTo or tracking mount away from mains power, or your current pack dies before the night does.
You can skip it if
You can skip it for a manual Dobsonian or any scope with no motors, there is nothing to power.
01Will it fit my setup

Compatibility.

What this accessory works with — check the fit before you check the price.

What this accessory works with — check the fit before you check the price.

Any 12 V mountGoToEQ trackingDew heatersDSLR / cooled camerasUSB devicesCar socket
Note✕Not for AC gear without an inverter✕Recharge before storage
02The numbers

What These Numbers Mean

4 numbers in plain English · full specifications

4 numbers in plain English · full specifications

OutputMount-ready
12 V DC regulated
Telescope mounts expect a steady 12 volts, and they misbehave in confusing ways when they do not get it: failed slews, tracking errors and hand controller resets. A regulated supply removes a whole category of problems that look like mount faults.
RuntimePractical
Roughly a full night of tracking
Enough to power a GoTo mount for a typical session, though dew heaters and a cooled camera draw far more than a mount alone and will shorten that considerably. Plan capacity around your whole rig, not just the mount.
Battery chemistryLong life
Lithium iron phosphate
LiFePO4 tolerates hundreds of charge cycles and holds charge in storage far better than the sealed lead-acid packs it replaced, and it weighs a fraction as much for the same capacity. It also does not degrade if left partly charged between sessions.
ExtrasConvenience
USB output and red torch
The USB ports run a dew controller or charge a phone running your star chart, and the built-in red light preserves dark adaptation. Small things, but they remove items from the bag.
Electrical
Capacity84 Wh (LiFePO₄)
Output12 V DC · 5.5 mm barrel
USB2× USB-A (5 V / 2.1 A)
Cigarette socketYes · 10 A
Recharge12 V wall adapter
Physical
Weight1.7 kg
Built-in lightRed / white LED torch
Cycles~2000 (LiFePO₄)
Cold toleranceGood, lithium iron
03Before you buy

Good to know.

The honest caveats — the things that save you a return, a bad first night, or a second purchase you didn't need.

The honest caveats — the things that save you a return, a bad first night, or a second purchase you didn't need.

It powers the mount, not everything at once.
A mount plus dew heaters plus a cooled camera can outrun an 84 Wh pack. Budget the watt-hours, or carry the larger Pro version for imaging nights.
Recharge it after every trip.
Lithium iron hates sitting empty. Top it up when you get home and it will hold capacity for years.
12 V barrel, centre-positive.
Match your mount’s power cable polarity, Celestron mounts are centre-positive, which this pack supplies. Check before plugging in a third-party mount.
87/ 100
Celestron PowerTank Lithium
84 Wh · 12 V lithium · $99.95

A safe, rechargeable 12 V battery that runs a GoTo mount for a full night, no more dead AA packs or a car battery in the field.