The Pegasus Astro Powerbox Advance is a multi-functional device designed to support the efforts of both visual and imaging amateur astronomers. The device is designed to offer a mix of features between the Pegasus Astro Pocket sensor and the Pegasus Astro Ultimate Powerbox and has been designed to provide more advanced features than the Pocket Powerbox in a more compact design.
A high quality robust, blue anodized aluminum enclosure houses the electronics in a compact 100mm x 71mm x 24mm case that weighs just 250 grams. Four power cable of DC 2.1mm to 2.1mm male (1m) are included in the package. Optional mounting accessories include brackets and a top plate offered in black anodized aluminum.
The Pegasus Astro Powerbox Advance features and specifications include:
– 4 x 12V DC Power outlets for your equipment (A single channel to switch all four outputs ON/OFF via software)
– 12 Amps of total distributed current
– Adjustable Output (3, 5, 8, 9, 12Volt) / 3Amps (Can be switched ON/OFF) Power your DSLR / Mirrorless camera
– Embedded Powered USB3 Hub – 4 x USB3 Ports or 3 x USB2 Ports Available
– 1 x Power USB Port (up to 3Amps) – Suitable for Raspberry PI 3/4 power
– Port (RJ12) for external accessories (Such as an External Focus Controller)
– 2 Channels PWM Dew Heaters – RCA Outputs (Tune levels via software)
– Humidity and Temperature Sensor (included)
– Auto Tune Dew Heater Channels
– Reverse Polarity Protection
– USB / PC Controlled or Standalone Operation out of the box
– Lightweight and extremely compact aluminum enclosure
– 4 x 12V DC Power outlets for your equipment
The Pegasus Astro Powerbox Advance has been designed to support up to 12 Amps of total electric current, more than the usual backyard astrophotography setup of 5-7 Amps. A powerful Mosfet transistor provides “electric juice” to equipment through four 12V outputs that can be switched on/off as a group. The device can provide up to 10 amps of current to all ports.
An adjustable output is suitable to provide power to DSLR/Mirrorless cameras or an RPI3/4. The voltage can be tuned to different levels (3,5,8,9,12 Volts) and there is a range of available battery couplers for Canon, Nikon, Sony, and FUJI Cameras.
A precise voltmeter measures and displays in real time input voltage. If the input is more than 14.5V, the power is instantly cut off to protect equipment. An amp-meter placed after the DC input reports the total electric current. There are also three additional amp-meters: One for the 12V outputs and two for the dew heater channels. This allows you to easily monitor detailed and overall power consumption of your equipment.
The Pegasus Astro Powerbox Advance can work “out of the box” as a standalone device. Just plug the cables and you are ready to go. You can also connect the device to your laptop/PC and control it from the supplied software or ASCOM drivers.
Two pulse width modulation (PWM) outlets are capable to provide power to dew heaters. These outlets can be remote controlled from your laptop using the supplied software. The controller can auto adjust the heater power levels by consulting the environmental sensor dew point reading. Just click “Auto” and leave it to the Pocket Powerbox to decide if it is time to turn on and precise tune the level of your dew heaters.
A powered USB3 Hub at the back of the device provides 4 x USB3 SuperSpeed Ports (only 3 out of 4 USB Ports are compatible to USB2 devices).
The Hub supports Hi-Speed (HS), Full Speed (FS) and Low Speed (LS). The new SuperSpeed hubs operate in parallel with the USB 2.0 controller, so 5 Gbps SuperSpeed data transfers are not affected by slower USB 2.0 traffic. A special USB Port provides 5.2V/3Amps. You can connect any device that requires 5V such as a Raspberry PI 3/4 or Intel Compute Stick M3/M5.
Note that some USB3 Cameras from QHY and ZWO require USB2 signaling before switching to USB3. These cameras are not going to work into USB Port1. Check with your camera specifications to see if your camera works with a USB3 (only) native port.
An Expansion Port is available for device expansion. This RJ12 socket allows the connectivity of current and future Pegasus Astro products. Plugged devices can be controlled from the Pocket Powerbox Advance standalone software or dedicated ASCOM driver.
The Pegasus Astro Powerbox Advance can work “out of the box” as a standalone device. Just plug the cables and you are ready to go. You can also connect the device to your laptop/PC and control the Pocket Powerbox from the supplied software or ASCOM drivers It fully supports INDI and you can bundle it with Stellarmate or any other device that can use INDILib. The device is firmware upgradable to support future features and bug fixes.
The Powerbox Advance fully supports ASCOM 6. In combination with Pegasus Astro software which acts as a server, you can use the latest ASCOM 6.5 supplied drivers to report environmental settings to supported software. You can also switch on/off 12V outputs, adjustable output, and tune dew heaters.
The LED can blink in patterns to warn you regarding important power issues (such as over or under voltage). The LED is very dim, however in situations where you prefer, you can switch it off via the software.
An external temperature & relative humidity sensor is included in the package. You will know exactly the environment conditions of your location with temperature, humidity and dew point measurements are displayed in the software.
The device has been designed with a reverse voltage polarity protection. This can save your night if you accidentally connect the main power supply in reverse polarity. A hardware watchdog resets the device if for any reason there is no response from the controller for two seconds. This is a neat feature in the unlikely event of a controller freeze when you have a remote observatory and you need to be certain that everything works as expected.
You can learn more about the Pegasus Astro Powerbox Advance here.
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