If you are tired of carrying multiple power packs and dealing with a mess of power and data cables, our Ultimate Powerbox, a sophisticated power control unit, is the “Ultimate” solution. Our idea is an enclosure that makes a sufficient number of amperes available. No cables disturb the movements of the mount and the instrument, only the main power cord and one USB data cord is attached to the Ultimate Powerbox from which branch off the other cables powering all devices.
The Ultimate Powerbox provides:
- 4 x 12V Smart Outputs,
- 2 x PWM duty cycle channels for your Dew Heaters or Flatbox
- a USB2 High Speed Industrial Powered Hub with 6 available ports
- a Unipolar Stepper Motor Controller
- Environmental & Power metrics
- In a compact size with plenty of features!
We strongly believe that if you own a remote observatory or you do advanced imaging you are gonna love this device!
4 x 12V DC Power outlets for your equipment
Four powerful Smart mosfet transistors provide “electric juice” to your precious equipment. Sophisticated short circuit and overload per port protections cut the power and report the incident into our software. Every mosfet is capable to provide up to 7A of current.
Built in Power Sensors
A precise voltmeter and an ampmeter (can measure up to 30A) measure and display in real time (200 measurements per second) your power input. If the input is more than 13.8V the power is instantly cut off to protect your equipment.
Individual Current Meter per 12V port
Every 12V output has an internal and independent current meter. You can view every port power consumption in the software.
More than 20A of total power
Controller has been designed to support up to 20 Amps of total current.
Stand Alone Software
Our modern standalone software has a neat dark skin! Control all Ultimate Powerbox features from this software. Receive metrics, View and zoom into graphs, name your outputs, tune every setting of your Ultimate Powerbox quickly and easily.
Industrial 6 port powered USB2 High speed Hub
An industrial USB2 port chip ensures that this USB hub will work flawlessly from temperatures of -40°C to +80°C. A nice feature is that USB Hub can be turned ON/OFF by the software. Moreover, USB port No 6 never turns off and supports up to 3A of current. A very handy feature if you have a Compute Stick * and you want to get a 5V input power. All USB ports include a unique short circuit and overload electronic protection.
* Please be advised that newer Compute (PC) Stick might consumer more than 3Amps of current. Moreover USB A to C cables have an internal resistor which limits current levels.
Embedded Stepper Motor Controller
A stepper motor controller will precisely move your focuser. Connect a Pegasus Unipolar Motor or another motor in the market e.g. Rigel, Robofocu, Moonlight Motor. Backlash compensation is already implemented in the firmware and can be enabled, tuned or disabled from the software. A fully ASCOM6 focuser driver is already available.
Two channel duty cycle PWM outputs
Two Pulse width modulation (PWM) outlets are capable to provide power to your “thirsty” Dew Heaters. No more moisture fuzzing your equipment and destroying your clear nights. These outlets can be remote controlled from your laptop using the supplied software.
Auto Adjustment of PWM (Dew Outputs)
Firmware can auto adjust the PWM Outputs by consulting the environmental sensor Dew Point reading. Just click “Auto” and leave to Intelli Powerbox decide if it is time to switch on your dew heaters.
ASCOM 6 Fully supported
Ultimate powerbox fully supports ASCOM6. In combination with our main program which acts as a server you can use our latest ASCOM 6.3 supplied drivers to:
- Control Stepper Motor (ASCOM Focuser)
- Pass environmental settings to supported software (e.g Sequence Generator Pro / MaximDL ) (ASCOM ObservingConditions)
- Switch ON or OFF all 12V outputs. (ASCOM Switches)
Above screenshot shows ASCOM Observing Conditions and Focus Driver in combination with Sequencer Generator Pro
External brackets support Losmandy / Vixen Plate attachment
We provide an optional pair of brackets to grab the Ultimate Powerbox device onto a Losmandy 3” or Vixen plate. Both brackets can be screwed on the side of the controller and grab on your telescope.
Led Indications for power and failure states
Led can blink in patterns to warn you regarding important power issues (e.g over or under voltage). Moreover light can be turned off using the software. Our led is very dim but in case you don’t like it on you can switch it off via the software.
Power Cables are included in the package
Four power cable of DC 2.1mm to 2.1mm male (1m) are included in the package.
External Environmental Sensor
External one (1) meter temperature & relative humidity sensor is included in the package. Know exactly the environment conditions of your location. Temperature, humidity and dew point measurements are displayed in the software.
Zoomable and Exportable Graphs for Power and Environment values
Software logs all voltage, current, temperature and relative humidity readings. All these plots are zoomable and easily exportable in PNG image & CSV text format. Keep a full record of your night conditions.
Timer to shutdown outputs
Choose the time and start timer to shutdown output ports when you schedule it.
Memory persistence outputs on startup
You can easily define which output should turn ON during startup. The setting is stored in system’s EEPROM memory. A neat feature in case of a power failure.
USB2 Connectivity
Controller is always connected to the USB Hub (7th USB port). No extra cable needed. Just connect the USB Hub to your laptop and you are done.
Reverse Polarity Protection
Ultimate Powerbox has been design with a reverse voltage polarity protection. It will definitely save your night if you accidentally connect the main power supply in reverse polarity!
Watchdog
A hardware watchdog resets the device if for any reason there is no response from the controller for two seconds. 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.
Upgradable Firmware
Device is firmware upgradable to support future features and bug fixes.
Compact Size and Lightweight
A blue anodised aluminium compact sized box enclose the controller board. Size is 13cm x 10cm x 10cm (5.1 inch x3.9 inch x 3.9 inch). Weight is 400 grams (14.1 ounces).
Bundle your favourite computer with our Ultimate Powerbox
We don’t follow the idea to embed a computer in the UPB device. Our concept is to keep separately the power / environmental / stepper control and the PC hardware. After a year the PC specifications will be obsolete. Spend the extra money on a separate computer which you can upgrade after some time. Choose a “compute pc stick” or a “computer cube” that fits your needs and bundle it with our Ultimate Powerbox. Check the following image of what we have done in our roll off observatory.
| Supply Voltage | 12V DC (Reverse Polarity Protected) |
| Power Input Connector | DC 2.5mm |
| Connectivity | USB2 – Type B USB Connector |
| 4 x 12 Outputs | Maximum Current 7A each. 2.1mm Center Positive Software: ON/OFF |
| 2 Channel x 12 PWM Outputs | Maximum Current 7A Each, Black Colored RCA Connector, Pulse Width Modulated (Suitable for Dew Heaters or Flatbox)
Software: Duty Cycle % / OFF |
| 1x Sensor Input | Mini Stereo Socket, Connectivity with Environmental Sensor
0-100% humidity readings with 2-5% accuracy |
| Ampmeter | Measures 0 – 30A |
| Voltmeter | Measures 5 – 15V |
| High Speed (USB2) Industrial 7 port powered Hub
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Industrial Chip: Temperature range -40°C to +80°C 6 x High Speed (USB2) available ports USB Hub can switch ON/OFF on demand (software command) 6th USB port can deliver up to 3Amps |
| Stepper Motor Controller | Unipolar stepper motors, max 1.6 Amps (0.8 Amps per phase) Auto Recover Fuse In case current is higher RJ45 socket / RJ12 – older enclosure) |
| Dimensions | 13cm x 10cm x 10cm (5.1 inch x3.9 inch x 3.9 inch). Weight is 400 grams (14.1 ounces). |
| Ultimate Powerbox Controller | ✔ |
| Temperature / Humidity Sensor | ✔ |
| 4 x Power DC 2.1 to 2.1 male cable (1m) | ✔ |
| DC Cable (2m) to Cigarette Lighter Adapter (10A fused) | ✔ |
| USB Cable Type B (3m) | ✔ |
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Stepper Motor Cable RJ12 to DB9 (Compatible with Pegasus, Robofocus, Moonlite, Generic Unipolar Stepper Motors)
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Pegasus Motor Focus Kit (Universal or SCT)
- Geared Stepper, Step Angle 7.5, Deg 120, Gear Ration 1:120
- Universal L Shaped Adapter
- Coupler 5mm to 10mm
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Pair of Black Aluminium Dovetail Brackets to attach the Ultimate Powerbox on your mount
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USB cable converter to 8V DC with DSLR battery coupler
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6th USB port provides 3Amps of current – Use this adapter with the battery coupler to power up your DSLR Camera)
* We currently support the following Couplers Sony Mirrorless Coupler Compatible WithA7 A7R A7S A7II A7RII A7SII DR–E5 Compatible with:Canon 450D Rebel XSi
Canon Digital Rebel XS (digital)
Canon Digital Rebel XSi
Canon EOS 1000D
Canon EOS 450D
Canon EOS 500D
Canon EOS Kiss F
Canon EOS Kiss X2
Canon EOS Kiss X3
Canon EOS Rebel T1i
DR-E6 (Canon leadership cameras)Compatible with Canon 5D Mk II, 5D Mk III, 6D, 60D, 60Da, 7D, 70D
DR-E8 (Canon medium range cameras)Compatible with Canon EOS 700D, Canon EOS 650D, Canon EOS 600D, Canon EOS 550D.
DR-E10 (Entry camera models)Compatible with Canon EOS 1100D and 1200D.
DR-400 (Older camera models)Compatible with Canon 5D, 50D, 40D, 30D, 20D, 10D, D60, D30
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Q: What kind of power supply do I need?
A: We suggest to buy a good linear 12V / 10-20A branded power supply. Cheap units cause voltage drops on high load and ripple effect. This will cause issues and artefacts to your precious CCD Camera.
Q: What type of cable do I need to use for input?
A: If you are going to make a custom input cable notice that you need at least a AWG 17 cable. Make also sure that you do not exceed 2-3m to to reduce voltage drops.
Q: I would like to use the Ultimate Powerbox to my remote observatory. What if the device freezes for some reason?
A: We have good news for you. The device has a hardware watchdog and resets itself if the microcontroller is not responsive after 2 seconds.
Q: My observatory is in a very cold place. Is there any issue with the electronics of the device?
A: All electronic components were selected to support temperature ranges from -40 to +80 °C. Moreover USB2 Hub Chip is an industrial model which fully complies with this temperature range.
Q: I have a new feature request. Is it possible to implement it in the software / firmware.
A: Sure, we are here to listen our customers. Please contact us and tell us your idea!
Q: What if I accidentally short-circuit an output?
A: Ultimate Powerbox has an internal protection for all outputs. In less that 5 milisecs it will cut off the power of this output and a warning message will be appeared at the software screen.
Q: What if I accidentally reverse polarity?
A: Ultimate Powerbox has an input reverse polarity protection. Device will not power on and of course will not allow any voltage to leak to outputs.
Q: What if I short-circuit a USB Hub port?
A: Device has a USB short-circuit / overcurrent protection per port. It will instantly isolate/disable the selected USB port. Just remove the USB device and plug another one to bring it to life.
Q: I have a USB device which requires more power than a normal USB port.
A: No problem. The 6th port of the USB hub can support up to 3Amps of current. Plug it there and it will do the job.
Q: At the middle of the night humidity rises up. What can I do for my optics?
A: Enable auto-dew functionality. Device firmware will adjust the power of both Dew Heater outputs consulting the humidity / dew point levels that environmental sensor reports.
Q: Can I upgrade the firmware?
A: Of course, device was designed to support firmware upgrade for future features or bug fixes.
Q: Why don’t you place a mini PC inside the Ultimate Powerbox?
A: We really don’t support this idea. Why to buy something and pay noticeable amount of money for a mini PC that will be obsolete (in its specification) after 6-12 months? We suggest you to just get a compute stick, plug it in the 6th USB hub port to supply it with enough power juice and you have your tiny PC up and running! If you don’t like it after some time, buy another one with higher specs and lower price for sure! Check the user shots for an example of this approach!
You can order it from our dealers
| Dealer | Country |
|---|---|
 | USA, Canada, Central and South America |
 | North and South America |
 | North America |
 | Canada |
 | UK and Europe |
 | Germany |
 | Germany |
 | Italy |
 | France |
 | France |
 | Netherlands |
 | Asia, Australia and New Zealand Region |
 | Greece |
 | Greece |
I had been looking for a way of having only one cable running to my setup, (HEQ5, Altair 80mm Triplet, Hypercam 183), being able to operate the whole thing remotely, and it being portable.
I bought the Ultimate Powerbox after chatting with the Pegasus chaps at IAS 2017. I am using an Intel Compute stick, i5/4Gb with a 128Gb memory card to run all the software I need, including the Pegasus app to control the dew heaters (Auto is the way to go!) and Pegasus motorised Focuser (available seperately).
Everything connects via the Powerbox – EQMod cable, imaging and guide camera, with the 6th port on the USB Hub built into the power box being able to supply 3A, which is enough to run some of the stick PC’s, but not the Intel Compute Stick.
Not a problem! The Pegasus Astro guys are outstanding on their customer service, and after a brief discussion, and some testing by them, they sent me a custom-built cable that plugs into one of the 12v 7A max power sockets on the PowerBox and converts it to 5v 7A USB-C to power the Intel Compute stick.
So, what did I do with the 6th USB socket, the 3A one? I power a TPLink Wireless Access Point from it, creating a WIFI hotspot around the scope, so I can use the whole thing in the field or my back garden, and connect to the Compute Stick via Teamviewer from a laptop.
One cable running to my setup – the power cable for the Ultimate Powerbox – check!
Being able to run my whole scope and mount remotely – check!
Portable – check!
I was looking for a device that could control other devices, using only one cable. Finally, I found the device “Ultimate Powerbox” that can manage the CCD camera, guiding, focuser, the fans located in the primary as well as the mirror’s heaters at the same time, knowing in a real time the consumption of each device. The software is very intuitive, easy to control, showing the graphics of the temperature as well as the environment humidity of my observatory. Great Choise!!
Due to I have a remote control observatory the “Ultimate Powerbox” is outsanding. Now I can turn devices on and off independly, that’s give me a better option when I want to turn on the cooling system camera, without affect other devices, meantime the fans are cooling the primary mirror to steady the temperature before begins session.
The “Ultimate Powerbox” can manage six USB2 devices and four outputs power at 12 Vdc maximum current at 7A each one, enough for most of the devices we normally use in our astro equipments. And one more thing to take into consideration is lighter witih only a weight of 400 gr. What more could we ask for?
Best regards
Lluís Romero
I use a pyramid power supply (PSV300) that has a steady output of 13.8vdc that I use to power my meade Lx600 and sbig STF camera and FW. Will your ultimate powerbox accept this power supply?
Yes, no problem at all. Ultimate Powerbox can accept input of 13.8V DC. Lots of customers have used 13.8V
Mi ordenador consume 3,9 Amperios, puedo conectarlo a una toma de alimentacion de la Powerbox?
gracias
Angel,
Powerbox can provide 6-7Amps per 12V output. It can easily provide the current you need