# External power supply for Sky **URL:** \ **Category:** Tempest Owners\ **Tags:** sky, solar-panel\ **Created:** [September 22, 2018, 1:22pm UTC](https://community.tempest.earth/t/external-power-supply-for-sky/2330 "2018-09-22T13:22:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![leo.duflou](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/73ab20/32.png) [@leo.duflou](https://community.tempest.earth/u/leo.duflou)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2018, 1:22pm UTC](https://community.tempest.earth/t/external-power-supply-for-sky/2330/1 "2018-09-22T13:22:53Z")
Is there any intention in the future to allow for running Sky on an external power supply or batteries? The reason I ask is, wrestling a 10-metre high mast down to change batteries every 12 months is a task I would rather avoid. I already use batteries in a battery holder inside the building on another battery powered station and it works great. The sealed nature of the Sky base prevents running wires to the battery compartment. ---
**Author:** ![eric](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/community.tempest.earth/eric/32/13553_2.png) [@eric](https://community.tempest.earth/u/eric)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2018, 1:31pm UTC](https://community.tempest.earth/t/external-power-supply-for-sky/2330/2 "2018-09-22T13:31:48Z")
a solar panel is planned but won’t see the light for several months I guess. The time to develop, build a few prototypes, then some more for several testers … set your sky already to power save mode (15s polling instead 3s) and you should be good for more then a year at least. The time the solar panel will be available … instead changing batteries you’ll be adding the panel ---
**Author:** ![vreihen](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/community.tempest.earth/vreihen/32/13217_2.png) [@vreihen](https://community.tempest.earth/u/vreihen)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2018, 2:11pm UTC](https://community.tempest.earth/t/external-power-supply-for-sky/2330/3 "2018-09-22T14:11:34Z")
If you are handy with electrical stuff and have a drill, there’s a picture of my mounting plate hack for external power buried in one of the solar panel threads… ---
**Author:** ![carlesba](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/community.tempest.earth/carlesba/32/3962_2.png) [@carlesba](https://community.tempest.earth/u/carlesba)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2019, 11:34am UTC](https://community.tempest.earth/t/external-power-supply-for-sky/2330/4 "2019-01-22T11:34:35Z")
I realized that the sky has two golden contactes at the base, that with a first test with the multimeter, seems that the + and - poles of the batteries are exposed outside the sealed battery compartment. It seems pretty easy to do a mount hack to place the proper cables to make contact there. Does anyone els have noticed that? ---
**Author:** ![GaryFunk](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/community.tempest.earth/garyfunk/32/5729_2.png) [@GaryFunk](https://community.tempest.earth/u/GaryFunk)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2019, 12:18pm UTC](https://community.tempest.earth/t/external-power-supply-for-sky/2330/5 "2019-01-22T12:18:55Z")
Yes. Many have. > [@External Battery pack for Sky](https://community.tempest.earth/t/external-battery-pack-for-sky/2674): > > I’m planning to install Sky module on the roof and prefer not to go up there every year to change batteries. Has anyone considered wiring battery compartment and having a battery pack located at an easy to replace location? ---
**Author:** ![btst.online](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/community.tempest.earth/btst.online/32/16538_2.png) [@btst.online](https://community.tempest.earth/u/btst.online)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2019, 4:32pm UTC](https://community.tempest.earth/t/external-power-supply-for-sky/2330/6 "2019-01-22T16:32:38Z")
Currently working on an in-line adapter that will allow external power: ![image](https://cdck-file-uploads-us1.s3.dualstack.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/flex020/uploads/sws/original/2X/3/36d44699b045b64eb9de5617f644da69f35bb07a.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![matthiasginster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a698b9/32.png) [@matthiasginster](https://community.tempest.earth/u/matthiasginster)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2019, 12:32pm UTC](https://community.tempest.earth/t/external-power-supply-for-sky/2330/7 "2019-04-30T12:32:47Z")
Hi btst, this looks goooood 😃 I was intended to use Autodesk Inventor to design the same! Can you give the 3D model of this part? I’m planning to use 20700 batteries (4pcs in parallel) which can be recharged via a 12V power-supply. The whole part shall be 3D printed, so the connector would be great to have (I did not start because i wasn’t motivated enough to measure). Once I finish it, I’ll publish the files! If you can send the model to matthiasginster(at)[gmail.com](http://gmail.com), I’d highly appreciate it. Another point: What is the supply-voltage for the pogo-pins? Can I use the 4.2V batteries? I know that the SKY is working with 3V, so probably the regulator is okay with 4V too. Regards, Matthias ---
**Author:** ![WFmarketing](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/community.tempest.earth/wfmarketing/32/62_2.png) [@WFmarketing](https://community.tempest.earth/u/WFmarketing)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2019, 7:29pm UTC](https://community.tempest.earth/t/external-power-supply-for-sky/2330/8 "2019-05-07T19:29:06Z")