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USB advice required for Observatory


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I have been having some problems with my QHY5/PHD dropping out and not recognising the camera and CDC suddenly disconnecting from the mmount. At the moment I am connecting the NEQ6, QHY5 and Canon 1000d to an unpowered 4 port USB hub which then connects to my laptop via a 5m USB extension cable that I think I got from Asstronomiser. I have just upgraded the Canon to an Atik 314L+ and Atik EFW2 which will both need to connect via USB. I'm worried that my problems are only going to get worse adding more to the hub and I'm looking for any advice you may have for a more permanent, and more importantly, reliable set up which will be in my observatory.

Is it as simple as having something like a powered hub? What is everybody else using out there? Any tips, advice or ideas would be very welcome!

Thanks,

John

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Thanks Tinker1947, at the moment I am using a 5m USB2 active extension cable from Modern Astrnomy (not Astronomiser as I said above) between the 4 port hub and laptop which I think is the same as the one in your photo above. I wonder if the weak link is the cheap hub I'm using? Is there an alternative to USB? Could I plug the USB's from the equipment to a hub that would convert to CAT5 for instance? If so would that be any better anyway?!

John

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The unpowered hub is the weak link, I run 2 usb extension leads each one into 4 port powered hubs. One side has the guide cam and mount, the other side has the DSLR.

The reason I run two separate usb lines is that my laptop has 2 usb controllers (like most laptops) so basicly the DSLR doesn't have to share the usb bandwidth with my guidecam.

This setup has never caused me problems.

Hope this helps

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When you buy a powered hub, which is what you will need, (at least one), then make sure you get one with a beefy power supply, more than capable of supplying each port with enough amps to do the job.

As a general rule, the cheaper USB hubs have lower rated PSU's and often are not up to the job.

HTH

Tim

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I can't recommend a particular powered hub, I bought mine off ebay and were the cheapest at the time. Tim makes a good point, the important thing with a powered hub is the supply, the usb2 port standard is 500ma per port so "if" you were to run a 4port usb to the max you will need at least a 5v 2amp power supply for the hub.

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As others have said, the key is getting your USB hub powered. In my observatory I have a cheap ebay 7 port powered hub that services a Meade DSI (which is renowned to be power hungry), QHY8, and NEQ6. I have however been able to get away with using just a normal 3m long Belkin USB cable between the hub and laptop, which probably helps with the performance/reliability.

Power to the USB hub provided by another cheapo ebay purchase, one of those USB charger plugs that fits into a car cigarette lighter, with a butchered USB cable to feed the 5V lines into the USB power socket.

I'd really like one of these but they're somewhat pricey and as my existing setup is working fine, I can't justify it: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B003AVPUZG/?tag=hydra0b-21&hvadid=9557943669&ref=asc_df_B003AVPUZG

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I'm going to buck the trend here :)

I'm running the mount, camera 16HR or QHY8 plus a 16ic or QHY5 for guiding plus an SX filterwheel via 2 10m active USB extensions and don't power my USB hubs but I do run two hubs from my laptop.

I keep the guiding camera on a totally seperate hub - without a doubt that used to cause me the most grief with disconnects when it was on a common hub, particularly with the QHY5 which is powered via the hub.

Now that I have the 16ic back in business pulse guiding and it's on a seperate hub I rarely see any disconnect issues.

I might just be lucky with the way I use my setup and powering your USB hub may well be the answer to your woes.

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