HitecAstro Mount Hub Pro V2 Running Baader SteelDrive

[fatwoul]

Hi all.  Not posted in a while.  Hope you're all well.

Just a quick grumble about the MHPv2.  Does anybody know why the USB hub isn't powered?  I'm having to supply a Baader Steeldrive with power via an otherwise-redundant handset because the MHP can't provide the power needed to run the focuser.  I've even tried one of those two-ended USBs they used to provide with harddrives, to get more power into the focuser, and nothing.

I used to use my MHP for everything, but it's getting to the point now where so few things work with it that I'm considering ditching it from my setup.  Great shame, given how expensive they are to buy, and how there's really nothing wrong with it besides the USBs being underpowered and too slow.  My SteelDrive doesn't use it, and nor does my ZWO ASI120MM.  All I've got running from it now is one 12v and one USB (my Atik One).  I just want to run things efficiently, with as few cables as possible, which was the whole point of the MHP.

I've contacted HitecAstro three times in the last few months about different things, and haven't had a single reply from them.  I know it's a small company, but considering how much the thing cost, I'm not bowled over by the customer service.

I know some people have done modifications to their MHPs, but does anybody know if there have been any successful modifications to provide more power via the USBs?

If I'm not back again before the new year, I hope you all have a good Christmas and get some clear skies sooner or later.

[Earl]

Which version do you have?

I have the 7 port which I have ran fully populated with 6 12v outputs and had no issues at all.

Have you tried running it off a different port on the computer?

With my mount hub ultimate I have even daisy chained a powered 4 port USB 3 port of it without any issues.

[fatwoul]

Is the ultimate the aluminium one?  I was tempted until this.

Mine is the 5-port USB hub variety.  The 12V sockets have never been a problem, and the focuser socket is behaving, but the USBs...ugh.

[perfrej]

Currently involved with fixing the pro version so that it works scripted for a friend. No luck what so ever and the software appears to leave quite a bit to whish for.

The Baader Steeldrive - it will need the full 0.5A 5V as per the USB specifications or the motor won't turn. If it doesn't work with USB only then you need the handset and the 12V supply to it. I have written an extra ASCOM driver for the Steeldrive motor and know it well. I ran it straight off of USB in all my tests and it worked fine (never tried via a mounthub pro, though).

/per

[fatwoul]

Thanks Per,

A new development since I posted last time is that my Atik GP and Atik One no longer work together.  I have no explanation for it so far, and it is enormously frustrating that something which has worked for 4 months suddenly doesn't.  The only thing that was different at the time of the failure was that it was the coldest night of the year so far, and much colder than the current setup has been used previously.  Again, I suspect the MHP, since it would appear that both the Atik One and the Atik GP are still functional, and work fine on the end of an active 5m USB extension.

If, once again, the issue is that the MHP is failing to provide the current needed by devices, then this is very disappointing.  We're not talking about a miscellaneous USB hub, not designed to work under cold conditions.  The MHP only has one function:  To run a telescope and peripherals.  The best nights are often the coldest, so a device that fails at low temperatures would be useless.

I'm going to try things again under warmer conditions and see if the problem remedies itself, at which point I will have my answer.  In the meantime, I am wondering if the USB hub can be powered (ie whether I can add my own 5V power supply to it.  I've seen a few instances where passive hubs have been modified to be powered, and since my MHP is well outside warranty, I don't have much to lose.

[fatwoul]

(I'm not going to lie, this might be the last straw for me and my astrophotography.  With the small number of clear nights I get - I've been off work for a fortnight and had 1 clear night - it seems like I spend too many of them fixing problems rather than imaging.  I can work my way through problems when those problems are consistent, but when something that has worked for months suddenly doesn't anymore, its virtually impossible to figure out a solution.  The only thing stopping me from jacking it all in for good is that selling an entire observatory would be just as big a headache.)

[perfrej]

The mounthub pro that I was involved with has now failed completely. Hitech never answered my e-mails and the product appears to be a really poor design with no support whatsoever.

I suggest you throw it away, accept your fate, and buy something else... I made my own which works fine.

/per

[Earl]

do you fed the hub 12v or 13.8v?

[fatwoul]

The mounthub pro that I was involved with has now failed completely. Hitech never answered my e-mails and the product appears to be a really poor design with no support whatsoever.

I suggest you throw it away, accept your fate, and buy something else... I made my own which works fine.

/per

I am tempted, Per, but I wouldn't know where to even start building something.  Without the MHP, I'll be back to the revolting bundle of cables that used to cause me problems years ago.  I have a real problem with things that seem not to play by the rules - the MHP has worked for a long time without a single fault, so why has it just stopped now?  It's like having a table in your kitchen for a decade, and one day walking in and the table is a chair.  I don't get it.

do you fed the hub 12v or 13.8v?

So far 12, as I didn't want to break my new Atik One.  You think I should try 13.8?  I'm not sure how that would affect the behaviour of the USB hub bit.

[Earl]

I am tempted, Per, but I wouldn't know where to even start building something.  Without the MHP, I'll be back to the revolting bundle of cables that used to cause me problems years ago.  I have a real problem with things that seem not to play by the rules - the MHP has worked for a long time without a single fault, so why has it just stopped now?  It's like having a table in your kitchen for a decade, and one day walking in and the table is a chair.  I don't get it.

So far 12, as I didn't want to break my new Atik One.  You think I should try 13.8?  I'm not sure how that would affect the behaviour of the USB hub bit.

I power my Mount hub via a Bench PSU (the One FLO recomend) this outputs 13.8v

This could be your issue.

[fatwoul]

I power my Mount hub via a Bench PSU (the One FLO recomend) this outputs 13.8v

This could be your issue.

Thanks, Earl.  I'll try that.  But I still don't understand why that would create a problem now, after months of good function.  Wouldn't that have been a problem from day 1?  The temperature?

[Earl]

Im sorry but Im no way clued up on electonics to be able to answer that in any meaningfull way.

What I will say though is, I had had networks work flawlessly for years and be able to share printers, then one day without any updates, and or changes, they refuse to see each other.

I dont get it.

[fatwoul]

Earl, simply reading that someone else doesn't get it either is helpful.  

This like this shatter my confidence.  I feel like an idiot for not understanding things like this, to the point where I think that if I don't know enough to do it, then maybe I have no business doing it at all.

[Earl]

I have had a nightmare of a time getting my dome calibrated and synced to my scope, to the point of questionung why am I bothering, finally i did get it sorted and my last rosette image makes me feel it was worth it

[ASTROSTUART]

I just purchased a MHP and was dissapointed on its arrival to find they now only supply a 3 port version due to problems with the USB ports reliability. One solution Ive found which so far has worked is a 12v powered USB hub, which I power from the MHP through the switched power supply port, so i can turn it off and on when or if I need it. The USB hub is almost he same size length as the MHP so with the magic of velcro it is sits fine on top. Both the units generate a little heat so cold temperature issues have not been encountered. I made up a small link cable (you can buy the 2.1mm jack plugs on ebay)  and a short USB printer cables to power my cams, filter wheels etc, such as the Lindy professional range which come in in sized from 0.5 mtrs upwards which makes for "tidy short cabling" and will help reduces power data losses.

Here is the link for the 12v powered hub

http://www.amazon.co.uk/ORICO-P10-U2-10-Ports-External-Compatible-Black/dp/B00NMF8ZWA/ref=sr_1_5?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1420391346&sr=1-5&keywords=12v+usb+hub

Here is the link for Lindy cables

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/like/151463535604?clk_rvr_id=759101850781&item=151463535604&lgeo=1&vectorid=229508&rmvSB=true

Hopefully this might be of interest to those of you experiencing USB issues wth MHP USB ports.

Clear Skies Buddies !

[Fay]

I am glad I am not the only one having  problems with getting Hitech to answer emails!! I felt it may have been personal.

My hub  has stopped working on some of the ports, I have sent 3 mails to HiTech Astro but have had no replies. at the moment I have to go back to having loads of cables hanging everywhere, and using a lot of extra equipment. which is a nightmare as I have to setup and take down after every session as no observatory.  

i hope they dont have any problems but  until we  get an explanation we are going to think the worst. the hubs are not cheap, and are ideal when working.  but we do need good reliable after sales service.

Fay

[perfrej]

Fay, even if the hardware should be OK, the software is exceptionally lacking in every aspect... They are on my ***-list right now.

/per

[Fay]

Disappointed Per

Fay

[perfrej]

Yep, disappointed me, but alive and well ,)

/per

[fatwoul]

AstroStuart - thanks for your suggestion, and I would consider it, but for two things.  Firstly, I'm reluctant to complicate my setup further with the addition of another device, and I really only need 2-3 USB sockets.  The five on my MHP (or even the three on yours) would be plenty, if they were actually reliable!  Secondly, the MHP is £340.  We shouldn't have to be spending £40 on second powered hubs and Lindy cables to make it work. Had I known the USB component was so unreliable and variable in its design (it seems to change constantly) I would have bought the non USB version, which is SIXTY POUNDS cheaper.  £60 for a USB hub that seems not to even be powered, or if it is, seems to be underpowered.  :-/  

It's interesting that there was a post on here from FLO a while ago, stating that they had stopped stocking the original MHP due to compatibility issues with the USB hub.  It was claimed those issues had been resolved, but it seems that might not be the case.  I wonder of FLO are aware of this.  I haven't informed them, because my own MHP is several years old now, but those of you with newer - in Fay's case brand new - MHPs should consider talking to FLO about it.

I have to be clear at this point that I am not 100% sure the MHP is the cause of my recent problems, as I have totally lost any enthusiasm or motivation to investigate.  It feels like every clear night I get these days - of which there are very few - I spend trying to fix things that were previously working.  I'm on the verge of selling my observatory and forgetting about the whole depressing episode.  All I can say for sure is that my Atik camera stopped working via MHP, but did work on the end of an active USB extension, leading me to believe that the MHP is the weak link.

I just don't understand why something that has worked for years would suddenly not work, and then work again; whatever went wrong for me was working again the next day, when it was warmer.  One of the reasons I have a permanent observatory is so that I can work on things during the day, and have them working at night.  I have no interest in crawling around behind computers and fighting with USB cables at 2am in -2 celcius.  So if a problem only exists under actual dark sky conditions and disappears during daytime, I'm pretty much skuppered.  This is part of my reason for considering giving up.

Well, I say it has worked for years, but that also isn't strictly true.  I used to have an Atik 4000, EFW2 and Atik Titan as my guide camera.  The Atik Titan had to be run off its own USB for 2 years because it never worked via MHP.

Having said all that, it is faintly encouraging, if saddening, to hear others are experiencing problems with the MHP, the software and the customer service.  I feel less singled-out, but no less demoralised. 

[fatwoul]

Fay - you mention problems in particular contacting HitecAstro.  I had the same thing.  I was trying to find out whether a standard DB9 cable was suitable for running a motor focuser from the MHP, and received no answer for weeks.  That was using the message sender on the HitecAstro website.  I then tried emailing directly using the email address in the MHP manual (found here: http://www.hitecastro.co.uk/support/MHP/MHP.pdf) and received a quick response.  I made it clear to him that the message sender on his website wasn't working, but he didn't respond to that comment and seems not to have changed it.  I was left with the distinct impression that customers were expected to work a little harder to get a reply from him.

[ASTROSTUART]

I can feel your pain,cable issues were my issue and I also spent  more time fixing than seeing which is was the reason I bought MHP to start with, but reading all these posts are not good news for Hitec, Would be good if FLO could push them for answers.

My MHP which I purchased in December, and  came with just 3 USB ports, I was expecting 5, I spoke to Bernard at Modern Astronomy and he contacted Hitec , he told me they had changed back to 3 ports due to relibility issues, which then is a statement admitting they are having problems  .I do know from expereince and from talking to other people at star camps that low temps seem to play havoc on USB,s  When I was  checking usb hub specifications there operating temps I found none that are  rated below 5c, bearing in mind we here in the UK do most observing in the winter months the phrase "fit for purpose" springs to mind..... pretty sad state of affiars if they are not offering support or an answer.  blogging them to death on the net over this issue seems to be the only thing user can do. then send Hitec the links..

[fatwoul]

Agreed, and possibly submitting reviews that reflect this on sites that sell the MHP, such as FLO.

[Fay]

Fatwoul  mentioned he got a response using the website address that is in the manual.  today I packed everything Hitech away in a box to put up the shed, but thought I would try that mail address first and lo & behold, I have just had an answer from David Jackson!!  The mail address on their website is that of David Grennan, who is a partner.

David has told me to send the hub off so he can look at it.  as you said, they have to sort that website email address out!!!!!!!!!!!

going to unbox and get it sent off now

Fay

[fatwoul]

...as you said, they have to sort that website email address out!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm glad you got a response, and more offer of help than I ever did.  

When I finally got a reply, I had also asked about the simple, two-button handset for focusers you can connect to the MHP, and they didn't even mention that at all.  They just seemed totally disinterested.  I had to get answers about the DB9 cable for my Moonlite focuser of a random guy on Facebook!  I'm trying not to take it personally, but given that I've bought several HitecAstro things over the last couple of years, I expected slightly better treatment than the brush-off I received.

As for them needing to fix their website email address, I did tell them about the problem, and their interest in that seemed just as non-existent.

I hope you get your MHP sorted, Fay.