StarTech Mountable 4 port USB hub...heads up

[SteveA]

Well I thought I had picked up a bargin earlier this week when I found one of these for £25 on ebay, I only wish I had waited though.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Mountable-4-port-rugged-industrial-USB-hub-/182498859951?hash=item2a7dc79baf:g:bUYAAOSw4CFY0lcq

At £15 I'm tempted to buy another!

 

Steve

[tooth_dr]

just what I needed

[hughgilhespie]

Hmmm - suspiciously cheap. Fake ???????????????

With all the grief that poor USB connections can cause I think I would go for a more expensive but definitely genuine one.

Regards, Hugh

[SteveA]

26 minutes ago, hughgilhespie said:

Hmmm - suspiciously cheap. Fake ???????????????

With all the grief that poor USB connections can cause I think I would go for a more expensive but definitely genuine one.

Regards, Hugh

Hi Hugh,

I did have some concerns when I ordered this, but I went ahead anyway. I just received mine in the post, I paid £25 (inc postage) and its not actually from the same ebay seller but it certainly looks like the genuine article, proper packaging and documentation etc. I know that not a guarantee but there is nothing about this kit that gives me any indication that its not the real deal. I'm in no way an expert but after a quick look inside the unit I feel fairly confident its real. I will of course test it before I connect anything expensive to it though. I do absolutely agree that its always best to be aware of fake goods bought from unknown sources, so you were right to question this. I'll post once I've tested the thing. 

Steve

 

[hughgilhespie]

Hi Steve,

It certainly looks the business - and even if it were a copy, it could well be a perfectly good, working, copy!

I have a couple of genuine (I hope!) Startech 4-port USB2 hubs. One of them does have a problem - the USB output voltage is too high at about 5.5 volts. The other is spot on at 5.0 volts. I suggest if you have a multimeter you do check the USB output voltage.

Regards, Hugh

[SteveA]

I've never tested a USB port before with a multimeter...how would I do that?

Steve

[SteveA]

Actually I found some tips on the Internet for doing that......

Steve

[michael8554]

I bought a memory-stick sized USB tester.

It saves making up a test lead, or opening up your PC or Hub.

Gives a voltage reading, and if connected inline with a device,  current and resistance, displayed on a small lcd.

Michael

[RichLD]

Thanks for the heads up! I've taken a punt on one as a backup - I already own this hub and it's been brilliant. I bought it from nic4043 on eBay for £15 plus £3.30 shipping.

[nigelg]

This is the tester I use to check hubs and cables.

http://www.maplin.co.uk/p/maplin-usb-power-meter-n55ce

Nigel

 

[frugal]

I would be a little careful before mounting this on a scope outside. From the description, "rugged" means "can be mounted on a 19 inch rack in a data centre and will cope with vibration and not have the leads fall out". It does not look IP rated at all (all those exposed terminal connections). It certainly isn't Toughbook rugged...

[tooth_dr]

I've one ordered too, didn't write it up on my post above. I've a wee hub that's worked well for years but this will work better as it can be mounted, and at least I will have a spare. 

[JonC]

22 minutes ago, frugal said:

I would be a little careful before mounting this on a scope outside. From the description, "rugged" means "can be mounted on a 19 inch rack in a data centre and will cope with vibration and not have the leads fall out". It does not look IP rated at all (all those exposed terminal connections). It certainly isn't Toughbook rugged...

 

Looks about as rugged as my HEQ5, and a bit better than my camera, webcam, powerpack, etc. Chuck it in  sandwich box with some sealant and should be fine, I would be more worried about my mount than the usb hub.

[frugal]

True, but when I see something advertised as "Rugged" I expect something like IP67 and a 2 meter drop height.

[RichLD]

1 hour ago, frugal said:

I would be a little careful before mounting this on a scope outside. From the description, "rugged" means "can be mounted on a 19 inch rack in a data centre and will cope with vibration and not have the leads fall out". It does not look IP rated at all (all those exposed terminal connections). It certainly isn't Toughbook rugged...

I replaced the exposed power plug on mine with a standard 2.1mm DC power socket and have sealed the  hole left by the original connector.

This hub certainly isn't IP rated in any way but has proved extremely reliable in very cold and humid weather at my dark site for a good number of years. It has continued to work even when the scope is either dripping wet or frosty!

My set up is portable and is not left outside - I obviously don't image in the wet so the lack of IP rating doesn't really matter to me. The fact that you can power it with 12v is one of it's main selling points in my book. 

[tooth_dr]

23 minutes ago, RichLD said:

I replaced the exposed power plug on mine with a standard 2.1mm DC power socket and have sealed the  hole left by the original connector.

This hub certainly isn't IP rated in any way but has proved extremely reliable in very cold and humid weather at my dark site for a good number of years. It has continued to work even when the scope is either dripping wet or frosty!

My set up is portable and is not left outside - I obviously don't image in the wet so the lack of IP rating doesn't really matter to me. The fact that you can power it with 12v is one of it's main selling points in my book. 

Nice setup! Can I ask - is it USB-b (square plug) to go to the pc/laptop? Want to get one ordered now. Also what is the name of the spring clip on the side of the box. Looks very neat. Thirdly what's the advantage of running 12v to the box?

 

Thanks in advance. 

Adam. 

[RichLD]

1 minute ago, tooth_dr said:

Nice setup! Can I ask - is it USB-b (square plug) to go to the pc/laptop? Want to get one ordered now. Also what is the name of the spring clip on the side of the box. Looks very neat. Thirdly what's the advantage of running 12v to the box?

 

Thanks in advance. 

Adam. 

Hi Adam, thank you for the kind words!

Yes, the square usb socket goes to the laptop (a standard, good quality printer cable will do the trick). I keep mine a maximum of 3m in length just to be on the safe side (my laptop sits on a tripod next to the mount) - the cables in the braided sheath are 1m in length and go to my cameras and the mount.

It's been a while since I bought them but if memory serves the clip is a "pipe clip" - a quick bit of Googling should sort you out. I bet B&Q will have something like it but of course you'll be able to get them on fleabay. There's a conveniently placed screw on the side of the Startech hub case that holds it together, so no extra drilling is required. 

Using an non powered hub, I found my QHY9 in particular would become flaky, dropping connection every so often. Laptops often struggle to supply an adequate amount of power to the usb sockets, especially when the cables are long. The advantage with the 12v power is that it is generally our AP standard, so I don't need to mess about with a dedicated 5v supply or buck converter.

HTH

Rich

[tooth_dr]

36 minutes ago, RichLD said:

Hi Adam, thank you for the kind words!

Yes, the square usb socket goes to the laptop (a standard, good quality printer cable will do the trick). I keep mine a maximum of 3m in length just to be on the safe side (my laptop sits on a tripod next to the mount) - the cables in the braided sheath are 1m in length and go to my cameras and the mount.

It's been a while since I bought them but if memory serves the clip is a "pipe clip" - a quick bit of Googling should sort you out. I bet B&Q will have something like it but of course you'll be able to get them on fleabay. There's a conveniently placed screw on the side of the Startech hub case that holds it together, so no extra drilling is required. 

Using an non powered hub, I found my QHY9 in particular would become flaky, dropping connection every so often. Laptops often struggle to supply an adequate amount of power to the usb sockets, especially when the cables are long. The advantage with the 12v power is that it is generally our AP standard, so I don't need to mess about with a dedicated 5v supply or buck converter.

HTH

Rich

Brilliant Rich, thanks for taking time to reply.  Hopefully I can get mine as tidy as that.

 

Best wishes

Adam. 

[NEM]

That type of clip is known as a Terry Clip.

Noel

 

 

[tooth_dr]

5 hours ago, NEM said:

That type of clip is known as a Terry Clip.

Noel

 

 

Thanks Noel. 

[tooth_dr]

On 08/04/2017 at 09:37, hughgilhespie said:

Hmmm - suspiciously cheap. Fake ???????????????

With all the grief that poor USB connections can cause I think I would go for a more expensive but definitely genuine one.

Regards, Hugh

 

This is what I received today, very nice quality for just under £19 delivered.

 

[harry page]

Hi

I have been looking at these

How do you wire them up for power as I understand ground is not a neutral  ???

would be great if my mount hub pro could run them ?

Harry

[SonnyE]

6 hours ago, tooth_dr said:

 

This is what I received today, very nice quality for just under £19 delivered.

 

Looks to be genuine.

I'm using 6 out of 7 ports on my 7 port hub.

The StarTech brand was recommended to me by a friend when I was frustrated with port powered hubs. Cured all the ailments.

If you are in doubt, you could easily contact them: https://www.startech.com/

[RichLD]

5 hours ago, harry page said:

Hi

I have been looking at these

How do you wire them up for power as I understand ground is not a neutral  ???

would be great if my mount hub pro could run them ?

Harry

I connected the negative of my 12v supply/battery to the GND terminal.

[RichLD]

6 hours ago, tooth_dr said:

 

This is what I received today, very nice quality for just under £19 delivered.

 

If that's fake it's a good 'un! Looks identical to my "genuine" version I got from Ebuyer for £50 years ago.