"On mount" USB hubs

[JamesF]

Brain-picking time...

What are people using (for focusers, guide cams etc.) these days?  Startech would probably be favourite, but most of their smaller USB hubs seem to come with a short USB A "tail" these days, meaning I'd need another USB A male to female cable to connect it to the controlling computer and I'd prefer to avoid that.

Given that even potential guide cameras are starting to move towards using USB3 now, is it worth splashing out for a USB3 model, or is USB2 sufficient?

James

[JamesF]

Oh, loads of them seem to be covered in completely unnecessary LEDs, too.  One, preferably small, to show if the hub is bus-powered or externally-powered, is quite sufficient.

James

[Davey-T]

I use a 7 port Startech USB3 hub which has a pretty blue LED light for every port, had to stick tape over them 

Dave

[JamesF]

How many ports did you actually end up using?

James

[Davey-T]

2 cameras, 2 focusers and weather station ATM but planning / hoping to run three cameras and focusers.

Dave

[Dr_Ju_ju]

Like Dave, I've gone for the Startech "Industrial" hubs i.e. https://www.startech.com/Cards-Adapters/USB-3.0/Hubs/~ST7300USBME

[bottletopburly]

I use an Orico usb 3 12v powered  , ten port not that I need so many also has a 2amp charging port which I use to power canon dslr  via USB adapter only need 4ports 

[JonC]

For info. I use Startech, and ended up taking one of their hubs in to work so that I can reliably run some equipment. Its been working flawlessly 24/7 for 3 months with a load of test kit connected. The project is worth around £1million a month if we hit a delay, that's how much I trust the kit. 

[JamesF]

I have to admit that an Orico hub would be a close second in my choices.  I have one on my desk and whilst I'm hardly stressing it heavily it has been rock solid for a couple of years or more.

James

[michaelmorris]

Startech stuff is pretty good and from my experience mainly reliable.   I have two 7 port Startech powered hubs, one USB 3 and the other USB 2.  The USB 2 hub seems to be more reliable at providing power to things when the system is heavily loaded.  With the USB 3 hub I can occasionally get things like the guide camera dropping out.

[discardedastro]

I've been using the Anker ones for a while, such as https://www.amazon.co.uk/Anker-Extended-MacBook-Surface-Notebook/dp/B07L32B9C2/ref=sr_1_6?keywords=anker+usb+3+hub&qid=1566518828&s=gateway&sr=8-6 - there is a LED but it's tiny and easily obscured. I use one of those for everything but the main imaging camera and guide camera (focuser, mount, GPS, mbox weatherstation), mounted on the 'scope tube next to a Pi4 in an old metal housing from Maplin. It's been reliable thus far.

The Startech ones are good; for on-mount the chunky industrial ones are probably fine.