Recently I added a five metre USB line as part of trying to improve my system control and have the ability to run everything via one coms link from a distance.
This worked sort of ok for a five metre USB line to a powered USB Hub but was a bit of a handful to get all the Ports to connect every time and caused a lot of extra work plugging in and out to get thing to connect. Not good as a lot of time was lost setting up each time.
So I bought a new Black Box, a shiny new Black Box.
Its a Network HUB, 5 Port USB via a LAN link or even a wireless link if you want, so distance will no longer be a problem.
I have connected it to my system with the hub control centre software and it allows you to connect and disconnect at will from your laptop, seems to work a treat.
I'll soon have a very controllable system that never gets used, dam clouds.
That looks the business and something that I would use to remote control my gear via wireless to the backyard or even from the deck to the scope if it works that way.
Yes Chris it looks the business alright, I'll initially be using it via the LAN cable but may try a wireless link at a later date.
The model number is F5L009ea and surprisingly it's made in Japan not like 99.9% of everything else made a little further West.
I got this one shipped from the UK via ebay as after a bit of a search I couldn't find any here in Aus, the only problem was it came with a plug pack with a Euro style 2 pin connector. Its a 4A plug pack, I tested it with a 2A one I had here, it worked on the test ok but I will be powering from my mount power supply which is a converted computer power supply that I made up and I had added the 5V rail for the original powered USB hub I was using.
35 British Pounds plus postage, I found big price differences advertised around the traps all the way up to $150.
Will be interested to hear if it runs at USB 2 speeds. I looked at that box a while ago (possibly a previous model) and couldn't work that out from the blurbs.
Looking at the specs Ken, it seems its only wireless supported when it is plugged into a wireless LAN router via the RJ45 network port on it.
I dont think it is equipped with its own wireless LAN client allowing it to connect to an existing WLAN and therefore appear on the network without having the blue cable on it plugged into a router or switch on the network.
The diagrams suggest this with the dreaded * asterisk.....
Still, if you have a cable to the OBS and want to get to the scope wirelessly, then it still works!
OR, plug it into a wireless extender like I do with my Foxtel box, which uses an RJ45 and I have no cable at the TV, so I put the extender next to it and plugged the IQ into the RJ45 switch on the extender.
Would be nice if it was WLAN equipped though, that would be perfect!
Looking at the specs Ken, it seems its only wireless supported when it is plugged into a wireless LAN router via the RJ45 network port on it.
I dont think it is equipped with its own wireless LAN client allowing it to connect to an existing WLAN and therefore appear on the network without having the blue cable on it plugged into a router or switch on the network.
The diagrams suggest this with the dreaded * asterisk.....
Still, if you have a cable to the OBS and want to get to the scope wirelessly, then it still works!
OR, plug it into a wireless extender like I do with my Foxtel box, which uses an RJ45 and I have no cable at the TV, so I put the extender next to it and plugged the IQ into the RJ45 switch on the extender.
Would be nice if it was WLAN equipped though, that would be perfect!
Cheers
Chris
Yes, sorry Chris didn't mean to misslead you there but yes I did know it needed a wireless link fitted to it and I thought if I wanted to go that way I'd just add something like one of THESE for less that $25 bucks it has multiple options to power it, USB, plug pack, or if you have a five volt rail at the mount which I do have then it's an easy add on.
Speaking of add ons as it's a lan hub you can piggy back extra powered or unpowered USB hubs if you needed more ports.
Will be interested to hear if it runs at USB 2 speeds. I looked at that box a while ago (possibly a previous model) and couldn't work that out from the blurbs.
Fingers crossed!
DT
Hi David,
The box and info that is supplied all quotes USB 2 and the quick tests I ran last night it was downloading 20 meg raw files from my SLR pretty quick so it's looking promising.
I've got Belkin Home base which has 4 ports and the wi-fi built in. Took a while to work out that I needed to set the mode on the ports. I'm still trying to work out what works and what does not. Backyard EOS to Canon 550d seems fine, logitec gamepad seems fine, keyspan usb to rs232 adapter is recognised but I've not yet tried to talk to an rs232 device. Mixed results with usb to ttl adapters, they are recognised and can be connected to and some comms work after tweaking. Can't program an arduino via that but it does appear to communicate.
The only item that I've tried which I need and which is not recognised is my Orion autoguider. I've got a query in with Belkin to see if there is any way of adding extra drivers. It does not recognise any hubs I've tried either but I suspect thats common for usb to network adapters.
Still some end to end testing required but the idea is promising.
I've got Belkin Home base which has 4 ports and the wi-fi built in. Took a while to work out that I needed to set the mode on the ports. I'm still trying to work out what works and what does not. Backyard EOS to Canon 550d seems fine, logitec gamepad seems fine, keyspan usb to rs232 adapter is recognised but I've not yet tried to talk to an rs232 device. Mixed results with usb to ttl adapters, they are recognised and can be connected to and some comms work after tweaking. Can't program an arduino via that but it does appear to communicate.
The only item that I've tried which I need and which is not recognised is my Orion autoguider. I've got a query in with Belkin to see if there is any way of adding extra drivers. It does not recognise any hubs I've tried either but I suspect thats common for usb to network adapters.
Still some end to end testing required but the idea is promising.
Bob
Hi Bob,
Yes everything seems ok but I still have to try my gamepad as yet, forgot to plug that in last night when testing.
The TTL to RS232 worked fine connecting with no issues and then Thesky6 and EQMOD functioned as normal so no problems there at all.
I'm running Win7 Pro on a 64 bit machine.
The port setting issues were handled by windows and also firewall access, just asked what I wanted to do during the software install and like it said on the box it was a three minute setup time and they were correct.
I'm still waiting on a new guide camera, the SX Superstar to arrive, I have been told there is a couple of issues with drivers for that but have the info required to sort it. Currently I have a toucam and it connected ok with PHD.
My Camera is a Pentax SLR so I'm using PKTether for that, also no probs with connecting or disconnecting and reconnecting as I did have with the plain old USB hub.
Would it be feasible to use two USB hubs wired over a distance of around 20 metres?
Hi Mark,
I think 20 mtrs is fine for a network/lan type hub but you would have to add a LAN Port switch to allow you to connect the two hubs at the other end if you were running cat5 cable or a wireless router, they have multiple lan ports if wanted to go wireless with two hubs.
Ran some further tests last night with everything connected using a ten metre cat 5 cable and all worked well, had forgotten to plug the wireless game pad dongle in the other night so thought I'd better do that as well just to make sure.
So at this stage of the game everything appears to be fully functional
Still waiting for some clear skys, it's been months now, the ground is so wet I think the tripod would just sink in the lawn oh well can't do much about that but quite prepared for clearing weather when it happens.
Ken thanks for the update.
Do you have a process for updating drivers on the device?
I've not worked out if thats possible with the Home Base yet. I think I'm having some problems with the wi-fi router I'd planned to use as well which might be confusing the issue. When I get a chance I'll go backed to a wired connection and test some things again.
Not sure that I'm finished with Belkin yet but I'm getting the impression that I won't be able to run the Orion StarShoot autoguider via the Home Base hub which limits my options.
It will be interesting to see how the F5L009 goes, Ken's tests so far make it sound like that hub may handle add devices better than the Home Base (F5L049). One think I've not explored yet is the large Open Source code file for the F5L049 (a lot of products have similar http://en-us-support.belkin.com/app/...tail/a_id/5094 ). I can't see one for the F5L009 but have not looked hard. I'm assuming that the Home Base runs on a Linux variant and will try and have a look under the covers to see if there is any way of using that to get it all working.
On the other hand my Linux driver development experience is zero.
Bob
Hope I'm not spamming the thread. Sorry if thats the case but I'm hoping this is relevant to others.
I've had a look at the code for the Home Base device and it looks like it should be possible to add additional drivers - there are others working on Linux drivers for various guiders and cameras (partly as a spinoff of trying to port PHD to Linux) so it may be possible to leverage off that.
Amongst other thinks I've asked Belkin if there are any plans to release the code for the F5L009. Either device could be a great backbone for telescope control if every device on the scope which needed to go back to the computer could be routed via them. Be nice if Orion would do Linux drivers for their devices.
I have seen the F5L009ea. I believe the "ea" designation is a European version, probably European power adapter.
I have seen some F5L009au versions...I'm guessing this is with "Australian" power adapter.
Does anyone know if this is correct...with regard the country designations?
Yes that's correct as mine turned up with the Euro plug pack as I was not aware that was what the "ea" represented.
That's ok though as My power supply for the mount is a modified computer switch mode power supply that I made up and had included a 5V rail output so I'm running it from that, all ok.
oh well can't do much about that but quite prepared for clearing weather when it happens. 
