Review of Kendrick Imaing Power Panel

[stanlite (Grady)]

Today I utilized some of my ill gotten gains from the sale of my surplus astro gear to purchase a improved dew system from Kendrick Astro Instruments.

My first mistake was going to there website to by only a 8inch newt primary dew heater so naturally this turned into upgrading my digifire to the digifire 10 and buying temp sensors for the mirrors lol.

while there I also purchased the prototype of this item

http://www.kendrickastro.com/astro/powerpanels.html

As a all in one solution to my cable management and power supply issues.

I am interested to know if anyone else has purchased one of these already? and if no one has if people would be interested in a review of the product once I obtain it.

Regards Grady

[stanlite (Grady)]

Well i got mail today ... sadly uni and clouds will delay the review by about a week I am guessing but it looks pretty smick ... i like the fact that the USB connection from the hub to your computer comes as a screw in makes sure you don't loos connections this is the same for all the UBS positions (as visable via small holes.

As this is the prototype model all outlets and the USB hub are individually switched (on the production run model this is not the case for the 12V sockets).

Quality is very nice and fairly light for what it is. Everything is very firm with connections.

[h0ughy (David)]

well that would go nice with my power supply

[rogerco (Roger)]

First time I have seen screw retained USB plugs.

I was given to understand that the replacement for their top of their range Dew controller (the computer communicating one) was to have a USB hub built in and a few extra power sockets. While the website still says its coming it seems to keep slipping.

Anyone heard about it?

[stanlite (Grady)]

been a while since i updated this thread about the Kendrick imaging power panel. Sadly been busy with my prac placement for becoming a teacher. However tonight i resolved to prepare for what should be a good long weekend of testing and imaging.

I have housed the KIPP inside a storage box with all the "extra" astro gear one needs and attached it to my scope much like a piggy back scope. Now i only have two cables that lead away from the telescope and drag on balance. The setup looks quite neat. It also allows me to quickly unscrew this box and wind up the cords at the end of a night and carry it inside.

I will also be testing a new PC this weekend. The intel small form nuc PC dry run test inside with my gear have proved promising but this weekend shall be the outside test of this device as well.

http://www.intel.com.au/content/www/...-dc3217by.html

guess all i can say is wish me luck lol

[h0ughy (David)]

Looks interesting Grady - including the ladies undies - does that help you think its what's in the box that counts eh? mind you though your description of the quick strip down is interesting

[stanlite (Grady)]

Ok time for the actual review...

KENDRICK ASTRO INSTRUMENTS - IMAGING POWER PANEL

One of the key issues facing pretty much any backyard astronomer; particularly those without a permanent setup observatory, is the related issues of cable management, power supply and USB hubs. Therefore Kendrick Astro Instruments has released its Imaging Power Panel which serves as both a power supply unit and powered USB hub.

This self contained unit sells for between $300 and $500 Canadian dollars, with the options including USB 3 Hubs and a variety of Mount power options (eg. 19V adapter for a G11). This review is on the prototype KIPP (Kendrick imaging power panel) which differs from the production model in that it has only 3 instead of 4, 12V sockets.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS:

Out of the box the design quality lives up to the high standards of other Kendrick products. Made from black plastic the unit feels very solid and well made. Each socket is protected from dust by a cover (in newer models the USB hub is likewise protected). A suitable introduction to any new toy.

USB HUB:

The USB hub is often a bane to backyard observers who seem to acquire extra USB connections as a matter of course. The KIPP USB hub appears to be of high quality extensive testing under different loads has not produced dreaded data bottlenecks and I feel confident that my entire astro setup could run flawlessly through the hub without error. the Hub is rated to 3.5 amps or .49 amps per connection

Also of note is the introduction of small screw holes in the hub, while at first I was confused by their presence it soon became apparent that this was to help secure USB connections and the KIPP comes with one such connection. this allows the user to secure a connection to the hub ensuring that slews and general movements of the mount do not disrupt a solid connection to your PC. This is perhaps the feature that has most won my heart on this device.

12V SOCKETS:

Another astronomy standard is the venerable 12V socket. Coming with 4 in an array of amperage's from 4 to 10 amps the KIPP should be able to service most astro setups with power (CCD, Focuser, Dew control, free or mount) even to the point where kendrick can replace one of the sockets with a mount specific power supply. For myself my KIPP only had 3 sockets (for reason mentioned earlier) which more than meets my needs. Upon testing each socket gives a clean 13.8 volts.

The inclusion of dust covers is useful particularly if long term storage is called for.

POWER SUPPLY:

While Kendrick does sell a range of PSU options for its KIPP setup I found that it was cheaper to purchase a 12V PSU from Jaycar. Depending upon your 12 volt setup the desired amperage for each KIPP is unique. For myself a 12V 20amp PSU was all that was needed and I obtained one for $99. The KIPP connects to the PSU by a power cable which can be made to order up to 12 feet (the option I went for) by Kendrick. Each cable ends in a right angle connection to the KIPP. This right angle connection helps avoid wobbly connections by ensuring that the strain of the cable on the connection is limited.

SETUP AND RUNNING:

For myself I considered several different methods of using the KIPP from sitting it at the base of the telescope to attaching it to the RA Axis. In the end I went for the piggy back option for two reasons.

Firstly I image using a OAG for guiding and the piggy back option was available to me. Secondly and more importantly it allows me to use the shortest connections possible between my imaging devices and the USB hub thus limiting the effects of transmission degradation on those connections.

Likewise, this solution solves several balance and cable management issues. By placing the KIPP setup in a permanent box that screws into the telescopes tube rings i make setup and disassemble a breeze (last night took my 3 mins to pack away my cables in the dark). As for balance the fact that the weight of the KIPP and cables remains the same weight even if I remove it and then put it back on means that I do not have to re-balance my scope upon each setup.

The most important improvement i have noticed however, is in the aspect of cable management. Because I am able to use short direct connections and the fact that the KIPP unit only has two cables that must lead away from the mount (PSU and USB to computer) i now have a far cleaner and less complicated setup that allows me a greater range of movement both when slewing and simply walking around my scope.

PROS:
Great quality
Simple design
Solid performance
Circuit Breakers on all outputs (may prove useful in event of a surge)
Screw in USB

CONS:
May be a bit pricey for some
Limited market (people who image option but don't have a observatory)
Kendrick Dew controller not built in (really should have been an option)

FINAL IMPRESSION:

I am very happy with my purchase it has greatly simplified my setup and set down experience as well as made balancing an easier process. The array of power options and the quality USB hub has allowed me to focus more imaging and less on management of my equipment. It has also allowed me to reduce the number of power connections I need to 240 Volts.

If you are looking for a all in one imaging power solution and USB hub I would be happy to recommend the KIPP to anyone.

[IanW]

Originally Posted by rogerco

First time I have seen screw retained USB plugs.

I was given to understand that the replacement for their top of their range Dew controller (the computer communicating one) was to have a USB hub built in and a few extra power sockets. While the website still says its coming it seems to keep slipping.

Anyone heard about it?

I got an email from Kendrick Astro yesterday regarding the new top of the line controller. This is what the email said...

"The Premier controller is almost ready to go into production. In fact, the Observatory version circuit board is out for quotation on the at this moment and we hope to hear back from the board manufacturer in a few days.
The display version of the Premier Controller is close to being ready but some niggly display issues have kept us busy and delayed the project. We have decided to completely rewrite the code (provided by the manufacturer) that drives the display in order to improve display performance. In the end it will be worth it and we hope to have this finished in a couple of weeks.

Prices for at least the Observatory version will be posted online very soon and we will begin taking orders for them at that time. The Display version will follow shortly after that. A release date will be forthcoming very soon as well."

A couple of weeks ... Hmm I'll believe that when I see it given it was supposed to be released some months ago.