An astronomical mount is designed to track the stars with a potentially heavy Telescope attached. A cable snag can therefore result in a very high forces if the cable remains attached to a connector. Smaller surface-mount connectors can easily get damaged or damage the PCB if this happens. It therefore is important to prevent cable snags from transferring large forces to the StarAid or Splitter units by taking strain-relief measures.

Strain-relief measures

Cable ties, velcro strips and anchors

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To prevent strain from being transferred to sensitive or expensive connectors (E.g. StarAid, the Splitter or the mount controller), the cables can be attached to an anchor point close to connector that doesn’t allow relative motion. Cable ties and velcro ties are perfect for this. If an anchor point is not available on your set-up, cable tie mounts (if solidly attached) can be used as an alternative. When using cable ties, consider buying releasable cable ties if your set-up requires frequent disassembly.

Magnetic connectors

Magnetic connectors automatically detach before strain can be transferred to a sensitive or expensive connector. Many manufacturers (E.g. TOPK) provide magnetic USB connectors that supporting data transfer that will protect the USB connector on your StarAid.