Sensors, heaters and accessories compatible with AstroHeat

AstroHeat is a powerful and innovative solution for powering your telescope and astrophotography equipment, as well as for connecting multiple devices through its USB Hub. While AstroHeat is the solution of choice, it needs a variety of compatible accessories to operate. In this post, we'll introduce you to some of the most useful accessories for AstroHeat and provide links to websites where you can purchase them, though in most of the cases, you will probably own many of these accessories.

First, we want to clarify that we do not receive any commission or financial benefit from the links that we list in this post. Additionally, we do not accept any responsibility for the quality of the products or services provided by the websites we suggest below. We simply want to help our customers find the best accessories to use with their AstroHeat device.

It's worth noting that we do not provide these accessories ourselves because they can be easily purchased online. Our primary business interest is to provide an innovative best-in-class power box and USB hub device for astrophotography connected to the cloud, not to make a profit on accessories that our customers probably own already, or can easily purchase from various marketplaces. This is why we designed AstroHeat with standard connectors to facilitate the purchase of accessories directly by our customers, while we can keep AstroHeat at a very affordable price.

1. Temperature sensors - DS18B20 4-pin 2.5mm audio jack

Temperature sensors are a must-have accessory for AstroHeat, as they allow you to monitor the temperature of your equipment and adjust your heating system accordingly. The AstroHeat is provided with 2 DS18B20 temperature sensors with a 4-pin 2.5mm audio jack connector. are the perfect choice for AstroHeat users. These sensors are high-precision, reliable, waterproof and low cost.
If you want an even cheaper option, you can buy bulk DS18B20 sensors at a fraction of this price and connect them to a terminal block 4-pin jack plug 2.5 mm adaptors.

AstroHeat is compatible with 3rd party vendor sensors, easily available world-wide such as the SONOFF TH Series temperature sensors. These sensor cost a few euros/dollars.

You can easily purchase DS18B20 temperature sensors online from various marketplaces. We recommend you copy-paste the specs in this section in your internet browser. I offer this link as an example.

2. Ambient humidity and temperature sensor - AM2301 4-pin 2.5mm audio jack

In addition to temperature sensors, the AstroHeat is provided out-of-the-box with a AM2301 ambient humidity and temperature sensor. The AM2301 ambient humidity and temperature sensor with a 4-pin 2.5mm audio jack connector is compatible with 3rd party vendor sensors, such as the SONOFF TH Series.
You can easily purchase AM2301 ambient sensors online from various marketplaces. We recommend you copy-paste the specs in this section in your internet browser. I offer this link as an example.

3. 12V DC power source - XT60 connector

AstroHeat requires a 12V power source with and XT60 male connector to operate, and you have two options to choose from. Option A is a 110V-220V AC - 12V DC converter that can provide up to 20A of power, and Option B is a 12V battery source also up to 20A. Option A is the regular power source option when the astrophotography equipment, telescope, and AstroHeat is deployed at your backyard, while Option B is the choice when the astrophotography equipment is transported to a remote dark place for better capturing the sky without light pollution so you don't have an AC power source. You can purchase both options online from various marketplaces; just copy-paste the specs information of this section in your internet browser and you will be promoted to products for both options. For both options you can also purchase the battery or AC-DC converter and the XT60 cable separately.

4. Telescope covers

One of the most important things you need to keep your telescope equipment outside 24/7/365 safe and in good working order is a telescope cover. A telescope cover serves several important purposes. Firstly, it protects your telescope from dust, dirt, and other debris carried by the wind. It protects from the heat of the sun during the day and from the moisture and ice, during the nights.
Moisture can be a serious problem for telescopes, as it can cause rust, corrosion, and other types of damage. By keeping your equipment dry with AstroHeat and a cover, you can help to ensure that it stays in good condition for longer and ready to take advantage of every small opportunity of clear skies for astrophotography without the burden of setting up your heavy astrogear.
Your can find good covers on any shop for astronomy equipment. Specially popular among the astronomy community is the TeleGizmos 365 extended exposure covers. I cannot give you my opinion about it yet, because during the testing phase of AstroHeat, I used successfully a cover with several layers that I built myself. Stay tuned in our AstroHeat newsletter, because in the coming months we will report extensively on different covers available in the market.

5. Lens dew heaters - 12V DC - 2A max. RCA connectors

Dew heaters are essential accessories for astrophotographers, as they keep the lenses and equipment free from moisture. For keeping the telescope outside under a specialised cover, there are several types of dew heaters available, including dew heater bands, heating silicone pads, ceramic heaters, and heaters with fans. The most effective and flexible to use are the lens dew heaters with RCA connectors. They can be used, not only around the lenses but also around the most sensitive equipment, like CCD/CMOS or DSLR cameras.

You can read in this post, our tips and hints on how to keep your telescope outside safe from moisture under a cover with AstroHeat.

You can purchase dew heaters with RCA connectors online from various manufacturers at specialised photography and astronomy shops. Same as for the previous section, I would recommend you copy-paste the specs info of this section in your internet browser. I offer this link as an example.