Star Adventurer Mini User Guide

Star Adventurer Mini User GuideSAMQuite Possibly The Most Compact and Versatile Camera Tracking Platform in the Known Universe!

Copyright Sky-Watcher Telescopes Inc.

• Astrophotography

• Time-Lapse Photography

• DSLR Camera Control

SAM User Guide Version 1.12

Thank You For Purchasing This Sky-Watcher ProductThe Sky-Watcher Star Adventurer Mini (SAM) is a compact high-precision cameratrackingplatformthat is idealfor longexposureastrophotographyaswellastime-lapsephotographyindaytimeandnighttimesettings.SAMeasilyfitsinyourbackpackorcamerabag,makingitaconvenienttravelcompanionthatcanventurewithyouintoremotelocations.SAMcomeswithbuilt-inWiFiandthefreeStarAdventurerminiConsoleAppforAndroidandiOSplatforms.SAMiseasytosetupandeasytooperateinallofitsmodes.Themoreyouuseit,themoreyou’llloveit!

For your SafetyTo prevent damage to your Sky-Watcher product or injury to yourself or toothers,allusersofthisproductshouldfirstreadthefollowingsafetyprecautionsentirelybeforeusingthisequipment.

WARNING:

• Do not look at the sun through the polar scope. Viewing the sun or other strong light sources through the polar scope could cause permanent visual impairment.

• Do not use in the presence of flammable gas. Do not use electronicequipment in the presence of flammable gas, as this could result inexplosionorfire.

• Keep out of reach of children. Failure to do so could result in injury.Moreover, note that small parts constitute a chokinghazard.Consult aphysicianimmediatelyifachildswallowsanypartofthisequipment.

• Do not disassemble. Touching the product’s internal parts could resultin injury. In theeventofmalfunction, remove thebatteryand take theproducttoaSky-Watcherauthorizedservicecenter.

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Features:

• Highprecision,portableandstablecameratrackingsystem

• Built-inWiFiwithfreeappforAndroidandiOSplatforms

• Multi-languagesupport

• Solar,lunarandsiderealtrackingratesforastrophotography

• Payloads up to 3kg

• Easy Polar Alignments with polar scope

• Supports Star-Scape photography

• Supportsstandardshortexposuretime-lapsephotography

• Supportslongexposuretime-lapsephotography

• SupportsStar-Scapetime-lapsephotography

• ProvidesDSLRshuttercontrolformulitplebrands

• LifetimeFREEfirmwareupgrades

• Built-inmotorprotectionandstatusindicators

• PowerOptions:AAx2BatteriesorexternalUSBsupply

• Fitsstandard3/8and1/4inchtripod/quickreleasebrackets

• Expandablewitharangeofoptionalaccessories

“ Take your photographiccreativitytonewheights with the most compact andmulti-featured cameratrackingplatform availableinthegalaxy!”

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Contents

IntroductionandSafetyConsiderationsSAM’sMainFeaturesSAM’sPartsDiagramOptionalAccessoriesOverviewandPreliminarySetupInstalling the Star Adventurer mini ConsolePower-up,WiFiandStatusIndicatorsSettingUpForTime-LapsePhotographyAttachingSAMToYourTripodMountingYourCameraGeartoSAMStarAdventurerminiConsoleforTime-LapseTime-Lapse Photography Parameters Keep it Simple to Start Time-Lapse Parameter Details Time-Lapse Progress ScreenAstrophotography and Astro Time-LapseTheNeedForLongExposuresTheNeedForTrackingAstro Time-LapseAstrophotographySpecialRequirements

Polar AlignmentPolar Alignment in the Northern HemispherePolar Alignment in the Southern HemisphereStarAdventurerminiConsoleforAstrophotog-raphyAstrophotography Progress ScreenUsingSAMforAstroTime-LapsePhotographyAstro Time-Lapse Progress ScreenManualControlofSAMSettingsMenuWiFiNetworkNetworkTrouble-Shooting

APPENDICESI Advanced Polar Alignment ProceduresIICalibratingthePolarScope IIIUsingtheEquatorialWedgeIVUsingtheFine-TuningMountingAssemblyVFirmwareUpgradeProceduresVIHowtoRestoreFactoryWiFiSettingsVIISAMSpecifications

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SAM Parts Diagram

1:PowerButton2:PowerLEDIndicator3:WiFiLEDIndicator4:PolarViewFinder5:KnurledTripodConnector6:TripodConnectorLockingKnob7:SNAPPort:DSLRShutterControl8:MicroUSBPort9:AAx2BatteryCase10:Saddle11:DovetailLockingKnob12:SaddleLockingKnob13:1/4”to3/8”ThreadAdapter14:3/8”ThreadedSideSocket15:3/8”ThreadedBaseSocket

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SAM Included and Optional AccessoriesPleaseNote:Includedaccessoriesmayvarybydealer.

Polar Scope: IncludedEnablesveryprecisepolaralignmentsforlongexposureastrophotographyyielding pinpoint stars over longer exposures.

Counterweight Kit: Optional 1 kg counterweight system to balanceand/orincreasepayloadcapacity up to 1kg..

Polar Scope Illuminator: IncludedIlluminates the polar scope to make thepolarscopereticuleeasiertoseein darkness.

1/4” to 3/8” Thread Adapter: Included. Convertsthedefaultsocketfor3/8”threadscrewto1/4”inordertomountSAMtoastandardquickreleaseplateortripodwitha1/4”threadedbolt.

Fine-Tuning Mounting Assembly This optionalacccessoryenablescoarseandfinepointingintwodirectionsforpreciseaimingcontrol.SeeAppendixIVfordetails.

Equatorial Wedge: OptionalProvideseasy,highprecisionpoint-ingofSAMforpolaralignmentwithmorestabilitythanastandardphototripod head.

3/8” Ball Head Adapter: IncludedSAM INCLUDES a 3/8”BallHeadAdapter to mount a standard cam-eraball-headwitha3/8”threadattachment.

DSLR Control Cable: OptionalRefertothetableonthenextpagetoidentifythecorrectcableforyourDSLR.


DSLR Control CableControlstheshutterofyourDSLR.AvailableforCanon,Nikon,OlympusandSonycameras.Seethetablebelowto select the appropriate cableforyourcameramodel.

SAM Optional and Included AccessoriesPleaseNote:Includedaccessoriesmayvarybydealer.

Part Number Camera Interface Style Controller Interface Compatible Camera Models

AP-R1C Canon remote (E3 type) Canon RS-60E3 Canon EOS 100D, 300D/350D, 400D/450D, 500D/550D, 600D/650D, 700D, 60D/60Da, 70D

AP-R3C Canon remote (N3 type) Canon RS-80N3, TC-80N3

Canon EOS 5D/6D/7D, 10D/20D/30D/40D/50D, 1V, 1D,1Ds Mark III, 5D Mark III

AP-R1N Nikon 10-pin remote terminal

Nikon MC-22, MC-30, MC-36 Nikon D1/D2/D3/D4 D200/D300/D700/D800

AP-R2N Nikon remote cord connector Nikon MC-DC1 Nikon D70S, D80

AP-R3N Nikon accessory terminal Nikon MC-DC2 Nikon D90, D600, D3000/D3100/D3200/D3300, D5000/D5100/D5200/D5300, D7000/D7100

AP-R1S Sony remote terminal Sony RM-S1AM, RM-L1AM

Sony a100, a200, a300, a350, a450, a550, a560a700, a850, a900

AP-R3L Olympus multi-connector RM-UC1 Olympus E-P1/E-P2, E-PL2/E-PL3, E510/E520/E550/E620, E400/E410/E420, SP-570UZ/SP-590UZ

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Overview: Preliminary Set UpSAMisacompactandversatilecameratrackingplatformthatletsyoumaketrulyuniquephotographsandtime-lapsevideos.Thehighpre-cision motor rotates your camera to pan across any angle you desire givingyoufullcreativecontroloveryourtime-lapsecomposition.

For astrophotography, SAM’s precise sidereal tracking enables longexposures to capturebrilliant colour anddetail in dimnebulae andstar clouds while maintaining pin point star images. Use SAM to capture stunning starscapes, or tomake portraits of your favouriteconstellations.YoucanevenconfigureSAM’sastrophotographytime-lapsefunctionstorecordtheprogressofalunareclipse!

SAMfeaturesfullshuttercontrolformanyDSLRcamerasalongwithmany other functions by means of the free Star Adventurer miniConsole – available for your Android or iOS device. With its highprecisiontrackingandpowerfulfreeapp,SAMgivesyouanewtoolwithcountlesscreativepossibilities.

Andnowit’stimetogettoknowSAMinmoredetail!PleasereadeachsectioncarefullytounderstandhowtosetSAMupforaparticularap-plicationandhowtocontrolSAMusingthefreecontrolapp.

Installing the Star Adventurer mini ConsoleThe Star Adventurermini Console is available at the Android “PlayStore”andatthe“AppStore”foryouriOSdevice.Gotoyourparticularstore,searchfor“StarAdventurerminiConsole”,thendownloadandinstall.Theappperformsthesamewayforbothoperatingsystems.Detaileduseoftheappisprovidedintherelevantsections.


Basic Power Up, WiFi Connection and Status In-dicatorsThis section describes the basic power up and WiFi connectionforSAM.DetailsonhowtophysicallysetupSAMforspecificuses(e.g.,astrophotography)isprovidedintherelevantsections.Pleasefamiliarizeyourselfwiththebasicpowerupproceduresandstatusindicatorsbeforemovingontomoreadvanceduses.

Power Sources: SAMcanbeoperatedwith2xAAtypebatteriesorviaUSBfroma5vAC/USBadapterorUSBportofacomputer.NOTE:YouwillneedtosupplypowertoSAMbyoneortheotherofthesemethodsinordertoconfirmthedetailsyoureadinthissection.

Power On: Push andhold thepowerbuttonuntil the redPowerLEDlightsup.ThePolarViewFinderLEDwillalsolightup,andthegreenWiFiLEDwillstarttoblinkindicatingthatthebuilt-inWiFiisactivatedandreadyforconnection.

Connect to WiFi: Oncepowerisapplied,gotothe“Settings>WiFi”for your phone, then search for and join the WiFi access point“SynScanWiFi_xxxxxx”.

Start the Star Adventurer mini Console: OnceWiFi is connectedyou can run the Star Adventurer mini Console to access its many features.Seespecificdetailsintherelevantsections.

Power Off: PushandholdthePowerButtonforabout5secondstoturnoffthepower.

Reconnecting the WiFi After a Timeout: In the absence ofWiFitrafficthebuilt-inWiFiwillbeturnedoffandthegreenWiFiindicatorlightextinguished.Thedefaulttime-outis10minutesbutyoucanset it to other values using the Star Adventurer mini Console. To resumeWiFi,press thepowerbuttonbrieflyuntil thegreenWiFiLEDcomesbackon,thenreleasethepowerbutton.Re-connectto

LED Status Indicators

Red LED Off: The Power is Off.Red LED Solid On: Power is on and system is normal.Red LED Slow Blink: Low Battery Level / Firmware Update in Progress. The red LED blinks 2 times per second when the battery level is lower than 2.3V, or during firmware upgrades.Red LED Fast Blink: The red LED blinks 3 times per second to indicate motor speed errors exceeding 5% and/or motor stalls that last over 5 seconds. Speed errors can be caused by overloading the mount and by low battery levels. To correct a speed error reduce the load or supply new batteries. Motor stalls are usually due to obstructions of the mount so that it cannot rotate. In the case of motor stalls, remove the cause of the block then restart your task.

Green LED Off: WiFi is turned off.Green LED Blinking: WiFi is activated and ready for connection.Green LED Solid On: WiFi is connected and Star Adventurer mini Console is running. View Finder LED Blinking: Current photography process has finished. Cleared after APP re-connects.

Green LED Red LED

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theWiFiasdescribedabove.

Refertothesidebarforadetaileddescriptionofallstatusindicators.

Setting Up SAMBeforeSAMcanbeusedforaparticularapplication(e.g.,astrophotography)itneedstobemountedonatripod,havethecameragearattached,andthenbeconfiguredusingtheStarAdventurerminiConsole.Thefollowingsectionsexplainhowtodothesethingsforregular-exposuretime-lapsephotography,long-exposuretime-lapsephotographyandastrophotography.

Setting Up SAM for Regular-Exposure Time-Lapse PhotographyAttaching SAM To Your TripodSetupyourtripodaccordingtothedirectionsitcamewith.Ensureitisstableand set at the height you wish to use it.

For regular-exposure time-lapse photography SAM ismounted directly to aleveltripodviathe3/8inchtripodmountingbolt.Yourtripodmayhaveaballheadorpan-tiltheadattached.WerecommendyouremovethisandattachSAMdirectlytothetripodusingthe3/8inchthreadedbasesocketthatisonthe side opposite the saddle (see top photo on this page).

Mounting Your Camera GearNow you can attach your camera gear (see bottom photo). Note that anoptionalballmountisshown.Thisisahighlyrecommendedoptiontogiveyoufarmorecreativecontrolwhencomposingyourshots.

OnceSAMisattachedtoyourtripod,andyourcameragearisattachedtoSAM,you are ready to start making videos with the Star Adventurer mini Console.

ThelaststepistoattachSAMtoyourcamerausingtheSNAPcable.Oneendplugsintotheportforawiredshutterremoteonyourcameraandtheotherinto the SNAP port on SAM.

Attach to tripod via 3/8 inch base socket.

Gear mounted using optional ball mount.


Time-Lapse Photography with the Star Adventurer mini ConsoleNowthatyouhaveSAMsetupwithyourcameragearattachedit’stimetolearnhowtousetheStarAdventurerminiConsole.Thissectionassumesthatyouinstalledtheapponyourdevice.Ifyouhavenot,pleasereferbacktothesectiontitledInstalling the Star Adventurer mini Console.

ThemainscreenofthecontrolappdividesSAM’sfunctionsintoseparatesections. To select a function just tapon it. There are separate sectionsfor astrophotography and for different types of time-lapse photography.TheappalsoprovidesforManual ControlofSAM,assistsyouwithPolar Alignment(seeastrophotographysection),andletsyoualterSettings,suchasmakingaWiFiconnectionwithSAM.

Fornow,selectRegular-Exposure Time-Lapsebytappingonit.ThisisthesimplestmodeforSAMandagoodoneforhelpingyouunderstandhowtosetthecontroloptions.Regular-Exposure Time-Lapsemodeisforcapturingtime-lapsevideosunderdaylightorwell-litconditionswherelongexposuretimesarenotnecessary. Inthismode,exposuresettingsaresetonyourcamera. The Star Adventurer mini Console pans your camera and sends signalstotriggertheshutterasitcreatesyourtime-lapsevideo.

In the Long-Exposure Time-LapsemodeSAMcontrols theexposuretimeinsteadofyourcamera.Thiswayyoucanuseexposures thatexceed30seconds,whichareoftenneeded in low light conditions,especiallywithsmall aperture settings on your lens.Whenever you use Long-Exposure Time-Lapse modesetyourshuttertoBULBmode.IfitisnotsetonBULBmodethecamerashutterspeedsettingwillbeusedinstead.

Youcanmaketime-lapsevideosusingSAMtocontroltheshutteronly(nopanning),ortopancontinuouslywhilefiringtheshutterofyourcameraatintervalssetbyyou.Usethefirstofthesetechniquestoproduceatime-lapsevideofromafixedperspectiveandthesecondtocreateatime-lapsevideoinwhichtheperspectivechangesasthevideoisrecorded.

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Regular and Long-Exposure Time-Lapse Parameters

ThemajordifferencebetweenRegular-Exposure Time-Lapse mode and Long-Exposure Time-Lapse mode is that, in the latter case, rotation stops during theexposure. This enables the sensor to capturemoreoftheavailablelightresultinginabetterimage.

The parameters for Regular-Exposure Time-Lapse and Long-Exposure Time-Lapse are exactly the sameexcept for the Exposure parameter. In the Regular-Exposure Time-Lapse screen you cannot change the valueforExposure.Itisfixedat0.5seconds,whichisarequirement inorder forSAMtoprovideanadequatesignal to control the shutter of your camera. Note:This 0.5 second period is automatically taken intoconsiderationwhentheAppcalculatestheVideo Time Span parameter.

In the Long-Exposure Time-Lapse mode the Exposure parameter controls the TV (exposure time) setting ofyourcameraandcanbesettosuityourneeds.FornightsceneswhereasmallapertureandlowISOvalueisused,individualexposuresmayrangefromasecondortwotoseveralminutes.Takesometest shots toestablish thebest settingsandexposure foryourneeds, thenenterthat value into the Exposureparameterfield.Again,youmustsetyourshuttertoBULBmode,otherwisetheTV settingon your camerawill take precedenceover thevalue in the Exposurefield.

The screen shot on Page 13 shows the various

parametersthatyoucansettocreateyourtime-lapsevideo,with a fewmore that can be seenby scrollingdown(seepage14).Alloftheparametersareexplainedin detail below. To start thetime-lapse sequence justpress Runonceallofyourparametershavebeenset.Ifyouareparticularlyhappywithasetofparametersyou can save them in a profile and recall themagainwhenever you like.

Keep it Simple to Start

The simplest way to get started is to set SAM up on a tripodand takeastaticTime-LapseVideo (one thatdoesn’t involve panning). To do this, all you need toknow is the time span overwhich your videowill betakenandthelengthofyourfinalvideo.

Forinstance,ifyouwanttogetatime-lapsevideoofthelasthourleadingtosunset,enteravalueof1forVideo Time Span. If youwant to compress that hour into a45-secondlongvideo,setyourVideo Lengthto45.It’sthateasy.SAM’spowerfulappwillcalculatetheothernecessaryparametersforyou.


Time-Lapse Parameter DetailsFollowingisacompletelistoftheparametersyoucanset.Notethatbecauseseveral of the parameters are interrelated somemay be unavailable atcertaintimes.Forinstance,whenFrame Rate and Video Length are set you cannotmanuallychoosethenumberofPhotosasitiscalculatedforyoubasedontheothertwoparameters.However,ifyoudeselectVideo Length and set Photosdirectly,theappwillcalculateanewvalueforVideo Length.

Exposure (Sec): Fixedat0.5 seconds forRegular-Exposure Time-Lapse. For Long-Exposure Time-Lapse set this value to suit your exposurerequirements.BesuretosetyourcamerashuttertoBULBmode.

Video Time Span (Hr): Set this parameter to the total Video Time Span timeforyourvideo.Forexample,ifyouwantyourvideotocoveraspanofthreehours,setVideo Time Span to 3. Note that Video Time Span does not refertothethelengthofyourvideo,itreferstothetimespanoverwhichitiscreated.YousetthedesiredlengthofyourvideointheVideo Length parameter.

Video Length (Sec): Set Video Lengthequaltothedesiredlengthofyourvideoinseconds.Foraone-minutelongvideo,setVideo Length to 60.

Frame Rate (fps): Select NTSC (30 fps) or PAL (25 fps) according to the video standardsforyourlocation.Youcanfurtheradjusttheplaybackspeedofyourvideoinyourvideoeditingsoftware.

Photos: ThisparameterisautomaticallysetbysettingVideo Length and Frame Rate usingtheformula:Photos = Video Length x Frame Rate

Frame Period (Sec): YoucansettheFrame Period to select a desired intervalbetweenphotostakenratherthanhaveitcalculatedforyoubasedonotherparameters.Notethat ifyousetPhoto Interval and Video Length the app will re-calculate Video Time Span.Anytimeyouarechangingaparameteritisagoodideatocheckitseffectsontheother ones.

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Swing Range (Deg): Use Swing Range to create an interestingswingorpendulumeffectforyourtime-lapsevideo.Whenused,SAMwillpanto the limitof theSwing Range thatyouset, thenpanbacktoyourstartingpointasmanytimesasspecifiedintheSwing Count parameter.Forinstance,sayyouhavetwointerestingsubjectsthatyouwanttofeatureinyourvideo.SetSwing Range to the angle between them and Swing Count to 1, then pointyourcameraatthefirstsubject.Asthetime-lapsevideoisbeingrecorded,SAMwillpanfromthefirstsubjecttothesecondsubjectthenstop.BysettingSwing Count to2,itwillpantoyoursecondobject, thenback toyourfirstobject, thenstop.ByusingSwingRange values greater than 1 you can have SAM pan back andforthmultipletimesduring the video. SetSwing Range to 0 fornopanningandtoanevennumbertoalwaysendupwhereyoustarted.

Speed (Deg/Hr): Speed determines how quickly SAM will pan.Inmostcases,youdonotneedtosetthisparameterunlessyouwanttocontrolthepanningspeedbutarenotconcernedwiththeactualvideotimespan. If youdonotwantSAMtopan inyourtime-lapsevideothensetSpeed to 0.

Clockwise: ONwillcauseSAMtorotatelefttoright(viewingdownwith the saddle on top). OFFwillcauseSAMtorotaterighttoleft.

WiFi Off on Run: Whenenabled,SAMwillautomatically turnoffWiFiatthestartofatasktosavepower.WiFicanberestoredatanytimebypressingandholdingthepowerbuttonuntilthegreenLEDWiFiindicatorlightcomeson.

Profiles Save / Edit: TosaveaprofiletapSave. To edit or delete a profile tapEdit. Youcanstoremultipleprofilesofyour favouritesettingsforrecallatfuturesessions.

ON OFF

SAM will rotate left to right if Clockwise is set to ON, or right to left if Clockwise is set to OFF.


Time-Lapse Progress Screen

Onceyourtripod,SAMandcamerageararesetupandallofyourtaskparametersareset,justpressRuntoinitiatethetask.Your parameter settings will remain in view and Status will appearatthebottomofthescreen.Toviewthetaskprogresstap on Status.

Pressing Stop brings up aconfirmation screen. You cancancel the Stop request andresume the task or proceed to end the task at that point.

The Long-Exposure Time-Lapse progress screen shows the sameinformationandworksinthe same manner.

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Astrophotography and Astro Time-Lapse

Astrophotography

Astrophotographyreferstophotographyofthenighttimesky.IthasbecomefarmorefamiliartousduetotheincredibleimagesrecordedbytheHubbleSpaceTelescopeandsharedbyNASAwiththepublicover thepast twodecades. But astrophotographydidn’t startwiththeHubbleSpaceTelescope.Infact, itstartedmorethan100yearsago and has been done in large part since that time by amateur astronomers.

WithSAM,astrophotographyisnowsomethingyoucando,too.Youwon’t be able to produce photographs that have the same imagescale as those taken by the Hubble, but youwill be able tomakebeautifulportraitsofconstellationsandlargeregionsoftheMilkywaygalaxyshowingstarclouds,starclusters,andlightanddarknebulae.You’llbeabletorecordtime-lapsevideosofauroras,andthestagesofalunareclipse.

First,however,therearetwochallengestoovercomethatyoudon’tencounterintypical,terrestrialtypesofphotography.Oneistheneedtouselongexposures(e.g.,greaterthan30seconds)torecorddimnightskyobjects.Thesecondistheneedtohavethecamerafollowtheskyastheexposureistakingplace.

The Need For Long ExposuresUnfortunately, you can’t just set your camera to AUTO, aim it atthe night sky and take a picture. The night sky is far too dim forthat to work, and any attempts you make will produce seriouslyunderexposed results. But, you can overcome this challenge byselectingBULBmodeonyour cameraandusingSAM’s SNAPcable

The MilkyWay Galaxy revealed through a long exposure astrophoto with precision tracking.


connectiontocreatemuchlongerexposures–likeaminuteortwo–orten!Withasufficientlylongexposure,yourcamerawillcollectenoughlighttorevealhiddendetailsthataremuchtoofaintforoureyestosee.Butthen,quiteliterally,you’llseethesecondproblem!

The Need For TrackingInyournow,nicelyexposedphoto,thestarsdon’tlooklikestarsanymore–theylooklikelittlelinesandarcsofvariablelengths!Theproblemhereiscalledtrailing,anditbecomesmorenoticeableasthefocallengthofyourlensand/oryourexposuretimeincreases.

Youmightthinkthattrailingisduetothemovementofthestars,butit’snot.It’sduetothemovementofyourcameraasitrecordsthosedistantstarsoverthecourseofthatexposure.YourcameraismovingbecauseitissittingonatripodthatissittingontheEarth,andtheEarthisrotating.Thismotioncausesthestars,whichappeartobefixed inspacefromourperspective,toappeartomoverelativetous,andmoreimportantly,toourcamera.

SAM overcomes this challenge by moving your camera to preciselyoffsettheeffectsofEarth’srotationwhileasufficientlylongexposureofthenightskyisbeingmade.SAM’strackingcapabilitykeepsaspecificareaof thesky impingingupon thesamepartof thecamerasensorthroughouttheexposure.Soastarwill fallonthesamesetofpixelsfromthebeginningthroughtheendof theexposure.Theresult isawell-exposedphotoofthenightskywithpinpointstarimages.

With SAM, twoof thebiggest challenges in doing astrophotographyaresimplifiedandautomatedforyou.SAM’scameracontrolfeaturesenableyou to takeexposures inexcessof30seach. SAM’s trackingabilitykeepsyourcameraontargettoproducepinpointstarimages.As your skill level in astrophotography progresses you can set SAM up totakemultipleimagesofyoursubject,thenuseadvancedprocessingtechniqueslikestackingtomaketrulyremarkablecelestialportraits.

An equatorial mount rotates to prevent star trailing in

your photo by precisely countering Earth’s Rotation.

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Astro Time-LapseAstro Time-Lapsephotographyfacesthesamechallengesasastrophotographyingeneral.Namely,duetothedimnessofthesubject(thenightsky),longerexposuresarerequiredtorecordsufficientdetail,andtrackingisneededtopreventstartrailingduringthoseexposures.Buttherearesomedifferencesas well.

Forastrophotography, the regionof sky that isbeingphotographedmovesoverthecourseoftheexposuresequence.Wegenerallyrepeattheprocessto obtain a sequence of images, all of the same subject, and all framedidentically.Thismeansthatourcameraispointinginadifferentdirectionattheendofthesequencecomparedtowhereitwaspointingatthebeginning.Thisoccursbecauseoursubjecthasmovedandthecamerahasmovedalongwith it.

In Astro Time-Lapsewetakemultipleimagesaswell,andthecameramoveswitheachexposure.But,unlikeinastrophotography,SAMreturnsthecameratothestartingpointaftereachexposureiscompleted.

Now,when the frames are sequenced into a video, you see the night skymoving about a fixed terrestrial reference point. By finding locations withbeautifulforegroundsettingsyoucanproducebreathtakingvideosoftheskymovingoveryourlocation.[VisitourYouTubechanneltoseesomeexamples].

Special Requirements For Astrophotography and Astro Time-LapseIn order to track the movement of the night sky the camera has to becontinuouslymovedtooffsettherotationoftheEarth inordertoholdthesubjectperfectlysteadyonthesensor.TherotationofthecameraneedstotakeplaceaboutanaxisthatisparalleltoEarth’srotationalaxis,andtherefore,thetwoaxesmustbealignedinorderfortrackingtoworkcorrectly.

A time-lapse video consists of hundreds to thousands of individual photos taken over a long span of time then replayed in a short video, revealing natural dynamics that occur much to slowly for us to perceive otherwise.


Polar AlignmentPolarAlignmentreferstotheprocedureforaligningSAM’srotationalaxiswiththeEarth’srotationalaxis. IfweextendEarth’srotationalaxisoutintospaceitintersectsanimaginarypointcalledtheCelestialPole.IntheNorthernhemispherewerefertothatpointastheNorthCelestialPole,orNCP for short. In theSouthernhemisphere it is theSouthCelestialPole or SCP.

Becausethecelestialpolesareimaginarypoints,thereisnothingtoseeattheirlocations.Thiscanmakepointingatthemabitofachallenge!However,thereareacoupleofcelestiallandmarksnearbythepolesthathelpusalong.InthenorthitisPolaris,theNorthStar.InthesouthitisthestarSigmaOctanis.

Polar Alignment in the Northern HemisphereTopolaralignSAMwiththeNCPfollowthisprocedure.ItisbesttodothisatduskwhenyoucanjustseePolaris,butbeforeitiscompletelydarksothatyoucanmoreeasilyseewhatyouaredoing.Also,it’salwaysgoodpracticetosavethedarkfortakingyourpictures,notforsettingupyourequipment.Thefollowingstepsassumeyouhaveatilt/panheadorballmountattachedtoyourtripod:

1. Setupyourtripodandbesurethatitissecure.

2. Attach SAM to the tilt/pan or ball head. The Polar View Findershouldbeontopandthesaddlefacingnorth.

3. Now,anglethetilt/headorballmountupandrotatesothatyoucanseePolarisinthefieldofviewofthePolarViewFinder.Thisisallyouwillneedtodowhenusingshortfocallengthlensesand/orexposuresthatareonlyafewsecondslong.Ifyouareusinglongerfocallengthlenses(e.g.,greaterthan100mmorso)orexposuresexceeding30–60sthenyoumaygetbetterresultsbyfollowingthestepsoutlinedinAppendixI:AdvancedPolarAlignmentProcedures.

Polaris .Look throughthe Polar View FinderandalignonPolaris,makingadjustments with yourtilt/panheadorballmount.

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IfyouareusingtheoptionalEquatorialWedgeattachedtoyourtripod,followthisprocedure:

1. Setupyourtripodandensureitisstable.

2. Ifyouhaveatilt/panheadorballmountitisbesttoremoveitfromyourtripod.AttachtheEquatorialWedgedirectlytoyourtripodviathe3/8-inchthreadedmountinghole.

3. Once thewedge is securely attached align the tripod so that theAltitudeAdjustmentKnobisfacingnorth.

4. Now, level your tripod using the built-in Bubble Level. A levelequatorialwedgeisnotarequirementforastrophotography,butitmakessubsequentadjustmentseasiertomake.

5. Oncelevel,rotatetheAltitudeAdjustmentKnobuntiltheAltitudeIndicator points at your latitude ontheAltitudeScale.(ThealtitudeofPolarisabovethehorizonatyourlocationmatchesyourlatitude).If you don’t know your latitude you can look it up in the StarAdventurerminiConsoleunderSettings:Location.

6. Next,attachSAMto theAccessoryMountingPlateusing the3/8-inch dovetail adapter included with the wedge. The saddle on SAM should be facing northwith the Polar View Finder on top aimedtowardPolaris.YoucanilluminatethePolarViewFinderbypressingthe power switch on SAM, or by setting it to ON inside the StarAdventurer mini Console. While looking through the Polar View Finder port, use the Altitude and Azimuth Adjustment Knobs tomakefineradjustmentsuntilyoucanseePolarisinthefieldofviewofthePolarViewFinder.

7. Nowattachyourcameragearbeingcarefulnottomovethetripodoutofitspolaralignedposition.ConnecttheSNAPcameracontrolcablebetweenSAMandyour camera. Point your cameraat yoursubject,thenproceedtosetupSAMviatheStarAdventurerminiConsole.

Looking through the Polar View Finder align SAM until you can see the star Polaris in the field of view. This simple polar alignment will be adequate for most purposes.

Polaris .

Look throughthe Polar View Finderandalignon Polaris.

Azimuthadjusters

Accessory mount-ing plate inserted into saddle.


Younowhaveyourequipmentsetupandreadytogo.Proceedtothesection“UsingtheStarAdventurerminiConsoleforAstrophotography”.

Polar Alignment in the Southern HemisphereThesimplepolaralignmentproceduredescribedaboveisnotpossibleinthesouthernhemisphereduetothelackofanybrightstarsinthevicinity of the SCP. For best results in obtaining an accurate polaralignment,southernhemisphereusersshouldgettheoptionalpolarscope to refine their polar alignments. Please refer to Advanced Polar Alignment Procedure For Users In The Southern Hemisphere in AppendixI.

Using the Star Adventurer mini Console For AstrophotographyAlthough astrophotography is technically more challenging than Regular-Exposure Time-Lapse photography there are actually fewerparameterstobeconcernedwith.Thesearedescribedbelow:

Exposure (Sec): Exposureshouldbesettoavaluethatissufficientlylong to record detail in the night time sky,which is typically longerthan30seconds.BesurethatyourcameraisattachedtoSAMviatheSNAPcontrolcable,thensetyourexposuretimeintheExposurefield.BesuretosetyourcameratoBULBmode,otherwiseyourshutterwillcloseaccordingtowhatevershutterspeedisselectedonyourcamera.

Photo Interval (Sec):Takingmultiplelongexposuresgeneratesaheatbuild-upinyourcamera.Thisheatcanincreasetheamountofgrain(noise)inyourpicture.Youcanreducethiseffectbygivingthecamerasometimetocooldownbetweenphotos.Agoodplacetostartistoset Photo IntervaltohalfofthevalueyousetforExposure. SAM will continueto track theobjectduring thePhoto Interval, then resume withthenextexposureoncethePhoto Interval has elapsed.

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Photos: Enterthenumberofphotosyouwishtoacquireofthesubject.Youcanuseadvancedimageprocessingmethodstocombinemultipleimagesofanobject intoasinglephotowithmuchlessgraininessandfarmoredetailthancantypicallyberecordedinasinglelongexposure.

Tracking Rate: Celestialobjectswithinourown solar systemmoveatslightlydifferentratesthanthedistantstarsandnebulaethatpopulatetherestofourgalaxy.SAMcanbesettotrack“nearby”objectsmoreaccuratelybysettingthisparameter.ChooseSidereal ifyouaretakinga constellationorMilkywayportrait andLunar if youare tracking theMoon (e.g., to record thestagesofaLunarEclipse).Solar is reserved for advanced uses where specialized equipment is being used tophotograph the Sun.

WiFi Off on Run:Whenenabled,SAMwillautomaticallyturnoffWiFiat thestartofa task tosavepower.WiFicanberestoredatanytimeby pressing and holding the power button until the green LEDWiFiindicator lightcomeson. Ifyouencounteranyproblemsreconnect toSAM’snetworkonyourdevice.

Profiles Save / Edit: TosaveaprofiletapSave.Toeditordeleteaprofiletap Edit.Youcanstoreyourmultipleprofilesofyourfavouritesettingsforrecallatfuturesessions.

Onceyourtripod,SAMandcamerageararesetupandallofyourtaskparametersareset,justpressRuntoinitiatethetask.Thiswillbringupyour Progress Screen.

Astrophotography Progress ScreenAnytime you have a process running you can view its progress bytapping on Statusatthebottomoftheparametersscreen.Thisbringsup information about number of photos taken, percentage of taskcomplete, etc. The informationmayvary slightlydependingonwhichfunctionyouarecurrentlyusing.


Using the Star Adventurer mini Console For Astro Time-LapseOneofthemostuniquefeaturesofSAMisitsabilitytocreatetime-lapsevideosofcelestialvistas.ThisfeaturecombinesSAM’sastrophotographyfunctionswithitstime-lapsefunctionsgivingyouapowerfultooltocreatestunninganduniquetime-lapsevideos.Notethattoobtainastronomicaltime-lapsevideosyoumustpolaralignSAMasdescribedabove.Belowaretheparametersyoucansetalongwiththeirexplanationsforproducingastronomicaltime-lapsevideos.Exposure (Sec): Exposure should be set to a value that is sufficientlylongtorecorddetailinthenighttimesky,whichistypicallylongerthan30seconds.BesurethatyourcameraisattachedtoSAMviatheSNAPcontrolcable,thensetyourexposuretimeinthisfield.BesuretosetyourcameratoBULBmode,otherwiseyourshutterwillnotstayopen.Itwillcloseaccordingtowhatevershutterspeedisselectedonyourcamera.IF YOU TAKE A LONG EXPOSURE AND SEE NOTHING ON YOUR SCREEN THEN MAKE SURE THAT YOUR CAMERA IS SET FOR MANUAL OPERATION, YOUR SHUTTER IS SET TO BULB MODE – AND YOUR LENS CAP HAS BEEN REMOVED.Video Time Span (Hr): Video Time Span refers to the amount of realtime thatwill elapse from the start to theendof the recording.Video Time Span isaffectedbyExposure, Photos, Video Length and Frame Rate,andwillbecalculatedforyou.However,youcanalsodirectlysetavalueforVideo Time Span. Forinstance,ifyouwanttofollowtheMoonfor5hourstorecordthestagesofa lunareclipse,youcouldsetVideo Time Spanto5.Setthelengthofyourdesiredtime-lapsevideoinVideo Length andtheappropriateframespersecond(fps)inFrame Rate.Otherrelatedparameterswillthenbecalculatedforyou.Video Length (Sec): Set this parameter to the desired length in seconds ofyourfinishedtime-lapsevideo.Youcansetthisparameterdirectly,oryoucanallow it tobecalculated foryoubasedon thevaluesofotherparameters.

23

Frame Rate: Select NTSC (30 fps) or PAL (25 fps) according to thevideo standards for your location.Youcan furtheradjusttheplaybackspeedofyourvideoinyourvideoeditingsoftware.

Photos: Enterthenumberofphotosyouwishtomakeupyourvideo. It isusuallyeasier to let thisfieldbecalculatedbasedonsettingsforotherparameters.Forinstance,youhavemorecreativecontrolonyourtime-lapsevideobysettingtheVideo Time Span and the Video Lengthparameters,thenlettingtheappcalculatethenumberofPhotosthatwillberequired.

Tracking Rate: If you are making a time-lapse video of theMoon then select Lunar.Otherwise,selectSidereal.

WiFi Off on Run: Whenenabled,SAMwillautomaticallyturnoffWiFi at the start of the task to save power.WiFi can berestoredatanytimebypressingandholdingthepowerbuttonuntilthegreenLEDWiFiindicatorlightcomeson.

Profiles Save / Edit: To save a profile tap Save. To edit or deleteaprofiletapEdit.Youcanstoremultipleprofilesofyourfavouritesettingsforrecallatfuturesessions.

Onceyourtripod,SAMandcamerageararesetupandallofyourtaskparametersareset,justpressRuntoinitiatethetask.ThiswillbringupyourProgressScreen.

Astro Time-Lapse Progress ScreenOnce your task has started tap Status to see informationconcerning the number of photos completed and timeremaining.


Part IIStar Adventurer Mini User GuideSAM

25

Manual ControlGototheMainMenuandtaponManualControl.Thiswillbringupthemanualcontrolarrowsoneithersideofananglegivenindegrees,minutesandseconds.Tapor touchandhold thearrowsymbols tonudge or continuouslymove SAM to the left or right, respectively.Releasethearrowsymbol tostopSAM’smovement.Theangleyouhaverotatedthroughwillshowupbetweenthearrows.

Manual Control gives you the ability to nudge your camera, butwithout touching it directly – a handy feature when you need totweak your composition to get that perfect shotwithout bumpingyourgearoutofalignment.

YoucanalsouseittodeterminetheSwingRangeforyourtime-lapsevideocompositions.Forinstance,sayyouhavetwopointsofinterestandwantyourvideotoswingfromonetotheother.Aimyourcameraatthefirstpoint,thenZerothecounter.Now,tapandholdthearrowkeysuntil yourcamera ispointingat your secondpointof interest.Record the angle that is showingbetween the arrows andenter itas your Swing Range parameter when you are ready to create you time-lapsevideo.


SettingsTap on Settingsonthehomescreentosetavarietyofdevicefunctionsasdetailedbelow.

Language: Choose the default language for the Star Adventurer miniConsole.

Night Mode: Tap and choose On or Autotogetablackbackgroundwithred text. Thismode is designed to help preserve your dark adaptation.Note:ifthereareanyvisualastronomersinyourvicinityyoushouldsettheapp to On as a courtesy to them.

Location: Tap to get a submenu that gives you the option to use thelocationsensorinyourdevicetosetyourcurrentlongitudeandlatitude.Ifdisabledyoucanenterthecoordinatesmanually.

Location determines the hemisphere you are in and sets the correctrotationdirection forAstrophotography and Astro Time-Lapse functions.It isalsoused todisplay thepositionofPolarisandOctanson thePolarScopereticule.

Finder LED Auto-Off:AftertheselecteddelaythePolarViewFinderLEDwillautomaticallyturnoff.ToturnontheLEDjustquicklypressSAM’son/offbutton,orsettheLEDtoonusingtheStarAdventurerminiConsole.

WiFi Auto-Off: Tap to choose a delay to automatically turn of WiFi topreservepower.WiFiwillturnoffwhennoWiFiactivityisdetectedduringthe Auto-Off interval. You can turn it back on by quickly pressing andreleasingSAM’spowerbutton.Note:WiFiisnotneededonceparametersforagiventaskhavebeenset.

Auto Shut Down:TosavepowerSAMwillautomaticallyturnoffafterthespecifiedamountoftimeifnotasksarerunningandtherehavebeennocommunicationsbetweenSAMandthecontrolapp.

Auto-Run Task:Ifenabled,SAMwillautomaticallyre-startthepreviousphotographyprocesswhennexttimethepoweristurnedon.

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WiFi NetworkTap on WiFi NetworktobringuptheWiFioptionsasdetailedbelow.Youcan choose either Access Point (AP) Mode or Station (STA) Mode. Use AP modeforabasicconnectiontoSAM.UseSTAmodeifyouwishtocontrolSAMwhilesimultaneouslybeingconnectedtoawirelessnetwork(e.g.,forinternet access) or want to control SAM remotely via the internet.

Be sure that you have the correct STA SSID and Password information.Ifyouenterthe incorrect informationyoumayneedtoresetSAMto itsfactorysettingsusingtheprocedureoutlinedinAppendixVI.

Access Point (AP) Mode: Thisisthedefaultandsimplermode.InAP mode SAM acts as a wireless access point so that you can connect to it via the Star Adventurer mini Console.

AP Mode SSID: The SSIDwill automatically showupbasedon the SSIDyouenteredtomakeyourinitialWiFiconnection.SelectittoconnectyourdevicetoSAM.BeforeattemptingtoconnectbesurethatSAMispoweredupandthegreenWiFilightisblinking.ThegreenlightsignalsthatSAMisreadytomakeaWiFiconnection.

AP Mode Security: Select Openifnoencryptionistobeused.Otherwise,taponthesettingsfieldandchooseanencryptiontypefromthelist.

Station Mode (STA):ChoosethismodeifyouwishtohaveinternetaccesswhileusingSAM,controlSAMviatheinternet,ortosavebatterypower.WhenyouselectSTAmodeSAMwilljoinanexistingWiFinetwork.TouseSTAMode,selectit,thensettheSSIDandPasswordforthenetworkyouarejoining.WhenallofyourselectionsaremadeclickonApply. SAM will restart and join the network. The new settings will be stored in SAM’smemoryandwillremainthereuntilthesettingsarechanged.

STA SSID: Select the network youwish to join and enter the SSID for thatnetwork.

STA Password: Enter the Passwordforthenetworkyouhaveselectedtojoin.

STA Use DHCP:TurnthisoffONLYifyouwanttosettheIPaddressmanually.


Network TroubleshootingRe-establish WiFi ConnectionThe WiFi connection to SAM will disconnect if either the SSID orPassword ismodified. Ifyou loseyourWiFiconnectionpleasefollowtheprocedurestoreconnectyourdevicetoSAMasoutlinedonpage8.

Restore SAM to Factory WiFi SettingsIfyouhaveforgottenthePasswordorarehavingtroubleestablishingaWiFiconnectionthenyoumayneedtorestoreSAMtofactoryset-tings.PleaserefertotheproceduresinAppendixVI:HowtoRestoreFactoryWiFiSettings.Note:Youwillneedtore-establishyourWiFiconnectionafterrestoringSAMtoitsfactoryWiFisettings.

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Appendix I: Advanced Polar Alignment Procedures

Asyou increasethefocal lengthofyourcamera lensand/ortheexposurelength of your photos you also increase the need to make your polaralignment more precise. The sign that you need to increase its precision is elongationofthestarsinyourimages.Errorsinpolaralignmentcausestarstodriftoffofthepathyourcameraismakingandontonewsetsofpixelsonthe camera sensor. The result is seen as streaks where pinpoint star images should reside.

Fortunately,SAMisequippedwithaccessoriestomakeveryprecisepolaralignments.ThePolarScope isthemost importantoftheseas itprovidesyouwithaclearviewofPolarisintheNorthandtheSigmaOctanisgroupintheSouth.Further,theStarAdventurerminiConsoleprovidesaPolar Clock functiontoguideyourpolaralignmentwithremarkableprecision.

NOTE: A Polar Scope is REQUIRED for the Advanced Alignment Procedures.

The Equatorial WedgeisnotarequirementfortheAdvancedPolarAlignmentProcedurebut it isaHIGHLYRECOMMENDEDaccessory.Thefinealtitudeand azimuth adjustment knobs on the Equatorial Wedge make precision pointingofSAMmucheasierthanwiththecomparativelycoarseadjustmentresolutionofatilt/panheadorballmount.

IntheSouthernHemispherethereistheaddeddifficultyofgettinganinitial,coarsepolaralignmentduetothelackofnaked-eyestarsinthevicinityoftheSouthCelestialPole.WeincludeintheAdvanced Polar Alignment Procedure for the Southern Hemisphere sectionadetailedprocedure forachievinganinitial alignment thatwill be sufficient to get the SigmaOctanis group intothefieldofviewofyourPolarScope.Fromthatpoint, it isasimplemattertoachieveaveryprecisealignmentbymatchingtheviewinthepolarscopeeyepiece to the view given by the Polar Clock Utility provided in the StarAdventurer mini Console.

NOTE:BecausetheEquatorial Wedgeissuchahighlyrecommendedoption

Startrailscanmakebeautifulpictures,butonly when then are intended! SAM elim-inates trailing over long exposures to giveyou pin point star images.


thefollowingsectionsassumethatyouareusingone. Ifyouarenot,youcan still follow the procedures, but bymaking the indicated adjustmentswithyourtilt/panheadorballmount.WealsohighlyrecommendtheFine-Tuning Mounting AssemblyasitenablesyoutoperformtheadvancedpolaralignmentprocedureswithyourphotographicpayloadalreadyattachedtoSAM and without the need to remove the polar scope once the procedure is done.

Advanced Polar Alignment for the Northern HemisphereStart by Achieving a Coarse Polar Alignment1. AttachtheEquatorial Wedge (wedge)toyourtripodviathe3/8inch

mountingbolt(orusingthe1/4inchthreadadapterifrequired).

2. AttachSAMtotheEquatorial Wedge.

3. Levelthetripodsothatthebubble levelonthewedge iscentred.Aleveltripodisnotastrictrequirement,butitdoesmakesubsequentadjustments easier.

4. Turn the Latitude Adjuster to match the latitude of your location.Thiswill angle SAM to the correct level to obtain your coarse polaralignment.YoucanusetheStarAdventurerminiConsoletogetyourlatitudeiftheGPSfunctionofyourphoneisenabled.

5. Look through the Polar View Finder and adjust your Altitude and Azimuth KnobsuntilyoucanseePolarisinsidetheboundariesoftheviewport.NotethatifSAMispoweredupyoucanilluminatethePolar View FinderLEDbyturningitonintheStarAdventurerminiConsole,orquicklypressingandreleasingthepowerbutton.

OnceyoucanseePolarisintheviewfinderyouarereadytoinstallthePolar Scope andfine-tuneyourpolaralignmentwiththePolar Clockfunction.

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Setting Up the Polar Scope

Carefully remove theRear Mounting Plate fromthebackofSAMand fullyinsert your Polar Scope into the exposed hole. If you have set things upcorrectly to this point, you should be looking directly northwhen lookingthrough the Polar Scope.

AttachthePolar Scope Illuminator to the other end. This will help make the reticulepatterninthePolar Scopeeyepiecemorevisibleindarkconditions.Adjust the intensity of the illuminator by turning the dial. Make it brightenoughtoseethereticulepattern,butnotsobrightastowashoutyourviewofPolaris.

Rotate the Polar Scope sothatthe“0”labelonthereticulepatternisatthe12o’clockposition(i.e.,atthetop).Whenpositionedcorrectly3willbeseenattheright,6andthebottomand9totheleft.

Using the Altitude and Azimuth Adjustment Knobsonthewedge,adjusttheview in your Polar ScopeuntilyoucanseePolarisinthefieldofview.Itcanbeanywhereinthefieldofviewatthispoint.Youwilladjusttoitsexactlocationin a moment.

Using the Polar Clock Utility to Fine-Tune Your Polar Alignment

Now tap on the Polar Clock Utility in the Main Menu oftheStarAdventurermini Console. Tap on Northern Hemisphereifitisnotalreadyselected.

The app shows you a drawing that matches the view in the Polar Scope. Note thepositionof the smallblackdot. It representsPolaris and showswherePolaris shouldbe located relative to theNCPat thetimeoffyour session.Turn your Altitude and Azimuth Adjustment KnobsuntilPolarisasseenintheviewfinderofyourPolar Scopematchesthepositionoftheblackdot.YouarenowpreciselypolaralignedwiththeNCP(representedbytheintersectionatthecentreofyourfieldofview)andcanincreasethethefocallengthofyourlensesand/orexposuretimesofyourphotoswithconfidence.

Carefully remove thePolar Scope Illuminator and Polar Scope making sure thatyoudonotdisturbthepositionofthetripod.Nowyoucanattachyour

1

2


cameragear(ballhead,camera).NOTE:IfyouareusingtheoptionalFine-Tuning Mounting Assemblyyoucanperformthepolaralignmentprocedurewithallofyourgearalreadymounted.

Connect your camera to SAM via the SNAP control port using the appropriateinterfacecableforyourbrandofcamera.Powerupyourequipmentandyouarereadytogo!

Using the Optional Fine-Tuning Mounting AssemblyYoucanremovetheneedforaballmountbyusingtheFine-Tuning Mounting Assembly.ThisassemblyattachestotheSaddle and permits adjustmentsinthedeclinationaxis–theaxisthatrunsperpendiculartoSAM’srotationalaxis(knownastheRightAscension,orRAaxis,inastronomyterms).Freedomtomoveyourcameraonthedeclinationaxisletsyoupointittoanylocationinthesky,justastheballmountdoes. But the Fine-Tuning Mounting Assembly is much more than just analternativetousingaballmount.

Oneof itsbiggestadvantagesisthat itenablesyoutoincreasethepayload of your imaging equipment by using a counter balancesystem.Youcanuselarger,heavierlenses–orevenusetwocamerasatatime.

With the Fine-Tuning Mounting Assembly you can even attach asmalltelescopetoSAMforextendedviewingofcelestialobjectsheldsteadyintheeyepiecebySAM’scontinuoustrackingability.

But maybe the biggest advantage of the Fine-Tuning Mounting Assembly is that you can leave your Polar Scopeinplaceandperformthe advanced polar alignment procedure even with your entirephotographic payload in place. This greatly reduces the likelihood disturbing the precision polar alignment when adding equipmentaftertheprocedurehasbeenperformed.

To install the Fine-Tuning Mounting Assembly please follow thedirectionsinAppendixIV.

33

Advanced Polar Alignment Procedure for the Southern Hemisphere

Northernobservers/photographershaveagreatadvantagewhenitcomestoperformingapolaralignment.Theyhavethenaked-eyestarPolarissituatedjust2/3ofadegreefromtheNorthCelestialPole.ThismakesaquickalignmentofanequatorialdevicelikeSAMveryeasytoaccomplish.JustfindPolarisandpointSAMsothatyoucanseePolarisinthefieldofviewofthePolar Finder view port.

UnfortunatelytherearenobrightreferencestarsintheimmediatevicinityoftheSCP,sotheproceduretoobtainapolaralignmentisabitmoreinvolved.However, there isasmallgroupofstarsnear theSCPthat,while invisible tothenakedeye,canbeseeninyourPolar Scope.Onceyouhavethisgroupinview,aprecisionpolaralignmentisjustaseasytoaccomplishinthesouthernhemisphereasitisinthenorth,thankstothePolar Clockfunctionincludedinthe Star Adventurer mini Console.

First Install the Polar Scope [Refertothephotosonpage32.]CarefullyremovetheRear Mounting PlatefromthebackofSAMandinsertyourPolar Scope intotheexposedhole.AttachthePolar Scope Illuminator to the otherend.ThiswillhelpmakethereticulepatterninthePolar Scope eyepiece morevisibleindarkconditions.Adjusttheintensityoftheilluminatorbyturningthedial.Makeitbrightenoughtoseethereticulepattern,butnotsobrightastowashoutyourviewofthefaintstarsneartheSCP.

Performing a Coarse Polar Alignment in the Southern HemisphereThegoalofthecoarsepolaralignmentistogetyourPolar Scope aimed near enoughtotheSCPthatyouwillbeabletoseeasmallgroupoffourstarswithinits field of view.We refer to these as the SigmaOctanis group,with SigmaOctanisbeingtheslightlybrighterofthefour,andalwaystheonethatisnearesttheSCPasthegrouprotatesabouttheSCPoverthecourseof24hours.

6. Attach the Equatorial Wedge (wedge) to your tripod via the 3/8 inchmountingbolt(orusingthe1/4inchthreadadapterifrequired).

7. AttachSAMtotheEquatorial Wedge.


8. Levelthetripodsothatthebubblelevelonthewedgeiscentred.Aleveltripodisnotastrictrequirement,butitdoesmakesubsequentadjustmentseasier.

9. Turn the Latitude Adjustertomatchthelatitudeofyourlocation.ThiswillangleSAMtothecorrectaltitudetoobtainyourcoarsepolaralignment.YoucanusetheStarAdventurerminiConsoletogetyourlatitudeinSettings > Location.

10. FindAcrux,thenfollowingalinefromittoalphaMuscae,locatethenextbrighteststar,gammaMuscae. Ifyouweretodrawa linethroughAcurxandgammaMuscae it would point very nearly to the SCP (see chart on previous page).

11. Raiseyourhandatarmslengthandspreadyourfingerssothereisaboutanextrafingerspacebetweeneachone.PutthetipofyourlittlefingerneargammaMuscaeandtiltyourhandsothatthetipofyourthumbwouldbeonalinethatconnectsittogammaMuscaeandAcrux.

12. Pointyourpolarscope into to theregionwhere thetipofyour thumbhadbeen.Ifyoupointedwithreasonableaccuracy,youshouldbeabletoseetheSigmaOctanisgroupinthefieldofviewofthePolar Scope.Ifnot,keepmakingadjustmentsuntilyoucanusing thealtitudeandazimuthadjustersonyourwedge.

Using the Sigma Octanis Clock Utility

OnceyoucanseetheSigmaOctanisgroupinyourPolar Scope fieldofviewyouarereadytofine-tuneyourpolaralignmenttotheSCP.

1. Bring up the Star Adventurer mini Console and tap on the Polar Clock Utility.

2. Tap on Southern Hemisphere if it isnotalready selected.ThiswillbringuparepresentationofthereticuleinyourPolar Scope.

3. Rotate your Polar Scope to match the view in the Polar Clock utility.Thatis,rotateitsothattherepresentationoftheSigmaOctanisgroupinyourPolar Scope has the sameorientationasshowninthePolar Clock utility.

4. Usingthefine-tuningknobsonyourwedgeadjustituntilthestarsoftheSigmaOctanisgroupasseeninthePolar Scopematchtheirrepresentationsasshownin the app.

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Appendix II: Calibrating the Polar ScopeForthehighestprecisionitmaybenecessarytoalignthereticuleinyourPolar Scopebeforeperformingapolaralignment.This simplecalibrationprocedurewillensurethatyourpolaralignmentsaredonetothehighestpossiblelevelofprecision.

First,checktoseethatyourPolar Scoperequirescalibration.Itmaybejustfinerightoutof thebox, sodo this simple testbeforeattempting thecalibrationprocedure:

1. With your Polar ScopemountedinSAMaimitatadistantobject(prefereablyatleast100metresaway)thatwillnotchangeitslocation.Astreetlightordistant chimney is a good choice.

2. Align the distant target with the central cross hair in the Polar Scopereticule.

3. Rotate the Polar Scope180degreeswhilekeepingeverythingelsestill.

Ifthedistanttargetisstillunderthecentralcrosshair,orifithasbarelymovedfromthatpoint,thenYOUDONOTNEEDTOCALIBRATEyourpolarscope.

Ifthedistanttargethas“movedaway”fromthecrosshairsignificantly,thenyoushouldalignthereticuletotheopticalaxisofyourPolar Scope.

Aligning The Polar Scope Reticule to the Polar Scope Optical Axis

Ifacalibrationisrequiredyouwillneeda1.5mmAllenwrenchtoperformthefollowingsteps.Checkyourlocalhardwarestoreifyoudon’thaveoneonhand.

The Polar Scope reticule isheld inplaceby thethreeAllenscrewsaroundtheperimeteroftheeyepiece.Consequently,youshouldnotcompletelyloosenanyofthesescrewsasthereticulewillloseitssupportandnolongerbeadjustable.If thishappensyouwillneed tounscrewtheeyepiece fromthepolar scope,manuallycentretheglassreticuleasbestyoucan,thenreinsertthescrewthathad lost contact.

Aim your polar scope at a distant target then rotate the Polar Scope 180 degrees so that the lock knob is on the opposite side. Next, check the position of your distant target in the eyepiece. If it has moved off centre significantly you will need to calibrate your polar scope reticule.


Explanation of the FiguresA: Followingtripodand/orwedgeadjustmentsSAMhasbeenaimedsothatthedistanttarget(X)fallsunderthecentralcrossofthereticulepattern.

ACTION:NowRotatethePolar Scope180degrees.

B: Afterrotationthetargetappearsdisplacedduetomisalignmentofthepolarscopereticule.

ACTION:AdjustthereticuleusingthethreeAllenscrews(seepage38)until1/2oftheerrorhasbeencorrected.

C: Usingthetripodand/orwedgeadjustments re-centre the target under the cross hair.

ACTION:RotatethePolar Scope180degrees(backtotheoriginalstartingposition).

D: Noteanydeviationofthetarget.IfanysignificantdeviationremainsrepeatthestepsstartingatA.

0

9 3

6

NCPSCP

0

93

6

NCPSCP

0

93

6

NCPSCP

0

9 3

6

NCPSCP

A B

C D

X

X

XX

Adjustreticuleuntiltarget appears here

These figures represent the view through the polar scope when a target is initially centered (A), after Polar Scope has been rotated 180 degrees (B), after the reticule adjustment has been made and SAM has been re-centered on the target (C), and the target displacement after the second 180 degree rotation. There is a bit of displacement left as shown here, but one more iteration of the reticule alignment is likely all that would be needed to remove it.

NotehowtheorientationofthereticulechangeswhenPolarScopeisrotated180degrees.

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ContinuingfromStep3above,notethedeviationofyourtargetfromthecentralcrosshair.Toalignyourreticuleyouneedtomove itsothat1/2of theerror iscorrected.

Locate the three small Allen screws around the perimeter of the Polar Scope eyepiece.Youaregoingtotighten/looseneachonesothatthecrosshairinthereticuleispositioned1/2waytothetargetinitsdeviatedposition.

4. Chooseoneofthescrewsandloosenit1/4turn.Notethemovementofthecrosshair. If itmoves inthecorrectdirection,tightenthetwootherscrewsabout1/4turneach,thenloosentheoriginalscrewagain.

5. Witheachloosening/tighteningoftheopposingscrewsthecrosshairwillmove.Continueuntilitispositionedatapointthatishalfwayouttothetargetatitsmaximumdeviatedposition.Now,gentlytightenallthreeadjustmentscrews.

6. Adjustthetilt/panhead,ballheadorequatorialwedgetoplaceyourtargetback under the cross hair. Now, rotate SAM 180 degrees in the oppositedirectionandnotethelocationofyourtargetrelativetothecrosshair.

7. If the target has displaced again, repeat steps 4 through 6. Perfrom theadjustments until the target no longermoves from beneath the cross hairwhenSAMisrotatedthrough180degrees.

Remember:

• First verify that your Polar Scope requires calibration before starting thecalibrationadjustments!WhenadjustingtheAllenscrews,alwaysproceedbylooseningonescrewthentighteningtheothertwogently.

• Donotloosenonescrewcompletelyorloosenmorethanonescrewatatimeasthereticulemayloseitssupportandbecomenonadjustable.

• Tomakethingseasier,performthecalibrationduringthedaytime.

CAUTION: DO NOT over tighten the screws as you may crack the glass reticule inside the eyepiece of the polar scope.

Thethreereticuleadjustmentscrewsareequallyspacedaroundtheperimeterofthepolarscopeneartheeyepiece.(NOTE:Twoofthescrewsarehiddenfromviewin this photo.)


Appendix III: The Optional Equatorial WedgeIfyouplantodoalotofastrophotographywithSAMthenyoushouldseriously consider purchasing the Equatorial Wedge (wedge). This accessorymakes the fine pointing control that is necessary for polaralignment procedures much more easily accomplished than using a standardtilt/panheadorballmount.

The Equatorial Wedgeincludesthefollowingkeyparts:

Mounting Plate: The Mounting Plateincludesa1/4inchthreadedboltforattachingacameraorstandardcameraaccessory,suchasaballmount.

Stopper: The Stopper actsasasafeguardagainstyourcamerapayloadslippingoutoftheSaddleoftheEquatorial WedgeshouldyouletgoofitbeforetighteningtheMounting Plate Locking Knob.

Azimuth (Horizontal) Adjustment Knob:Thisknobenablesfinepointingof thewedge in the rightand leftdirections (azimuthdirections). It isespeciallyusefulwhenmakingfineadjustmentsfortheEasy and Advanced Polar Alignment Procedures.

Altitude (Vertical) Adjustment Knob: Thisknobenablesfinepointingofthewedgeintheupanddown(altitude)directions.ItisespeciallyusefulwhenmakingfineadjustmentsfortheEasy and Advanced Polar Alignment Procedures.

Altitude Scale: Thisscaleindicatesthealtitudesettingofthewedge.Notethatforpolaralignmentprocedures,thealtitudeofyourwedgeisequaltothelatitudeofyourobservingsiteifyourwedgeandtripodaresettolevel.

Bubble Level: A built-in level to assist you in setting your tripod andwedgeto level.Note thataperfectly level tripod isnota requirementforusingSAMinequatorialmode,butitdoesmakethepolaralignmentadjustmentsabiteasier.

Altitude Lock Handle: Loosenthishandleslightlybeforemakinglatitudeadjustments,thenre-tightenwhenfinished.

MountingPlate

AzimuthAdjustment Knob

Stopper

AltitudeAdjustment Knob

AltitudeScale

BubbleLevel

AltitudeLockHandle

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Appendix IV: The Fine-Tuning Mounting AssemblyThe Fine-Tuning Mounting Assembly provides more convenience and controlformountingyourphotographicpayloads.TheFine-Tuning Element givesyoupointingcontrolforhorizontalmovements,andforDeclinationadjustmentswhenSAMisusedinitspolar-alignedequatorialmode.Useitsadjustableclutchtomakelargechangesinpointingdirections,ormakepreciseadjustmentswithitsfine-tuningcontrolknob.

Oneof themostuseful featuresof theFine-Tuning Mounting Assembly isthatitletsyouperformtheadvancedpolaralignmentprocedurewithyour camera gear already in place. You no longer need to remove thePolar Scope after theprocedure is completed. This greatly reduces theriskofbumpingSAMoutofalignment,whichcanhappenwhenaddingyourcameragearafterthepolaralignmentprocedurehasbeendone.

YoucanalsousemoregearwiththeFine-Tuning Mounting Assembly. Add theoptionalSAMCounter WeightsetandincreaseSAM’spayloadcapacityto4kilograms!That’senoughtocarryasmalltelescope,soyoucanuseSAMasanequatorialtrackingmountforvisualastronomy!

Or,usetheFine-Tuning Mounting Assembly to mount a second camera. JustremovetheFine-Tuning Elementtorevealasecondmountingscrew.Attacha secondballmountandcameraanddoubleyourphotographicproductivity!

With its versatiledesign theFine-Tuning Mounting Assembly is a must-haveaccessory,particularly if youaregoing touseSAMextensively forastrophotography. Configure it as you like tomake your outingsmoreproductive.

The Fine-Tuning Mounting Assembly can be configured in different ways to give you all sorts of configuration options.

Fine Tuning Element Adjustable

Clutch

Camera Attachment


SAM Has Many Possible ConfigurationsSAM can be configuredwith your ballmount, tilt/pan head, camera andtripodinmanyways.ForRegular and Long-Exposure Time-Lapse videos all you need to do is mount SAM to your tripod and your camera to SAM. Using aballmountbetweenSAMand thecamera ishighly recommendedas itgivesyoumuchmorecontroloveryourcompositions.

The most recommended configuration for Astrophotography and Astro Time-Lapse isshownbelowandtotheright.Here, the Equatorial Wedge ismountedtothetripod.SAMisattachedtothewedgeviathesuppliedmountingadapter,andaballmount(seebelow)isthenattachedtoSAM.

SAM configured for Regular and Long Exposure Time-Lapse Videos

SAM configured for Astrophotography andAstro Time-Lapse Videos with and without the Fine-Tuning Mounting Assembly A ball mount is a necessary

item for astrophotography as itpermits you to aim your camera toanylocationinthesky.

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Appendix V: Firmware Upgrade ProcedureFrom time to timewemaymake improvements to SAM’s firmware. To updatethefirmwareyouwillneedtodownloadthefirmwareloaderprogramaswellasthe firmware update file. Both are available at the Sky-Watcherwebsite in thedownloadssection.Followthestepsbelowtoupdatethefirmware:

1. Go to www.skywatcher.com and download the “MotorControllerFirmwareLoader”V1.63orhigherfromtheDownloadspage.Youwillneedthisprogramtoloadyourfirmwareupdates.

2. Find themost recent version of SAM’s firmware and download it to yourcomputer.Placeitinthesamefolderasthefirmwareloaderprogram.

3. Connect SAM to the computer with a micro USB cable. If you have notconnectedSAMtoyourcomputerbefore,waitafewmomentsforthedriversto load.

4. PressandholdSAM’sPowerButtontoturnonthepower.

5. RuntheMotorControllerFirmwareLoaderandselectthefirmwarefileyoudownloaded.

6. Select“auto-detectCOMport”,thenclickon“Update”.PleasedoNOTturnoffthepowerwhileupdatingthefirmware.Afterabout25seconds,theprogramwilldisplay“UpdateComplete.Turnoffpower”.

7. If you didn’t select “auto-detect COM port”, or you have other devicesconnectedtothesamecomputer,pleasemanuallyentertheCOMportforSAMasindicatedinyourDeviceManager.Thenclickon“Update”.

8. Pressandholdthepowerbuttonforabout5secondtoturnoffthepower.ThenexttimeyoupowerupSAMthenewfirmwarewilltakeeffect.

If you encounter a power loss during the firmware update, restore the power then repeat Steps 3 to 7.


Appendix VI: How to Restore Factory WiFi Settings

Fromtime totimeyoumayneed to reset SAM to its factoryWiFi settings. Forinstance, if you accidentally enter any incorrectWiFi settings youmay need to“reboot”SAMbyrestoringthefactorydefaults.ToresetSAMtothefactoryWiFisettingtsfollowtheprocedureslistedbelow:

1. PowerdownSAMbyholdingthepowerbuttonforabout5seconds.Letgoonce the red LED goes out.

2. Pressandholdthepowerbuttonforabout10secondsuntiltheredLEDstartstoblinkslowly.Thisindicatesthestartofthebootloadermode.

3. The boot loader will restore the factory default with theWiFi SSID set toSynScanWiFi_xxxxxx.Nopasswordwillberequired.

4. PowerdownSAMbyholdingthepowerbuttonforabout5secondsuntilthered LED goes out.

ThenexttimeyoupowerSAMupitwillstartwiththefactoryWiFisettings.

Note: When the power button is pushed and held for more than 9 seconds, or when a firmware upgrade is to be done, SAM will enter boot loader mode and the factory default WiFi settings will be restored. If you were using other than the default settings you will need to go back to the WiFi settings screens in the Star Adventurer mini Console to re-enter your settings preferences.

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Appendix VII: SAM Product Specifications

Product Type Ultra compact equatorial tracking platform

Regions For Northern and Southern hemispheres

Functions Astronomical Tracking, Camera Control and Time-Lapse Video Creation

Tracking Modes Sidereal Rate, 1/2 Sidereal Rate, Solar, Lunar and Manual

Payload Up to 3 kg

Wheel Gear 36 mm dia. 72 teeth aluminum alloy

Worm Gear 11 mm dia. High tension brass

Motor drive Precision DC Servo

Built-in accessory WiFi with selectable modes

Free App Free control App for Android and iOS phones

Polar scope (optional) Approximately 10° field for precision polar alignment to NCP and SCP

Power Internal: 2 x AA batteries; External via micro USB

Duration of operation Up to 24 hour with 2 x AA batteries

Temperature Range -10 ° ~ 40 °C

Dimensions 76mm x70mm x 103 mm

Weight 0.65 kg

Mounting Connections Dual 3/8” threaded socket (or 1/4” with included adapter)


NoticeSky-Watcherreservestherighttochangethespecificationsofthehardwareandsoftwaredescribedinthismanualatanytimeandwithoutpriornotice.

Sky-Watchercannotbeheldliableforanydamageresultingfromtheinappropriateuseofthisproduct.

Whileeveryefforthasbeenmadetoensurethattheinformationinthismanualisaccurateandcomplete,anyerrorsyoumightfindshouldbereportedtoSky-Watcher.

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Star Adventurer Mini User Guide

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